Jalensdad2002

I tend to agree with your post. I never understood offering scholarships to 7'0 giants who never develop. In addition stop offering scholarships to 6'6 players who don't have perimeter skills. I agree there are far too many highly athletic 6'7-6'9 guys in the country. It's just a matter of doing the leg work.

Brehms said "I definitely don't agree that u focus on the new guys and leave your seniors and veterens hanging what r u saying to them". Jalensdad2002 If the seniors are producing results, then of course you stay with them. This is not the current situation at SLU. Outside of Bryant no one is holding their weight. What separates the elite programs is the fact that McDonald All-Americans at those programs know that every year their starting spots may be up for grabs. Brehms said especially if they've given u good play and good >years, u just drop them because they're having a bad >season..what if Liddell comes in and does just like Reg..has >a good year then the next year he doesn't would u advise the >coach to move past him to the younger or newer players? Jalensdad 2002 Who on this team outside of Bryant has given the program good play. Drejaj has has his moments, but people who used to post on the old bullseye board know I had questioned Drejaj's abilities as a starter. SLU has been going to war against Div 1 opponents with role players. As far as Liddell coming in and having a year anywhere near the year Bryant had as a freshman, then of course you stay with him as a sophmore. If Tommie or any of the other freshmen come in a play inconsistent for the next 3 years, then you have to as a good coach look elsewhere. As I said the elite programs and players enter every season with something to prove. If you have an upperclassmen who is not far and away better than the younger player, I choose for the option of getting prepared for the future, especially with the results of this team.

Here are my questions: Why is everyone calling on Meyer for more playing time? He might eventually turn into a Scott Highmark, but he looks timid and overmatched whenever I see him. As you stated we may not win another game, but we do know that guys like Meyer and Brown are the future. Don't waste this opportunity to get these guys ready for next year. How are we going to address our pitiful inside game next year, given the restrictions we have in attracting JUCO talent? Should we just focus on landing raw, big post players and just sacrifice the next two years? Careful about using the word sacrifice. I'm sure Liddell, Lisch, Polk, and Meyer didn't sign up to waste 2 yrs of their life. I can't think of a better way to kill the recent success of SLU recruiting. I think people may have been fooled by the Billikens beating up on each other during the early practices. SLU has some holes to fill, especially with their post players, but this team can win with less than superstar post players. SLU's most pressing need is for a player who can not only create his own offense, but offense for teammates. You put a big guard like Liddell, who can get by most defenders at will, who forces defenses to get out of position, then you have something. Because even if he doesn't score he create open looks for shooters like Meyer and Lisch with his penetration. A penetrator puts the defense into a dilema of, do I leave my man to stop penetration and allow the penetrator to pass the ball back to the area I vacated for an uncontested jumpshot, or do I stay home and allow the penetrator a short jumpshot or layup. Even if a team has a dominant post defender the penetrator can miss the short jumpshot and still create garbage opportunities for guys like Justin Johnson who will be free to crash the offensive glass after their defenders have left them to stop penetration. Things looks bleak right now, but as the saying goes, "it's always darkest before sunlight".

"KL is much better then the guru's saw in early December. I could give a crap what they write"! I think he proved that this morning, going for 15 4th qtr points and 9/10 from the line.

"At the end of the day what does one expert's opinion really mean". To leave no doubt that I am a hypocrit, here is studentsports ranking(Scouts.com prep site). Look at who checks in at #81. Class of '05: Top 100 Hoop Recruits By SchoolSports Staff Date: Oct 14, 2004 Two years ago, you could pencil in LeBron James as the top player in the senior class and call it a day. Last year, there were only a few players worthy of consideration for the No. 1 spot. This year? Take your pick. But out of this crowded group of worthy contenders emerges high-flying South Gwinnett (Ga.) guard Louis Williams, our pick as the No. 1 player in the Class of 2005. With the high school basketball season rapidly approaching, SchoolSports.com unveils its preseason ranking of the nation's Top 100 hoop recruits in the Class of 2005. To get more information on the nation's top players, check out our new 2005 HS Hoops yearbook. Once again, SchoolSports and the Sporting News have combined forces on this annual preview which includes in-depth player rankings and analysis for the Class of 2005, 2006 and 2007, as well as national and regional team rankings and features on some of the top prep players in the country. The 2005 HS Hoops yearbook hits newsstands on October 26, but you can order your advance copy today . Class of 2005 Preseason Rankings 1. Louis Williams South Gwinnett (Snellville, Ga.) Shooting Guard, 6-0, 172 2. Richard Hendrix Athens (Ala.) Power Forward, 6-8, 257 3. Tyler Hansbrough Poplar Bluff (Mo.) Power Forward, 6-8, 224 4. Josh McRoberts Carmel (Ind.) Power Forward, 6-10, 231 5. Julian Wright Homewood-Flossmoor (Flossmoor, Ill.) Small Forward, 6-7, 214 6. Brandon Rush Mount Zion (Durham, N.C.) Small Forward, 6-6, 200 7. Martell Webster Seattle Prep Small Forward, 6-6, 236 8. Tasmin Mitchell Denham Springs (La.) Power Forward, 6-8, 235 9. Monta Ellis Lanier (Jackson, Miss.) Shooting Guard, 6-4, 175 10. Andray Blatche South Kent (Conn.) Prep Center, 6-11, 235 11. Gerald Green Gulf Shores Academy (Houston) Small Forward, 6-8, 195 12. Keith Brumbaugh DeLand (Fla.) Power Forward, 6-8, 197 13. Shawne Williams Laurinburg (N.C.) Prep Small Forward, 6-9, 228 14. Eric Devendorf Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) Shooting Guard, 6-3, 180 15. Greg Paulus Christian Brothers Academy (Syracuse, N.Y.) Point Guard, 6-2, 185 16. Micah Downs Juanita (Kirkland, Wash.) Small Forward, 6-8, 190 17. C.J. Miles Skyline (Dallas) Small Forward, 6-5, 195 18. Mario Chalmers Bartlett (Anchorage, Alaska) Point Guard, 6-2, 175 19. Chris Douglas-Roberts Northwestern (Detroit) Point Guard, 6-4, 170 20. Amir Johnson Westchester (Los Angeles) Center, 6-11, 215 21. Mike Mercer South Gwinnett (Snellville, Ga.) Point Guard, 6-3, 168 22. Tyler Smith Giles County (Pulaski, Tenn.) Small Forward, 6-7, 225 23. Bobby Frasor Brother Rice (Chicago) Point Guard, 6-3, 180 24. Jon Brockman Snohomish (Wash.) Power Forward, 6-6, 246 25. Terrence Williams Rainier Beach (Seattle) Shooting Guard, 6-6, 220 26. Andrew Bynum St. Joseph’s (Metuchen, N.J.) Center, 6-11, 280 27. Marcus Williams Roosevelt (Seattle) Shooting Guard, 6-7, 195 28. Luke Zeller Washington (Ind.) Power Forward, 6-10, 223 29. Eric Boateng St. Andrew’s (Middletown, Del.) Center, 6-9, 230 30. Byron Eaton Lincoln (Dallas) Point Guard, 5-10, 200 31. Jamont Gordon Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) Shooting Guard, 6-3, 215 32. Brandon Costner Seton Hall Prep (West Orange, N.J.) Small Forward, 6-9, 230 33. Tyrell Biggs Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.) Power Forward, 6-8, 250 34. Kevin Rogers South Oak Cliff (Dallas) Power Forward, 6-7, 223 35. Korvotney Barber Manchester (Ga.) Power Forward, 6-7, 220 36. Davon Jefferson Lynwood (Calif.) Small Forward, 6-8, 205 37. Fendi Onobun Alief Taylor (Houston) Small Forward, 6-6, 224 38. Marcus Ginyard Bishop O’Connell (Arlington, Va.) Shooting Guard, 6-5, 195 39. Gary Flowers Lincoln (Dallas) Small Forward, 6-8, 210 40. Joe Krabbenhoft Roosevelt (Sioux Falls, S.D.) Small Forward, 6-7, 225 41. Theo Davis Cardozo (Bayside, N.Y.) Center, 6-10, 220 42. Leo Criswell Piper (Kansas City, Kan.) Power Forward, 6-8, 220 43. Rashad Woods Heritage Christian (Cleveland, Texas) Shooting Guard, 6-6, 210 44. Jamal Boykin Fairfax (Los Angeles) Power Forward, 6-6, 226 45. Danny Green St. Mary’s (Manhasset, N.Y.) Shooting Guard, 6-5, 200 46. Andre McGee Canyon Springs (Moreno Valley, Calif.) Point Guard, 6-0, 185 47. Shane Clark Hargrave Military (Chatham, Va.) Small Forward, 6-7, 190 48. Rashad Chase Mays (Atlanta) Power Forward, 6-8, 225 49. Dominic James Richmond (Ind.) Point Guard, 5-11, 169 50. Vernon Goodridge Lutheran Christian (Philadelphia) Center, 6-10, 220 51. Kevin Swinton Dudley (Greensboro, N.C.) Power Forward, 6-5, 216 52. Uche Echefu Montrose Christian (Rockville, Md.) Power Forward, 6-7, 204 53. Courtney Fells Shannon (Miss.) Shooting Guard, 6-7, 190 54. Marcus Johnson Westchester (Los Angeles) Small Forward, 6-6, 190 55. Dior Lowhorn Berkeley (Calif.) Power Forward, 6-7, 215 56. Casaan Breeden Marlboro County (Bennettsville, S.C.) Small Forward, 6-6, 182 57. Terrel Harris South Garland (Texas) Shooting Guard, 6-4, 175 58. Lewis Clinch Crisp County (Cordele, Ga.) Shooting Guard, 6-3, 185 59. Lamar Roberson Central Park Christian (Birmingham, Ala.) Small Forward, 6-8, 205 60. Jonathan Kale St. Andrew’s (Barrington, R.I.) Power Forward, 6-8, 245 61. David Huertas Arlington Country Day (Jacksonville, Fla.) Shooting Guard, 6-4, 178 62. Cyrus McGowan Meridian (Miss.) Center, 6-9, 225 63. Michael Washington McGehee (Ark.) Power Forward, 6-8, 219 64. Nyan Boateng Lincoln (Brooklyn, N.Y.) Shooting Guard, 6-3, 190 65. J.P. Prince White Station (Memphis, Tenn.) Point Guard, 6-5, 183 66. Lawrence Hill Deer Valley (Glendale, Ariz.) Small Forward, 6-8, 205 67. Emmanuel Mayben Troy (N.Y.) Point Guard, 6-3, 170 68. Abdul Herrera South Miami Center, 6-10, 245 69. Magnum Rolle Laurinburg (N.C.) Prep Power Forward, 6-9, 199 70. Lawrence Kinnard Raleigh-Egypt (Memphis) Small Forward, 6-6, 186 71. Wes Matthews Memorial (Madison, Wis.) Shooting Guard, 6-5, 205 72. Shawn Taggart Mount Zion (Durham, N.C.) Center, 6-11, 210 73. Joey Cameron Leeds (Ala.) Power Forward, 6-9, 240 74. Roderick Flemings DeSoto (Texas) Small Forward, 6-6, 210 75. A.J. Abrams McNeil (Austin, Texas) Point Guard, 5-10, 142 76. Jordan Wilkes Loyola (Los Angeles) Center, 6-10, 200 77. Bryan Harvey Dominguez (Compton, Calif.) Shooting Guard, 6-6, 210 78. Clarence Holloway Harlan (Chicago) Center, 7-1, 270 79. K.C. Rivers Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) Shooting Guard, 6-3, 218 80. Austin Jackson Denton (Texas) Ryan Point Guard, 6-2, 180 81. Kevin Lisch Althoff Catholic (Belleville, Ill.) Point Guard, 6-0, 182 82. Ben McCauley Yough (Herminie, Pa.) Power Forward, 6-9, 225 83. Levance Fields Xaverian (Brooklyn, N.Y.) Point Guard, 5-10, 204 84. B.J. Raymond St. John’s (Toledo, Ohio) Small Forward, 6-5, 192 85. J.R. Inman St. Joseph Regional (Montvale, N.J.) Small Forward, 6-8, 200 86. Artem Wallace Toledo (Wash.) Power Forward, 6-8, 235 87. Devan Downey Chester (S.C.) Point Guard, 5-9, 156 88. Chad Millard Brewster Academy (Wolfeboro, N.H.) Small Forward, 6-9, 212 89. Danny Williams Fremont (Los Angeles) Shooting Guard, 6-3, 185 90. Jeff Adrien Brewster Academy (Wolfeboro, N.H.) Power Forward, 6-5, 218 91. Alfred Aboya Tilton (N.H.) School Power Forward, 6-7, 242 92. Terry Martin Richwood (Monroe, La.) Shooting Guard, 6-7, 194 93. Ryan Ayers Germantown Academy (Fort Washington, Pa.) Shooting Guard, 6-6, 205 94. Derwin Kitchen Raines (Jacksonville, Fla.) Shooting Guard, 6-4, 184 95. Josh Thornton Caesar Rodney (Camden-Wyoming, Del.) Point Guard, 6-2, 163 96. Darren Collison Etiwanda (Calif.) Point Guard, 6-2, 150 97. Marcus Landry Vincent (Milwaukee) Power Forward, 6-6, 205 98. Denis Clemente Calusa Prep (Miami) Point Guard, 5-11, 150 99. Joey Shaw Deer Valley (Glendale, Ariz.) Shooting Guard, 6-6, 170 100. Octavius Spann Banneker (College Park, Ga.) Small Forward, 6-8, 218

>i wonder what game this expert watched of kevin's to come to >his conclusions. because his words are not indicative of >his high school career. At the end of the day what does one expert's opinion really mean. I know I posted Bob Gibbon's evaluation of Tommie Liddell recently, but really their opinion's don't make players. I'll bet Kevin has had to prove himself everytime he has competed. I remember the first time I heard of him and I must be honest I didn't believe the hype. So I asked some of the East St Louis assistant coaches for an evaluation and they were in awe. Repeatedly mentioned how well conditioned Kevin was and how he played lock down defense. This is what matters to me, the respect of his peers. When the news broke about Tommie attending UNLV, his stock went through the roof. Hoopmasters begin listing Liddell as a 6'7 inch guard who nearly averaged a triple double in high school. Once he recommitted to SLU the shine slowly begin to shade. The same thing happen to Lisch statewide. ChicagoHoops has Lisch rated top 5 since his junior year, once he verbaled to SLU his ranking dropped to #15. What happened? Did his skills dramatically falter? No he simply signed with a non-glamorous college. That perception I hope should change during Kevin and Tommie's sophmore year. If I were you, B-Roy I would flood Kevin with every negative article I could find as I do with Liddell Sr or Jr. I never want Liddell to get complacent. I want him to always have something to prove.

>For us next year, I think it's more important that Tommie >play the 3. I think that would be the worst position you could play Tommie. Granted he would do a serviceable job at the 3, but Tommie is a creator. Unless you envision a point forward type of role, but not a 3 who relies on teammates to get him looks. I like what Sheltie says about something similar to Illinois. I don't think it matters if you play Polk or Lisch with Tommie because of Tommie's size. I would like to see Tommie at the 2 or 1 with either Polk or Lisch and Meyer at the 3. Meyer is the shooter of the bunch and would make a killing living off Polk or Tommie.

--------------------------------------------------------------------- After reading your article on the FUMA Invitational, I take it you had the opportunity to see Liddell and Young up close. Coming into the year most experts were questioning Liddell's ability to run the point. What's your evaluation of Liddell's potential at the 1 on the next level(college), or do you see him as a 2-guard. As far as Sam Young I see him developing in the mode of Larry Johnson. Do you see him having a major impact at Pittsburgh next year. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Bob Gibbons: Tommie Liddell is actually a combo, 1/2 guard. But, he did an excellent job running the talented Hargrave team in the three times that I have seen them play this year. He has shown marked improvement as a lead guard since Hargrave's scrimmage with Oak Hill Academy on October 19. At the FUMA Invitational Tournament I was impressed with Liddell's playmaking, decisions, leadership, defense on the ball, as well as his well-defined scoring abilities. I predict that he can play the point position next year for St. Louis U., since he has progressed so much this year for Coach Kevin Keatts' program. As for Sam Young, he is "the man." Young is the consumate court warrior, and can score inside or out. He even made three-pointers during the FUMA Invitational. If the tournament had named an MVP, it would have been Sam Young. He can defend a three-man, or go inside and bang with the big guys. He is the perfect forward for Coach Jamie Dixon at Pittsburgh. And, I predict that he could be the Freshman of the Year in the Big East next year. Posted on 12/15 2:16 PM | IP: Logged

>jalensdad, fyi, nate is a penn state alumnus. i.e. his >lionheart is showing on this one! :-) Indeed.

>Penn State needs all the help it can get. Yeah, but I would much rather have him in Billiken Blue

"Thats a very impressive line for Tommie". From Rivals.com Led by the playmaking, floor leadership, and scoring of St. Louis U. signee, 6-foot-6 one/two guard Tommie Liddell, with 19 points, 5 assists, and 3 steals; and the dominating inside performance of future Pittsburgh player, 6-foot-7 power forward Sam Young, with 17 points, 14 rebounds, and 3 blocks, Coach Kevin Keatts’ Hargrave Military Academy cruised to a 83-64 triumph. The FUMA Invitational is one of the nation’s oldest, and most competitive prep school tournaments. And, for a four-team event there were a large number of still available Division I prospects participating. As I have said Hargrave Military is the best thing that could have happened for Tommie. They have an outstanding young coach that knows how to prepare young men for college. Again I hope SLU is cultivating a relationship with this coach. In one of my previous post I stated Hargrave's 6'9 center Jerome Johnson had committed to Clemson, that is not true. He is still available according to Rivals.com. Get this, it appears Penn State is his favorite. This guy is a rebounding machine, who plays hard even when he is not getting his touches. I hope Tommie is working on this kid.

I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who saw something wrong with that. I do see that Courtside didn't address my point. Why doesn't he approach Jarod's dad next game and ask him if it's OK if he updates the Billiken fans of Jarod's struggles to stay at DeSmet. I'm not saying it's right or wrong, but if Jarod continues to become a national prospect, this issue will come up again. I watched Tommie Liddell's name ran through the mud from both Missouri Tigers board to prepstars.com. They were posted prep schools or juco for Tommie even before it was clear that he wasn't going to qualify. It's just the nature of the business. I hope courtside was only trying to be informative in posting the thread as opposed to being malicious. In addition I hope this lights a fire under Jarod to improve his academics. He will find most big schools moving on if he doesn't.

Lisch did not have the hot hand in Althoff’s overtime loss to Chicago Hales Franciscan, shooting 7 of 21 from the field and going 1 for 6 from the arc. I couldn't believe Lisch would shoot so poorly. I did a little investigation and found this report from ilprepbullseye. They also had a nice mention of Jeremy Felton. I gotta make time and see these kids at Collinsville. Kevin Lisch 6'2 Sr. Belleville (Althoff) Although Lisch did not have a good shooting performance against Hales, going only 6-15 from the field, it is almost impossible to measure everything that Lisch brings to the table. In fact, there may not be a player in the state who brings more intangibles to his team. Lisch is as mentally tough as they come and is a fierce competitor. When it was all over Lisch wound up with 17 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists. As we have said several times before, he is a great get for Brad Soderberg and the St. Louis Billikens. Jeremy Felton 6'6 So. Belleville (Althoff) Despite the fact that Althoff came up short against Hales, Felton was one of our favorite players that we saw at this year's Hoopfest. Felton is an absolute monster on the glass and has a mean streak that cannot be taught. He is a great finisher and a consistent scorer in the low post, and this showed to the tune of 16 points and 13 rebounds against Hales. Felton is also a good interior defender and shot blocker. If he develops a face up game, the sky will be the limit. Right now he is very close to ranking among the top five sophomores in Illinois.

From Jerry Meyer of Rivals.com Kevin Lisch (6-foot-2, 175-pound point guard from Althoff High School in Belleville, Ill.) Lisch did not have the hot hand in Althoff’s overtime loss to Chicago Hales Franciscan, shooting 7 of 21 from the field and going 1 for 6 from the arc. Nonetheless, the physical and competitive point guard did everything else well. He grabbed 7 rebounds, played tenacious defense, fought for loose balls and did not turn the ball over. Players like Lisch, who is headed to Saint Louis, are the reason the top mid-major programs in the country can take down the high-majors on any given night.

As I said, had I been more educated about prep schools, I would have suggested Hargrave. I had been in contact with Brewster Academy via Chicagohoops.com. I nor his parent were aware of Hargrave. Those schools are very expensive, we did not know of their generous scholarship plans. Ricky Lewis knew of Hargrave and it was through Team Detroit that Tommie was exposed to Hargrave's coach. Now I totally disagreed with the UNLV mess even though it was done as a publicity stunt, because it called into question Tommie's word. All in all Rick thought what he was doing was best for Tommie. Now about the service to SLU, I don't think Tommie would have buckled up at a JUCO. That is the other option as opposed to prep school, therefore playing for Team Detroit allowed him to receive the college prepatory classes as well as tutoring that I doubt he would have received via a JUCO program. This in turn will allow Tommie to compete for SLU next year.

"my gosh, how many studs are on this team? will tommie even play?" so it suits me fine that he is playing a lot. This team has highly athletic 6'6-6'9 players doing mop up duty. Tommie is a starter and it seems that all of his teammates love him. Not too surprising considering how unselfish Tommie is as a player. His roommate AD Vassallo from Puerto Rico has committed to Richmond. He is a great shooter and will be a menace vs SLU in the A-10. I hope tommie has been working hard off the court as well and has become an academic workaholic! Tommie has been working hard in the classroom. I asked him about his social life at Hargrave and he smiled and said there is none. No female, no hanger-ons, absolutely nothing. Had I been more educated about prep schools I would have suggested Hargrave prior to his junior year. So in hindsight Rick Lewis did SLU a huge service by having Tommie play for Team Detroit in an AAU event in D.C. ;-)

>Am sure TL and KL are both looking at SLU's scoring woes >this year and know they will be counted on to step up next >year. Both our top scorers will be gone, so who else is >there? But the more you look at it, we are going to need a >horse at PF if we are to do anything next year. I think that is true for their freshman year, but as they mature they won't need a dominate PF or Center, just serviceable big men who will defend and rebound with abandon. I know this year has been hard so far, it's eerily reminiscent of Missouri's 2004 year, but as I always say "sometimes you have to do things you don't want to do, in order to do things you want to do". I'm sure it's killing the coaching staff to start an inexperienced point guard, but the lumps Polk takes this year will help him in the future. Besides if the staff had an upperclassman that was vastly superior that upperclassman would be starting. It makes too much sense to get Polk this experience now to better prepare him for those upcoming 20 wins seasons.

I talked to Tommie after the game and he was all smiles. I told him not to get too used to his role at Hargrave. I told him that at SLU his will have to be a scorer. I do however see Liddell running some point at SLU. He seems to be moving so slow with them long loping strides, but before you know it he is attacking the basket or dishing. Mentally he seems so relaxed, no pressure at all. He told me that he has the requisite ACT score with his GPA being above 2.5, but he said he will continue taking the test in the hopes of scoring even higher. I just couldn't get over how tall he appears, I didn't think he should play SF at SLU, but now that may not be out of the question. I think 3 star questioned Tom's ability, but if Tommie was inserted into SLU's lineup he would be their best player. Not their best scorer at this point but their best player due to all the intangibles he brings. A player of his level would take so much pressure off Reggie Bryant. Bryant would be allowed to resume his role as a scorer. Bryant is trying to be a playmaker on a team with players who can't finish plays. Bryant is surrounded by role players and I think is taking on too much responsibility for each loss. In addition I don't think he is in game shape due to the nagging injuries. I don't think he is having much fun and I hope they turn it around because he doesn't deserve the questions people are lobbing against him, especially due to the way he went to war for SLU last year.

>surely you were at the st charles event. I along with many others did not show in St Charles. It was nearly empty. I did however receive a game tape from Tom's dad. Yesterday I watched him play at Vashon. I did not recognize Tommie with the haircut, his dad had to point him out to me. At St Charles they played Nile West from Skokie, Illinois. They had one, possibly 2 players of Div 1 caliber in Sead Odzic(USC) and Jackie Hunt(?). So watching Hargrave compete against teams as such makes it hard to accurately gauge how well Tom played. Hargrave with its 5th yr players simply overwhelm high school kids. They come at you in waves. Coming into the game I was aware that Tom's scoring was down and I thought he was possibly struggling with his shot. What I found out is that he has assumed the mindset of a point and looks to get others involved. Hargrave's starting 5 went like this: Guards Tommie 6'6(SLU)- AD Vassallo 6'5(Richmond)-Lights out shooter Forwards Shane Clark 6'7(Maryland)- Sam Young(Pittsburgh) Future Lottery Pick Jerome Johnson 6'9(Clemson)- NBA Potential This team will hold its own against most mid-major programs. Tommie is averaging around 6ppg and 6apg. He scored about 8 points at Vashon against Chicago Austin. He took maybe 5 or 6 shots. Not one jumpshot. This team doesn't need his offense. He looked good running the point very relaxed, consistently found the open man. He has grown to 6'6 and looks as though he will top out at 6'7-6'8. His reach has extended, his jumping ability has improved. I would have like to see his jumpshot, but as I said he never took a jumper. He looked good taking smaller player off the dribble. The flip side to that is Tommie somewhat struggled against Austin's 5'4 point guard. He hit about 3 long range jumpers against Tommie. He scored on a brilliant drive after shaking Tommie at the top of the key. To be fair though this kid would take many with his speed. In addition this is Tommie's first time playing man to man. I saw Dwayne Polk at the game. There were some mumblings that Polk will possibly be benched in the near future. I had an opportunity to speak with Hargrave's head coach Kevin Keatts. I had been passing e-mails with him prior to the season about Tommie. A very impressive young man. I think asst coach Beene, I'm not sure if I have the right name, but he was there speaking with Coach Keatts. SLU would do very well in developing a relationship with this coach. There is so much talent running through Hargrave, Lonny Baxter, David West,& James Williams(Cincinnati) are a sampling.

Points well taken. I was under the impression that Brown was slightly bigger and Meyer a little more athletic.

__________________________________________________________ I think his handle will be improved by this time next year. That's a reasonable risk to take for an athletic 6'5 kid with a decent shot, IMO. __________________________________________________________ When do you stop signing kids with similar talents? __________________________________________________________ Talent evaluation is more art than science. Who woulda thunk that Randall Falker would be outplaying Matt Shaw the first two games of the season? Kids get better. __________________________________________________________ You forget that Falker took a redshirt. This allowed him to develop and get stronger. Now if you are going to redshirt Hill, I could understand. Not to get too overly critical, but outside of Bonner, Vashon's player don't traditionally go on and do great things at the next level. So why take a risk on Hill when you can take a flyer on some big.

>not sure what you mean by major D-1? ACC, SEC, BIG-10 only? > >after watching Hill this summer, and assuming natural >progression, he would be nice addition to the Billiken >roster. I could be wrong, but I figured he would sign with Bradley, SEMO, or Illinois State. He is a good shooter, but I didn't see the all around skills. That is why I said the offer was possibly made with an eye towards the future. Vashon's underclass is loaded. Headed by the Powell kid. "You do this for my top senior and I will possibly stir better talent in the coming years". I don't see him as being better than anyone in SLU's 2004 Class and the upcoming 2005 Class.(Possible Conversation)

______________ Another lefty? ______________ I was thinking the same thing. I think Hill is a player, but I have to be honest, I didn't see him as a major d-1 player. So this offer may be one with an eye towards the future. I hear Vashon is really solid and even have games scheduled in NY.

>According to the Post's high school preview, Bobby Hill is a >6'5" versatile junior who can play guard, forward, and >center. On the high school level yes, but at the next level he will be a forward. Needs to improve his handles to be a guard, but has a nice left handed stroke. He had a chance to put the game away vs East Side but missed some pressure free throws, but he did make up with the game winning drive to the basket.

>I agree that, when I read your first post, it felt like you >were making rather strong critical statements about Coach >Soderberg. I tend to agree with that statement as the first thoughts that entered my mind were the Damien Nash comments about Gary Pinkel's play calling. In addition the comments coming from a 3rd party were analogous to Brad Smith's dad criticizing Gary Pinkel through a reporter. No opinion of right or wrong just an observation.