APRIL 19, 2002

Men's Basketball Team Announces Four More Additions

Head men's basketball coach Jack Schrader announced today that four more current high school seniors have committed to the Truman squad for the 2002-03 season.

The Bulldogs, a member of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association and NCAA Division II, have received national letters-of-intent from Derek Lindsey (Eureka, Mo.), Chip Sodemann (St. Louis/Parkway West) and twins Gavin and Ryan Welker (Farmington, Ill.). The four join Garret Grimm (Macomb, Ill.), who was inked during the November early-signing period.

Lindsey, a 6-4 guard, averaged 16.3 points and 6.7 rebounds per game while helping his Eureka High School team to a 20-9 record and a district championship this past season. A first-team all-conference pick and a McDonald's All-America nominee, Lindsey averaged 19.3 points per game in conference action. He ranked first or second in the conference in scoring, rebounding, assists (3.8 pg) and steals (2.6 pg) and was tabbed MVP of the district tournament. As a junior, Lindsey was part of a EHS team that finished third in the state after posting a 21-10 ledger.

Sodemann is a 6-1 point guard from Parkway West High School in St. Louis, where he averaged 12.1 points, 3.4 assists and 1.9 steals per game as a senior. He holds school career records with 181 steals and an 81.7 free throw percentage (277-of-339), while also ranking fifth on the Longhorns' career scoring (1,041 points) and assists (251) lists. A three-time first-team all-Suburban West Conference pick, Sodemann was nominated for the McDonald's All-Star Game and was tabbed first team all-district and third team all-metro. Parkway West went 48-10 over the last two seasons, winning a pair of conference and district titles.

The Welkers come to Truman from Farmington High School, which advanced to the Illinois Class A Elite Eight each of the last two years. This past year's squad finished 28-5.

Ryan Welker, a 6-5 wing, led FHS in scoring (18.2 ppg), rebounding (6.7 rpg), assists (3.6 apg) and steals (2.4 spg) en route to earning second-team all-state honors from the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association. An all-conference and first-team All-Peoria Area selection, Ryan shot 56 percent from the field, 78 percent from the foul line and a team-leading 49 percent from three-point land. He was the Farmers' representative in the Illinois three-point shootout at the state tournament.

Gavin Welker is a 6-7 forward who earned third-team all-state accolades from the IBCA after averaging 11.6 points and 5.4 rebounds as a senior. He connected on 54 percent of his shots from the floor and 78 percent from the free throw line in his final year. The soon-to-be class valedictorian came on down the stretch in 2002, and didn't miss a game or a practice session the entire season, despite having his spleen and gall bladder removed in mid-September.

Grimm, a 6-9 center from Macomb High School, completed his senior season with averages of 16.1 points and 7.8 rebounds. He shot 59 percent from the floor, 55 percent from three-point range and 79.2 percent from the foul line, while also leading his team in blocks. He earned first-team all-state from the Chicago Sun-Times. The Bombers finished the campaign with a 25-6 record for the second straight year and advanced to the state's Class A Sweet 16, where they lost to the eventual state champs.

Grimm and the Welker twins have each been selected to play in the IBCA All-Star Game on June 22.

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