From the ground up: How SEMO Prep basketball became a recruiting hotbed

Roy Booker observed his players from the sideline of an old, worn-out high school gymnasium in Carbondale during a cold winter practice in 2020.

The facility was freezing, the floor was slippery, and there were leaks and cracks all across the ceiling and walls — a rugged environment that 22 hungry, unproven teenage basketball players were forced to thrive in.

It was Booker’s first day on the job as the head coach of Southeast Missouri (SEMO) Preparatory School — a local basketball program that grooms and develops young prospects for the college level. He felt anxious and excited about his new project, but still had some doubt as to how it would ultimately turn out down the road.

Flash forward four years later, and all uncertainty has washed away.

“I coached a JUCO for two years from 2018-20 before I retired and then went to Prep,” said Booker, who was a standout shooting guard at Southeast Missouri State from 2005 to 2006 after transferring from the University of Montana. “And it was like, ‘This is your baby. You gotta make it work now.’

“I started in Carbondale in 2020-21 with a partner, and then he kind of just faded off with it. I wanted to do my own things then and I’ve got a lot of connections playing overseas for so many years. That's why I get kids from places like Australia and the Virgin Islands. So, I came over here to the SportsPlex because all I just needed was a gym. I had everything else set up with like the school curriculum online, games, a weight room and a coaching staff who does what they need to do to help the kids get better.”

That first year sold Booker on his path. Since then, college scouts have flocked from all over to watch a handfuls of talented players during his tenure, including future Division I star Matt Hampton and 6-foot-10 German forward Johann Pautsch — two current standouts at Three Rivers Community College.

It’s a consistent source of talent that college coaches trust and a testament to the dynamic program Booker’s made from scratch. Through his four years operating SEMO Prep, he’s produced nearly 60 college scholarship players, with two playing at the Division I level.

Among the several current SEMO Prep products next in line to make the leap to the college level are Tim Halden and Dhani Flannigan.

A 6-foot-7 forward, Halden is a 19-year-old Australian-born player who was contacted by Booker when Halden was in high school. His ultimate goal is to earn a full-ride scholarship to a university so he can play the game he loves and earn a degree. Halden believes SEMO Prep is the perfect place for him to start.

“It’s great here,” Halden said. “I’m just getting used to the intensity that we don't have back home. It's more chill. Everyone wants to win so bad. It's good to be with like-minded people that love the game. That's the best part of it. It makes you work hard, but it's also rewarding.”

SEMO Prep forward Tim Halden during practice on Thursday, Jan. 9, at the Sportsplex. Halden is a 19-year-old Australian with hopes of playing at the college level.Kaiden Karper ~ kkarper@semoball.com

Flannigan was a highly-touted point guard at Ben Davis High School in Indianapolis, Indiana, before foot injuries derailed his college recruiting process. Even before high school, Flannigan was a top 10 prospect in the country as an eighth grader.

“I love coach Roy,” said Flannigan, who began his high school career at Cathedral High and Franklin Central High prior to finishing at Ben Davis. “He really is the best mentor to me other than my pops. Like, he sees so much in me and he told me how to be a leader. He really gave me a good opportunity and I didn’t have any good looks or anything like that. He believed in me, so coach Booker means a lot.”

SEMO Prep point guard Dhani Flannigan during practice on Thursday, Jan. 9, at the Sportsplex.Kaiden Karper ~ kkarper@semoball.com

Booker said the two biggest qualities he tries to ingrain in his players are accountability and discipline — and that philosophy was rooted in his time in college and as a 14-year professional player overseas.

“The things I always try to install in all my players is accountability and discipline,” Booker said. “Don't make mistakes and blame everybody else. The natural thing to do is, because you don't want to know accountability, you say, ‘Oh coach, he threw a bad pass,’ or whatever the case may be. So, I try to tell them all about working hard, accountability and discipline. Don't be late either. Be here early.”

Of course, it is not just Booker running the show either. He is assisted by Julian Beard and Allen Holcomb — two former Division I and professional basketball players who competed overseas as well.

A Sikeston native, Beard was an all-state forward for the Bulldogs and one of the centerpieces of legendary coach Gregg Holifield’s first Final Four team in 2006-07. He spent two years at the junior college level before finishing his career at Texas State University.

SEMO Prep first-year assistant Julian Beard talks to his player on the sideline during practice on Thursday, Jan. 9, at the Sportsplex.Kaiden Karper ~ kkarper@semoball.com

Born and raised in Chicago, Holcomb played with Booker at Allen County Community College in Iola, Kansas, in 2003 before transferring to the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and then competing overseas.

SEMO Prep assistant coach Allen Holcomb, right, talks to head coach Roy Booker on the sideline during practice on Thursday, Jan. 9, at the Sportsplex.Kaiden Karper ~ kkarper@semoball.com

This season, both SEMO Prep teams have been consistently on the road for most of their 25 games, in part for the exposure and, in part, for the valuable experience.

With the season winding down, there are still a handful of big games coming up for Booker’s squad. SEMO Prep hosts Arkansas Premier Prep at 5 p.m. Monday, Jan. 13, at the SportsPlex. That weekend, they travel to Lebanon, Indiana, for LaVar Ball’s Big Baller Brand Showcase Tournament from January 18-19.

The beauty of it all is that ever since he became the head coach, program director and CEO, Booker has watched dozens of his players leave the safe, structured bubble of SEMO Prep and find their place in the uncertain and ultra-competitive world of NCAA basketball.

One big thing that has never changed, however, is the culture.

“We are family,” Booker said. “Everything is family oriented. Our job as coaches doesn’t stop and we are working for these kids all the time. We are always on the clock. They call us at night and need help with something around, like, 11 or 12, whether they might have a flat tire or whatever the case may be. So, our biggest thing is that we are all like this. We're a real family and the players respect and look up to us. It’s been like that since I first started this whole thing.”