CARBONDALE - Torres Roundtree and Anthony Booker had an opportunity to go their separate ways.

Build their own college basketball histories. Make their own names in another conference, like former McCluer North (Mo.) High School teammate Femi John, who signed with Saint Louis University after the Stars finished second in the state.

But why kill a friendship? They die so easily on their own.

"A lot of schools that recruited me recruited him at the same time, and we were just talking one day, and he actually committed before I did," said Booker, a 6-foot-8 forward who was the 29th-best player in the class of 2008 at one point on Rivals.com. "I thought, 'Oh, why not.' Just extend this friendship, because, you know, we're best friends on the court, best friends off the court. What better way then to go to college with your best friend?"

Roundtree thought about it, and thought about it some more even after he verbally committed to SIU. The 6-4 guard/forward, a former St. Louis Post-Dispatch All-Metro Player of the Year, briefly looked at other schools before joining the Salukis on the dotted line. But the two were too similar. Too intertwined.

Their parents hang out. They know each other's relatives' first names. Booker loves the Boston Celtics. Roundtree pulls for the Lakers. Both want to be sports broadcasters, and plan on majoring in radio/television. It's amazing they don't share the same cell phone.

"We're so tight, you can't really tell us apart," Roundtree said. "If we didn't look different, we'd just about be the same person. If we were talking on the phone, and you didn't know the difference between our voices, you'd probably think he was me."

Now at Kellogg Hall at Thompson Point, just a few doors away from fellow freshmen Ryan Hare and Kevin Dillard, the two former stars of the Stars are back together again.

McCluer North captured the Class 5 state title in 2007 before finishing second last year. Booker averaged 12.9 points and nine boards a game his senior year. Roundtree added another 15.8 points, six rebounds and three assists per game.

John, who the two still talk to regularly, was the third Division I player off the squad.

SIU coach Chris Lowery was glad to get his Stars, although he recruited them separately.

"When you deal with people that kind of grew up together, and they see each other get better, and they come together and win a state championship, there's something there," Lowery said. "And not very often to you get teammates that want to play somewhere together. We recruited them separately and we got 'em both, and I think if we would have talked about package deals, I don't think we would have got 'em. We really did a good job of individualizing their recruiting schemes."

Booker could stabilize a young frontcourt that features five players, and that's if you include 6-7 guard/forward Christian Cornelius. A mobile 6-8, Booker can drop a 3 on you as quickly as a nasty dunk. He is a deceptively strong rebounder, and adds athleticism to a group headed by senior Tony Boyle and sophomore forward Carlton Fay.

"I just want my role to be whatever the coach asks me to do," Booker said. "Whether it's to run back, go out and grab 10, 15 rebounds, or if he wants me to score 15, 20 points. Just do whatever he asks me to do, and be very coachable. I really don't want to label myself as one talent."

Roundtree, a slasher as much as a shooter, scores in all sorts of ways and could give the Saluki offense even more variety. In the mix of seven guards, he is one of four newcomers, and has to prove himself all over again.

"We don't know how good we can be," Roundtree said. "We haven't really proven nothing. We're just all about hype. We're just some young freshmen. We haven't scored a bucket yet for Southern Illinois University, but I think we'll be able to, and I think the senior leaders is basically what it's all about. Our senior leaders need to lead us where we need to be."

Wherever they go as Salukis, they will go together. Even after graduation.

"I'm going to know him as long as I live," Roundtree said.

todd.hefferman@thesouthern.com / 351-5087