Recruiting - 2014

[billiken_roy]

I'm always leery of HS transfers that aren't due to a family moving. I have no idea what the circumstances were regarding his transfer, though.

I'm not familiar with Madison Prep. New charter HS? I see it goes by 'College Preparatory High School at Madison,' which is about as confusing as 'The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.'

Just a name I think. Public school downtown around the Purina campus I believe

[RiseAndGrind]

Mack Mercer Highlight tape. Looks like he could be in the same mold as Tanner Lancona (TL). Looks good on the tape. Sign him up.

[GOSLU68]

In the last layup does he shoot off his left leg instead of the right (braced) leg; wouldn't the more natural shot to be push off from right side as you lean toward the basket on the left?

In one game on the video he has both legs braced is that just style? I have been afraid of taking bad kneed high schoolers ever since Grawer tried the tall kid from Teutopolis, IL that kid was a great talent but did not finish one season.

[Quality Is Job 1]

In the last layup does he shoot off his left leg instead of the right (braced) leg; wouldn't the more natural shot to be push off from right side as you lean toward the basket on the left?

In one game on the video he has both legs braced is that just style? I have been afraid of taking bad kneed high schoolers ever since Grawer tried the tall kid from Teutopolis, IL that kid was a great talent but did not finish one season.

Ryan Grant. That was a shame, because he definitely could ball.

[cheeseman]

In the last layup does he shoot off his left leg instead of the right (braced) leg; wouldn't the more natural shot to be push off from right side as you lean toward the basket on the left?

In one game on the video he has both legs braced is that just style? I have been afraid of taking bad kneed high schoolers ever since Grawer tried the tall kid from Teutopolis, IL that kid was a great talent but did not finish one season.

Grant was from Effingham. I am not sure why he has the brace - I missed when he had both knees braced. I would want that checked out thoroughly - may just be preventive but who knows.

[billiken_roy]

Grant (as a freshman) was a better rebounding Cody Ellis. He was a star in the making.

[RiseAndGrind]

Shavar Newkirk committed to St. Joes

Alex Kline ‏@TheRecruitScoop21h

2014 Team Scan (NY) PG Shavar Newkirk has committed to St. Joseph's.

Followed by Earl Austin Jr.

[RiseAndGrind]

Looks like Jim Crews & Tanner Bronson haven't given up on Macura yet. Maybe they see an opening with Stevens leaving?

Ben Weixlmann ‏@BWeixScout27m

#SLU keeping a close eye on 2014 SG J.P. Macura. Jim Crews and Tanner Bronson both watching him now (h/t @coreyevans_10)

Retweeted by Earl Austin Jr.

[thetorch]

Grant (as a freshman) was a better rebounding Cody Ellis. He was a star in the making.

A bigger billiken what if than even Upchurch.

[almaman]

Grant (as a freshman) was a better rebounding Cody Ellis. He was a star in the making.

my have almost/what if player ever SLU wise. As I recall he took us over Illinois?

[almaman]

fave not have obviously

[GOSLU68]

Grant was from Effingham. I am not sure why he has the brace - I missed when he had both knees braced. I would want that checked out thoroughly - may just be preventive but who knows.

I have heard fast growing kids have weaknesses that in time go away someone must know more about any injuries.

[Jrberendzen]

Apparently Slu really is going after Ore arogundade per Ben Weixlmann:

Ben Weixlmann ‏@BWeixScout 26m

2014 guard Ore Arogundade (@OreAro_23) says that #SLU is among the schools coming at him hardest: http://mbd.scout.com/mb.aspx?s=437&f=3554&t=11511373&p=5&sto=MS_143516899 …

[GOSLU68]

Grant (as a freshman) was a better rebounding Cody Ellis.

Grant was a star in the making.

he was a calibre player we were not used to seeing at that time if they had stars I imagine he would have had at least 4

[RiseAndGrind]

Coach Jim Platt in the building. Likely watching Riley Lachance and/or Brady Ellingson

Dave Telep ‏@DaveTelep1h

St. Louis asst Jim Platt 21 minutes b4 tip of Ray Allen Select. Only guy here. Must wants one of those shooters. pic.twitter.com/FWYpI4MGLY

[slu72]

Mercer... Yes. Especially his quickness and hops on D.

[Pistol]

Updated to remove Newkirk and add details. 4 spots remain (1 2013, 3 2014) after the Roby and Gillmann commitments and Crews said it's likely all 4 will be used for 2014. As always, updates on all names are appreciated.

2014 Offer List:

Ore Arogundade: St. Viator, Arlington Heights, IL - SG: 6-3, 180. Offers: SLU, Creighton, SIUC, Murray State, Drake, Santa Clara, Loyola-Chicago, San Jose State, Wright State, Toledo, UMKC, Northern Illinois, San Francisco, Utah State, Wofford, UT-Pan Am. Interest: DePaul, Xavier, Temple, LaSalle, Texas Tech, Wichita State, Missouri State, Oregon State. Latest (7/29): Arogundade says SLU is among the schools recruiting him hardest. He just played in his final AAU tournament with the Illinois Wolves in the last weekend of July. Previous: Arogundade played well in mid-July with the Wolves, gaining attention for his three-point shooting. He picked up offers from UMKC, Wofford, and UT-Pan Am. He vistied Drake and SLU. Twitter: @OreAro_23

Darius Austin: Cahokia HS, Cahokia, IL - SF: 6-6, 200. Offers: SLU, DePaul, Miami-Ohio, Indiana State, SIUE, UMKC. Interest: Xavier, Indiana, Illinois, Mizzou, Michigan, Michigan State, Cincinnati, Iowa, Oregon State, Oklahoma State, Tennessee, SIUC, Murray State. Latest (7/24): Austin took recent unofficial visits to Murray State, SLU, and Carbondale. Previous: Austin is working with a personal trainer to recover from an ankle injury that kept him sidelined in April and May and will be playing with the Illinois Wolves for the July evaluation period. DePaul seems to be his frontrunner of those that have offered and Oregon State is recruiting the hardest from the interest list. He wants to decide before his senior year starts. According to IL Prep Bullseye, Austin is their pick for a mid-late summer high-major break-out recruit. He tore it up at the DePaul Team Camp and may have been the best player in the thing. Twitter: @DariusAustin23

Larry Austin, Jr.: Lanphier, Springfield, IL - PG: 6-1, 165. Offers: SLU, Mizzou, Illinois, Creighton, DePaul, Memphis, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, Wake Forest, Iowa, Florida State, Tennessee, Mississippi State, Bradley, SMU, Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Interest: Butler, Ohio State, Stanford, West Virginia, Harvard. Latest (7/22): Austin picked up offers from Creighton and Tennessee. Previous: Austin says that out of all the schools on his offer list, Oklahoma State is probably the one recruiting him the hardest. Twitter: @_LarryAustin2_

Jordan Barnett: CBC, St. Louis, MO - SF: 6-7, 185. Offers: SLU, Mizzou, Butler, Florida, Michigan State, Michigan, Texas, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, Iowa, Iowa State, Stanford, Harvard. Interest: UNC, SIUC. Latest (7/22): Barnett played well in the Nike Global Challenge, where Michigan coach John Beilein watched him. He previously told Barnett he wouldn't offer until seeing him. He said Michigan State is recruiting him the hardest, along with Texas, Florida, and Iowa. He has not taken any official visits yet. He said in June he hoped to have his decision before school starts, but now says it will take a little longer. He wants to wrap it up as soon as possible so other slots aren't filled (like UNC). Previous: Barnett mentioned that UNC showed interest, but a commitment from 5-star wing Theo Pinson changed that. SLU and St. Louis Eagles alum Larry Hughes spoke to Barnett's Eagles team after a loss in Dallas on 5/16. Twitter: @JBounce33

Corey Henderson, Jr.: Episcopal School of Dallas, Dallas, TX - PG: 6-3, 175. Offers: SLU, Wichita State, Wright State, Fresno State, Weber State. Latest (7/31): Henderson is said to have picked up a SLU offer as of July 30th. Henderson appears to be a late bloomer, having just picked up most of his offers at the end of the July period. Wichita State and Fresno State were first. Henderson plays for his dad at the same high school program that produced Phil Pressey. He is listed as a PG by some sources and SG by others. He had a triple-double for Episcopal in late January. Twitter: @chendc3

J.P. Macura: Lakeville North, Lakeville, MN - SG: 6-5, 185. Offers: SLU, Dayton, Butler, Xavier, Creighton, Mizzou, Purdue, Minnesota, Miami, NC State, Boston College, Iowa State, Kansas State, Texas Tech, Florida State, Auburn, Drake, North Dakota, North Dakota State, Northern Colorado, Vermont, South Dakota, South Dakota State, New Mexico State, Utah State, Toledo, Wyoming, Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Nebraska-Omaha. Interest: Indiana, Wisconsin, Iowa, Providence, Penn State. Latest (7/29): Crews and Bronson went to see Macura play in Vegas this past weekend. Previous: Macura got the Minnesota offer from Pitino, but knows he is recruiting several more highly-rated shooting guards. Macura seems very tuned in to the positions filled at each school on his list, as he wants to compete for minutes immediately. He also doesn't seem to want to play in college with his AAU teammates, which include SLU offer Delshon Strickland. Macura made an official visit to Butler and shortly thereafter was shocked by Brad Stevens' decision to leave the school, which was one of his leaders. Since then, he has been contacted by Minnesota, Miami, Purdue, and Penn State. Showing an elite three-point shooting ability, Macura has had a couple huge AAU tournaments (including the recent adidas VIP Exclusive Run) and is hitting the radar of Big Ten, Big 12, and ACC schools. He is looking for a school with a "family atmosphere." He is up to #89 in Scout's 2014 rankings. Twitter: @jpmacura

Kelan Martin: Ballard, Louisville, KY - SF: 6-6, 210. Offers: SLU, Richmond, Butler, Xavier, Providence, West Virginia, Texas Tech, Auburn, New Mexico, Indiana State, Ohio, Western Kentucky, IUPUI, UMKC. Interest: Creighton, Mizzou, Kentucky, Louisville, Minnesota, LSU, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Boston College, Tulsa, Southern Miss. Latest (7/31): Martin picked up offers from West Virginia and Richmond. Previous: Crews and Bronson went out to Vegas at the end of July to see Martin, among others. Martin picked up recent offers from SLU, Xavier, and Texas Tech, and more recently from Butler. He said this about Butler: "I like their program and I think I'm a good fit for their school." Martin has had an impressive spring on the AAU circuit and the offers are starting to roll in. He has no top 5, though many presume Butler is the favorite at this point.

Steve McElvene: New Haven, New Haven, IN - C: 6-11, 260. Offers: SLU, LaSalle, Pittsburgh, Kansas State, Wright State, Ball State, Chicago State. Interest: Xavier, Purdue, Clemson, Kansas State, Eastern Michigan. Latest (7/22): McElvene had offers from Wright State Ball State, and Chicago State, but picked up offers from SLU, LaSalle, and Kansas State after an impressive Peach Jam showing. Purdue has been talking to him for a while but has not offered, though the mutual interest level is very high. In the regional round of the IN state tournament this spring, McElvene had 39 points, 33 rebounds, and 11 blocks in two games and was "unstoppable anywhere near the basket" against some of the highest-level competition in the state. He is said to have "scary" upside, has soft hands for his size, and does not play stiff. He even has a nice jumper from just outside the paint, and a dangerous drop step. Nicknamed 'Big Steve,' he also plays football and is an absolute giant. He moved from Alabama to Indiana before his junior year. Twitter: @TCCTree

Logan McLane: Greenfield School, Wilson, NC - PF: 6-8, 210. Offers: SLU, Seton Hall, Miami-Ohio, UNC-Asheville, UNC-Greensboro, Buffalo, Winthrop, Mercer, High Point. Latest (7/22): McLane was cleared to play after a torn ACL, and will sit the rest of July to mentally prepare. Previous: McLane is currently recovering from a torn ACL, which is why higher-level schools have not offered. Scouts say schools "should not sleep on him," though, as he has a high-level skill set for his position. He just visited Miami-Ohio. Here, McLane gives some reasons why he likes his current list of offers. Twitter: @LMcLane4

Mack Mercer: Plymouth, Plymouth, IN - PF: 6-9, 210. Offers: SLU, Boston College, Miami (Ohio), Indiana State, Illinois State, Kent State, Belmont, Loyola-Chicago, Valpo, Rice, Ball State, Vermont, William & Mary. Interest: Butler, Xavier, Mizzou, Indiana, Purdue, Michigan, Notre Dame, Clemson, Mississippi State, Northwestern. Latest (7/29): Crews and Bronson went to watch Mercer (and others) play in Vegas this past weekend. SLU is said to be in "hot pursuit" of Mercer. Previous: Mercer picked up an offer from SLU. Prior to that, Mercer's most recent official visit was to Boston College. He previously called Boston College, Indiana State, and Belmont his top three, but hinted that he might be expanding that "top" list now that some Big Ten schools and others have shown increased interest. Twitter: @MackMercer

Ikenna Okwarabizie: St. Louis Christian, St. Louis, MO - C: 6-10, 240. Offers: SLU, Illinois State, Southern Miss, SIUE. Interest: Rutgers, Marquette, Oklahoma, Tennessee, LSU, Auburn, Rice. Latest (7/15): Okwarabizie picked up offers from SLU and Illinois State. Previous: Okwarabizie is just starting to emerge this spring and picked up his first offer from Southern Miss. He is drawing "serious attention" from SLU and Rutgers and visited Illinois State. He is playing with the St. Louis Eagles on the AAU circuit this summer. He is not a major contributor at this point but has tremendous size and potential. Twitter: @iykerulez1

Sean O’Mara: Benet Academy, Lisle, IL - C: 6-9, 240. Offers: SLU, Illinois, DePaul, Marquette, Xavier, Dayton, LaSalle, Seton Hall, Wake Forest, Boston College, Virginia, Iowa State, Georgia Tech, Wichita State, SIUC, SIUE, Loyola-Chicago, UIC, San Jose State, Oakland, Lehigh, Columbia, Ball State, Eastern Michigan. Interest: Michigan, Notre Dame, Purdue, Iowa, Wisconsin, Northwestern. Latest (7/29): O'Mara wrapped up his AAU career with IBA Select this past weekend. He picked up a Wichita State offer. Previous: O'Mara played in the Elite Academic Athletes showcase and reportedly broke a backboard. Xavier, Loyola-Chicago, Virginia, Georgia Tech, Marquette, and SLU are recruiting him the hardest. Considered one of the best centers in the Midwest, O'Mara is in the middle of Big Ten country and has their attention. He was dominant in an AAU Tournament in April. Offers are starting to roll in. Twitter: @S3AN_54

Avery Patterson: Wheeler, Decatur, GA - PG: 6-1, 175. Offers: SLU, Richmond, Xavier, Butler, Boston College, Kansas State, Central Florida, Murray State, Western Kentucky, Boston. Interest: UAB. Latest (7/16): Patterson was low on offers until this past weekend, when a slew of new ones came in from SLU, Richmond, Butler, BC, KSU, UCF, Murray State, and WKU. Most of those schools had already been in contact. He's a left-handed PG with a strong frame and very long range on his jumper. Has also drawn a lot of scouting attention for his leadership and control; a pure PG who gets it done at both ends. Twitter: @Showtime_AP

Jalyn Patterson: Montverde Academy, Alpharetta, GA - PG: 5-11, 170. Offers: SLU, George Mason, Minnesota, Georgia Tech, Auburn, Georgia, Texas A&M, Tulane, Murray State, Georgia State. Interest: Houston, Tennessee, Florida State, South Carolina, Charleston, Tennessee Tech, Georgia Southern, Tennessee State, Kennesaw State. Latest (7/17): Patterson picked up offers from SLU and Tulane. Previous: Of the three schools recruiting him hardest lately, he says, “I am planning on trying to get out to St. Louis and George Mason and probably Houston,” he said. “I am still thinking about other schools and choosing which schools I would like to visit but those are three that I am definitely hoping to get to.” Twitter: @jalynpatterson

Johnnie Shuler: Theodore Roosevelt, Washington, DC - PG: 5-11, 160. Offers: SLU, LaSalle, Seton Hall, Fairfield, Quinnipiac. Interest: Villanova, Maryland, Nebraska, Miami, UNLV, Wichita State. Latest (7/22): Shuler picked up offers from SLU and Quinnipiac. Seton Hall was the first one, followed by Fairfield and LaSalle. He transferred to TRHS from DeMatha and sat out for half of last season. He plays on a loaded DC Warriors AAU team. He said he'd like to play "out west" for a team that plays an "up and down" style, so UNLV is particularly attractive. He acknowledged Seton Hall also plays that style. Twitter: @jshuler_0

Quadree Smith: Paul VI, Fairfax, VA - PF: 6-7, 290. Offers: SLU, St. Joe's, George Mason, Nebraska, Tennessee, Tulsa, Kent State, Florida Gulf Coast, Florida International, Drexel, Siena, Fairfield, Rider, Radford, Quinnipiac, UNC-Greensboro, Kennesaw State, Austin Peay, Towson. Interest: Xavier, Virginia, Albany. Latest (7/22): Smith played well over the past few weeks and added offers from Towson and Austin Peay. Previous: Smith picked up offers from SLU and Florida Gulf Coast. No, the "290" is not a typo. He's a man mountain of Bill Brasky proportions. He was not allowed to play pee wee football because of his size so he picked up hoops instead. He transferred into Paul VI at over 300 lbs, but the school has a good strength and conditioning coach working with him. He's billed as a relentless worker. He averaged 9 PPG and 13 RPG his junior season and was a key factor in a double overtime win over Oak Hill (13 and 19, with 2 free throws to seal it). Twitter: @Dont_Hate_Q

Delshon Strickland: Holy Angels, Minneapolis, MN - SG: 6-4, 180. Offers: SLU, Richmond, Rhode Island, Miami, Virginia Tech, Auburn, Missouri State, Drake, UTEP, Toledo, Lehigh, Vermont, North Dakota, Northern Colorado, Hampton. Interest: Butler, Gonzaga, Memphis, Texas, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Iowa State, Northwestern, Florida State, Washington State, Northern Iowa, Utah State. Latest (7/22): Memphis came to watch Strickland and reportedly was very impressed. Previous: Strickland has picked up a SLU offer, one week after receiving one from Missouri State and two weeks after Virginia Tech. He is an AAU teammate of J.P. Macura, and both are being recruited by a few of the same schools. However, they don't seem interested in playing together in college. Twitter: Delshon_11

Andre Walker: Bullis School, Clarksville, MD - C: 6-10, 210. Offers: SLU, VCU, Xavier, DePaul, Cincinnati, Temple, UMass, George Mason, SMU, Fairfield, Delaware. Interest: Georgetown, Indiana, Kansas, NC State, Maryland, Miami. Latest (6/6): Walker now has offers from VCU and DePaul. Previous: This guy is hard to Google. Xavier recently had a player by the same name, and there's another HS recruit with the same name. He wears rec specs. Twitter: @Andre_Walker21

Hunter Ware: North Cobb Christian, Kennesaw, GA - PG: 6-2, 165. Offers: SLU, Murray State, Western Kentucky, Cornell, Brown, Tennessee Tech, Jacksonville, Gardner-Webb, Appalachian State, Stetson, Radford, Wofford, Furman, Middle Tennessee, Georgia Southern, North Florida. Interest: Mizzou, Butler, Charleston, Charlotte, UAB, Nevada, Buffalo, Charleston Southern. Latest (7/22): Ware picked up a Western Kentucky offer and calls them his favorite right now, with MTSU probably second. Previous: Interesting offer list. I guess we're in early on a guy we think has more potential than shows with his current list, and I'm guessing he's also a pretty solid student with two Ivy Leage offers. He's considered one of the fastest-rising players in the state of Georgia's class of 2014. On The Radar Hoops says: "Hunter showcases a great change of speed and high basketball IQ, he constantly gets a piece of the paint and pushes the tempo off the rebound. He fills the middle and goes until he is stopped either scoring or dishing off the ball for the easy basket for his teammates." But this is my favorite profile of him. Twitter: @Hunter_Ware1

Thomas Welsh: Loyola, Los Angeles, CA - C: 7-0, 245. Offers: SLU, UCLA, Gonzaga, California, USC, Arizona State, Rice, Santa Clara, San Francisco, Pacific, Portland. Interest: Arizona, Colorado, Wake Forest, San Diego State, Brown, UC-Santa Barbara. Latest (7/5): Welsh picked up a UCLA offer from Steve Alford. Previous: SLU is said to be one of Welsh's early offers, which is interesting, given that he's a Southern California kid with otherwise exclusively West Coast offers. Welsh has spoken with Andy Enfield at USC quite a bit. He just recently visited Cal. He played very well at the recent Pangos All-American Camp and is now ranked #75 in Scout's 2014 rankings.

2014 Interest List:

Marcus Bartley: MacArthur, Decatur, IL - PG: 6-4, 175. Offers: Oklahoma State, DePaul, Creighton, Northwestern, Rice, SIUC, Bradley, Illinois State, Eastern Illinois, North Dakota State, South Dakota State, Tennessee-Martin, Southeastern Louisiana, William & Mary. Interest: SLU, Mizzou, Stanford, Iowa, Georgetown, Harvard, Tennessee. Latest (7/31): Bartley is visiting SLU on August 1. Previous: Bartley took an unofficial visit to Stanford after receiving a recent home visit from them. He recently picked up Creighton and DePaul offers. Both of his parents attended Creighton, who is making him a "major priority." Northwestern is recruiting him very hard. Oklahoma State is the biggest program to offer so far but he may be on the cusp of a few more. Twitter: @MB3_Dreamville

Aaron Brennan: Guerin Catholic, Noblesville, IN - PF: 6-6, 200. Offers: Indiana State, Loyola-Chicago, Belmont, Cornell, Columbia, Toledo, IUPUI, UNC-Asheville, UNC-Greensboro. Interest, SLU, Butler, Indiana, Purdue, Michigan, Iowa, Wright State. Latest (7/24): Brennan played well at Top 100 last week. He just picked up a UNC-Asheville offer. Previous: Brennan contracted foot-in-mouth disease last June and was quarantined for the rest of that month. He had a rough AAU season the rest of last summer after returning, sluggish from lingering effects. Several Big Ten schools have shown interest but, according to Brennan, want to see if he grows more. He just made an unofficial visit to Toledo in late June and has also visited Butler, Loyola-Chicago, and Indiana State. Twitter: @Aaron_Brennan_

Brandon Cheeks: Meadowbrook, Richmond, VA - SG: 6-1, 190. Offers: None. Interest: SLU, George Mason, Delaware, Radford. Latest (7/24): Cheeks played well at Big Shots Richmond, reportedly scoring well at all levels and rebounding very well for his position. He also handles the ball well, allowing him to make plays in traffic. Previous: Seems to be considered a lower-tier D-I recruit at this point. His father played at VCU and holds their single-game scoring record (42 in a 1989 game vs. ODU). He later coached at VCU, West Virginia, Georgia State, and UNC-Charlotte.

Josh Cunningham: Morgan Park, Chicago, IL - SF: 6-7, 195. Offers: UMass, DePaul, Mizzou, Oklahoma, Iowa State, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, St. John's, Virginia Tech, South Carolina, Bradley, Northern Illinois. Interest: SLU, Illinois, Michigan, Michigan State, Miami, Illinois State, UIC. Latest (7/24): Cunningham has some new offers, including Minnesota. Previous: Cunningham opened some eyes at the recent Nike EYBL in Hampton, Virginia when he filled in for an injured 5-star player. He's said to be a gamer with explosive leaping ability and a nice 3-point stroke. Twitter: @JoshMCunningham

Mory Diane: Detroit Country Day, Franklin, MI - SG: 6-3, 170. Offers: Detroit, Kent State, Indiana State, Toledo, Northern Illinois, Eastern Michigan, Central Connecticut. Interest: SLU, Xavier, Butler, DePaul, Mizzou, Michigan State, Iowa, Iowa State, Texas Tech, Ohio, Bowling Green, Central Michigan, IPFW, Robert Morris. Latest (7/24): Diane played in the Under Armour Summer Jam. His most recent offer is from Buffalo. Previous: Diane hopes to have his list down to 5 by the end of July or possibly just before school starts in late August. He expects a few more offers to come in by then. Billed as a strong perimeter and mid-range scorer, solid defender, and natural shooting guard with PG skills if necessary. Twitter: MDiane_20

Brady Ellingson: Hamilton, Sussex, WI - SG: 6-4, 175. Offers: Bradley, Drake, Oakland, Wright State, Toledo, Ball State, Brown, Citadel, Northern Colorado, South Dakota, South Dakota State, UC-Davis, Albany. Interest: SLU, George Washington, Mizzou, Wisconsin, Utah, Harvard, Northern Iowa, Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Wisconsin-Green Bay, Lehigh, Air Force, Utah State, North Dakota State, Cal-Poly, Quinnipiac. Latest (7/29): SLU coach Jim Crews recently watched Ellingson and Ray Allen Select teammate Riley LaChance, two talented HS shooting guards. The scouting report on Ellingson is like that on LaChance, a pure shooter who will make the teams that didn't sign him pay come March. Ellingson showed off his shooting ability in Las Vegas the last weekend of July and received offers from Ball State and Toledo. Oakland is reportedly recruiting hardest at this point. Twitter: @B_Ellingson22

Jacob Hammond: Home School United Prep, Oklahoma City, OK - C: 6-10, 240. Offers: Texas Tech, Oklahoma, Nebraska, TCU. Interest: SLU, Indiana, UCLA, Mizzou, Baylor, Oklahoma State, Kansas State, Texas A&M, Wake Forest, Creighton, Wichita State, TCU, Tulsa, Loyola-Marymount, Navy, Army. Latest (7/24): Hammond is playing in the Adidas 64 in Vegas this week. Expect more offers to roll in; he's a top-150 player who has only picked up a few offers since the Oklahoma decommitment. Previous: Hammond previously committed to Oklahoma but backed out in May. He reportedly played very well at the Pangos Camp. He has played his three years of HS basketball at three different schools in Oklahoma and Kansas. Twitter: @J_ham_24

Avery Johnson, Jr.: Cooper, The Woodlands, TX - PG: 5-9, 173. Interest: SLU, LaSalle, Baylor, LSU, Rutgers, Florida State, Wichita State, Rice, Charleston, Santa Clara, Bucknell, Columbia. Latest (7/2): LaSalle has contacted him. Previous: Johnson says Baylor, SLU, and LSU are recruiting hardest but Baylor stands out most at this point. He has only visited Baylor and SLU so far. The son of former NBA player and coach Avery Johnson, he recently made headlines when he Tweeted taunts at the Nets after losing to the Bulls in the playoffs (his dad coached the Nets before being fired).Twitter: @itsaveryjohnson

Riley LaChance: Central, Brookfield, WI - SG: 6-2, 160. Offers: Creighton, Butler, Mizzou, Oklahoma State, Utah, Davidson, Drake, Rice, Tulane, Indiana State, Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Yale, San Francisco, Western Michigan, South Dakota, South Dakota State, North Dakota State, Idaho State, San Diego, UC-Davis. Interest: SLU, Dayton, Marquette, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Northwestern, Virginia, USC, Oregon State, Gonzaga, Indiana State, Northern Iowa, UW-Green Bay, Lehigh, Portland, Army, UC-Riverside. Latest (7/29): SLU coach Jim Crews recently watched the Ray Allen Select AAU team with LaChance and Brady Ellingson, two talented HS shooting guards. Scouts who have LaChance play this summer call him a pure shooter who can light it up from deep. His name has gained serious buzz after the last weekend in July because of his performance in Las Vegas. Twitter: @riley_lachance3

Bryant McIntosh: Greensburg, Greensburg, IN - PG: 6-4, 175. Offers: Rhode Island, Davidson, Creighton, Mizzou, Memphis, Iowa, Northwestern, Clemson, Florida State, Auburn, Indiana State, Bradley. Interest: SLU, Indiana, Michigan, Purdue, Xavier, Wake Forest. Latest (7/29): Crews and Bronson watched McIntosh while watching some other recruits in Vegas this past weekend. Previous: Northwestern and Creighton are the latest offers for McIntosh, who was also recently contacted by SLU, Dayton, Wake Forest, Xavier, and others. He was a former ESPN 60 name who faded, committed to Illinois State, decommitted in early July, and has since drawn attention (and offers) from top programs again after a couple big AAU weekends. He's considered a high-level shooter who may play more of a shooting guard in college. Twitter: @BryantMac30

Justin Mitchell: Wayne, Fort Wayne, IN - PG: 6-4, 180. Offers: Ball State, IPFW, Chicago State. Interest: SLU, Xavier, Tennessee, Indiana State, Ohio, and Toledo. Latest (7/22): After seeing Mitchell play with Steve McElvene in the EYBL Peach Jam, SLU has been in touch along with the others listed above. Mitchell played very well, at the level of top-50 opposition.

Austin Pope: ?, Los Angeles, CA - PG: 6-6, 200. Offers: St. Bonaventure, Cincinnati, Arizona State, Colorado, Oregon State, Washington State, New Mexico, UC-Irvine. Interest: SLU, Marquette, Georgetown, USC, UCLA, California, UNLV, Texas, UConn, San Diego State. Latest (7/15): Pope appears to know Austin McBroom. He has had an interesting path, having committed to Louisville at one point, then Colorado, but both schools wanted to redshirt him for a season and he didn't want to sit. The reasons for the redshirt are unclear, as he was a very highly rated PG out of prep school (class of 2013), with offers from those schools, Baylor, Oregon, Gonzaga, and more. Once UL and CU were out, he made it sound like UCLA was leading the way. Since then, more have gotten involved. He's quite a talent, but after all the bouncing around and reclassifying, there must be some academic-related baggage here. Twitter: ThePope_LOE

Darreon Reddick: Belleville East, Belleville, IL - PG: 6-3, 200. Offers: DePaul, Valpo, Missouri State, Indiana State, Bradley, Detroit, Toledo, IUPUI. Interest: SLU, Mizzou, Butler, Michigan, Xavier, Tennessee, Iowa, SIUC. Latest (7/24): Reddick was impressed by Northwestern on his visit there. Northwestern is expected to offer soon. He also took unofficial visits to Illinois State and Bradley in June. Previous: Reddick visited Valpo with C.J. Rivers and both picked up offers. Twitter: @_14Reddick

C.J. Rivers: Cahokia, Cahokia, IL - PG: 6-2, 180. Offers: SIUC, SIUE, Miami-Ohio, Valpo, Toledo, Cornell, Brown, UIC, Wright State, UMKC, Northern Kentucky. Interest: SLU, Illinois, Mizzou, Xavier, Tennessee, Drake. Latest (7/31): Rivers will be taking official visits to both Drake and Cornell in August. Previous: Rivers visited Drake in mid-June. He visited Valpo with Reddick and both picked up offers. Rivers has visited SLU already. Twitter: @Cj_Rivers05

Shawn Roundtree: Edwardsville, Edwardsville, IL - 6-0, 175. Offers: SIUE. Interest: SLU, Ball State. Latest (7/22): Roundtree has been contacted by SLU and Ball State, but SIUE leads Roundtree's recruitment at this point. Twitter: @2Yung4_Simba

Marial Shayok: Blair Academy, Blairstown, NJ - SF: 6-6, 205. Offers: Marquette, Villanova, Seton Hall, Providence, LaSalle, Cincinnati, Boston College, Minnesota, Rutgers, Kansas State, West Virginia, Texas A&M, Georgia. Interest: SLU, VCU, Dayton, Michigan, Illinois, Purdue, Gonzaga. Latest (7/22): Shayok said Marquette, BC, Villanova, Cincinnati, and Rutgers are recruiting him hardest. Georgia and Michigan have shown increased interest recently. Previous: He has not decided on any visits yet and doesn't plan to do so until August. He is considered one of the most athletic wings in the class of 2014. He's from a big-time basketball family: His father played at Dayton, his sister plays at Detroit, and his brother just transferred to UMKC from Bradley. Twitter: ToOffical_11

Tarin Smith: St. Anthony's, Jersey City, NJ - PG: 6-0, 175. Offers: LaSalle, St. Joe's, UMass, Penn, Princeton, Brown, Bucknell, Detroit, Holy Cross, Delaware, Quinnipiac, Wagner, Stony Brook, Buffalo. Interest: SLU, Creighton, Boston College, SMU. Latest (7/18): Smith is the starting point guard at NJ powerhouse St. Anthony's, whose past point guards include Bobby Hurley, Tyshawn Taylor, Tray Woodall, and recent Temple addition Josh Brown. He says St. Joe's, Bucknell, Stony Brook, Princeton, and Penn have been in contact the most and that SLU, SMU, Creighton, and Boston College have all contacted him to let him know they're coming out to watch him this July. St. Joe's has had a few recent St. Anthony's grads, including Ahmad Nivins and Dwayne Lee. (There is also a 2016 recruit from McCluer North by the same name.)

Dmitri Thompson: Orlando Christian, Orlando, FL - SG: 6-4, 195. Offers: Purdue, Miami, Oklahoma State, Mississippi, Georgia, South Florida, Central Florida, Murray State, Georgia Southern. Interest: SLU, Georgetown, Butler, Kansas State, Virginia, Alabama. Latest (7/18): Thompson and teammate Adonys Henriquez had publicly mentioned the possibility of being recruited as a package deal, but Henriquez committed to Miami this past fall, while Thompson continues to explore his options. The two have won a state championship together already and expectations are high for their senior season. Twitter: @BigMeech_2014

[RiseAndGrind]

"Riley LaChance Brookfield Central(WI)/Ray Allen Select 2014 - 6-2 | 160 | SG

The shooting guard from Wisconsin has put himself on the map especially in the last week. Las Vegas was good for LaChance who is now sporting offers from Butler, Creighton, Davidson, Drake, Missouri, Oklahoma State, and San Diego as well as others. Saint Louis, Minnesota, Marquette, and Gonzaga all took long looks at Riley in the past week. His recruitment is not likely to be done any time soon. Teams need players that know how to play and can make plays, Riley fits the bill."

http://247sports.com/Player/Riley-LaChance-16432

[Pistol]

"Riley LaChance Brookfield Central(WI)/Ray Allen Select 2014 - 6-2 | 160 | SG

The shooting guard from Wisconsin has put himself on the map especially in the last week. Las Vegas was good for LaChance who is now sporting offers from Butler, Creighton, Davidson, Drake, Missouri, Oklahoma State, and San Diego as well as others. Saint Louis, Minnesota, Marquette, and Gonzaga all took long looks at Riley in the past week. His recruitment is not likely to be done any time soon. Teams need players that know how to play and can make plays, Riley fits the bill."

http://247sports.com/Player/Riley-LaChance-16432

Added him along with his Ray Allen Select teammate Brady Ellingson.

[Neighbor Dave]

Grant (as a freshman) was a better rebounding Cody Ellis. He was a star in the making.

This. Of all the kick-in-the-nads moments that long-time Billiken fans are waaaay too familiar with, this one tops my list. The mere mention of his name causes me to reflexively curl into a defensive position and fight off waves of nausea. Damn.

[slufanskip]

This. Of all the kick-in-the-nads moments that long-time Billiken fans are waaaay too familiar with, this one tops my list. The mere mention of his name causes me to reflexively curl into a defensive position and fight off waves of nausea. Damn.

Isn't that the same thing that happens to you when you pitch to me?

[Pistol]

Illinois PG Marcus Bartley (Interest list) is visiting SLU tomorrow. Creighton has offered, and both of his parents went there.

[Neighbor Dave]

Isn't that the same thing that happens to you when you pitch to me?

That goes without saying. Gibson and Koufax in their primes would have the same reaction.

[RiseAndGrind]

Illinois PG Marcus Bartley (Interest list) is visiting SLU tomorrow. Creighton has offered, and both of his parents went there.

Would be very happy if he committed

[NH]

Would be very happy if he committed

Seems like the point guards we are targeting hardest are Bartley, Jalyn Patterson, Avery Patterson and maybe a few others. Big position of need would love a commit soon, like you said.