This week’s Missouri Valley Conference tournament will have four Metro East players on rosters this weekend: C.J. Rivers (Drake), Armon Fletcher (S.I.U. – Carbondale), Emondre Rickman (Indiana State) and Shawn Roundtree (Missouri State).
C.J. Rivers, Cahokia High School. Rivers started 10 games for the Drake Bulldogs before a season-ending injury. The 6’2” sophomore was averaging 19 minutes and 4.1 ppg for Head Coach Ray Giacoletti’s Bulldogs.
He had a season-high 13 points against Indiana State on January 6. In addition, he had a season best 31min logged against Western Kentucky back on November 23 in the Gulf Coast Showcase in Fort Myers, Florida.
Rivers was one of the top guards in the Metro East his junior and senior years at Cahokia guiding his team to a 57-13 record during that span, including a Super Sectional appearance his senior year, and a state finals appearance his junior year, when he helped lead his team to a 33-4 record.
Emondre Rickman, Collinsville High School. Rickman started his basketball career at Lincoln Middle school in East St. Louis. His teammates were Lester Cotton, who is an offensive tackle for the 2016 National Champions Alabama Crimson Tide, and freshman All-American defensive lineman Terry Beckner Jr. at the University of Missouri.
The 6’9” 220-pound freshman has played in 29 games for Sycamore coach Greg Lansing with two starts.
Rickman is usually one of the first big men to come off the bench for Indiana State, averaging 12 minutes per contest. In addition, Rickman has gained a reputation in the Valley as one of the premier shot blockers in the league, with a team-high 21 blocks this season for the Sycamores.
Emondre played for the Illinois JETS AAU Club during his high school career.
Armon Fletcher, Edwardsville High School. Fletcher has appeared in 31 games for the best-dressed coach in the Valley, Saluki Head Coach Barry Hinson.
The red-shirt freshman has been quite a surprise for S.I.U.- Carbondale. In those 31 games played, he has averaged 14 minutes per game while averaging 4.9 ppg for the 21-9 Dogs.
Fletcher’s high-scoring games during that span was against Oakland on November 24 and (three months to the day later) 13 points against the Illinois State Redbirds on February 24.
Armon played for future Hall of Fame Coach Mike Waldo at Edwardsville High, leading his team to an overall record of 61-7 record during his junior and senior seasons. In addition, Fletcher help lead the Tigers to two consecutive state Finals appearances and earned second team All – State honors his senior season.
Shawn Roundtree, Edwardsville High School. A teammate of Armon Fletcher at Edwardsville, Roundtree has only played three games this season for Head c=Coach Paul Lusk after playing in 30 games with two starts as a true freshman during the 2014-15 season.
It is not clear what Roundtree’s future will be at Missouri State, according to sources. One thing is sure, I coached against him in high school and he has always been a very nice young man and demonstrated great character during his high school days.
But college basketball is different, and hopefully it works out best for both Missouri State and Shaun and his family. Maybe it might work out this weekend here in St. Louis if both the Bears and Roundtree have great weekends.
It’s going to be a treat to see these young men who I have had the privileged to coach against pursuing a dream to play collegiate basketball and earn their college education.
Good luck to all of you!
