Tommie Liddell?

[davidnark]

How did Tommie and his team do last night? I couldn't find any information on the game at Stltoday.com. Thanks in advance.

[Basketbill]

nm

[billiken_roy]

surely you were at the st charles event.

[Jalensdad2002]

>surely you were at the st charles event.

I along with many others did not show in St Charles. It was nearly empty. I did however receive a game tape from Tom's dad. Yesterday I watched him play at Vashon. I did not recognize Tommie with the haircut, his dad had to point him out to me. At St Charles they played Nile West from Skokie, Illinois. They had one, possibly 2 players of Div 1 caliber in Sead Odzic(USC) and Jackie Hunt(?). So watching Hargrave compete against teams as such makes it hard to accurately gauge how well Tom played. Hargrave with its 5th yr players simply overwhelm high school kids. They come at you in waves.

Coming into the game I was aware that Tom's scoring was down and I thought he was possibly struggling with his shot. What I found out is that he has assumed the mindset of a point and looks to get others involved. Hargrave's starting 5 went like this:

Guards

Tommie 6'6(SLU)- AD Vassallo 6'5(Richmond)-Lights out shooter

Forwards

Shane Clark 6'7(Maryland)- Sam Young(Pittsburgh) Future Lottery Pick

Jerome Johnson 6'9(Clemson)- NBA Potential

This team will hold its own against most mid-major programs.

Tommie is averaging around 6ppg and 6apg. He scored about 8 points at Vashon against Chicago Austin. He took maybe 5 or 6 shots. Not one jumpshot. This team doesn't need his offense. He looked good running the point very relaxed, consistently found the open man. He has grown to 6'6 and looks as though he will top out at 6'7-6'8. His reach has extended, his jumping ability has improved. I would have like to see his jumpshot, but as I said he never took a jumper. He looked good taking smaller player off the dribble. The flip side to that is Tommie somewhat struggled against Austin's 5'4 point guard. He hit about 3 long range jumpers against Tommie. He scored on a brilliant drive after shaking Tommie at the top of the key. To be fair though this kid would take many with his speed. In addition this is Tommie's first time playing man to man.

I saw Dwayne Polk at the game. There were some mumblings that Polk will possibly be benched in the near future. I had an opportunity to speak with Hargrave's head coach Kevin Keatts. I had been passing e-mails with him prior to the season about Tommie. A very impressive young man. I think asst coach Beene, I'm not sure if I have the right name, but he was there speaking with Coach Keatts. SLU would do very well in developing a relationship with this coach. There is so much talent running through Hargrave, Lonny Baxter, David West,& James Williams(Cincinnati) are a sampling.

[Jalensdad2002]

I talked to Tommie after the game and he was all smiles. I told him not to get too used to his role at Hargrave. I told him that at SLU his will have to be a scorer. I do however see Liddell running some point at SLU. He seems to be moving so slow with them long loping strides, but before you know it he is attacking the basket or dishing.

Mentally he seems so relaxed, no pressure at all. He told me that he has the requisite ACT score with his GPA being above 2.5, but he said he will continue taking the test in the hopes of scoring even higher.

I just couldn't get over how tall he appears, I didn't think he should play SF at SLU, but now that may not be out of the question. I think 3 star questioned Tom's ability, but if Tommie was inserted into SLU's lineup he would be their best player. Not their best scorer at this point but their best player due to all the intangibles he brings. A player of his level would take so much pressure off Reggie Bryant. Bryant would be allowed to resume his role as a scorer. Bryant is trying to be a playmaker on a team with players who can't finish plays. Bryant is surrounded by role players and I think is taking on too much responsibility for each loss. In addition I don't think he is in game shape due to the nagging injuries. I don't think he is having much fun and I hope they turn it around because he doesn't deserve the questions people are lobbing against him, especially due to the way he went to war for SLU last year.

[willie]

It is good to hear that Tommie thinks he would currently qualify with his ACT score and GPA. I had wondered whether his Prep. GPA would be used for the slideing scale.

[billiken_roy]

thanks for the report. mainly all i was hoping to hear is that tommie hasnt gotten lost on that fabulous team. i kept reading on recruiting websites all the hargrove players committing and i thought, "my gosh, how many studs are on this team? will tommie even play?" so it suits me fine that he is playing a lot.

i hope tommie has been working hard off the court as well and has become an academic workaholic!

[Billikan]

Thanks so much for the report. It sounds like this experience will be excellent in every way for Tommie, both on the court and in the classroom. It is fascinating to watch these young men grow and mature. It will be great to have him with our Billikens next year.

[jjray]

Great report Jalensdad, thanks for posting. You hit the nail on the head in telling Tommie that he shall need to be a scorer at SLU.

[slu72]

Am sure TL and KL are both looking at SLU's scoring woes this year and know they will be counted on to step up next year. Both our top scorers will be gone, so who else is there? But the more you look at it, we are going to need a horse at PF if we are to do anything next year. I'm taking off the rose colored glasses here for a moment and saying we are in for a tough couple of seasons. The way things are going this year, maybe 12 wins. Next year's hard to forecast, but you have to think it's not going to be much better given the inexperience of our starting lineup. Now all this could change if people like DC, Brown, IV, Husak, and LM really develop over the next 4 months.

[Jalensdad2002]

>Am sure TL and KL are both looking at SLU's scoring woes

>this year and know they will be counted on to step up next

>year. Both our top scorers will be gone, so who else is

>there? But the more you look at it, we are going to need a

>horse at PF if we are to do anything next year.

I think that is true for their freshman year, but as they mature they won't need a dominate PF or Center, just serviceable big men who will defend and rebound with abandon. I know this year has been hard so far, it's eerily reminiscent of Missouri's 2004 year, but as I always say "sometimes you have to do things you don't want to do, in order to do things you want to do". I'm sure it's killing the coaching staff to start an inexperienced point guard, but the lumps Polk takes this year will help him in the future. Besides if the staff had an upperclassman that was vastly superior that upperclassman would be starting. It makes too much sense to get Polk this experience now to better prepare him for those upcoming 20 wins seasons.

[billiken_roy]

jalensdad said, "but as they mature they won't need a dominate PF or Center, just serviceable big men who will defend and rebound with abandon."

i have been preaching as much for awhile and what bothers me is we continue to not even find that level of inside help. that dorsey kid at memphis is the kind of inside player we need.

a rebounding and defending maniac. bonner II will come.

[Jalensdad2002]

"my gosh, how many studs are on

this team? will tommie even play?" so it suits me fine

that he is playing a lot.

This team has highly athletic 6'6-6'9 players doing mop up duty.

Tommie is a starter and it seems that all of his teammates love him. Not too surprising considering how unselfish Tommie is as a player. His roommate AD Vassallo from Puerto Rico has committed to Richmond. He is a great shooter and will be a menace vs SLU in the A-10.

I hope tommie has been working hard off the court as well

and has become an academic workaholic!

Tommie has been working hard in the classroom. I asked him about his social life at Hargrave and he smiled and said there is none. No female, no hanger-ons, absolutely nothing. Had I been more educated about prep schools I would have suggested Hargrave prior to his junior year. So in hindsight Rick Lewis did SLU a huge service by having Tommie play for Team Detroit in an AAU event in D.C.

;-)

[billiken_roy]

jalensdad, you make the lewis statement. are you saying without that showing hargrove would not have taken tommie or what do you mean by that? that is interesting if true.

[Jalensdad2002]

As I said, had I been more educated about prep schools, I would have suggested Hargrave. I had been in contact with Brewster Academy via Chicagohoops.com. I nor his parent were aware of Hargrave. Those schools are very expensive, we did not know of their generous scholarship plans. Ricky Lewis knew of Hargrave and it was through Team Detroit that Tommie was exposed to Hargrave's coach. Now I totally disagreed with the UNLV mess even though it was done as a publicity stunt, because it called into question Tommie's word. All in all Rick thought what he was doing was best for Tommie. Now about the service to SLU, I don't think Tommie would have buckled up at a JUCO. That is the other option as opposed to prep school, therefore playing for Team Detroit allowed him to receive the college prepatory classes as well as tutoring that I doubt he would have received via a JUCO program. This in turn will allow Tommie to compete for SLU next year.

[Sheltiedave]

Jalensdad,

Dwayne is taking some lumps physically, and mentally with the losses, but I have yet to see a better PG on the floor for either team. He is like Tommie in that less knowledgable fans don't realize all the good things he is doing game in and game out, but without others finishing, it looks like he is doing little.

Come Tommie's sophomore year, we will be a mini Illinois, and people can see firsthand what a dominant fast paced transition team is like. Next year will be an eye opening experience as well, but we'll have some potential to go deep in two years.

Tell Tommie to mention to the PFs to be we are shopping for a couple!