The 2008 St. Louis American “Fab Five” Boys All-Star Basketball Team features a talented group of versatile athletes who can excel anywhere on the court. The tallest members of the group are McCluer North’s 6’8” Anthony Booker and Washington’s 6’7” Scott Suggs, but their games are hardly confined to the low post. Booker is an outstanding shooting big man while Suggs is a dangerous combo guard with a multitude of skills. Toss in the versatility of 6’4” Torres Roundtree of McCluer North and the all-around brilliance of point guards Bryant Allen of Maplwood and Ruben Cotto of Alton and you have one of the most multi-dimensional quintets ever assembled for a “Fab Five.”
Here is a closer look at the 2008 St. Louis American “Fab Five” First Team All-Stars:
Bryant Allen (Maplewood): The 2008 St. Louis American Co-Player of the Year, the talented 6’0” junior guard sparkled in leading the Blue Devils to the Class 3 state championship. His running jumper with three seconds left gave the Blue Devils a spine-tingling 56-55 victory over Lutheran North in the state finals, culminating in Maplewood’s comeback from a 19-point deficit. Allen scored 25 points in the state finals and 27 points in the semifinals against Kansas City Hogan Prep. The multi-talented Allen could score in a multitude of ways. He was an outstanding 3-point shooter who also possessed an outstanding mid-range game and the ability to drive to the basket. Allen is also a lock-down defender who thrived in Maplewood’s pressure defense with 143 steals. A starter since his freshman year, Allen averaged 25.1 points, 5.8 rebounds with 4.1 assists during his spectacular junior campaign.
Anthony Booker (McCluer North): The most talented big man in the metropolitan area, the 6’8” Booker was a force at both ends of the floor in leading the Stars to a second-place finish in the Class 5 state tournament. Booker enjoyed a string of big performances down the stretch to bring the Stars back to the Final Four. He had 16 points and 17 rebounds in the state quarterfinals against Parkway South, 16 points and nine rebounds against Fort Zumwalt South in the semifinals and 23 points, nine rebounds and four blocks against Webster Groves in the state-championship game. For the season, Booker averaged 13.8 points, 9.2 rebounds with 50 blocks. He was the Most Valuable Player of the Carbondale Christmas Tournament after leading the Stars to the championship. Booker will play at Southern Illinois University next season.
Ruben Cotto (Alton): A senior transfer from Miami, the powerfully-built Cotto took the metro east by storm in becoming one of the area’s top backcourt performers. The 6’0”Cotto joined a team that had lost all five starters from a 27-5 season and led the Redbirds to a 24-7 record. An outstanding all-around combo guard, Cotto averaged 22.3 points, five rebounds, 4.1 steals and 3.1 assists per game. Cotto was capable of scoring big numbers every night, but he is also a great passer who enjoyed making his teammates better. He hit 72 3-pointers on the season, including a dramatic 3-pointer at the buzzer to give the Redbirds a 46-45 victory over Southwestern Conference champion Edwardsville on the final day of the regular season. Cotto played himself on to the international scene at last summer’s Nike Global Challenge in Portland while playing for his native Puerto Rico. Cotto averaged 31 points a game to lead the Global Challenge in scoring, including a high game of 46 points. Cotto recently gave a verbal commitment to attend Saint Louis University.
Torres Roundtree (McCluer North): The 2007 American Player of the Year, Roundtree enjoyed another stellar season in leading the Stars to a second-place finish in the Class 5 state tournament. A four-year starter, Roundtree helped lead McCluer North to three district titles, two Suburban North Conference titles, two Final Four appearances and McCluer North’s first state title in its history. As a senior, the versatile 6’3” swingman averaged 15 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game along with 41 steals. He kept the Stars ship afloat during the midseason when standout teammates Femi John and Anthony Booker were out with injuries. He averaged 21 points and 13 rebounds in the games that North played without John and Booker and 20 points a game in the eight games that John missed with a broken wrist. His two free-throws with three seconds left gave North a 62-61 victory over Hazelwood Central and the Suburban North title. Roundtree will play at Southern Illinois University next season.
Scott Suggs (Washington): The St. Louis American Co-Player of the Year, the versatile 6’7” guard put Washington High’s team on his back and led them to their first district title in 23 years. A four-year starter, Suggs will graduate as the school’s all-time leading scorer with 1,732 points. Despite being the focus of every opposing team’s defensive game plan, Suggs sparkled on both ends of the court. As a senior, he averaged 22.5 points, nine rebounds and 2.8 blocks while shooting 85 percent from the free throw line. He was at his best in the postseason when he averaged 30 points a game in a leading the Bluejays to the Class 5 sectionals. In his final high school game, Suggs erupted for a career-high 42 points in the Bluejays’ 69-65 loss to Parkway South. Suggs has been ranked among the top 50 seniors in the country by most recruiting services. He is headed to the University of Washington, where he will play for Lorenzo Romar’s Huskies.
St. Louis American Boys “Fab Five” All-Star Basketball Team
First Team
Bryant Allen 6’0” (Jr.) Maplewood
Anthony Booker 6’8” (Sr.) McCluer North
Ruben Cotto 6’0” (Sr.) Alton
Torres Roundtree 6’4” (Sr.) McCluer North
Scott Suggs 6’6” (Sr.) Washington
Second Team
Anthony James 6’1” (Sr.) Normandy
Femi John 6’4” (Sr.) McCluer North
Kenny Leverette 6’3” (Sr.) O’Fallon
Josh McCoy 6’4” (Sr.) Fort Zumwalt South
Jesse Perry 6’8” (Sr.) Gateway Tech
Third Team
Kenneth Brown 6’0” (Sr.) Soldan
Corneilus Chatt 6’3” (Sr.) Madison
Brandon Hogg 6’0” (Sr.) Edwardsville
Abel Tillman 6’7” (Sr.) McCluer South-Berkeley
Jared Woolfolk 6’4” (Sr.) O’Fallon
Fourth Team
Courtney Belger 6’2” (Sr.) University City
Lonnie Boga 6’3” (Jr.) McCluer
Charles Dunbar 5’11” (Sr.) Lutheran North
Kenneth Harris 6’5” (Sr.) Gateway Tech
Brandon Lockhart 6’0” (Jr.) Chaminade
Anthony Jones 6’0” (Sr.) Cardinal Ritter
Player of the Year: Bryant Allen (Maplewood)
Scott Suggs (Washington)
Coach of the Year: Corey Frazier
Top Senior: Scott Suggs (Washington)
Top Junior: Bryant Allen (Maplewood)
Top Sophomore: Julian Johnson (Whitfield)
Top Freshman: Shaquille Boga (McCluer)
Brad Beal (Chaminade)