Nate Latsch

If Southern Illinois is now able to land 6-foot-8 Gateway Tech swingman Jesse Perry, who was the other player Torres Roundtree hoped to get to Carbondale, the Salukis will be in good shape for the next several seasons. Booker is long and athletic. He's kind of like a raw but more dynamic Randal Falker, because he can also go outside and handle the ball and knock down 3-pointers. - Nate

>I thought it was Nate or someone that posted a recent >article that said the kid was now considering basketball >over football and he was interested in st. louis. Wasn't me. I've asked around a little bit about his recruitment, for both football and basketball, and it seemed like he didn't have much interest in colleges for either sport. I would think he'd be a better football prospect. - Nate

>Not a big deal Nate. I'm cool. Sorry I missed you at the >game. U didnt answer my question. Did he refer to me by my >real name, Problack or VTIME? What else did he say. I don't remember. Sorry. I was trying to concentrate on the game. I think at some point TR made a reference to me being a liar, which he must have read on this board that day. - Nate

>I replied to your reply. Another question. I replied to your reply to my reply. - Nate

Got your PM and replied. - Nate

I talked to Ron Waller for a couple minutes and I saw Gavin Wiss and the assistant coaches from the three schools I mentioned earlier, but I missed everybody else. I couldn't imagine Brad missing this game, but I just didn't see him anywhere. - Nate

NM

Very nice report, Torch. Very well done. Suggs made just three of 11 shots in the first half, then knocked down 10 of 16 in the second half. I thought it was impressive that he scored as much as he did in the second half, but he didn't get much help. I'd like to see Suggs attack the basket more, which is something Kramer Soderberg does very well and very often. When Suggs drives, he's often got another defender or two waiting to step into his path. So instead he relies on his jumper too much. There were coaches from Georgia Tech, Clemson and Bradley in the house. I heard Mizzou and maybe Kansas would be there, but I didn't see them. I also didn't see Brad Soderberg anywhere. I'd be surprised if he missed this game. Kramer had a typical Kramer game. He wasn't knocking down jumpers from the perimeter as much as he usually does, but he drove to the basket whenever he wanted, got fouled whenever he wanted and scored a lot of points by being aggressive. After the game, Kramer said he thinks Scott is the best player in Missouri. You can read the full quote in tomorrow's P-D, but it sounded like he was trying to recruit Suggs to go with him to SLU. Smart kid. - Nate

>I actually thought it was funny after I posted the James/Ford thread, he posted the >Suggs/Soderberg thread. He thought he was showing me up, >but I'd already posted about that game in advance to make >sure that the board would have ample time to make plans to >come out to see the game. VTime, I wasn't trying to show you up. Your thread reminded me that I should post something on the board about the game involving two Billikens recruits. Like I said earlier, I forgot you posted something earlier in the week. But I was not trying to show you up. - Nate

I can't give good directions, so here is the address: St. Charles West 3601 Droste Rd St. Charles, MO 63301-1107 If you plug that into mapquest.com or wherever, you should be fine. Varsity game starts at 7:30. - Nate

Anybody here going to check out this game? I'm planning on going early to get another look at Suggs' brother, Skyler, who is a freshman on the J.V. team. He could be a nice player, and could be a good football player for the Blue Jays for the next few years. Skyler looks like he's about the same height (6-3 or so) that Scott was when he was a freshman. Then Scott grew a couple inches before his sophomore year and started getting big-time scholarship offers. - Nate

Very good post, Nashville. Roy, As much as you have disagreed with me on a couple things, I've always liked and respected you — even though we only met once. Like some of the others, I urge you to continue posting often here. Please don't give up on the board. I would guess that over the years this board has added more to your enjoyment of following SLU than it has taken away from it. - Nate

Sorry for repeating your post from earlier this week. Terrell Ramey did point you out to me last night, but you had already walked past where I was sitting and I didn't see you. - Nate

Washington plays at St. Charles West tonight. This would be a good game for Billiken fans to check out. - Nate

I was sitting near Earl Austin Jr. and Rich Grawer, behind the scorer's table near the Beaumont bench. I was kind of between the scorer's table and where Cory Spinks was sitting, if you saw him behind the Beaumont bench. Yes, I saw Powell show off his athleticism. He also had a nice finish inside with the left hand, if I remember correctly. I still think he's a tweener — he needs to get stronger to be more effective inside at the college level or needs to work on his perimeter game if he's going to play on the wing. I liked Walker when I saw him vs. East St. Louis. He impressed me with his shooting ability. He's not very tall, but he looks strong. I was disappointed last night that he didn't take the game over when Vashon was struggling, but to his credit he stepped up and made some big free throws when they needed them. Richard Anderson has improved a lot from last year. I liked that he was aggressive, but he crossed the line a couple times. He could have been T'd up and kicked out of the game if the refs would have seen everything that was going on. Basically, he couldn't control his emotions and it hurt his team after the Vashon players got him out of his game. Anderson could be a big-time prospect if he grows another couple of inches. If he doesn't grow anymore, he could be a really good pickup for somebody in the Missouri Valley — like a bigger and stronger Randal Falker, maybe. - Nate

1) I asked someone close to the Vashon basketball program tonight where he thought Powell might go to school. He said the thinking is Powell will end up in the Missouri Valley Conference. 2) Someone told me tonight that Roundtree did not receive a scholarship offer from SLU. This is one of the toughest things to figure out with writing about college recruiting, for newspapers and web sites. There is really no way to know who has an offer, because schools can't say one way or the other on the record. It's one thing that high school athletes are dishonest about often. In fact, a day or so before he committed to SLU, Tommie Liddell told me he did not even have a scholarship offer from the Billikens. So when you see that info somewhere, be it in the newspaper, on Rivals or Scout, or anywhere else on the internet, you can believe it if you want to. 3) Beaumont sophomore Richard Anderson could develop into a nice player down the road, but he's got to learn to grow up first. Missouri assistant coach Melvin Watkins was at the Vashon-Beaumont game tonight, presumably to check out Anderson against Powell, and Anderson showed some flashes of being a good player and also a headache. Anderson was in foul trouble most of the game, and his coach sent him to the locker room early after something happened with him in the fourth quarter. That's not exactly the stuff you want to be doing with college coaches in the stands. - Nate

>good point. i wonder who the other 5 are as nate documented >last year that knollmeyer was division one worthy. Roy, I was wrong. You were right. This team is loaded with Division I talent. I can't believe they are only 15-9. Surely, they should be 24-0. Must be the coaching. Have a nice day. - Nate

>torch said, > >"Throw out all the NCAA rules. Unless I go to North this >afternoon and see Roundtree driving off in an Escalade there >were no violations." > >torch, that was a lie that nate made up. i never said >anything of the sort in fact complimented siu for always >running a clean program and was only questioning that >considering the facts of ncaa contact rules and the fact >that apparently slu also offered, for roundtree to verbally >commit 10 months early made no sense. > >nate made the next leap. not me. a reporter from the post >dispatch made the accusation not me. Roy, Here is what you wrote in the other thread, which caused me to question what you wrote: "Cant bring for an official visit until after day one of senior year https://goomer.ncaa.org/wdbctx/lsdbi/LSDBi....1&p_CallCount=1 cant make a phone call to recruit until after completion of junior year https://goomer.ncaa.org/wdbctx/lsdbi/LSDBi....1&p_CallCount=1 cannot plan “unavoidable contact†before end of junior year https://goomer.ncaa.org/wdbctx/lsdbi/LSDBi....1&p_CallCount=1 the ENTIRE staff is limited to 130 days of recruiting per year. Ie even if two coaches watch the same game, that = 2 days of recruiting. Break that down per recruit per year knowing we are recruiting other recruits in st louis as well. https://goomer.ncaa.org/wdbctx/lsdbi/LSDBi....1&p_CallCount=1 again, contact cannot be made with a student until after the completion of their junior year https://goomer.ncaa.org/wdbctx/lsdbi/LSDBi....1&p_CallCount=1 the point is, i am not sure what torres wanted? i also question what MORE lowery did since he is subject to the same rules." So now I am accusing SIU of cheating? OK. - Nate

>3star i guess that make him one of the 6. I don't follow Penn State basketball anymore. I lost hope for the Nittany Lions long ago, when they picked DeChellis as the new coach. I do think the basketball program there could be good, under the right coach, because of the facilities, the money the school generates from its more well-known team and because the state usually produces some strong players year in and year out. The Nits were recruiting/are recruiting one player from the St. Louis area. I don't think they have any hope to get that player, nor would I recommend that player attend my old school. - Nate

>Perhaps we'll hear about Femi John committing to SIUC >shortly as well. I actually think Roundtree committing to SLU will help SLU's recruitment of John. - Nate

>Knollmeyer would definitely be a nice pick-up for the >Billikens. I don't know if he's the answer at the power >forward spot for next season, but he could definitely come >in and contribute right away. > >- Nate I still like Knollmeyer. I think he'll be fine. He was aggressive in that all-star game and attacked the basket. He may start for the Billikens next year. - Nate

>slu offered. what else were they supposed to do? Roy, One more time: Lowery made Roundtree feel wanted at SIU. Soderberg did not. - Nate

>What we have is a three star player from St. Louis who >wanted to come to SLU, but for whatever reason is heading to >SIU. Instead of acknowledging that Brad dropped the ball ( a >scenario not at all lacking for precedent) they would rather >claim that SIU cheated, or even worse, that there must be >something wrong with Roundtree to have made such a decision. Drew, It's not a fight I'm trying to win. All along, I've just tried to post information on here that people can't get from other sources. I'm also careful about what I post, as to not give too much information or to get any of my sources in trouble. If a recruit tells me something about the process, on the record, then I'm willing to share that info if it's not going to run in the paper. My story in Saturday's paper about Roundtree will include additional information about some of the recruits in the junior class and who Roundtree is trying to get to go with him to Carbondale. It will also include that Roundtree wants to follow Lowery to another school if the coach gets a new job before next season. - Nate

SLU has six players who average more than 19 minutes of playing time a game and a seventh who averages about 12. Maybe saying six Division I players isn't fair. I should have said six players who are counted on to contribute or six who can score more than three points per game. - Nate

>Now, if what you said is true...He really wants to come to >slu...then why would you make a verbal in the middle of >February? > >Do you see what I'm saying? It doesn't make sense. If you >have a number 1 choice, then you're sure as hell gonna try >and make that happen. You're not gonna make a decision OVER >A YEAR before it's even necessary!! I understand your line of thinking, dealing with your personal life. In this situation, you're talking about a kid who wanted to go to SLU. But that player, while going through the recruiting process, found a coach at another school who made him feel wanted more than the coach at the first school. Why would this player hold out to go to the first school if he doesn't think the school wants him? - Nate