That was one of my last years as a Kentucky fan. That was tough.
Ironically the one and done era took my heart out of being a Kentucky fan.
And I’ve been full on RU since EJ’s last year. Now look…. 2 one in dones coming to RU. lol.
I’ll take it.
Lathan Sommerville -- Sectional Final 3/1 8pm
- Thread starter fatsam98
- Start date
That was one of my last years as a Kentucky fan. That was tough.
Ironically the one and done era took my heart out of being a Kentucky fan.
And I’ve been full on RU since EJ’s last year. Now look…. 2 one in dones coming to RU. lol.
I’ll take it.
His passing ability is unique for a big man
Huge game for Sommerville tonight, did it against Illinois 4 star commit Morez Johnson too, sounds like he completely outplayed him.
I completely agree
He will eat Cliffs lunch everyday in practice next year
If Cliff comes back he will loose playing time to this kid and lots of it.
All we will need from Cliff would be 10 minutes and his 5 fouls, after about 10-15 games into the season.
Cliff would be more productive on the court with Bailey and Harper.
Watching the videos, he’s like a poor man’s Shaq. Big and can ****ing move. Can only imagine how dominant he’s going to be after time in S&C.
This may come as news to some but -- believe it or not -- Cliff is one of the best centers in one of the best conferences in the country.
I love what I'm seeing from Lathan, but to think some high school kid is going to come in and run circles around Cliff is absurd.
I love what I'm seeing from Lathan, but to think some high school kid is going to come in and run circles around Cliff is absurd.
Cliff struggles to guard a lot of guys one on one so it wouldn’t surprise me if Lathan does well against him. Where Lathan will be a decided disadvantage is length on defense and ability to alter shots off the ball. Finer points on hedging on screens, hustling back after the temp switch / double team on the ball handler will also be a struggle. All big men struggle with this as freshmen.
Lathan will also take time to figure out what he can and can’t get away with on offense. It’s generally a shock to big men when they realize the moment they put the ball on the floor there will be a help defender pinching down. No time to think, just need the right instincts. Cliff still struggles with this.
As sweet as it looks, there is no chance Lathan is taking guys off the dribble at the top of the key in college. He’ll be stripped in a nanosecond.
Punchline is that we need Cliff or another veteran big man to give time to Latham to develop and figure things out.
Lathan will also take time to figure out what he can and can’t get away with on offense. It’s generally a shock to big men when they realize the moment they put the ball on the floor there will be a help defender pinching down. No time to think, just need the right instincts. Cliff still struggles with this.
As sweet as it looks, there is no chance Lathan is taking guys off the dribble at the top of the key in college. He’ll be stripped in a nanosecond.
Punchline is that we need Cliff or another veteran big man to give time to Latham to develop and figure things out.
I agree, on some nights. On other nights he has below average performances. Nice to have Latham, I predict he will outplay Cliff in Practice, depending on how Cliff responds will make him better or create more inconsistency.
Looking forward to seeing how things play out.
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I agree,he will not be taking guys off the dripple at the top of the key, it will translate to an offensive arsenal including face up moves in the post.
He seems to be able to get the ball out of his hands quickly and crisply when passing.
Also seems to know what to do with the ball before he gets it.
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In the clips Lathan looks very talented on O and also has a handle and sees the floor well. However not sure he will offer much in the way of shot altering/blocking / rim protection and did not appear to have quick feet on defensive rotations and was often late on help. Guessing he will need time to become a college defender.
Our fan base often over estimates the first contributions we get from newcomers
Maybe Ace and Dylan give us what we hope and expect, but chances are Latham will take more time
I would expect Cliff to start throughout the season with the major minutes, if Cliff were to return
He's not going to be a Cliff level defensive presence but take a look at the 20 minute highlight of last night's state game that was posted. Fast forward to the possession that starts at 9:18. That's an incredible individual defensive effort for someone his size and age.
Think he’ll need to get rid of the baby fat. But man he can ball.
Man we just went through all this with Gavin. Lower your expectations.
Lathan is dominating HS centers. He's a monster in HS. The odds of him coming to the B1G and dominating full grown men B1G 5's is extremely low. It will take time. He is perfectly suited to be the backup 5 as a freshman
If he is an outlier and dominates from day 1, amazing. It COULD happen. He could be an outlier. No one should EXPECT him to as a freshman
Although if Cliff leaves and Wolf and EO stay... that is a risky move by Pike with no proven starting caliber 5. It's possible Lathan wins that battle. It would be such a risky move by Pike though. If Wolf doesn't improve, EO stays too raw, and Lathan needs a year to adjust...
If he is an outlier and dominates from day 1, amazing. It COULD happen. He could be an outlier. No one should EXPECT him to as a freshman
Although if Cliff leaves and Wolf and EO stay... that is a risky move by Pike with no proven starting caliber 5. It's possible Lathan wins that battle. It would be such a risky move by Pike though. If Wolf doesn't improve, EO stays too raw, and Lathan needs a year to adjust...
Honest question. If you somehow plugged 2024-25 Cliff into those high school games in the highlight reel in place of Lathan, don't you think he would be even more dominant than Lathan was? Playing well against high school competition doesn't seem like the best barometer for the case being made.
The kid looks good, but it's unlikely that he could outproduce Cliff in the B1G next season, in my opinion...
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I have saying it from the time I saw his first clip , Lathan will be the most skilled center to arrive on the banks , with his handle , low post moves , spot up threes and driving ability . I call bullshit on his 100 ranking and as a big I doubt there are 10 better players in high school so he should be a top 50 kid.
Everyone has Ben drooling over ACE and Dylan and they deserve it , but Lathan deserves it as well. Like Bailey on the Final Four team , I expect him to become a starter by game.5.
Really special that Dylan , ACE and Lathan all had monster 30 points plus games getting their teams to the semifinals or finals of their states tournament. They are winners. They also seem to have an incredible drive to win and will not accept losing . We have been missing that the last year or two , It is an incredible intangible that doesn’t show up on any ratings and we are lucky to be getting 3 in one class . I am not as familiar with Dorsch or Grant but I know those first 3 guys are going get us there. Jeremiah coming back with either Mag or Cliff will do the trick with Gavin , Derek and JMike . I expect the freshman will play huge roles on our success next year.
Everyone has Ben drooling over ACE and Dylan and they deserve it , but Lathan deserves it as well. Like Bailey on the Final Four team , I expect him to become a starter by game.5.
Really special that Dylan , ACE and Lathan all had monster 30 points plus games getting their teams to the semifinals or finals of their states tournament. They are winners. They also seem to have an incredible drive to win and will not accept losing . We have been missing that the last year or two , It is an incredible intangible that doesn’t show up on any ratings and we are lucky to be getting 3 in one class . I am not as familiar with Dorsch or Grant but I know those first 3 guys are going get us there. Jeremiah coming back with either Mag or Cliff will do the trick with Gavin , Derek and JMike . I expect the freshman will play huge roles on our success next year.
I never proclaimed Gavin would be a big contributor
I do think he is going to be good based on what I have seen him demonstrate recently, and can be a big part of next years team.
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Dominant in a different way, the kid has a skill set Cliff has never demonstrated, not judging him based on competition, and as I have said continually I question Cliff mental toughness. As illustrated by our 7-11 record in conference I don’t think Cliff plays winning basketball.
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In addition to the dribbling and spin moves leading to points, I counted 5 assists dished out by Sommerville in these highlights. I don't know how much he will contribute as a freshman, but this kid is going to be good.
The best thing about him, though, is his ENERGY. He just has that "eye of the tiger" that you want from a basketball player. Plays with intensity and emotion. Very much unlike many high school players who just go through the motions.
Well said love the eye of the tiger reference,
Sums up an intangible this kid seems to have that Cliff has not demonstrated.
He was my first thought, in appearance. Think the hype train already going overboard for next year though.
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It's TBD if Lathan can score in the post against B1G size and length. The one highlight clip he's bullying a kid significantly smaller than him. It will likely take some time for him to figure out how to get it done against B1G level athletes
His skill set is amazing to see though. You just don't see true freshman 5 come in and start in the B1G often. Backup 5 next year is the perfect role for him
The value of Lathan is not his ability to score, it’s his ability to space the floor.
The fact that he has a handle is going to create so much spacing for everyone else.
The fact that he has a handle is going to create so much spacing for everyone else.
That’s a really good point
Imho - comparisons like this are really illustrative. Put Cliff in with those kids and he would totally dominate.
With that said - looking forward to seeing the is kid in scarlet
His handle won't space the floor, kid is going to need some development, will be good down the line.
