Washington At St Charles West

[thetorch]

Just got back from the game.

Not much of a contest. I forgot to write down the final score but West led by double digits for close to the entire game.

Soderberg came out firing scored the first 9 points for West and SCW led by 7 at the end of the first quarter, 10 after 2 and was in the teens for the final half.

Soderberg finished by my count with 29 points. Suggs had 31, including 14 points in the 3rd quarter. Amazingly Suggs did not have a great shooting night, especially in the first half.

Suggs was not all the impressive tonight. I've seen him play better. Washington's team is really out matched and he is for the most part a one man show. He hit a couple 3s late but kept to mainly firing up shots in the paint, had trouble hitting them with Kramer hanging all over him. His defense was kind of lax, you could describe his game as lax. Very much like Tommie was in HS he lets the game come to him almost to a fault. With the talent level of his teammates he could score 50 a game but he chooses to spread the ball around.

Kramer dominated from the outset in the first half. In the 2nd half he deferred more to his teammates. Kramer had 12 points in the first quarter and the rest pretty evenly spread out through the game. He is definetley a coaches son, great if he's on your team but his act be a little grating. Deceptively quick and strong for his size, my only beef with him has been his shot. He shoots from the outside with a form similar to Luke, not quite as drastic. He shoots from his shoulder or below and shoots at a 45 degree angle from his body. He gets separation even from a guy like Suggs, much bigger with longer arms, so he gets it off cleanly but it bothers me to see such poor technique. He guarded Suggs all game (and vice versa) and shut him down enough early to take a commanding lead. I wish Brad worked the refs as well as Kramer did. He gets away with murder on both sides of the ball. He acted like he was hurt a couple times in the game. Once he jumped into Suggs on a 3 point attempt and was clutching his shoulder a few times down the court. He appeared to hurt his ankle as well later in the game. Both instances he milked it for all it was worth. If Hollander had balls (or the refs had control of the game) he would've had pulled Kramer for causing a stoppage in play so he can limp around for a few minutes.

[Nate Latsch]

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

[CMA]

lots of "talent" at the game as well... both Lisch and Lidell were sitting in the stands in the north end. Standing there was Eagles teammate Torres Roundtree, and also about half of the Zumwalt West BB team including Ron Waller and Gavin Weis (sp?)the latter being a kid SLU should keep tabs on.... and of course Earl Austin who no doubt morphed in some fashion to allow him to cover the DeSmet Hazelwood Central game as well (let no game go unwatched quoth the Earl!)

I have seen Suggs play better as well Torch, but the kid is really talented, ... a very smooth, effortless style, that will allow him to get to the rim at the next level, imo.

A little like Hughes was in HS, but certainly a better jump shot than Larry had as a junior.

Or to go back, Julian Winfield, but a much better shooter

Both kids are going to play at the next level... but if I had to choose I'd take Suggs hands down

[CMA]

Nate, I think a Creighton asst was there as well (I know,easily confused but a different Blue Jay) I didn't see anyone from the MU or SLU staffs (but the SLU players as noted in my other post)

Mike Anderson and his wife as well as two SLU assts were at last week's St Chas / Washington game, but you were as well.

Why no story last week in the PD on Gene Bartow coming back to the Lou?

[slu72 fan]

On Channel 5 News at 6:00, FC interviewed both and Kramer came right out and said he hoped the two of them would play together at SLU. Suggs was polite, but didn't take the bait, stating that his discussions with Kramer were usually about b-ball and not schools.

[CMA]

as I hear it, Suggs is down to two schools at this time...

(don't ask if you don't want bad news)

If you tune in ABC Sat at 2:30, you may see him in the first row behind Mike Anderson

HOWEVER, imo, this is a 16 year old kid with very good family support that will think this thru carefully -- however he feels now is certainly not carved in stone

[StLouBlue]

Creighton is playing at SIU Saturday night, so I would guess Altman or one of the assistants could easily be at this game and the others probably went to some other high school games in the area as well.

[kshoe]

in 2 days you have intimated to us that you have "inside" information that as of right now SLU is not in his favorite 2.

For somebody that only has 12 total posts on this board, what exactly is your motivation for telling a bunch of SLU fans this?

I won't even get into whether you are credible (you may or may not be and if I say you aren't it would just be a guess) but I am curious why 1/6 of your posts to date are that SLU isn't a finalist right now.

[thetorch]

I saw Roundtree there but didn't think to look for any SLU players.

Brad was there, sat a couple rows behind me behind the SCW bench right behind the Robertsons. He had a SCW hat on.

[Nate Latsch]

NM

[Nate Latsch]

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

[Tonka]

I was hoping to get out last night to see the game, but didn't. I don't get to many high school games and have to rely on the information from many on this board. I am hearing good things about both players. Maybe we eon't have to choose and we can get Suggs to come as well.

Question - many say Kramer gets to the basket easily. Is he that skilled or is it the telent level he is playing against. At 5'11" will he have to rely on his outside shooting more at the D1 level?

[3star_recruit]

Last night Suggs was defending Kramer and he still got to the basket easily. He just has an acute understanding of when to speed up, slow down and change direction when he drives. Very rare in a young player.

[kshoe]

"Maybe we eon't have to choose and we can get Suggs to come as well."

With 4-5 schollys to give for this class I can assure you we'd take both in a heartbeat. Suggs can more or less go to any school in the country so believe me there is no decision to be made on SLU's part. We want him.

[Larry the Legend]

kshoe,

Agreed, while I have not seen Suggs play I am pretty impressed by his numbers and what a lot of this board has had to say about him. I also like the fact that Kramer was quoted in today's Post Dispatch that he thinks Suggs is the best player in Missouri. I am sure BS is telling his kid to talk with Suggs and see what is on his mind and how he feels about the schools that are recruiting him. And some nice compliments can go far especially if Suggs and Kramer are building a friendship.

I think it will all come dowm to whether or not he is impressed with the new facilities, the coach, and the team. I believe it will have nothing to do with the conference. While this is not rocket science, I think we can all agree that SLU needs this guy and he could really help out this program.

[Tonka]

How good is Suggs really? Would you say he's an NBA guy after 2 years? Compare him to TL and Larry Hughes as they were as juniors in high school.

[Tonka]

Also, has Kramer picked up his game a lot. I seem to remember people saying he might not even being a guy SLU would want to go after. Most of that talk was his sophomore season. Has he improved greatly and if he continues to improve will he be the same caliber of player of KL by the time he graduates.

I ask all this, because I literally never get to high school games. I keep meaning to and something comes up.

[Majerus Magic]

He has the physical make up to make it in the NBA. It really depends on how hard he wants to work.

Shaun Livingston come to mind when I see Scott Suggs.

[Tonka]

Livingston went directly to the NBA from high school if I remember, so that's good to hear.

[thetorch]

Being a D-1 coaches kid Soderberg knows all the tricks of the trade that other kids just don't have an oppurtunity to learn yet. At the college level there will be players who can match him skillwise or have enough athletic talent to challenge him. But he should be a good D-1 player.

Suggs has a ways to go before thinking about the NBA. Right now if he continues improving at a steady rate he could be a possible early entry but there isn't a chance in hell he leaves coming out of HS. Maybe the top 10 kids in the country can consider doing that. Suggs is maybe top 50, more in a Jimmy Mckinney range as far as nationally.