Nate Latsch

I heard tonight that Tubby Smith's contract at Minnesota won't pay much less than the $2,000,000 per year he was making at Kentucky. If that's true, he's made a good move. He won't have to deal with the craziness surrounding him in Lexington and his team won't face the scrutiny of the biggest thing in the area — with the Minnesota Twins, Vikings, Wild and Timberwolves taking up most of the sports pages and TV highlights. I don't see Tubby Smith turning Minnesota into the next Ohio State, unless they have a great run of talent like the state of Ohio is experiencing and somehow land one of the top college prospects of all time. If Minnesota is really paying Smith that much money, good for them to step up and make a big-time effort to become a successful basketball program. I talked with Tubby for a little while when he was in St. Louis for the final four two years ago. That was the year the Wildcats lost a heartbreaker in the elite eight and fell just short of coming to St. Louis. We also talked about his recruitment of Tyler Hansbrough and he felt like they were close to landing him. If Kentucky goes to the final four that year and/or if Smith lands Hansbrough, we're not talking about this move. It's funny how one game or one player can change a program — if Quin Snyder lured Hansbrough to Columbia he'd still be coaching there — but that's how it happens sometimes. - Nate

Don't forget Peterson played in the Scott Trade Center IN ST. LOUIS at the Shootout in December. If there was a good crowd there — and I wasn't there so I don't know — it might have left him with a favorable impression of playing on that floor in a nice building in front of a decent crowd. - Nate

NM

I just got back from a long meeting and I have to go to another one, so I'll try to address everything as quickly as I can. I don't want to see SLU fail. No, I'm not a "fan" in the same sense as everyone here because I can't be as a sportswriter. Same reason I can't be a St. Louis Cardinals fan or a Philadelphia Phillies fan (the team I grew up rooting for). It doesn't mean I can't be happy for these teams when they do well. I want to see SLU in the tournament every year. I want to see the best local players in the junior class go to SLU and turn the program around. When I say Scott Suggs has better options than SLU, it's because he does. Based on what I've learned over the years about what kids want in a college, schools like Florida and Washington and Illinois and North Carolina will beat out SLU most of the time. That doesn't mean SLU isn't the best option for a lot of local kids. SLU is. But here's the kicker ... There have been good local basketball players who have wanted to go to SLU, but SLU doesn't want them. I can think of a couple in this junior class who would have been good for the Billikens, but who SLU didn't want. When I posted on here that Torres Roundtree told me he wanted to go to SLU, the backlash was directed at me because it was my fault apparently. I posted on this thread because it was a rumor about a high school kid transferring schools. When Roy asked me a question about it, I gave him an honest answer. I'm not trying to come to this board to spin everything and blow smoke — there's already a few people on here who do that every day. There are a lot of great fans on this board, even Roy, who's been bashing me at every turn for a while now. I'm trying to provide information for people here who can't get that information — or accurate information — from other sources. I am not the enemy. Yes, I've said I think there needs to be a coaching change. That opinion is one I've come to after watching everything unfold over the last few years. I'm not the only person in local high school basketball circles who thinks this way. There are people close to the SLU program who think this way. I don't want to see Brad lose his job, but I do want to see a coach in place who can succeed in recruiting and in building the SLU program to the level I think it is capable of — on par or close with schools like Gonzaga and Marquette and the like. Some people look at the increased win seasons of recent years and point to a trend. I look at this year — which should have been one of the best seasons in a long time — and see a missed opportunity. I look at Ian graduating and the recruiting misses and the lack of depth and the lack of signed recruits and I see cause for concern. Sorry, but that's how I feel. - Nate

>nate said, > >"I think SLU has a chance to land Suggs, just not a very >good one." > >because we arent a bcs school. Because the kid has better options than SLU. He could go to Florida and play for national championships. He could go to Illinois and play for a team that competes for the Big Ten title every year and has been to several NCAA tournaments the last few years. He could go to Washington and play in the NCAA tournament for a couple years. He could go to Missouri and play for a coach who is likely to start getting the Tigers to the tournament on a regular basis. - Nate

>so before it was soderberg couldnt sign the likes of >stemmler and shaw because they werent offering early enough. > now with mg we wont sign him because we arent a bcs school >even though we were first and plenty early. Roy, Wasn't Brad the first to offer Stemler? What happened there? Stemler waited and had a good season. Then several other schools started calling, including Marquette and Indiana, and the kid chose IU. My earlier post was based on a conversation I had months ago with a JUCO assistant coach. I posted that info before on the board, but he talked about how active some of these schools get late in the process because they are scrambling to fill holes on next year's roster. In this case, with Brad Soderberg recruiting this kid, I think the deck is stacked against him. If BS can't get an early commitment from a JUCO, the wolves will come later on. Then SLU is in the race with bigger and faster horses and is at a disadvantage. If you look at it from the prespective of the JUCO, they probably want their kids to go to the biggest "name" school possible so they can use that when they are recruiting their next crop of kids. This is another reason why recruiting JUCOs is difficult. - Nate

I think this is some wishful thinking from SCW fans. Scott Suggs and Kramer Soderberg are friends. I wouldn't be completely shocked if Suggs didn't play at Washington High as a senior, but I'd be surprised if Suggs' family moved from its very nice relatively new house in the Washington district. - Nate edit: Before this post gives people the wrong idea, I don't think Scott and Kramer being friends gives SLU any extra boost in the recruitment of Suggs. I think SLU has a chance to land Suggs, just not a very good one.

>Was on campus today. He was playing basketball at the Rec >and was talking to Dwayne and Mike Jones. Take it for what >its worth Sanijay Watts has probably been playing at the Rec for years. I know I saw him playing there last year, with some Vashon players, when I was watching a St. Louis Eagles practice. I wouldn't think much of it. - Nate

The longer MG waits to commit to a school, more and more BCS Conference schools will start to recruit him. That's how it works with the high-level JUCO guys. Once teams are eliminated from the NCAA tournament, and guys start declaring early for the NBA Draft, schools will scramble to fill scholarships with top JUCO talent. That's one of the problems with trying to recruit JUCO guys — and leftover high school kids — in the spring. Unless he's got some strong connection to St. Louis U., I doubt MG will be a Billiken. - Nate

I heard former Stanford and NBA coach Mike Montgomery has applied for the coaching job at Illinois State, along with Duke assistant Chris Collins. It should be interesting to follow that job search. - Nate

>Thanks for the info...I believe you meant to say Zumwalt >South Oops. Yeah. Zumwalt South. Sorry. - Nate

I got ripped on the other thread for trying to share some information here about what SLU's competitors are saying about the program, but I have a question. How many people here would give Brad Soderberg a contract extension of two or three years in order to help him with his recruiting? (That way he can say his future at SLU is secure, beyond the two years remaining on his contract.) - Nate

I talked to 6-3/6-4 Zumwalt West junior guard Josh McCoy on Saturday after his team won the Missouri Class 5 third-place game. He said he has an offer from Southeast Missouri State and that Missouri State and St. Louis U. were recruiting him. I thought Missouri State was going to offer him already, but it might not come at all if there is a coaching change. I doubt SLU will offer until the Billikens hear from Scott Suggs and Femi John. Then it might be too late to get McCoy. - Nate

VTime, Why were Roundtree and Booker at Eagles tryouts on Sunday? If Roundtree is playing for Gateway, I'd guess its because he a) wants to be the best player on the team, wants to play with his good friend Booker or c) both. The Eagles' 17s group is stacked with Division I talent. Losing Roundtree won't hurt them too much. And I really like Roundtree and think highly of his ability. - Nate

I was talking to someone in Columbia this weekend with some ties to several Division I programs. He was asking me about Brad Soderberg's contract situation and then brought up the following problem regarding SLU's recruiting. He said one of his friends is an assistant coach at a BCS conference school that is currently recruiting some of the top kids in the junior class in the St. Louis area. He said when the school is recruiting these kids they ask who else is recruiting the kid. Then they bring up the fact that Soderberg has two years left on his contract, while his school has its head coach signed for X number of years beyond that. Which leads to the question of why would a recruit want to go to a school if its coach might not be there much longer. I've said before I think SLU needs to go in a new direction now, but I doubt they will. I don't think anybody has the money to buy out Brad's contract and then throw money around to try to bring in a new coach. So unless Soderberg is fired or gets a contract extension — which he's done nothing to deserve, imo — the coach is a lame duck until his contract runs out, and recruits would be in a tough position to sign with SLU until the issue is resolved one way or the other. - Nate

McCluer North should be better than Gateway Tech next year. Torres Roundtree, Femi John and Anthony Booker should be better. Deon Hemphill, who was supposed to start at point guard this year, will be back as a senior Bobby Peebles, who will be a junior, was impressive at times this season. Plus, whoever else ends up there and whatever kids come up from J.V. Kenny Harris did look good at Eagles tryouts on Sunday, but I'd still give the edge to McCluer North. The experience of going to state and winning it all with a young team will help them in tough spots next year. Webster Groves could make a run next year as well. - Nate

>thus he jumped on mitchell so as not to fall to plan c recruits. Roy, What makes you think Mitchell wasn't a "Plan C" recruit? My guess is Mitchell is Plan C or Plan D or worse. - Nate

At the beginning of the season, SLU really had a chance to have a special team, go to the NCAA tournament and create some excitement for the program that hasn't been there for a couple years. For whatever reason, that didn't happen. Now, the team has another chance. I'm sure a lot of people would love to see the Billikens make a run in the A-10 tournament and earn an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. Everybody loves an underdog story. - Nate

>It was Melvin Robinson's son. > >He is a legit player. He needs to grow into his body. He is >a sophomore. Not Melvin Robinson's son. Melvin Robinson's son is a 7-foot freshman at Gateway Tech. He's not a legit player, though he could be in a few years. He needs to grow into his body and his size 22 feet. - Nate

I talked to Femi John after the game on Saturday and asked him about his recruiting. He said he planned to wait a while to weigh all of his options. - Nate

Harold has a lot of potential. I've said in the past I also like Darian Sain, who reminds me of Dwayne Polk when he was at Vashon. I don't know if Sain has Polk's all-around game, but he can shoot. - Nate

I responded. - Nate

SLU already has a point guard lined up from the junior class: Kramer Soderberg. - Nate

Not an indirect slam. The Kansas City Star has won many national awards and is regarded as one of the elite sections in the country. The Star and Post-Dispatch have something in common: the P-D didn't hire me either. That's why I'm now a real estate agent. - Nate

Jason King is one of the top college basketball beat writers in the country. The KC Star is one of the top sports sections in the country (which is probably why they didn't hire me two years ago when I interviewed there). Thanks for pointing out the story. - Nate