Reid 1st team All-State

[NashvilleBilliken]

Roy, this isn't a personal slam on you but I think these three things are true:

1) you don't listen to RM's radio shows. Since this is true you haven't heard him raving on Femi and how much he has improved this season

2) You don't have access to practice to dispute RM's claims above

3) You have always had a soft spot in your hear for southern Illinois players when it comes to valuing them vs. their Missouri counterparts (i.e you are biased).

Agree on number 3. How can you say you watched Anthony Mitchell play throughout high school and have it be one of the top reasons you despise majerus. Then turn around, say you've seen John play once (in a freakin exhibition) and say he's the same player as Mitchell. I mean, if I saw one of Lisch's game, i'd say he's the same player as the one game I saw Dustin Maguire in. I've gone on record as saying I have high expectations of Femi based solely on Rick's completely unnecessary praise of the kid in both post game pressers and his radio show.

[jjray]

i agree he is very athletic and has a very strong d-1 body. he did not have a good shot. he did not make good decisions, and for the most part wasnt defending anyone all that great.

i agree he can play at this level, but i will be shocked if he breaks through the log jam of guards that we already have and the ones coming in. he will have had to improve his shot quite a bit for that to happen imo.

I agree with Roy. Femi strikes me more as an undersized 3 but given none of us saw the team practice it's hard to say how he progressed this past season prior to injury. Perhaps there will be minutes for Femi @ 3 but I doubt he plays much 2 at SLU. Until John Smith was inked, I liked Femi's prospects at 3. Would be very happy for Femi to prove me wrong and grab a spot in the starting lineup. The key issue will be whether he can crack the rotation.

[billiken_roy]

Agree on number 3. How can you say you watched Anthony Mitchell play throughout high school and have it be one of the top reasons you despise majerus. Then turn around, say you've seen John play once (in a freakin exhibition) and say he's the same player as Mitchell. I mean, if I saw one of Lisch's game, i'd say he's the same player as the one game I saw Dustin Maguire in. I've gone on record as saying I have high expectations of Femi based solely on Rick's completely unnecessary praise of the kid in both post game pressers and his radio show.

you are taking my comparison to mitchell as a slam. i like mitchell. i like john. i wish we still had mitchell on the roster with john.

but the debate is who will start and i think rickma was very clear that he felt that mitchell wasnt a good enough shooter or had good enough ball skills and rickma cut him. john clearly showed the same in the preseason games. so if rickma is consistent, he wont start john over the likes of reid and the australian kid that are reputed big time shooters. i dont see where my sumation is out of line. now if i have a fallacy in my thinking it is in the assumption of how good the incoming freshmen will be. i still have ricky cranford shakes at times. but the numbers we keep seeing on both tells me that this doesnt appear to be a cranford mirage.

[brianstl]

Kyle Cassity will be the starting two when the year begins. Maybe not at the end of the year, but I am almos 100% sure he will be the starting two at the beginning of the year. He will be light years ahead of the others in Rickma's offense when the season starts.

[Billikan]

he played in the preseason games for the billikens.

imo john is pretty much the exact player that anthony mitchell was and rickma cut him. now before you all get excited about that, i liked mitchell and thought he could be a contributor to the billikens. so i am not saying that is bad. but mitchell and john both have d-1 bodies, played hard, very athletic but had ball skill issues and shooting issues.

but now i am supposed to believe that rickma will start john? that would make rickma very inconsistent imo.

Having seen a lot of Mitchell in practice last year and Femi in high school and early this year--I would say that Femi has much more upside than Mitchell. Femi is a much smoother player. If he could shoot the three with consistancy I could see him starting or at least fighting for starter's minutes. he is a very heady player who can pass well, rebound like a small forward and he defends. The whole thing depends upon his shot. I never saw Mitchell fitting in at SLU even though I was happy we recruited him because he was not the type of player who would fit into a system like ours.

[brianstl]

Having seen a lot of Mitchell in practice last year and Femi in high school and early this year--I would say that Femi has much more upside than Mitchell. Femi is a much smoother player. If he could shoot the three with consistancy I could see him starting or at least fighting for starter's minutes. he is a very heady player who can pass well, rebound like a small forward and he defends. The whole thing depends upon his shot. I never saw Mitchell fitting in at SLU even though I was happy we recruited him because he was not the type of player who would fit into a system like ours.

I am a big Femi fan, but your first statement is crazy. Your Mitchell not fitting into a system like ours is egually head scratching. I guess Majerus didn't have a clue about his own system when he told Mitchell he would be our PG from day one.

[Quality Is Job 1]

I am a big Femi fan, but your first statement is crazy. Your Mitchell not fitting into a system like ours is egually head scratching. I guess Majerus didn't have a clue about his own system when he told Mitchell he would be our PG from day one.

He was talking about Anthony Mitchell, not Kwamain Mitchell. Have you forgotten AM that quickly?

[brianstl]

He was talking about Anthony Mitchell, not Kwamain Mitchell. Have you forgotten AM that quickly?

I am having a reading comprehension problem. My apoligies to Billikan. I agree Femi is much better than Anthony Mitchell.

[Topeka]

Should be interesting...looks like a summer weight program could really help!! Our S&C guys need to pound Willie, Brett and Jeff...they don't need to look like Lou Ferigno, but I had arms like Reid's when I was in jr. high.

Just for the record, that is a picture of Jeff when he was 16. He is now at least 17- maybe older. They used a photo of him from the previous year because he was unavailable for the All-State photo session this year. He has put on more weight and muscle since then. No Charles Atlas for sure - but has grown up quite a bit since that photo. He stood up pretty well against a variety of hacking this year in high school. He was often Hayden's main outside threat. When he gets settled in and can be set up by more athletic team mates - I am pretty confident that he is going to have some outstanding shooting nights for St. Louis.

Other comments on this board about Jeff's offers - I can't say for certain, but I think K-State would have offered if they thought Jeff really wanted to go there. Colorado or Nebraska would have offered (no I don't have inside info). But then - who really wants to play for those two programs. No - I think it was Majerus who impressed Jeff by making a solid offer early.

[Billikan]

I am a big Femi fan, but your first statement is crazy. Your Mitchell not fitting into a system like ours is egually head scratching. I guess Majerus didn't have a clue about his own system when he told Mitchell he would be our PG from day one.

You are thinking of the wrong mitchell!! I was talking about the Mitchell who left from ESTL.

[GoBills]

I agree. I just went off what Scout had on his profile. Majerus seems to get on players before anyone else and has been successfull at closing the deal before the bigger programs come knocking on the door.

I think you are right. The real question is, if Reid were still available right now after that big senior season, what kind of programs would be offering? The good news is that coach locked him up early, so we'll never know or have to worry about it.

[jjray]

I think you are right. The real question is, if Reid were still available right now after that big senior season, what kind of programs would be offering? The good news is that coach locked him up early, so we'll never know or have to worry about it.

I'm very impressed with the way RM identifies talent that has been underrecruited then moves aggressively before the big boys pull the trigger. It was the story with K. Mitchell. Now Reid. I'm sure the list shall grow.

[GOSLU68]

he played in the preseason games for the billikens.

imo john is pretty much the exact player that anthony mitchell was and rickma cut him. now before you all get excited about that, i liked mitchell and thought he could be a contributor to the billikens. so i am not saying that is bad. but mitchell and john both have d-1 bodies, played hard, very athletic but had ball skill issues and shooting issues.

but now i am supposed to believe that rickma will start john? that would make rickma very inconsistent imo.

wasn't RM always praising PE until the new recruits passed him by?

[thetorch]

John and AM were/are not the same players. At this level AM was a very undersized PF. He had very little outside skills on offense. John can't shoot a lick outside of 15 feet but he can handle the ball pretty well. AM was a late reach and ultimately wasn't an A-10 player. Femi John will be. I don't think he will start next year because of his shooting but he is solid in every other facet.

Taking a look at that all city team, wonder if Majerus has taken a look at the 6'8 freshman?

[Billikan]

John and AM were/are not the same players. At this level AM was a very undersized PF. He had very little outside skills on offense. John can't shoot a lick outside of 15 feet but he can handle the ball pretty well. AM was a late reach and ultimately wasn't an A-10 player. Femi John will be. I don't think he will start next year because of his shooting but he is solid in every other facet.

Taking a look at that all city team, wonder if Majerus has taken a look at the 6'8 freshman?

I believe that was the ALL STATE team. Can you imagine how many people are looking at a 6'8" freshman who was first team all state and he sounds like a great young man. Wow!

[Topeka]

I believe that was the ALL STATE team. Can you imagine how many people are looking at a 6'8" freshman who was first team all state and he sounds like a great young man. Wow!

Perry Ellis is the first Freshman to ever be named ALL-CLASS ALL-STATE (top five player team in the state). It will be a real zoo in the Wichita area for the next few years. Let's just say - i don't think he will be going to Wichita State. A school better be ready to hand out a job to a close relative

[BLIKNS]

Wonder if Jeff has a chance to be the Kansas Gatorade Player of the Year,like Jamal Walker was his senior year?

[Cowboy]

he played in the preseason games for the billikens.

imo john is pretty much the exact player that anthony mitchell was and rickma cut him. now before you all get excited about that, i liked mitchell and thought he could be a contributor to the billikens. so i am not saying that is bad. but mitchell and john both have d-1 bodies, played hard, very athletic but had ball skill issues and shooting issues.

but now i am supposed to believe that rickma will start john? that would make rickma very inconsistent imo.

-sekue barantine had a good preseason game so i think basing an opnion on a preseason game comes with limitations

-they maybe the same "player" but not the same piece to the program as one redshirted, drew consistent praise from rick on everything the last 1/3 of the season, is supposed to be in the gym shooting 500 shots from a chair (while the knee heals) to improve the shot (think tommie)

-obviously rick did not thnk they are the same player or AMitchell did not think he fit with rick so he left

[billiken_roy]

-sekue barantine had a good preseason game so i think basing an opnion on a preseason game comes with limitations

-they maybe the same "player" but not the same piece to the program as one redshirted, drew consistent praise from rick on everything the last 1/3 of the season, is supposed to be in the gym shooting 500 shots from a chair (while the knee heals) to improve the shot (think tommie)

-obviously rick did not thnk they are the same player or AMitchell did not think he fit with rick so he left

anthony mitchell begged to stay at slu.

[Guest BillikenReport]

Wonder if Jeff has a chance to be the Kansas Gatorade Player of the Year,like Jamal Walker was his senior year?

Perry Ellis was named the Gatorade Kansas player of the year.

[SLUDrew]

Perry Ellis was named the Gatorade Kansas player of the year.

This Ellis kid sounds almost unreal:

From the press release:

The freshman power forward and center led the Falcons to a 24-1 record and the Class 6A state championship this season, averaging 19.2 points, 11.7 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game. A 2008 Reebok Breakout Underclass Camp All-Tournament Team selection and a Reebok U All-American Camp invitee, the 6-foot-8, 210-pound Ellis recorded 20 rebounds, nine points, three assists and one block in a 73-58 victory against Southeast in the Class 6A state final. He shot 61 percent from the field and 65 percent from the free throw line this winter.

Ellis has maintained a 4.00 GPA in the classroom and ranks No. 1 in his class. He has volunteered as part of several community-cleanup service initiatives and as a motivational speaker to area youth athletes, addressing the importance of education and positive thinking.

“What Perry Ellis has done as a freshman is remarkable,” said Lonnie Lollar, head coach of rival Bishop Carroll High. “He has done truly good things. He’s an extremely intelligent young man. His sportsmanship is top-notch. He has done things the right way. He scores 20 points per game and averages double-digits in rebounding—which is phenomenal in our league for a freshman. He’s the missing piece that put that team over the top

[SLUDrew]

anthony mitchell begged to stay at slu.

How do you know this to be the case, Roy? Honestly, it just sounds like more of your "Majerus is evil incarnate" spiel.

[billiken_roy]

How do you know this to be the case, Roy? Honestly, it just sounds like more of your "Majerus is evil incarnate" spiel.

pretty good source.

[Billikan]

This Ellis kid sounds almost unreal:

From the press release:

The freshman power forward and center led the Falcons to a 24-1 record and the Class 6A state championship this season, averaging 19.2 points, 11.7 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game. A 2008 Reebok Breakout Underclass Camp All-Tournament Team selection and a Reebok U All-American Camp invitee, the 6-foot-8, 210-pound Ellis recorded 20 rebounds, nine points, three assists and one block in a 73-58 victory against Southeast in the Class 6A state final. He shot 61 percent from the field and 65 percent from the free throw line this winter.

Ellis has maintained a 4.00 GPA in the classroom and ranks No. 1 in his class. He has volunteered as part of several community-cleanup service initiatives and as a motivational speaker to area youth athletes, addressing the importance of education and positive thinking.

“What Perry Ellis has done as a freshman is remarkable,” said Lonnie Lollar, head coach of rival Bishop Carroll High. “He has done truly good things. He’s an extremely intelligent young man. His sportsmanship is top-notch. He has done things the right way. He scores 20 points per game and averages double-digits in rebounding—which is phenomenal in our league for a freshman. He’s the missing piece that put that team over the top

What an incredible young man. I sure hope the slimeballs that seem to come out of the woodwork when a recruit is this highly talented stay away from him. I think that is the best resume' I have ever seen for a high school freshman!!!!!!!

[slufanskip]

Perry Ellis is the first Freshman to ever be named ALL-CLASS ALL-STATE (top five player team in the state). It will be a real zoo in the Wichita area for the next few years. Let's just say - i don't think he will be going to Wichita State. A school better be ready to hand out a job to a close relative

That makes him a lock for Kansas doesn't it