Volunteers off to slow start

The roster of one program in Southern Illinois looks quite impressive. The Volunteers had to replace a numerous amount of talent last season and even a couple players made it to the PAC 10 Conference. Read more about what's going on with this Region 24 program right here in this story on your source for junior college basketball recruiting news.

John A Logan College in Carterville, I.L. is coached by longtime head coach Mark Imhoff. The Volunteers are currently 5-4 on the season after losing some games in the first semester do to some prep schools not showing up to play.

Stan Simpson is a third year player from the Windy City and Chicago Simeon High School. Simpson started his college career for the University of Illinois before transferring to John A Logan College.

Simpson is a center who is receiving strong interest and scholarship offers from Cincinnati, DePaul, Gonzaga and Memphis according to Volunteers assistant coach Kyle Smithpeters. West Virginia, Georgia and North Carolina has also shown interest in Simpson according to Smithpeters. Simpson is currently No. 7 in the JucoJunction Top 150.

Simpson is currently averaging 15.5 points and 8.8 rebounds per game this season while shooting 55 percent from the floor. Simpson is joined by two other sophomores on the Volunteers roster in Nathaniel Butler and Connell Crossland.

Butler, who hails from Puerto Rico, is averaging 12.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game this season. Butler prepped at Laurinburg Institute (NC) and Mississippi Elite Christian Academy before heading off to junior college.

"Nathaniel is left-handed player who can really attack the rim" said JucoJunction Publisher Bret Swanson. Butler is ranked No. 107 in the JucoJunction Top 150.

Crossland played last year in Northern Illinois Region 4 school Highland Community College. Crossland is a 6-foot-7 St Louis, M.O. native. "Connell is a slender lefthanded player with a soft touch from the floor and can really run the floor well" said Swanson. Crossland is ranked No. 123 in the JucoJunction Top 150.

Keep up with the Volunteers during the spring semester right here on your source for junior college basketball recruiting news.