Timmerman on Harrelson

[SluSignGuy]

Tom with recruiting news on the blog

http://www.stltoday.com/blogzone/billiken-...lu-or-kentucky/

Among the interested observers at the Riverwar high school all-star game at Chaifetz Arena on Saturday was Josh Harrelson. He’s the 6-9 center/forward from St. Charles who played last season at Southwestern Illinois College and has finally gotten a release from the letter of intent he signed with Western Illinois.

Harrelson’s release isn’t yet official — he expects to get through the NCAA clearinghouse on Monday — but when it is, he said he’s looking at Kentucky, SLU, Missouri, Purdue and Indiana. He was going to make his SLU visit on Saturday, but had to push it back because he hadn’t been cleared yet. So he’ll go to Kentucky next weekend, then SLU the week after that. He said he wasn’t sure if he would make any trips after that.

He said he likes SLU because he wants to play close to home, but likes Kentucky because he thinks he can play at the top level. He likes Rick Majerus and he likes Kentucky coach Billy Gillespie. “I guarantee you it will come down between those two,” he told me. “I’ll make the decision based on what’s best for me.”

He was impressed by Chaifetz Arena and the potential teammates he was watching on the court.

SLU could use Harrelson because with so many freshmen coming in, anyone with any experience will be valuable, and Harrelson - who averaged 15 points and eight rebounds at SWIC – is a good talent to boot. He’ll have three years of eligibility left.

I asked him if SLU had recruited him out of high school. He said Brad Soderberg came to one of his games, but then no more. “I wish he would have come to more,” said Harrelson, who instead went to Western Illinois. It’s apparent from the schools showing interest that he has developed into a significant talent.

I’ll have more on the all-star game later. But it looks as if SLU has a decent shot at getting a pretty talented player.

[kshoe]

Tom with recruiting news on the blog

http://www.stltoday.com/blogzone/billiken-...lu-or-kentucky/

This is very encouraging. Its more of a 50/50 then I had previously hoped. Doesn't mean it will happen but we've got a good shot. I'm sure the negative folk on this board will assume we simply can't compete with the likes of UK but someday they'll realize we are living in a different era with a new arena and RM.

[SLURadioBoy]

I really hope we can lock him up. I would think a starting line-up of PG Mitchell, SG Lisch, SF Liddell, PF Eberhart, and C Harrelson could really cause some havoc in the A-10.

[NextYearBill]

Do you want to ride the bench or do you want to be a star?

[Guest BillikenReport]

Someone should tell Josh that BS asked him to wait for a scholarship offer to SLU.

[Clock_Tower]

Do you want to ride the bench or do you want to be a star?

Well said.

I have never seen Josh play. By all accounts on this Board by others, and based upon the other schools interested, it does sound as if Josh can really play. If so, SLU still offers playing time instead of riding the bench but now, for the first time, we can also offer big time - a HOF coach, state of the art facilities and talented teamates. In the past, talented players were intrigued with SLU b/c it is local and a good education but they had to hold their nose regarding the facilities and had be a pioneer, of sorts, agreeing to come with the hope of building a good program at SLU while hoping others, each of the following years, also agree to come. Josh can be, a you mention, "a" star on this team with others and not feel as if he has to be "the" star or "the only" star.

We are in a whole new era!!

[kevinfootes]

Do you want to ride the bench or do you want to be a star?

I'm not sure I want players who are thinking that way. I want guys who KNOW they'll play wherever they go. If I'm Gillespie and Harrelson tells my that, my reply would be "if you don't think you're good enough to play at Kentucky then you should go eslewhere."

[kshoe]

Someone should tell Josh that BS asked him to wait for a scholarship offer to SLU.

Good stuff Nate. Its amazing how some won't even listen when it comes directly from the horses mouth.

[Clock_Tower]

Good stuff Nate. Its amazing how some won't even listen when it comes directly from the horses mouth.

Which horse are you talking about? Brad or Josh? Good stuff, Shoe.

[AlumniFan]

Which horse are you talking about? Brad or Josh? Good stuff, Shoe.

I don't know which horse, but I am dead certain of one thing - this horse is DEAD! It has been talked about, debated, argued over, berated, and on and on. Anymore from here on is just kicking the corpse. Let's just move on!

And no, I never had an opinion on this one way or the other.

[kshoe]

Which horse are you talking about? Brad or Josh? Good stuff, Shoe.

I trust the kid who's got nothing to gain by lying more than the coach and some people on this board's interpretation of what the coach may or may not have said, especially when the coach had every reason to give a story that wasn't the complete truth (i.e. its much easier to say to your loyal fans "we wanted him to wait until the spring" then it is to say "I saw him play and didn't think he was good enough").

JH made it pretty clear he was never seriously recruited by the former SLU staff. Thats good enough for me.

[JLS]

For what it's worth I saw JH play several times his senior year in high school. I would say that he was a good ,not great high school player. He is capable of some high level play, however I have seen him make bad basketball decisions on more than one occasion. I am not saying that he could not find a role on the Bill's and be somewhat of a help, but I would disagree with those that think he is the second coming. I am as surprised as anyone that Kentucky is after him.

[BIG BILL FAN]

For what it's worth I saw JH play several times his senior year in high school. I would say that he was a good ,not great high school player. He is capable of some high level play, however I have seen him make bad basketball decisions on more than one occasion. I am not saying that he could not find a role on the Bill's and be somewhat of a help, but I would disagree with those that think he is the second coming. I am as surprised as anyone that Kentucky is after him.

You have seen him make a bad basketball decision more than once? Amazing, is there any player you have seen that has not made occasional bad decisions? Josh averaged 19 points, 11 rebounds, 4 blocks and shot nearly 60% from the field in his senior year. In addition his team made it to the final four of the state championship. I would say that was a great senior season.

[CMA]

For what it's worth I saw JH play several times his senior year in high school. I would say that he was a good ,not great high school player. He is capable of some high level play, however I have seen him make bad basketball decisions on more than one occasion. I am not saying that he could not find a role on the Bill's and be somewhat of a help, but I would disagree with those that think he is the second coming. I am as surprised as anyone that Kentucky is after him.

I saw him several times in his junior and senior years....including one game his senior year when he played well against Washington at St Chas......

I have not seen him at SWIC but its my understanding he has lost weight and has firmed up...he's simply stronger......SWIC plays up tempo....a guard oriented offense....and he thrived in it.......actually SLU, Kentucky, Purdue and MU - just based on their style of play alone - would find a kid like him very attractive, imo......and with Scott Martin's departure from Purdue, all have a need for a kid like him.......

[JLS]

Two points. First of all I don't remember saying that the kid (JH) wasn't any good at all, I was just questioning his decision making process some of the time. The knock on him at SC was he was a little immature. I think to play at the D1 level that can't be an recurring issue. As far as him taking his team to state, I was at the Westminster ( the game SC won to go to state) game last year when he got himself into foul trouble with some less than intelligent basketball and almost cost his team the game, sorry just being objective.

I admit that I have not seen him recently, and if it is true that he has slimed down and tighten up a bit , I would say that ,that would greatly inprove his standing. That being the case I think he could help the team, however if he didn't come to SLU, I don't think it would be the end of the world.

[billiken_roy]

Good stuff Nate. Its amazing how some won't even listen when it comes directly from the horses mouth.

kshoe, soderberg said it in front of 100 other billiken club members. if harrelson says he never asked him to wait then harrelson is saying soderberg is a liar. so be it. harrelson accuses soderberg of being a liar.

[NashvilleBilliken]

kshoe, soderberg said it in front of 100 other billiken club members. if harrelson says he never asked him to wait then harrelson is saying soderberg is a liar. so be it. harrelson accuses soderberg of being a liar.

C'mon, Roy. I fought for Brad till the death, but it's time to let this one die. I think it's quite obvious that he was trying to save face at the Billiken club meeting. We've had person after person say that he wasn't recruited by SLU....even Josh himself. I see no reason for Josh to make up a story that Brad only came to see him play one time, especially since he says he wished Brad saw him MORE. No reason to start calling people liars. It is what it is.

[cheeseman]

I was at the Billiken Club mtg that BS said he had asked JH to wait until the spring to sign. I agree with Roy that BS said it. Now the problem is - did BS lie, bend the truth a little, or was he simply misunderstood by us at the mtg or by JH. Only BS knows what he said and did not mean to say to JH. However, I have to begin to wonder about BS on this issue since there seems to be no supporting statements to what he said and multiple supporting statements to the contary. At this point it is all mute as Roy says but I do believe it does have merit when it comes to talking about BS and his character.

[Dungeon Yankee]

kshoe, soderberg said it in front of 100 other billiken club members. if harrelson says he never asked him to wait then harrelson is saying soderberg is a liar. so be it. harrelson accuses soderberg of being a liar.

Did JH specifically call BS a liar? Maybe, but I don't recall reading that. Isn't it possible that the two have different honest recollections of the same events?

[Guest BillikenReport]

Did JH specifically call BS a liar? Maybe, but I don't recall reading that.

The only person throwing around the word "liar" is Roy, who uses that word on this board often apparently.

[billiken_roy]

C'mon, Roy. I fought for Brad till the death, but it's time to let this one die. I think it's quite obvious that he was trying to save face at the Billiken club meeting. We've had person after person say that he wasn't recruited by SLU....even Josh himself. I see no reason for Josh to make up a story that Brad only came to see him play one time, especially since he says he wished Brad saw him MORE. No reason to start calling people liars. It is what it is.

i'm no the one doing so. nate and kshoe are. i am simply stating the information given at that meeting. personally it makes more sense that josh is the one saving face by saying he had no other choice than to sign a loi of intent from the worst division one team in the nation because no one else had offered him anything or discussed any other options than accusing soderberg of lying as nate and kshoe are doing.

[billiken_roy]

The only person throwing around the word "liar" is Roy, who uses that word on this board often apparently.

nate, what is it if it wasnt a lie? you insist that josh is telling the truth and if so then soderberg lied. as cheeseman says, i wasnt the only one that heard soderberg say it. so it isnt a matter that i made it up (which i think is what you want to be the case). either josh is lying in order to cover up the fact he made a horrible decision to sign a loi with the worst program in the country, or soderberg lied to cover up his mistake in not offering josh a scholarship. there is no in between here.

i would like to point out that we have also heard a story that josh reneged on his loi to western because of a family crisis that would require him to remain closer to home. however we have since heard that the same crisis is not over yet he is considering scholarships now much further away geographically than matoon illinois. so what's the deal on that? that doesnt sound right either.

[Guest BillikenReport]

nate, what is it if it wasnt a lie? you insist that josh is telling the truth and if so then soderberg lied. as cheeseman says, i wasnt the only one that heard soderberg say it. so it isnt a matter that i made it up (which i think is what you want to be the case). either josh is lying in order to cover up the fact he made a horrible decision to sign a loi with the worst program in the country, or soderberg lied to cover up his mistake in not offering josh a scholarship. there is no in between here.

Josh has said, on the record, that he hoped SLU would recruit him and that BS only came to one of his games. Several people on this board have said repeatedly that Josh liked SLU and wanted to go there but BS wasn't interested. My sources, close to the SLU basketball program, have said SLU wasn't interested in Harrellson.

How many recruits had committed or signed with SLU at the time BS made those comments? I'm guessing the answer is zero, or maybe one (Relphorde?). So the coach is being questioned by boosters about a 6-foot-8/9 Division I recruit in his backyard that has played against his son for a couple years, and the coach says that he asked the player to wait to get a scholarship — which shifts the blame away from the coach and back to the player who's not there to answer for himself.

I don't think you're making up the BS story. Unlike you, when I hear enough people tell the same story, I tend to start to believe it.

[NashvilleBilliken]

i'm no the one doing so. nate and kshoe are. i am simply stating the information given at that meeting. personally it makes more sense that josh is the one saving face by saying he had no other choice than to sign a loi of intent from the worst division one team in the nation because no one else had offered him anything or discussed any other options than accusing soderberg of lying as nate and kshoe are doing.

At this point, the only person who mentions asking Josh to wait is Brad. Nobody has every backed that story up. Even straight from the horses mouth. Hell, if Josh said, "yeah, he came to watch me a few times, but never offered", I'd be more willing to accept your argument. But, he says he only saw him once. We've had more than one poster say the same thing. Now, I'm not saying Brad didn't tell everybody that. But was it completely true? Did he sugar coat it a little in order to save some face in his career? Who the hell knows. but to call him "a liar" is pretty harsh...same thing with calling Josh "a liar". I'm not sure why you need to go there. I know you didn't outright call him a liar, but using your logic, you did.

[slu72]

At this point, the only person who mentions asking Josh to wait is Brad. Nobody has every backed that story up. Even straight from the horses mouth. Hell, if Josh said, "yeah, he came to watch me a few times, but never offered", I'd be more willing to accept your argument. But, he says he only saw him once. We've had more than one poster say the same thing. Now, I'm not saying Brad didn't tell everybody that. But was it completely true? Did he sugar coat it a little in order to save some face in his career? Who the hell knows. but to call him "a liar" is pretty harsh...same thing with calling Josh "a liar". I'm not sure why you need to go there. I know you didn't outright call him a liar, but using your logic, you did.

You know I don't think this "he said she said" back and forth is going to help in the recruitment of Josh Harrelson. Point being: forget it. You want one of JH's friends saying, "hey the got guys over there at SLU calling you a liar!" Jeez, let's be shameless like the UK fans.....Please, come to SLU and let RM coach you into the NBA, like he did VanHorn and Doleac. We're up against a real Goliath on this one, so we got to pull out all the stops. I've never seen him play, but if UK, UI, Purdue, SLU, etc thinks he's got what it takes, let's get him. To my way of thinking, the fact that UB didn't recruit him is the best reason to think he'll make it big in D1. UB would have passed on Kobe Bryant until his 7th evaluation period. By the way, anyone taking note that UB's having a tough time finding a job? What's that tell you?