VTIME Posted March 27, 2007 Share Posted March 27, 2007 http://prepsports.stltoday.com/ssi/prep/st...2B?OpenDocument A Roundtree grows at McCluer North By Tom Wheatley POST-DISPATCH 03/26/2007 Torres Roundtree (23) had a career-best 38 points in the Class 5 title game against Rockhurst. (Chris Lee/P-D) Basketball talent was never the issue with Torres Roundtree. He has been a one-man conglomerate at McCluer North since he started the varsity opener as a freshman. In his debut, he went for 19 points, seven rebounds and six assists as the Stars beat Pacific. In his third game, he ran up his first triple-double — 30 points, 10 assists, 10 rebounds — in a loss to Columbia Hickman. Advertisement He looked like a Post-Dispatch All-Metro player of the year in waiting. As it turned out, he was. The 6-foot-3 guard is the 2007 honoree. And he's only a junior. But this was no easy glide to the top. The freshman phenom had a lot to learn about attitude and aptitude. And not just at the gym. In that rookie year, Roundtree went scoreless twice and sat out twice. He wound up averaging eight points in 12 games before poor grades grounded him. "He had some growing pains,'' said coach Randy Reed. In fairness, the freshman phenom had more than the usual adolescent challenges. He had been living in San Diego with his mom, Luvina, a St. Louis native. She was in the process of moving back here. She sent Torres, the youngest of her six children, ahead early so he could start high school without interruption. Torres stayed with his uncle's family until his mom could make the move that January. "It was pretty tough,'' Roundtree said. "Going to a new environment was very difficult. I had to make a few adjustments. The biggest one was, when you're living with someone else, they have their own kids.'' That's where Reed, an imposing figure who played at Vashon High and Kansas State University, stepped in. "It was difficult at first because he was away from his mother,'' Reed said. "I had to take him under my wing and start talking to him and putting him on the right path of success.'' Roundtree started listening and learning. "Torres is just a young man you can see maturing and becoming a good person,'' Reed said. "He's getting his education. He found out that if you treat people with respect, success will follow you.'' And so it did. Everywhere. Roundtree worked his grades back above C-level. While many juniors have yet to take the ACT, he has already scored an 18, qualifying for an NCAA Division I athletic scholarship. He had plenty of suitors before orally committing to Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, which reached the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. His own season had an even happier ending. McCluer North (26-3) beat Kansas City Rockhurst 69-57 for the Missouri Class 5 championship and capped a 26-3 season. Roundtree ran off a career-best 38 points in the title game, along with 13 rebounds, three assists and a steal. The state title was the first for McCluer North, known more as a football school. The Stars were runners-up in football in Roundtree's first two years. "We love the football players,'' he said. "We're always at their games cheering for them, just like they're always at our games cheering for us. But Femi John and Anthony Booker and me, we got tired of hearing the teachers and everyone talk about football. "They'd been the runner-up twice, but they'd never been state champs. We had some quality players, too, and we felt that we could get it done.'' John, a 6-4 guard, averaged 15 points and four rebounds. Among his suitors are Mizzou, St. Louis U., Illinois, Nevada-Las Vegas, Missouri State and SIUC, Reed said. The 6-8 Booker averaged nine points, seven rebounds and two assists. He has orally committed to join Roundtree at SIUC. But in a deep and well-rounded lineup, Roundtree was the star of Stars. He averaged 17.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.6 steals. He did similar damage as a sophomore: 12 points, seven rebounds, three assists and two steals. "Torres can beat you so many ways. Scoring, rebounding, passing, defense,'' Reed said. "He can slash to the basket and he's got a good mid-range jumpshot. "He's very creative on the court. And he's very unselfish. He makes everybody body better.'' All of the Stars, including the major-college trio, shared the ball. Nobody got trigger-happy. So when John was torching Webster Groves for 25 points in the quarterfinals, Roundtree was happy to chip in 15 points and 11 rebounds. And when John was hot in the first half of the semifinals against Lindbergh, Roundtree was content to let the game come to him. As it did in the second half, when he scored 17 of his 19 points. "We knew one player couldn't carry the whole team,'' Roundtree said. "That comes from playing together in the summer. That's where we developed that chemistry. We knew we clicked. "We understood that you've got to pick your poison against us. You can't double-team one guy and shut us down. And we know it doesn't matter how many you score if your team loses every game.'' That's music to a coach's ears. "Torres is just a complete basketball player,'' Reed said. "And you'd be surprised how much he knows about basketball. He'll ask me 50 million questions.'' As for questions about his adolescent attitude, Roundtree has put them to rest. "A lot of teachers around the school have given compliments to me about Torres,'' Reed said. "They talk about what a fine young man he is. That's the best thing I can say about him, that growth as a person.'' Then Reed laughed and said, "He went from a knucklehead boy to a young man.'' And to the All-Metro player of the year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianstl Posted March 27, 2007 Share Posted March 27, 2007 I think most of us saw this this morning. Roundtree is not even the best player in his class, much less the best overall HS player this year. He may turn out to be the best player in his class but he isn't there yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billiken_roy Posted March 27, 2007 Share Posted March 27, 2007 vtime he hasnt qualified yet. he obtained the lowest possible test score. keep in mind that means he has to have a substantially higher gpa in the college core gpa as to qualify he has to meet test and gpa guidelines. i bet he takes the test again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoctorB Posted March 27, 2007 Share Posted March 27, 2007 ??? who's better? in terms of overall performance and success? I have not seen most of the touted guys play but if there is another more deserving player in the Metro area, please tell me who. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianstl Posted March 27, 2007 Share Posted March 27, 2007 On the high school level are Leon Powell and Kevon Lacey. I think right now Kramer and Suggs are better high school level players. I think as college prospects both Powell and Suggs are better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quest Posted March 27, 2007 Share Posted March 27, 2007 I got into Southern Illinois by writing "I would like to go to your school" on a cocktail napkin and sending it to Carbondale in the beak of a messenger pigeon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3star_recruit Posted March 27, 2007 Share Posted March 27, 2007 I've got no problem with Torres winning the award. Since the other candidates' teams tanked relatively early in the playoffs, they weren't able to differentiate themselves when most of the state was watching. Torres sewed up the award when he went off in the championship game just like Polk did in his senior year. Suggs has absolutely no shot of winning it as long as he has to rely on the supporting cast at Washington. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianstl Posted March 27, 2007 Share Posted March 27, 2007 The Post writers only. They are supposed to knew what is going on the HS scene besides just the playoffss. It is what they cover all year. It is a POY award and not an MVP award or best colleg prospect going to a Valley school award. It should go to the best high school player in the metro area regardless of where his team finishes in state or to how is game will translate on the next level. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VTIME Posted March 27, 2007 Author Share Posted March 27, 2007 The author Tom Wheatley is under the impression that Torres has qualified. Show me the sliding scale so I can see the minimum GPA he needs to qualify. He's a C student with an a 18 on the ACT. To have a C average your GPA is 2.5 or higher if I'm correct. 2.0-2.49 is a D student as I understand it. 2.50-2.99 is a C student. 3.0-3.49 is a B student and 3.50 or higher is an A average in high school, from what I'm used to being told. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VTIME Posted March 28, 2007 Author Share Posted March 28, 2007 He had the best season of anyone on the state championship team and the team had a really good regular season. I dont have a problem with that pick. If Vashon hadn't choked Powell would've won. If McCoy would've lead his team to the state championship I wouldn't have had a problem with him winning it. He's the first underclassmen since McKinney to win the POY award. McKinney shared the honor with senior David Lee who is now a NY Knick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VTIME Posted March 28, 2007 Author Share Posted March 28, 2007 >The Post writers only. They are supposed to knew what is >going on the HS scene besides just the playoffss. It is what >they cover all year. It is a POY award and not an MVP award >or best colleg prospect going to a Valley school award. It >should go to the best high school player in the metro area >regardless of where his team finishes in state or to how is >game will translate on the next level. I think it does matter where the team finishes at state. The best teams are still around in the playoffs and your performance against the best teams and players should have some influence. Landon Shipley definitely should not have won in 2005, but they didnt want to give it to Leon Powell because he was only a sophomore and the other candidate werent really having standout seasons. The best player out of that area class appears to be Matt Lawrence who I think was 2nd team that year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3star_recruit Posted March 28, 2007 Share Posted March 28, 2007 The author needs to do some research. It doesn't matter what his current GPA is. It matters what his cumulative GPA is in the core courses mandated by the Clearinghouse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VTIME Posted March 28, 2007 Author Share Posted March 28, 2007 Looks like he's in good shape to me. The hardest part is over. He got the 18 on the ACT. Lets just get Femi for now and hope Suggs, McCoy, Soderberg, Perry, Brandenburg, and Thompson follow suit. 2008 sleepers Kenny Leverette, Cornelius Chatt, Anthony James, Abel Tillman,Cornelius Walker, and Brian McGee might be available during the late signing period. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Griffster Posted March 28, 2007 Share Posted March 28, 2007 Not sure exactly how it works.. but the higher your GPA the lower your minimum score requirement is... the lower your GPA means you need a higher ACT test score. Again that is the way it works. But I don't have exact numbers. So if you get the minimum score.. you would assume you need a decent or higher GPA? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VTIME Posted March 28, 2007 Author Share Posted March 28, 2007 Yeah I was looking for the exact numbers. Anthony Mitchell qualified with a 2.6 GPA and a 19. Torres has an 18 and a C average. That means he has a 2.5 at least. So unless blows off his senior year, he's qualified. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianstl Posted March 28, 2007 Share Posted March 28, 2007 A 2.0 is considered a C average V. He could still have a lot of work to do. I dont know if that is the case or not. It also matters what his GPA is in core classes not his overall GPA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VTIME Posted March 28, 2007 Author Share Posted March 28, 2007 Where is 2.0 a C average? Below a 2.0 has always been failing, meaning you have a lot of F's. 2.0 is a D average. Maybe its different at the schools you went to, but I'm pretty sure a 2.0 is not a C average at McCluer North, a school known for very good academics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianstl Posted March 28, 2007 Share Posted March 28, 2007 V on a 4 point scale you get a 0 for a F, 1 for a D, 2 for a C, 3 for a B, and 4 for an A. All C's would be a 2.0 GPA. The NCAA guidelines are for a 4 point scale. So according to the article he would have at least a 2.0 average. It may be higher I don't know, but it does not mean he has a 2.5 five as you are stating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StLouBlue Posted March 28, 2007 Share Posted March 28, 2007 Here is a link to a PDF form about qualifying. The ACT score is a sum score now--I don't know what this means. Also talks about the core requirements needed in classes. http://www1.ncaa.org/membership/membership...e_quick_ref.pdf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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