Rutgers basketball lands Lathan Sommerville, Class of 2024 center
Fifteen years ago, Marcellus Sommerville was playing pro basketball in France after a standout career at Bradley University when he struck up a friendship with teammate T.J. Thompson.
Sommerville, a forward, appreciated point guard Thompson as a “funny, feisty guy – super competitive – and his passing ability was really good.” Their wives became good friends, too, and after their hardwood careers diverged, they stayed in touch.
That bond bore fruit for the Rutgers basketball program Friday when Sommerville’s son Lathan, a 6-foot-9 center in the Class of 2024, committed to play collegiately at Rutgers – where Thompson is an assistant coach.
Lathan was recruited by a bunch of high-major programs, but he had emerged as a prospect relatively late because he lived in Europe until age 13 as Marcellus continued to play ball there before moving back home to Illinois in 2019.
“We would post and share videos with our friends on Facebook about Lathan’s growth and him playing overseas,” Marcellus said. “So (Thompson) was able to see the development through that probably sooner than anyone else.”
Here are three things to know about Lathan Sommerville, who joins what is shaping up as a blockbuster 2024 recruiting class for the Scarlet Knights.
1. Great bloodlines
As a 6-foot-7 forward at Bradley from 2003-06, Marcellus averaged 16.2 points and 5.3 rebounds while shooting 35.7 percent from 3-point range. As a senior in 2006, he led 13th-seeded Bradley to the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16. In the opening round he scored 21 points and made five 3-pointers in an upset of fourth-seeded Kansas. In the Round of 32 he tallied 18 points and six rebounds as the Braves knocked off Pitt. He played professionally for 13 seasons, mostly in France. His wife and Lathan's mother, Brooke Sommerville (maiden name: Brooke Petty), played center at Illinois State and stands 6-foot-1.
2. A big man with finishing skills
As one might expect from a pro baller’s son and someone who grew up learning the sport in Europe, Lathan’s offensive game is polished. He’s rated 3 stars and ranked as the No. 133 prospect in the Class of 2024 by 247Sports and 4 stars and No. 92 by Rivals. Missouri, Xavier, Wake Forest, Villanova and Seton Hall and Georgia Tech were among the long list of other programs interested.
Jamie Shaw, recruiting analyst for On3.com, describes his strengths as follows: “Strong frame with good size and length. You notice the patience and ability on the block. He has good hands with touch that extends out to 18-feet. Sommerville has patience on the block. He has good footwork and a go-to over his right shoulder. He is a below the rim big but a good area rebounder.”
3. He joins a blockbuster class
Rutgers’ 2024 recruiting is a blockbuster in the making. It now consists of Sommerville, five-star small forward Ace Bailey and four-star point guard Dellquan Warren, with the possibility of five-star guard Dylan Harper of Don Bosco Prep – the younger brother of former Scarlet Knights star Ron Harper Jr.. Harper, who is also being recruited heavily by Duke, is expected to announce his college choice in July. The signing period for these Class of 2024 commits is in November.
Sommerville projects as a successor to current Rutgers center Cliff Omoruyi, who is exploring the NBA Draft process coming off an All-Big Ten campaign but seems likely to return for the 2023-24 season and whose final year of eligibility will be 2024-25.
Jerry Carino has covered the New Jersey sports scene since 1996 and the college basketball beat since 2003. He is an Associated Press Top 25 voter. Contact him at jcarino@gannettnj.com.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Rutgers basketball lands Lathan Sommerville, Class of 2024 center
