Recruiting - 2014

[slufanskip]

Smartest, most right statement skip has made in a long time. You probably should have lunch with me more often skip to assist your thinking process

Yea, Something has to rub off.

[Pistol]

Brady Ellingson is off the interest list. He has narrowed his list to Oakland, Ball State, San Diego, and Dayton, and is staying in contact with Mizzou and Iowa, neither of which have offered yet.

[Pistol]

Josh Cunningham, the 4-star wing from Chicago, is off the interest list. He said he will be visiting Northwestern, Minnesota, Iowa, and Iowa State, and that Bradley also remains in the mix. Michigan is also breathing down his neck and may be hard to ignore.

[stlsfinest]

I do know that SLU was very interested in Ronnie Suggs. They started recruiting him after his strong performance in the Meramec Holiday Tournament this past winter. Suggs was also at the Elite Camp back in early June.

[kshoe]

Verbal commits lists 3 open spots remaining for Houston, only 1 commit so far. The interesting thing is that Mizzou is listied as having one commit over the total number of scholarships available. Macura is among those receiving offers from Mizzou, I would guess Mizzou will have to regretfully and mutually accept the elimination of one of those who have committed there already.

On of Mizzou's recruits (Suggs) is going to reclassify to 2015 so they aren't over the limit, yet. That being said, Mizzou is actively recruiting a few more high level players, including Melvin Booker's kid, and if any of those high level kids commit they will either hope for a current player to go pro or show the last man/men on the bench the door.

[Pistol]

Updated. 4 spots remain for 2014. As always, updates on all names are appreciated.

2014 Offer List:

Corey Henderson, Jr.: Episcopal School of Dallas, Dallas, TX - PG: 6-3, 175. Offers: SLU, Wichita State, Wright State, Fresno State, Weber State, Long Island, Grambling State. Interest: Creighton, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Alabama, Auburn, TCU, Tulsa, Houston, Indiana State. Latest (8/21): Henderson is said to have picked up a SLU offer as of July 30th. Most sources list SLU as interested. 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

Ben Lammers, Alamo Heights, San Antonio, TX - C: 6-10, 225. Offers: SLU, Marquette, Miami, Northwestern, Baylor, Texas A&M, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, Old Dominion, UTSA. Interest: VCU, Stanford, Purdue, Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech, Wichita State, Fresno State. Latest (8/28): Lammers will take an official visit to Marquette on 8/29. Previous: Lammers was a guy flying under the radar but who a lot of coaches wanted to see before offering. Sure enough, he had a big July on the AAU circuit and the offers have piled up. He averaged 14.1, 8.9, and 5.5 blocks his junior year and had a monster state tournament. His dad, Chris, was a well-known Texas HS football defensive end in 1981, and played for Texas A&M. He is now the coach of Ben's HS basketball team at Alamo Heights. The younger Lammers is scouted as having great hands and control of his body. He's also a very skilled, smart defender.

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: VCU, Creighton, Mizzou, Kentucky, Louisville, Minnesota, LSU, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Boston College, Tulsa, Southern Miss. Latest (8/19): Martin impressed at the Elite 40 Skills Academy, where he was said to have one of the smoothest jump shots there. 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. Twitter: @kee_broo

Patrick McCaw: Trinity, Spanish Lake, MO - SG: 6-5, 180. Offers: SLU, Oklahoma State, Virginia Tech, Ole Miss, SIUC, Missouri State, Bradley, Illinois State, Loyola-Chicago, Loyola-Maryland. Interest: Georgetown, Creighton, Michigan, Northwestern, Penn State, Florida State, Missouri, Kansas State, Tennessee. Latest (8/13): McCaw is transferring from CBC to Trinity in North St. Louis County to play for his dad. Previous: McCaw picked up a SLU offer. Billikens.com's own TheChosenOne scouted McCaw as a three-point specialist, a report McCaw seems to agree with, based on his Twitter handle (@StephCurryJr_). After the Peach Jam, where he played for Mac Irvin Fire out of Chicago, some scouts on Twitter remarked that he scores in a variety of ways, is strong on the break, and can take guys off the dribble. McCaw was ranked 87th in the June rankings for the class of 2014 (CBC teammate Jordan Barnett was 86). Twitter: @StephCurryJr_

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 (8/1): Purdue is waiting for McElvene to finish summer school. If his academics are in order, an offer will follow by the end of the summer. Previous: 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, Toledo, UNC-Asheville, UNC-Greensboro, Buffalo, Winthrop, Mercer, High Point, Western Carolina, Georgia Southern. Interest: Old Dominion, Florida Gulf Coast, Florida International, Appalachian State, East Tennessee State, Mount St. Mary's, Furman. Latest (8/28): McLane picked up fresh offers from Toledo, Goergia Southern, and Western Carolina. Previous: McLane made an official visit to High Point. Bigger programs are still holding off - could be be a spring recruit? McLane was cleared to play after recovering from a torn ACL, finally returning to action in Vegas with Team Loaded from NC. He injured it early in his junior season, November 2012. 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

Ikenna Okwarabizie: East, Sioux City, IA - C: 6-11, 240. Offers: SLU, Illinois State, Southern Miss, SIUE. Interest: Creighton, Marquette, Iowa, Rutgers, Oklahoma, Vanderbilt, Tennessee, LSU, Auburn, Wichita State, Tulsa, Rice. Latest (8/28): Okwarabizie transferred to Sioux City East HS from St. Louis Christian. He will be living with the family of East teammate Chase Kern. He will miss the first 6 games of the HS season. Previous: Okwarabizie emerged this spring and picked up his first offer from Southern Miss. He is drawing "serious attention" from Rutgers and visited Illinois State. He received a SLU offer but things have been quiet on that front since mid-July. 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

Avery Patterson: Wheeler, Decatur, GA - PG: 6-1, 175. Offers: SLU, Richmond, Xavier, Butler, Boston College, Kansas State, Central Florida, Murray State, Tulane, Western Kentucky, Boston. Interest: Memphis, UAB. Latest (8/28): Patterson picked up an offer from Tulane and Memphis has called lately. Previous: Patterson was low on offers until mid-July, 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: 6-0, 170. Offers: SLU, George Mason, Minnesota, Georgia Tech, Auburn, Georgia, Texas A&M, Oregon State, Houston, Tulane, Murray State, Georgia State, Georgia Southern, Jacksonville. Interest: Tennessee, Florida State, South Carolina, Charleston, Tennessee Tech, Tennessee State, Kennesaw State. Latest (8/8): Patterson picked up offers from Houston, Oregon State, and Jacksonville. 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.” Patterson gained some attention on the national radar after hitting the game-winning 3-pointer to defeat St. Benedict's Prep (NJ) in the ESPN National High School Invitational championship game. As a junior, Patterson played with 2 McDonald's All-Americans (Dakari Johnson and Kasey Hill) and the team finished the season ranked #1 in the nation. This year, he will play alongside potential All-American SG D'Angelo Russell and 4-star SG Justin Bibbs. 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, Southern Miss, 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 (8/28): Smith told a writer he has offers or interest from Towson, George Mason, Radford, Nebraska, Southern Miss, FGCU, Fairfield, Tennessee, and Tulsa. Reading between the lines, he mentioned 9 schools of all levels and SLU wasn't one of them. Previous: 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 (8/12): Strickland is being aggressively pursued by Auburn and the mutual interest level is said to be high. Previous: Strickland has picked up a SLU offer, one week after receiving one from Missouri State and two weeks after Virginia Tech. Memphis came to watch Strickland in July and was reportedly very impressed. 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

David Wacker: Judson, Converse, TX - C: 6-9, 235. Offers: SLU, Boston College, Nebraska, Colorado, Texas Tech, New Mexico, SMU, Rice, Indiana State, Fresno State, Boise State, Western Kentucky, Pepperdine, Texas State, Cal-Poly. Interest: Purdue, Baylor. Latest (8/28): Wacker has set up 3 official visits; Western Kentucky and Nebraska are definitely two, and the third is likely New Mexico, Colorado, or Texas Tech. Previous: Wacker had a big July and has some fresh August offers to show for it: BC, Colorado, Fresno State, and SLU. Nebraska and Texas Tech offered a few weeks earlier. He said in July that TTU was one of his top four, but it is unclear how that may have changed in recent weeks. SLU offered Wacker and SA Spurs AAU teammate Ben Lammers - both of them bigs - in short order after seeing them play in July. The pair reportedly had "all eyes drawn" at the Great American Shootout. Wacker was scouted as "showing great heart after getting knocked around...tough kid that can go either way on the block...establishes beautiful post position...soft hands, good body and feet...Lammers is a quality big but Wacker needs some attention, too." Wacker said he wanted to narrow his list down by the end of August. His dad, Mike Wacker, is head basketball coach at Judson HS and a former forward at Texas (who has not offered).

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 (8/2): Walker hasn't gotten any new offers since late May/early June. 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.

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, Kennesaw State. Interest: Mizzou, Butler, Charleston, Charlotte, UAB, Nevada, Buffalo, Charleston Southern. Latest (8/12): Ware is visiting Western Kentucky in late August. Previous: Ware picked up a WKU offer and calls them his favorite, with MTSU probably second. 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, California, USC, Stanford, Utah, Arizona State, Colorado, Notre Dame, Gonzaga, Santa Clara, San Francisco, Pacific, Portland, Rice. Interest: Arizona, Wake Forest, San Diego State, Brown, UC-Santa Barbara. Latest (8/19): Welsh reportedly will trim his list down to 5 very soon; all indications are that SLU will not be on it. He has made unofficial visits to USC, Cal, Stanford, Utah, UCLA, and Colorado and will be announcing official visits soon. Previous: Lately in his recruitment, Cal, Stanford, Colorado, Utah, USC, and UCLA are making the biggest push. In Vegas, he was in a much-watched post matchup with top-10 player Myles Turner, who was said to have lived up to his elite shot-blocking billing. However, "the multi-skilled Welsh exhibited his unique skill set as he nailed several mid-range jump shots and displayed his all-around post game." UCLA was apparently present for every Welsh game, and Enfield and USC were at most, too. Welsh has an offer from Steve Alford at UCLA. 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. Dave Telep says, "Welsh has touch, size, and he can pass. Patience in the post is uncommon. Nice player. Pac 12 guy talent-wise."

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 (8/12): Bartley will make his official visit to SLU on September 8th. He took an unofficial visit to SLU on August 1 and was reportedly impressed. He should get a SLU offer on his visit, if not sooner. 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, William & Mary. Interest: SLU, Butler, Indiana, Purdue, Michigan, Iowa, Wright State. Latest (8/27): Brennan picked up offers from Belmont and William & Mary. Previous: Brennan played well at Top 100, picking up an offer from UNC-Asheville immediately after. He 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, Quinnipiac, Radford. Latest (8/27): Cheeks said SLU and Quinnipiac were tracking him in June and July on the AAU circuit. Previous: Cheeks played well at Big Shots Richmond, reportedly scoring well at all levels and rebounding his position well. He also handles the ball well and makes plays in traffic. 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.

Arlando Cook: Madison Prep, St. Louis, MO - PF: 6-8, 175. Offers: Kent State, SIUE, Tennessee-Martin, Western Illinois. Interest: SLU, Illinois, Virginia Tech, SIUC, Missouri State, Indiana State, Georgia State, Troy, Indianapolis, Nebraska-Omaha, Alabama A&M. Latest (8/21): Cook will be visiting Western Illinois on September 7. Previous: Cook will be visiting SLU with Brandon Hollins in early August. After a strong showing throughout July, Cook is officially on SLU's radar and has "big interest" from Indiana State. He had what has been called a "breakout weekend" at the Under Armour Summer Jam in Wisconsin, averaging 19 and 13 during the tournament for the St. Louis Gym Rats Elite AAU team. Florida Gulf Coast will be visiting him at home soon. Tennessee-Martin has "very high" interest. Cook took an unofficial visit to SIUC in early August, and SIUE immediately after. Twitter: @___BallxBooks

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 (8/27): Diane will visit Buffalo on August 30th. Previous: Diane played in the Under Armour Summer Jam and picked up a Buffalo offer. He hopes to have his list down to 5 by 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

Brandon Hollins: Jennings, Jennings, MO - SF: 6-5, 170. Interest: SLU, UC-Riverside, Austin Peay, Eastern Illinois. Latest (8/5): Hollins will be visiting SLU with Arlando Cook. Previous: Hollins is on SLU's radar officially after a solid July. He led the Suburban East in scoring his junior season, at 18 PPG. He missed his entire sophomore season with a knee injury. He is said to be a "skilled wing who is most effective slashing to the basket and finishing at the rim," who "needs to be more confident handling the ball" to be successful at the next level. Earl Austin said this of Hollins' July play in Vegas for Team Ramey: "Hollins opened a lot of eyes out west with his energetic play on the wing...averaged about 15 points a game. Always known as a potent perimeter shooter, the slender Hollins displayed slashing ability, plus he rebounded well." Twitter: @NBADreams_

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

Therence Mayimba: Saint James, Hagerstown, MD - SF: 6-5, 200. Offers: VCU, George Mason, Georgetown, Villanova, Miami. Interest: SLU, Duquesne, George Washington, Indiana, Syracuse, Maryland, Virginia Tech, UAB, Tulsa, Morgan State. Latest (8/28): Mayimba officially transferred to Saint James School in Hagerstown. He is following former Montrose Christian head coach Dan Prete there and fellow former MC teammate Justin Robinson will join him. Previous: Mayimba says he's been hearing from UAB, GW, George Mason, Georgetown, SLU, Duquesne, Tulsa, VCU, and Morgan State. His profile reads like a guy who'd be ranked in the top 50 if he were a couple inches taller (most have him at 6-5; Scout has him at 6-7). ESPN says he's "blessed with a prototypical basketball body, long, cut-up, and extremely athletic. He's a phenomenal defender because he has the ability to guard multiple positions and is equally dangerous as a help-side defender where he aggressively rotates to block shots. Mayimba is also a ferocious rebounder." VerbalCommits is the only site that lists any offers, and all but one (VCU - 2/13) are dated 7/28/12, so the current status of all is questionable. Mayimba played for the Pan Africa team at the Nike Global Challenge, where he was scouted as a heady player, lock-down defender, and someone who could knock down 3-pointers. His offense is said to be still developing, but he's a high-energy guy. Twitter: @GabonHoop23

Bryant McIntosh: Greensburg, Greensburg, IN - PG: 6-4, 175. Offers: Rhode Island, Dayton, Davidson, Xavier, Creighton, Memphis, Iowa, Northwestern, Clemson, Florida State, Mizzou, Vanderbilt, Auburn, Oregon State, West Virginia, Cincinnati, Kent State, Indiana State, Bradley, Western Michigan. Interest: SLU, Butler, Indiana, Michigan, Wake Forest. Latest (8/21): Offers keep rolling in for McIntosh, who says he wants to narrow his list down this coming weekend. Purdue and Northwestern appear to be the leaders at this point. Previous: Crews and Bronson watched McIntosh while watching some other recruits in Vegas for the Super 64. 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

Tai Odiase: Homewood-Flossmoor, Flossmoor, IL - PF: 6-8, 190. Offers: Kent State, Valpo, Illinois-Chicago, Ball State, UMKC, SIUE, IPFW. Interest: SLU, Tennessee, Nevada, Dartmouth, SIUC, Loyola-Chicago, Western Michigan, Northern Kentucky, Western Illinois, Jacksonville. Latest (8/21): Odiase will visit UIC the weekend of 9/28. Previous: Odiase will visit SLU, Kent State, Western Michigan, and UMKC. He is a raw, rapidly improving late bloomer. He runs the floor well, finishes strong at the basket, He got limited minutes behind two seniors as a junior at H-F, but is poised for a much bigger senior season. Twitter: @Tai_GetBUCKETS

Anthony Pate: New Hampton Prep, New Hampton, NH - SG: 6-3, 190. Offers: St. Bonaventure, Duquesne, Harvard, Yale, Florida International, Holy Cross, Lehigh, Hofstra, Boston, Maine, UMBC, UNC-Greensboro, Binghamton, NJIT. Interest: SLU, George Washington, George Mason, Davidson, Marquette, Notre Dame, Virginia Tech, Tulsa, Bucknell, Siena, Drexel, Northeastern, Utah State, Marist, Elon, New Hampshire. Latest (8/1): Pate is picking up a lot of interest and offers after playing well at the Super 64 in Vegas. Scouts said his game is a lot like that of Elijah Brown, the son of Mike Brown who played at Santa Ana HS in California and is heading to Butler this fall. Pate is said to have a confident stroke and good facilitating ability. One concern may be transfers: Pate is from Canada, attended Saint Anthony in New Jersey before transferring to Long Island Lutheran for his junior season, then New Hampton Prep this past season. He will stay at NHP for a prep year. Twitter: @416Pate

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, Northwestern, Michigan, Xavier, Tennessee, Iowa, SIUC. Latest (8/27): Reddick was impressed by Northwestern on his visit there, though the school has not yet offered. Previous: Reddick visited Bradley and Illinois State in June. He also visited Valpo with C.J. Rivers and both picked up offers. Twitter: @_14Reddick

Shawn Roundtree: Edwardsville, Edwardsville, IL - 6-0, 175. Offers: SIUE. Interest: SLU, Ball State. Latest (8/27): Roundtree played in the Purdue Elite Camp this past weekend. Previous: 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, Virginia Minnesota, Rutgers, Kansas State, West Virginia, Texas A&M, USC, Georgia. Interest: SLU, VCU, Dayton, Michigan, Illinois, Purdue, Gonzaga. Latest (8/21): Shayok picked up offers from Virginia and USC. Previous: Shayok said Marquette, BC, Villanova, Cincinnati, and Rutgers are recruiting him hardest. Georgia and Michigan have shown increased interest recently. 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 (8/1): Smith is definitely a SLU target and recently spoke with Ben Weixlmann. Previous: 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.) @Smittee_

Dmitri Thompson: Orlando Christian, Orlando, FL - SG: 6-4, 195. Offers: Purdue, Miami, Oklahoma State, Mississippi, Georgia, South Florida, Central Florida, Charleston, Murray State, Georgia Southern. Interest: SLU, Georgetown, Butler, Kansas State, Virginia, Alabama, Appalachian State, Mercer. Latest (8/21): Thompson has a new offer from College of Charleson and says Appalachian State and Mercer are interested. His BCS offers are all from 2012, and I'm wondering how current they all are if his latest offer and interest seem like a step down. Previous: 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

Elliott Welmer: Columbus North, Columbus, IN - PF: 6-8, 195. Offers: Wright State, Northern Kentucky, Eastern Kentucky, Eastern Illinois. Interest: SLU, Butler, IPFW. Latest (8/21): Welmer will make an official visit to SLU on September 12th. He attended SLU's camp with Tucker Blackwell (2016), Nai Carlisle (2015), Matt Holba (2015), Taishaun Johnson (2013), and Filip Serwatka (2015). So far, he doesn't have the most impressive offer list but seems to be a late bloomer, with his offers having come in very recently. He seems to be growing still, as he is listed as a SF and an inch or two shorter by many recruiting services. He plays for the Eric Gordon All Stars AAU team. As a junior, he was ranked the 26th prospect in Indiana's class of 2014 (McIntosh: 7, Mercer: 8, Brennan: 10, Mitchell: 90), and the report was: "[Welmer] is relatively unknown, but is getting big minutes and scoring some points this winter for North...He had a good summer and should land his name on the radar of some schools...Has good perimeter skills for a guy of his size, handles the ball well...I think that Elliot will still grow another inch or two and his game is just starting to come into its own...He shoots the ball well from the perimeter and blocks shots defensively...I am sure I have him higher than most people, but I think he will end up moving up even more within the next year...Keep an eye out for him." Twitter: @Welmer_33

[Pistol]

For those who haven't extracted this from the list above, here are a couple upcoming official visits for SLU:

9/8: Marcus Bartley

9/12: Elliott Welmer

Both are on the interest list.

[ACE]

For those who haven't extracted this from the list above, here are a couple upcoming official visits for SLU:

9/8: Marcus Bartley

9/12: Elliott Welmer

Both are on the interest list.

From what I've read and seeen on a few video highlights, it seems Bartley would be a really good get. Big PG, good student who has some quality offers. I hope we can get a commit during his visit.

[brianstl]

For those who haven't extracted this from the list above, here are a couple upcoming official visits for SLU:

9/8: Marcus Bartley

9/12: Elliott Welmer

Both are on the interest list.

I think it is a good sign that Bartley is using one of his official visits for a return visit to SLU. He would be a really nice get in my opinion. Appears to be an outstanding student, too.

[Pistol]

Formatting and other issues from the list above have been fixed (it has been out of date the last couple times) so it should read fine on this page.

I'm also high on Bartley. Both of you are right; he's an intriguing, long PG with a nice shot and high ceiling and appears to be an excellent student.

Welmer is a bit more of a reach at this point. He either needs to improve his size to be a legit PF recruit or his all-around skill set to be a tall perimeter forward. He apparently is a really nice shooter. I'm hoping he's a diamond in the rough that we got to early and not too much of a reach.

[bauman]

Formatting and other issues from the list above have been fixed (it has been out of date the last couple times) so it should read fine on this page.

I'm also high on Bartley. Both of you are right; he's an intriguing, long PG with a nice shot and high ceiling and appears to be an excellent student.

Welmer is a bit more of a reach at this point. He either needs to improve his size to be a legit PF recruit or his all-around skill set to be a tall perimeter forward. He apparently is a really nice shooter. I'm hoping he's a diamond in the rough that we got to early and not too much of a reach.

As I said on 8/21, the guy I want most on the list is Bartley, for reasons set out in the last couple of posts. His skills were really impressive on his highlight video. Maybe the addition of CC will help tip the scales from Creighton to SLU. Another possible factor is distance from home. I would bet his parents are very involved in his life (and would want to attend all if not most of his home games). The drive from Decatur to SLU is about 120 miles, while they would have to travel over 460 miles to get to their alma mater in Omaha, likely needing to make a drive to Chicago then racking up FF points from Chi to Omaha.

[Cowboy]

As I said on 8/21, the guy I want most on the list is Bartley, for reasons set out in the last couple of posts. His skills were really impressive on his highlight video. Maybe the addition of CC will help tip the scales from Creighton to SLU. Another possible factor is distance from home. I would bet his parents are very involved in his life (and would want to attend all if not most of his home games). The drive from Decatur to SLU is about 120 miles, while they would have to travel over 460 miles to get to their alma mater in Omaha, likely needing to make a drive to Chicago then racking up FF points from Chi to Omaha.

-while only potentially two games Creighton probably sells Mqtte and DePaul as close to home and every game on tv (can sell that now, who knows if accurate with FoxSports)

-I say let's get him to suit up for the Billikens!!!

[bauman]

-while only potentially two games Creighton probably sells Mqtte and DePaul as close to home and every game on tv (can sell that now, who knows if accurate with FoxSports)

-I say let's get him to suit up for the Billikens!!!

Do you want to watch your son on tv or in person? I'm hoping they want to see him play in person. Also, is the big East package with FS1 such that every game of every teams games are televised?

As I look at the BE teams (as of right now) they need to add some better teams and not rely of past history e.g. Prov,/SJ/SH/Depaul and to some degree, Nova. I know that some of those teams can improve and that Butler and X can hope to use BE membership to get their programs back up to previous levels, but next year the BE leadership might realize that having a new powerhouse (SLU) can really have an impact on their success and tv ratings. Also, can Creighton sustain their success once their star departs? Again, being in the BE might help them with that and their outstanding attendance indicates that they will draw great TV ratings, even thought Omaha is not a major market. Am I ramblings? Yes. I guess I'm just trying to convince myself that the BE will realize that adding SLU will really help the conference and FS1.

[Cowboy]

Do you want to watch your son on tv or in person? I'm hoping they want to see him play in person. Also, is the big East package with FS1 such that every game of every teams games are televised?

As I look at the BE teams (as of right now) they need to add some better teams and not rely of past history e.g. Prov,/SJ/SH/Depaul and to some degree, Nova. I know that some of those teams can improve and that Butler and X can hope to use BE membership to get their programs back up to previous levels, but next year the BE leadership might realize that having a new powerhouse (SLU) can really have an impact on their success and tv ratings. Also, can Creighton sustain their success once their star departs? Again, being in the BE might help them with that and their outstanding attendance indicates that they will draw great TV ratings, even thought Omaha is not a major market. Am I ramblings? Yes. I guess I'm just trying to convince myself that the BE will realize that adding SLU will really help the conference and FS1.

-I am with you on this ^

[Taj79]

Question: Pistol's updated report above (always excellent by the way), says that Arlando Cook of Madison Prep would be visiting SLU in early August with Brandon Hollins of Jennings. Anybody have any reports of if the visits occurred and what, if anything, was the result?

[RUBillsFan]

Question: Pistol's updated report above (always excellent by the way), says that Arlando Cook of Madison Prep would be visiting SLU in early August with Brandon Hollins of Jennings. Anybody have any reports of if the visits occurred and what, if anything, was the result?

I don't have any inside info to report, but I think local kids make trips to SLU quite often for open gyms or unofficial visits. My understanding is that Cook and Hollins are closer to low-major talents than SLU's level. Therefore, I would think both sides are/were just checking things out and it would surprise me if they actually got offers unless they improve quite a bit.

[slu72]

I'd guess we'd be lucky to land Bartley. Parents being CU alums, and that he'd be in the more attractive, didn't say better, new Beast. Hopefully, he looks to next year and says, "these guys need a PG bad."

[slu72]

Do you want to watch your son on tv or in person? I'm hoping they want to see him play in person. Also, is the big East package with FS1 such that every game of every teams games are televised?

As I look at the BE teams (as of right now) they need to add some better teams and not rely of past history e.g. Prov,/SJ/SH/Depaul and to some degree, Nova. I know that some of those teams can improve and that Butler and X can hope to use BE membership to get their programs back up to previous levels, but next year the BE leadership might realize that having a new powerhouse (SLU) can really have an impact on their success and tv ratings. Also, can Creighton sustain their success once their star departs? Again, being in the BE might help them with that and their outstanding attendance indicates that they will draw great TV ratings, even thought Omaha is not a major market. Am I ramblings? Yes. I guess I'm just trying to convince myself that the BE will realize that adding SLU will really help the conference and FS1.

All of the above, Baumann, but a new Pres who has solid and old boy connections to the Beast powers that be would probably help a lot more.

[RiseAndGrind]

Just saying it again: Marcus Bartley is exactly the type of player we need in the class of 2014.

I'm hoping like hell he commits ASAP.

[bauman]

All of the above, Baumann, but a new Pres who has solid and old boy connections to the Beast powers that be would probably help a lot more.

The new Pres could be helpful, but I think conferences are generally judged based on teams making it into the Tournament. I don't think the BE will get the respect they want with 3-4 teams in the Dance. I think they'll look at us (3 NCAA years in a row) and come calling.

[Pistol]

I don't have any inside info to report, but I think local kids make trips to SLU quite often for open gyms or unofficial visits. My understanding is that Cook and Hollins are closer to low-major talents than SLU's level. Therefore, I would think both sides are/were just checking things out and it would surprise me if they actually got offers unless they improve quite a bit.

This is exactly my impression. If I hear anything about how it went, I'll report. But I wouldn't have expected offers to be extended during the visit.

[Taj79]

Thanks all.

[William Bonney]

Interesting article on Welmer from January.

http://www.therepublic.com/view/local_story/Family-tradition-Familiar-name_1358229301

[stlsfinest]

Arlando Cook and Brandon Hollins have not visited the campus yet. The majority of the D1 coaches go on well deserved vacations after the July evaluation period ends. I believe that most of SLU's staff just returned to work this past week. SLU watched Cook during the last evaluation weekend in July. I'm not sure when they scouted Hollins. I am very biased, but I do believe that Cook's talent is definitely on the level of SLU. He holds several D1 offers, and is fielding some interest from Virginia Tech and the University of Illinois after his strong showing in July. Arlando is a late bloomer, but arguably the top big in the area's class of 2014. Hollins is an ultra athletic wing that can knock down outside shots. Brandon resembles Anthony Mitchell.

[bauman]

Interesting article on Welmer from January.

http://www.therepublic.com/view/local_story/Family-tradition-Familiar-name_1358229301

A couple of interesting things from the article: He's the nephew of Steve the really good college BB official; Steve has retired as an official (that's surprising since he was always in great shape and my vision of Steve was that he was always tugging at his pants); and more related to the player-he shot 61.1 % from 3-pt range-I don't care if you're not even being guarded, I'll take a 61% 3-pt shooter especially from a 6'8" guy.