PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD/WYZZ) — What a summer it’s been for Cooper Koch and Lathan Sommerville.
Koch his seen his college recruiting heat up. After a big summer with his AAU team, Indiana Elite, the Notre Dame sophomore-to-be has picked up scholarship offers from three Big Ten schools.
Iowa offered in May while Purdue and Indiana offered in the past week. He says he saw it coming.
“Playing with a better team, better competition, there’s more coaches coming to watch,” Koch said. “As long as you play well, they’re going to see potential.”
Sommerville has Rutgers, Wake Forest and Bradley offers under his belt this summer. He also says he saw it coming once coaches could finally recruit him in person.
“It gives them a chance to see you in person, instead of on video or tape,” Sommerville said of college recruiters who weren’t allowed to watch him play in person this winter. “It gives you an opportunity to showcase your talents.”
Koch is a 6-7 small forward who’s father J.R. played at Iowa. Sommerville is a 6-8 power forward who’s father Marcellus played at Bradley.
Each says having fathers who played college basketball is a real bonus going through the recruiting process. They also admit being high school teammates, going through the recruiting process simultaneously is a big plus.
“We can relate to each other, know what coaches are looking for and what we both need to work on,” Koch said.
Sommerville, who just wrapped up a week as a summer camp coach with Koch at Curley Boo Johnson’s ‘Skills For Life Academy’ had another thought on it.
“It helps because I don’t have offers that he has and he doesn’t have some that I have,” Sommerville said. “We feed off each other’s talents.”
They are feeding off each other. And this summer big college basketball programs are joining the feeding frenzy.
