This is the fourth installment of our summer "Getting to know" series on IU's 10 new players. Today, we focus on Matt Roth, a 6-foot-3 175-pound shooting guard from Washington, Ill.
Behind Matt Roth When Kelvin Sampson first began recruiting Matt Roth, he saw the Illinois 3-point specialist as a final piece to his recruiting class puzzle. Unranked by most recruiting services, Roth coasted under big college program's radar during his four years at Washington Metamora. When Roth announced last August he had chosen IU, it was over Bradley, a small school by Big Ten standards.
But by anyone's standards, Roth is an incredible 3-point shooter. Roth holds the Illinois state record for most 3-pointers converted. He was named the Peoria Journal Star Big School Player of the Year last year and brought his team to the state finals for the first time since 1962.
Originally, Roth was meant to be a complementary player to stud recruits like Devin Ebanks and Bud Mackey. But we know how that played out. Roth and Tom Pritchard are the only players left on IU's roster who were recruited by Kelvin Sampson. When the hiring of Tom Crean was announced, Roth embraced the situation and said told Rivals.com that he liked Tom Crean's staff and thought IU was still "a situation that is going to be good for me."
On the floor As mentioned before, Roth can really shoot the 3. His range extends well beyond the NBA line and he should immediately be able to contribute as a spot-up shooter. One thing that the late Kelvin Sampson pointed out (below) was that Roth hits a high percentage of contested threes. His AAU coach (also below) said he'll instantly be the best shooter on the team, and that was when IU was returning more than two players. Last season, Roth led his team in blocks and was second in rebounding, but Roth's contributions are fairly one-dimensional (shooting).
Roth told Rivals that he has improved his "overall strength and quickness' and looks forward to getting into the weight room at IU. Defensively, Roth will most likely be a bit of a liability at first, as he lacks lateral quickness.
How Roth fits in with the Hoosiers Before the mass exodus of last year's team, it was thought that Roth wouldn't see too much of the court his freshman year, but all of that has changed. He is still unlikely to start, but Roth will see regular minutes every night and the Hoosiers will depend on his 3-point shooting ability to space the floor and provide some "instant offense" off the bench.
Scout.com's Dave Telep compares Roth to former Florida Gator Lee Humphrey, who set the NCAA Tournament record for 3-pointers (55 in 14 games). I see Roth in a similar way: an efficient 3-point shooter who can knock down open shots consistently. As far as former Hoosier comparisons go, I'd compare Roth to Kyle Hornsby, but a better off-the-dribble scorer.
People who know more about Roth than me "The thing I like about Matt Roth from the time I saw him, number one was his ability to make contested threes. A lot of guys can make them when they have time to set their feet. He makes a lot of contested threes. He has a great moxy about him, a swagger on the court. A prolific three-point shooter." - Kelvin Sampson
"A three-point specialist. Roth has potentially unlimited range from beyond the arch. He moves well without the ball and has foolish athleticism. Matt isn't afraid to get inside and mix it up when going for the rebound but needs to tune up his ball handling and defensive skills" - Midstatehoops.com scouting report
"With guys like Matt Roth it's not about rankings. With Roth, it's about filling a special need. What is happening in college basketball since (Lee) Humphrey did what he did (shine as a three-point specialist) for Florida is every team that knows they're on the verge of doing something very special is looking to put pieces in place." - Scout.com national analyst Dave Telep
"He's going to come in and be their best shooter as a freshman. No one in their right mind will play zone against him because they won't be able to." - Indiana Elite coach Mark Adams
"Athletically he'll continue to improve, and he needs to get better on the defensive side of the ball," Brown said. "I've worked real hard trying to get him better in that area, and he'll need to keep working." - Roth's high school coach, Kevin Brown
The numbers don't lie... '07-'08: 22 ppg '06-'07: 21 ppg, five rpg '05-'06: 18 ppg
A little bit more on Roth * Roth has a handful of AAU teammates who will be playing college basketball next season: Tyler Zeller (UNC), Emmanuel Negedu (Tennessee), Lewis Jackson (Purdue), DeAndre Liggins (Kentucky) and Walter Offutt (Ohio State). * Don't get it twisted: Matt Roth also plays for the Dolphins. * A Midstatehoops.com video of Roth. * I posted this earlier, but there is a series of clips that features Roth battling Verdell Jones in a high school game. * Finally, a little entertainment: the Roth Boys. A must see.
