So Billy Donovan took the Orlando Magic job. Looks like his goal all along was to jump to the Association despite talks of an impending contract extension at Florida that never happened.
Looks like Jai Lucas didn't quite wait long enough to make his decision. How's that for irony?
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Basketball Scholarship Chart
Just a quick look at the scholarship situation for basketball in the coming years. The team will have up to three to give to '08 recruits, likely at least one (more likely two or perhaps three) for '09 recruits, and at least four to give for recruits in the class of '10.
CURRENT AS OF: 6/1/07
CURRENT AS OF: 6/1/07
| 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | |
| Osby | C | |||
| Dupree | Dupree | Dupree | Dupree | |
| Gist | PF | |||
| Burney | Burney | Burney | Burney | |
| Walker | Walker | Walker | Walker | |
| Gregory | Gregory | Gregory | Gregory | |
| Neal | Neal | SF | ||
| Milbourne | Milbourne | Milbourne | ||
| Tucker | Tucker | Tucker | Tucker | |
| Bowie | Bowie | Bowie | Bowie | SG |
| Vazquez | Vazquez | Vazquez | PG | |
| Hayes | Hayes | Hayes | ||
| OPEN | OPEN | OPEN | OPEN | OPEN |
ACC Schedule to Stay at 16 games
This isn't exactly hot of the presses news, but last week the ACC decided to keep its men's basketball schedule at 16 games for the 2007-2008 season. With all ACC teams essentially allowed to play 30-31 games every season beginning last season, a move to 18 games was seen as somewhat likely, however it was not to be. Needless to say, as far as most fans are concerned, myself included, 18 games would have been a step in the right direct after expansion destroyed the home and home scheduling that had been part of the ACC for the first 50 seasons of its existence.
But unless the league decides to go to 22 conference games - a true home and home schedule - which will not be happening anytime soon, an 18 game schedule would probably be for the best.
Think of it this way. The league could be divided into three divisions for scheduling purposes; the North (Boston College, Virginia, Maryland, Virginia Tech), the Central (Duke, North Carolina, North Carolina State, and Wake Forest), and the South (Clemson, Georgia Tech, Florida State, Miami). These divisions would be only used for scheduling and would not be used in the standings as they are in football and baseball.
With an 18 game schedule, 6 of those games would come from an annual home and home with each of the three teams in your division. Then the other schools would be played in a home and home series on an alternating basis.
For instance, Maryland might play a home and home with Duke in year one, followed by a one game series at Cameron in year two, another home and home in year three, and finally a one game series only at Comcast in year four. In this way, in a four year rotation, each school would play every other school at least 6 times, including at least 3 games at home against each.
This proposal would be better for a number of reasons. First, it would allow a team to face the majority of the other teams in the conference in a home and home each season. In addition, teams would face any given team more often.
Of course, Maryland fans might not be too happy that the home and home each season with Duke would go by the wayside, but it would only be a loss of one game at Comcast every four seasons. And depending on how the scheduling is done, those years would likely include a game against North Carolina at Comcast. In fact, it would make sense for every team to get at least one "marquee" home game against North Carolina or Duke every season.
Now that we've fixed basketball scheduling, let's fix the football divisions and scheduling...
But unless the league decides to go to 22 conference games - a true home and home schedule - which will not be happening anytime soon, an 18 game schedule would probably be for the best.
Think of it this way. The league could be divided into three divisions for scheduling purposes; the North (Boston College, Virginia, Maryland, Virginia Tech), the Central (Duke, North Carolina, North Carolina State, and Wake Forest), and the South (Clemson, Georgia Tech, Florida State, Miami). These divisions would be only used for scheduling and would not be used in the standings as they are in football and baseball.
With an 18 game schedule, 6 of those games would come from an annual home and home with each of the three teams in your division. Then the other schools would be played in a home and home series on an alternating basis.
For instance, Maryland might play a home and home with Duke in year one, followed by a one game series at Cameron in year two, another home and home in year three, and finally a one game series only at Comcast in year four. In this way, in a four year rotation, each school would play every other school at least 6 times, including at least 3 games at home against each.
This proposal would be better for a number of reasons. First, it would allow a team to face the majority of the other teams in the conference in a home and home each season. In addition, teams would face any given team more often.
Of course, Maryland fans might not be too happy that the home and home each season with Duke would go by the wayside, but it would only be a loss of one game at Comcast every four seasons. And depending on how the scheduling is done, those years would likely include a game against North Carolina at Comcast. In fact, it would make sense for every team to get at least one "marquee" home game against North Carolina or Duke every season.
Now that we've fixed basketball scheduling, let's fix the football divisions and scheduling...
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Ranking the ACC OOC (FB)
Florida State: UAB, @Colorado, Alabama, @Florida - A road game against a top 10 caliber Florida team is the marquee game on a slate that also includes a game against SEC contender Alabama as well as another road game against a BCS foe and no true cupcakes.
Maryland: Villanova, @Florida International, West Virginia, @Rutgers - The West Virginia game, and the road trip to New Jersey to face Rutgers are both headline games, but the schedule does include two gimmes with one on the road, albeit against 0-12 Florida International
Duke: Connecticut, @Northwestern, @Navy, @Notre Dame - Duke is one of three conference teams to have Notre Dame on the schedule (with all three games on the road). Not a single cupcake on the schedule - although no one is for lowly Duke - but FSU and Maryland have tougher second games than Duke.
Wake Forest: Nebraska, Army, @Navy, @Vanderbilt - A similar schedule to Duke, except that the marquee game against Nebraska is at home, and the Army game is far easier than anything on the Blue Devils' schedule.
Miami: Marshall, @Oklahoma, Florida International, Texas A&M - The game against the Sooners in Norman will be a good test, and the Texas A&M game is a very strong second game, but two home games against easy competition knock the schedule lower than perhaps it should be.
Georgia Tech @Notre Dame, Samford, Army, Georgia - The second of three teams with a road date agains the Domers, the home game against Georgia might prove even tougher. A great test at the top, but home dates against Samford and Army are embarassing.
North Carolina: James Madison, @East Carolina, @South Florida, South Carolina - While the Tar Heels traditionally played a strong OOC schedule in recent years under John Bunting, this year's version is significantly scaled back. Two road games are on tap, though the home game against South Carolina could be the toughest test.
Virginia: @Wyoming, Pitt, @Middle Tennessee, Connecticut - Virgina goes on the road twice, but even a team as mediocre as the Cavs should have a decent shot to win both. There are no walkovers on the schedule, but the best test is a 6 win Pitt team that failed to make it to postseason play.
Virginia Tech: East Carolina, @Louisiana State, Ohio, William & Mary - The trip to Baton Rouge to play the Tigers is the toughest for any ACC team, but after that three home games that will be cakewalks don't help the team's ranking.
North Carolina State: Central Florida, Wofford, Louisville, @East Carolina - The Louisville game will be good, and likely a loss, but the rest are uninspiring, although NC State might have to settle for a split with their two CUSA foes.
Boston College: Army, Massachusetts, Bowling Green, @Notre Dame - The Notre Dame game is tough, but it may not be much of a marquee game this season. Other than that, it's possible that a I-AA team will be the second toughest on the ledger.
Clemson: Lousiana-Monroe, Furman, Central Michigan, @South Carolina - Clemson goes on the road for its annual rivalry game against South Carolina, but Clemson hits the trifecta with a I-AA team, a Sun Belt team, and a MAC team.
Final 2007 Hoops recruiting rankings
With the last holdouts among the top 100 prospects in the '07 classes finally signing, among them Jai Lucas finally ending a recruitment that had gone on for decades, the major gurus put out their final rankings in the past week.
It was somewhat disappointing for Terps' fans to see the rankings not displaying many of the Terps' signings. It isn't surprising, and make no mistake the incoming group should be productive and fit into the Maryland system, but as a fan you'd like to see those guys get more recognition. That's life though. Here are a sampling of the rankings:
Braxton Dupree: Scout (#90, #16 C), Rivals (#15 C)
Dino Gregory: Rivals (#40 PF)
Cliff Tucker: Scout (#32 SF), Rivals (#91, #20 SG)
Adrian Bowie: Scout (#28 SF), Rivals (#30 SG)
But as we saw with this year's class, and with so many past classes in Maryland basketball history, the rankings just don't matter all that much. Gary Williams is a proven winner and a great talent scout. All of these players are said to be the types that Gary has won with over the years - hard workers who fit the system and will work to maximize their talent. It's a good time to be a Terps fan.
It was somewhat disappointing for Terps' fans to see the rankings not displaying many of the Terps' signings. It isn't surprising, and make no mistake the incoming group should be productive and fit into the Maryland system, but as a fan you'd like to see those guys get more recognition. That's life though. Here are a sampling of the rankings:
Braxton Dupree: Scout (#90, #16 C), Rivals (#15 C)
Dino Gregory: Rivals (#40 PF)
Cliff Tucker: Scout (#32 SF), Rivals (#91, #20 SG)
Adrian Bowie: Scout (#28 SF), Rivals (#30 SG)
But as we saw with this year's class, and with so many past classes in Maryland basketball history, the rankings just don't matter all that much. Gary Williams is a proven winner and a great talent scout. All of these players are said to be the types that Gary has won with over the years - hard workers who fit the system and will work to maximize their talent. It's a good time to be a Terps fan.
Early football musings
The Terps had a very good season last year, going to the Champs Sports Bowl and dominating Purdue. But now that we're past the afterglow of that 9-4 campaign, Terp fans are wondering what the team can do for an encore.
Which leads me to wonder, what would be a reasonable expectation for next season? The Terps will have to break in a new QB, either JR Jordan Steffy, the current incumbent, or hotshot SO Josh Portis. Aside from that, the team loses little among offensive skill position players, and returns potential all-ACC players in Ball, Lattimore, Crummey, and Heyward-Bey. The defense should be improved as well, assuming Defensive Coordinator Chris Cosh's game plans improve as well in his second season.
But there are plenty of question marks as well. Offensive line depth will be a question, especially with the talented Jared Gaither's status up in there yet again. The team also loses a lot on Special Teams with the losses of kicker Dan Ennis and punter Adam Podlesh, as well as kick returner Josh Wilson. Getting a reliable performance out fo the kicking team is a big need, and at this point, a big question mark as well.
The schedule isn't easy either. The team doesn't face Duke again this year. The nonconference portion of the schedule is beefed up, with a trip to Rutgers coming a few weeks after a Thursday night game at Byrd against rival West Virginia. In between those two games will be a trip to Winston-Salem to face the defending ACC Champs Wake Forest.
That will be a critical early season stretch. The team will win its first to games (vs Villanova, @ Florida International) heading into that three game stretch, which could be the turning point of the season for good or for bad. Winning two or more could set the stage for a special season, while losing all three could cause the wheels to come off early in the year.
The Terps then get three straight home games to finish the first half of the ACC, with Georgia Tech, Virginia, and Clemson coming to College Park. After that it's a trip to Chapel Hill to face UNC, the home finale against Boston College, and then road games against division foes Florida State and North Carolina State.
The bright side in that schedule is that the team misses Virginia Tech and a possibly resurgent Miami team who will be looking to improve on last year's 7-6 debacle. The schedule isn't exactly an SEC schedule, but it's no cake walk either.
But back to the point - expectations. 8-4. I think, would be a good season. It's still too early to say for sure considering the QB situation is still up in there, but if the team performs at a reasonable level given their skills, 8 wins - as many as 6 in conference - seems to be an attainable benchmark.
And if Portis does hold the starting job for most of the season, an 8-4 campaign might be a very nice stepping stone to a 2008 seaosn that could be another double digit win year. Who knows? We'll talk a lot more about this in the next few months. I can't wait until September 1st!
Which leads me to wonder, what would be a reasonable expectation for next season? The Terps will have to break in a new QB, either JR Jordan Steffy, the current incumbent, or hotshot SO Josh Portis. Aside from that, the team loses little among offensive skill position players, and returns potential all-ACC players in Ball, Lattimore, Crummey, and Heyward-Bey. The defense should be improved as well, assuming Defensive Coordinator Chris Cosh's game plans improve as well in his second season.
But there are plenty of question marks as well. Offensive line depth will be a question, especially with the talented Jared Gaither's status up in there yet again. The team also loses a lot on Special Teams with the losses of kicker Dan Ennis and punter Adam Podlesh, as well as kick returner Josh Wilson. Getting a reliable performance out fo the kicking team is a big need, and at this point, a big question mark as well.
The schedule isn't easy either. The team doesn't face Duke again this year. The nonconference portion of the schedule is beefed up, with a trip to Rutgers coming a few weeks after a Thursday night game at Byrd against rival West Virginia. In between those two games will be a trip to Winston-Salem to face the defending ACC Champs Wake Forest.
That will be a critical early season stretch. The team will win its first to games (vs Villanova, @ Florida International) heading into that three game stretch, which could be the turning point of the season for good or for bad. Winning two or more could set the stage for a special season, while losing all three could cause the wheels to come off early in the year.
The Terps then get three straight home games to finish the first half of the ACC, with Georgia Tech, Virginia, and Clemson coming to College Park. After that it's a trip to Chapel Hill to face UNC, the home finale against Boston College, and then road games against division foes Florida State and North Carolina State.
The bright side in that schedule is that the team misses Virginia Tech and a possibly resurgent Miami team who will be looking to improve on last year's 7-6 debacle. The schedule isn't exactly an SEC schedule, but it's no cake walk either.
But back to the point - expectations. 8-4. I think, would be a good season. It's still too early to say for sure considering the QB situation is still up in there, but if the team performs at a reasonable level given their skills, 8 wins - as many as 6 in conference - seems to be an attainable benchmark.
And if Portis does hold the starting job for most of the season, an 8-4 campaign might be a very nice stepping stone to a 2008 seaosn that could be another double digit win year. Who knows? We'll talk a lot more about this in the next few months. I can't wait until September 1st!
'07-'08 Early Bball schedule
The Terps' '07-'08 schedule won't be announced until sometime in the middle of August, but there have already been a number of games announced for the nonconference portion of the schedule next season.
The Terps will compete in another exempt tournament next season, this time the 16 team College Basketball Experience Classic. The first two rounds will be held at four regional sites, with the Terps playing at Comcast Center. The four regional winners will advance to Kansas City for the semifinals and finals. The Terps will almost certainly play two low-major opponents in the first two rounds to ensure that they advance to the later rounds, where the other teams will likely be Michigan State, UCLA, and Missouri, barring upsets. Not a bad field, at all, and probably better than the one the Terps faced in winning the Coaches vs Cancer Classic this season.
The Terps will play in the BB&T Classic once again in early December.
On December 12th, Ohio comes to the Comcast Center to take a loss. Another rumoured opponent is Holy Cross.
The Big Ten-ACC "Challenge" game this year will be a rematch against Illinois at the Comcast Center on November 28th.
Ideally, with 15 nonconference games each season, the Terps would schedule about five games that are likely to be competitive. 2-3 of those would come in a preseason tournament (depending on the format), 1-2 would be part of a home and home series with another BCS school, and the last game would be a neutral site game, perhaps as part of the BB&T classic.
Then with 9-10 games left on the schedule, there should be at least another 5-6 RPI booster wins. Games against the likes of Holy Cross or Ohio or Winthrop that will almost certainly be wins, especially at home, but will come against opponents whose RPI is likely to be in the 50-150 range.
The teams to schedule would be middle of the pack teams from the A-10, C-USA or CAA or teams from the MAAC, MAC or Sun Belt. With the remaining handful of games, the Terps can schedule the traditional cupcakes from the America East, Big South or other low major conferences. The one change that should be made is to avoid the teams from the MEAC and SWAC which can hurt the RPI way too much considering how low those two conferences are on the totem pole. Maybe an occasional game against a local team like Morgan State or Coppin State, but not every season.
Gaming the RPI with smart scheduling is a big topic every year when it comes time to scrutinize tournament resumes, and it has become somewhat prevalent because it's so easy to do if a team wants to do that. It isn't an exact science, but it can be done. The one advantage that mid-majors have is the willingness to play decent teams on the road to rack up wins and receive an RPI bonus for playing on the road. But still, if the Terps follow the above outline - and over the past two seasons it seems as if they're moving in that direction - it could be the difference between an NCAA berth and another trip to the NIT sometime in the future.
The Terps will compete in another exempt tournament next season, this time the 16 team College Basketball Experience Classic. The first two rounds will be held at four regional sites, with the Terps playing at Comcast Center. The four regional winners will advance to Kansas City for the semifinals and finals. The Terps will almost certainly play two low-major opponents in the first two rounds to ensure that they advance to the later rounds, where the other teams will likely be Michigan State, UCLA, and Missouri, barring upsets. Not a bad field, at all, and probably better than the one the Terps faced in winning the Coaches vs Cancer Classic this season.
The Terps will play in the BB&T Classic once again in early December.
On December 12th, Ohio comes to the Comcast Center to take a loss. Another rumoured opponent is Holy Cross.
The Big Ten-ACC "Challenge" game this year will be a rematch against Illinois at the Comcast Center on November 28th.
Ideally, with 15 nonconference games each season, the Terps would schedule about five games that are likely to be competitive. 2-3 of those would come in a preseason tournament (depending on the format), 1-2 would be part of a home and home series with another BCS school, and the last game would be a neutral site game, perhaps as part of the BB&T classic.
Then with 9-10 games left on the schedule, there should be at least another 5-6 RPI booster wins. Games against the likes of Holy Cross or Ohio or Winthrop that will almost certainly be wins, especially at home, but will come against opponents whose RPI is likely to be in the 50-150 range.
The teams to schedule would be middle of the pack teams from the A-10, C-USA or CAA or teams from the MAAC, MAC or Sun Belt. With the remaining handful of games, the Terps can schedule the traditional cupcakes from the America East, Big South or other low major conferences. The one change that should be made is to avoid the teams from the MEAC and SWAC which can hurt the RPI way too much considering how low those two conferences are on the totem pole. Maybe an occasional game against a local team like Morgan State or Coppin State, but not every season.
Gaming the RPI with smart scheduling is a big topic every year when it comes time to scrutinize tournament resumes, and it has become somewhat prevalent because it's so easy to do if a team wants to do that. It isn't an exact science, but it can be done. The one advantage that mid-majors have is the willingness to play decent teams on the road to rack up wins and receive an RPI bonus for playing on the road. But still, if the Terps follow the above outline - and over the past two seasons it seems as if they're moving in that direction - it could be the difference between an NCAA berth and another trip to the NIT sometime in the future.
Saturday, May 26, 2007
2009 Hoops Recruiting
Earlier I tried to tackle 2008 hoops recruiting with an in-depth look at the major prospects for Maryland. With the HS season over and the summer AAU and camp season coming up, the recruiting gurus have shifted their attention from 2007 to 2008. But at the same, they'll all be keeping an eye on 2009, as some of the top prospects in that class will soon begin to narrow their focus, and in some cases, give verbal commitments. But it's still early for the '09 recruiting season so instead of an in-depth look at the Terps' targets, here's a primer on some names to know.
For this season, the Terps will have at least one scholarship to give, most likely two, and possibly three or four if all 2008 scholarships are not used.
Terrell Vinson (SF, Montrose Christian/Baltimore Stars) - Maryland, Texas, Villanova, Syracuse
Isaiah Armwood (PF, Montrose Christian/Baltimore Stars) - Maryland, Villanova, Syracuse, Louisville
Tristan Spurlock (SF, Montrose Christian/DC Blue Devils) - ?
Greg Echinique (C, St. Benedict's/New York Metro Hawks) - Georgetown, Villanova, Rutgers, Maryland
Naji Hibbert (SG, Dematha/Team Melo) - Connecticut, Maryland, Virginia, Clemson, Syracuse
Dominic Cheek (SG, Saint Anthony's/Playaz) - Connecticut, Maryland, Florida, Kentucky, North Carolina, Syracuse, Rutgers
Maurice Creek (SG, Oxon Hill/Triple Threat) - Georgetown, Maryland
Donte Taylor (PF, National Christian/DC Assault) - Maryland, Connecticut, Cincinatti, Georgetown
Wally Judge (PG, Bladensburg/DC Assault)- Georgetown, Maryland, Kansas State, Villanova, Pitt, West Virginia
Akeem Richmond (PG, Southern Lee/D-One Sports) - Maryland, Florida, North Carolina, North Carolina State, UAB, Wake Forest, Georgia Tech
Oscar Griffin (SF, American Christian/Team Final) - LSU, Maryland, Wisconsin
Daniel Orton (PF, Bishop Mcguinness/Compton Magic) - Maryland, Oklahoma, Kansas, Florida, Auburn, Oklahoma State
Karron Johnson (PF, Mount Zion/Richmond Squires) - Virginia, Memphis, Maryland
Javorn Farrell (SG, Bishop Ireton/DC Assault) - Maryland, Connecticut, Kentucky, Louisville
This list will change a ton by the end of the summer. Maryland will fall of some lists, but will also make headway with new prospects. While the Terps haven't got any verbals early for the '08 class, the '06 and '06 classes all had plenty of early committs. Braxton Dupree, Dino Gregory, Eric Hayes, and Landon Milbourne had all joined the program by the first half of their junior season. With the Terps involved with so much highly regarded talent, there is a chance that the team could have one of its best recruiting classes in recent memory even with only two or three scholarships to give.
For this season, the Terps will have at least one scholarship to give, most likely two, and possibly three or four if all 2008 scholarships are not used.
Terrell Vinson (SF, Montrose Christian/Baltimore Stars) - Maryland, Texas, Villanova, Syracuse
Isaiah Armwood (PF, Montrose Christian/Baltimore Stars) - Maryland, Villanova, Syracuse, Louisville
Tristan Spurlock (SF, Montrose Christian/DC Blue Devils) - ?
Greg Echinique (C, St. Benedict's/New York Metro Hawks) - Georgetown, Villanova, Rutgers, Maryland
Naji Hibbert (SG, Dematha/Team Melo) - Connecticut, Maryland, Virginia, Clemson, Syracuse
Dominic Cheek (SG, Saint Anthony's/Playaz) - Connecticut, Maryland, Florida, Kentucky, North Carolina, Syracuse, Rutgers
Maurice Creek (SG, Oxon Hill/Triple Threat) - Georgetown, Maryland
Donte Taylor (PF, National Christian/DC Assault) - Maryland, Connecticut, Cincinatti, Georgetown
Wally Judge (PG, Bladensburg/DC Assault)- Georgetown, Maryland, Kansas State, Villanova, Pitt, West Virginia
Akeem Richmond (PG, Southern Lee/D-One Sports) - Maryland, Florida, North Carolina, North Carolina State, UAB, Wake Forest, Georgia Tech
Oscar Griffin (SF, American Christian/Team Final) - LSU, Maryland, Wisconsin
Daniel Orton (PF, Bishop Mcguinness/Compton Magic) - Maryland, Oklahoma, Kansas, Florida, Auburn, Oklahoma State
Karron Johnson (PF, Mount Zion/Richmond Squires) - Virginia, Memphis, Maryland
Javorn Farrell (SG, Bishop Ireton/DC Assault) - Maryland, Connecticut, Kentucky, Louisville
This list will change a ton by the end of the summer. Maryland will fall of some lists, but will also make headway with new prospects. While the Terps haven't got any verbals early for the '08 class, the '06 and '06 classes all had plenty of early committs. Braxton Dupree, Dino Gregory, Eric Hayes, and Landon Milbourne had all joined the program by the first half of their junior season. With the Terps involved with so much highly regarded talent, there is a chance that the team could have one of its best recruiting classes in recent memory even with only two or three scholarships to give.
Current '08 Football Committs
- Kevin Dorsey (WR, Forrestville HS)
- Teddy Dargan (DT, Milford Mill HS)
- AJ Francis (DT, Gonzaga HS)
- Zach Brown (LB, Hargrave Military Academy)
- Cody Blue (DT, Wilde Lake HS)
Blue recently became the fifth member of the Terps 2008 football recruiting class. He is already the 3rd recruit at defensive tackle, shoring up that position very early in the recruiting season. The Terps do have a number of other DT prospects on the radar including Jarel Lowery, who has named the Terps as his favorite early on, as well as more highly regarded recruits such as Masengo Kabongo and Reggie Ellis, both of whom would seem to be longshots at this point.
Crit to the NBA
Javaris Crittenton of GT announced today that he's staying in the NBA draft and won't be back to Georgia Tech for his sophomore season. It's a blow to GT, as they'd be a strong favorite to finish in 2nd in the ACC next year with Crittenton in the lineup. Now with the possibility of SF Thad Young also staying in the draft, Tech could be headed for another Paul Hewitt 8-8 type season, even with the ACC looking to be down across the board.
The bright side is that the team will get back SG Lewis Clinch, plus they bring in another highly regarded recruit in big man Gani Lawal. The Jackets will still be competitive in the league, but the outlook took a hit today.
Crittenton is the third ACC player to officially leave early along with Josh McRoberts and Brandan Wright. With Sean Singletary withdrawing his name and electing to return to Virginia for his senior season (a huge relief for the Cavs), James Mays and Thad Young are the only remaining ACC underclassmen in the draft who have declared but have not yet hired an agent.
The bright side is that the team will get back SG Lewis Clinch, plus they bring in another highly regarded recruit in big man Gani Lawal. The Jackets will still be competitive in the league, but the outlook took a hit today.
Crittenton is the third ACC player to officially leave early along with Josh McRoberts and Brandan Wright. With Sean Singletary withdrawing his name and electing to return to Virginia for his senior season (a huge relief for the Cavs), James Mays and Thad Young are the only remaining ACC underclassmen in the draft who have declared but have not yet hired an agent.
Recruiting!
With the book closed on the 2006-2007 season and Midnight Madness still 4+ months away, the only thing for college basketball junkies to focus on is recruiting. With the Terps having signed a combined 10 players in the '06 and '07 classes, space and scholarships are limirted for the next two seasons. The team will have as many as three scholarships available for use on recruits in the '08 senior class, with at least two available for the high school class of '09.
It's still somewhat early with the summer AAU season just heating up, but at least for 2008 prospects, several Terp targets have emerged to the forefront.
Brian Walsh (SG, Moon HS) - Walsh is a traditional shooting guard whose main skill is that he can score and shoot from deep. While the Terps have some guard depth over the next few years with sophs Greivis Vasquez and Eric Hayes, as well as incoming freshmen Cliff Tucker and Adrian Bowie, the one thing lacking from a potentially excellent backcort is a player who can shoot it from deep consistently. Eric Hayes showed glimpses of that ability, shooting at an excellent percentage last year, but he did not show a great ability to create his own shots from deep nor an assertiveness to shoot except when open. These defeciencies can be corrected, but it's obvious why the Gary Williams would want his next guard recruit to be able to stroke it from deep, even though the Maryland offense traditionally does not revolve around the 3-ball at all.
Anyway, back to Walsh. The Western Pennsylvania player has a ton of scholarship offers from major programs (West Virginia, St. Joseph's, Pitt, Penn State, Memphis, and Clemson among others), but he seems to be favoring the Terps with Xavier and perhaps St. Joseph's also in contention.
Quintrell Thomas (PF, Saint Patrick's HS) - The story on Thomas is that he's a banger. He's only 6-7 or 6-8 so he might be a little undersized at the four, but any questions about that should be silenced by his desire to play near the basket.
From that angle, he seems like a good fit for the Terps, similar to '07 recruit Braxton Dupree. The possibility of Thomas and Dupree teaming up in thr frountcourt is enticing because of the willingness both have shown to play with their back to the basket rather than playing facing the basket like most of the recent Terps who played the 4 and 5 (Garrison, Ibekwe, Gist). These two could, in principle at least,. complement raw atheltic big men like Jerome Burney and '07 recruit Shane Walker as well as '07 recruit Dino Gregory, who is not the prototypical banger that Thomas and Dupree are.
The top three for Thomas are Rutgers, Marquette and Maryland, and Thomas seems certain that his choice will come from among those three. He has just recently emerged nationally, so there are a lot of new suitors although he already holds a number of scholarhip offers including ones from Pitt, Seton Hall, Miami, and Saint John's. But the Terps were among the first to heavily recruit Thomas, so that would seem to give them as good a chance as any. Thomas plays for Team New Jersey Elite on the AAU circuit.
Sean Mosley (SG, Saint Frances HS) - The Terps have been heavily recruiting local players over the past few seasons, but Mosley is the first local name to appear on this list. He's a good one though, having been a standout for Saint Frances in Baltimore dating back to his freshman season when he made the Baltimore Sun All-Metro first team and was named BCL Tournament MVP.
Although he doesn't stand out for any one skill, he is impressive because he doesn't have any glaring weaknesses. He's big and athletic, can shoot it from deep and midrange and is tremendous at getting to the hoop. He recently had a very strong performance at the Boo Williams AAU tournament in April, earning all-Tournament honors.
Things don't look as great here for the Terps as they do for the first two. There are questions about possible grade/qualifying issues (though that is definately speculation), and he plays for the Team Melo AAU team - not exactly the Terps best friend on the AAU circuit. Mosley's shoices at this point include Syracuse, Maryland, Clemson, Virginia Tech, Virginia and Florida State. It also seems that Mosley is not likely to make a decision in the near future, whereas Brian Walsh could decide within the next month. Given all of that, the Terps seem to be focusing somewha on Walsh as the priority recruit. If Walsh chooses the Terps soon, there most likely would not be room for Mosley.
Frank Ben-Eze (C, Bishop O'Connell HS) - Ben-Eze - who plays for the DC Blue Devils AAU team - is another big man prospect for the Terps. The Nigerian import plays in the ultra-competitive WCAC and has held his own despite being relatively new to the game. While his heritage and the fact that he is relatively inexperienced might draw comparisons to former Terp standout center Obinna Ekezie, Ben-Eze is much more slender and not as powerful as Ekezie.
Ben-Eze is in the mold of many other raw, African-born players, in that his skills are extremely raw, as is his feel for the game, but his physical gifts, noticeably his athleticism, are what gets him noticed by college coaches. He has a long way to go in improving his skills, but the old saying is that you can't teach height, and Ben-Eze has plenty of that. With the Terps already bringing in a raw foreign born player in '07 in Shane Walker, as well as Jerome Burney the year before, Ben-Eze might not be high on the Terps' list, especially after a poor game in January in front of Gary Williams and Chuck Driesell. Still, with few frontcourt recruits on the radar right now, Ben-Eze could get a long look in the right situation. Ben-Eze lists Maryland, Clemson, Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, and Marquette among those who have offered him a scholarship.
Roscoe Davis (PF, Wise HS) - Another local big man on the Terps' radar, Davis is a member of the DC Assault AAU program. He's somewhere between Thomas and Ben-Eze in that he possesses a mixture of skill and athleticism whereas Thomas is short on athleticism but has plenty of skill and toughness, whereas Ben-Eze is highly sought after mainly because of his athleticism rather than his skills at this time.
Davis has possible grade issues and has attended several different high schools, neither of which will make him more likely to end up a Terp. He also may spend a year at a prep school and therefore become a class of '09 recruit. Pitt, Clemson, Miami, Maryland, Syracuse, and Stanford are among the many schools linked to Davis, with Pitt perhaps the most likely of that group to land Davis, although he has not indicated that he is leaning towards any particular school.
There will almost certainly be more prospects to emerge on the radar this summer unless the Terps get two early committments, perhaps from Walsh and Thomas. The Terps have also been linked to Terrence Jennings (C, Mount Zion Christian Academy), Ashton Gibbs (SG, Seton Hall Prep), Mike Davis (C, South Kent Prep/Team STAT) and Laron Dendy (PF, Greer HS). However, for now, this is the group that Terps fans should get to know a little better.
It's still somewhat early with the summer AAU season just heating up, but at least for 2008 prospects, several Terp targets have emerged to the forefront.
Brian Walsh (SG, Moon HS) - Walsh is a traditional shooting guard whose main skill is that he can score and shoot from deep. While the Terps have some guard depth over the next few years with sophs Greivis Vasquez and Eric Hayes, as well as incoming freshmen Cliff Tucker and Adrian Bowie, the one thing lacking from a potentially excellent backcort is a player who can shoot it from deep consistently. Eric Hayes showed glimpses of that ability, shooting at an excellent percentage last year, but he did not show a great ability to create his own shots from deep nor an assertiveness to shoot except when open. These defeciencies can be corrected, but it's obvious why the Gary Williams would want his next guard recruit to be able to stroke it from deep, even though the Maryland offense traditionally does not revolve around the 3-ball at all.
Anyway, back to Walsh. The Western Pennsylvania player has a ton of scholarship offers from major programs (West Virginia, St. Joseph's, Pitt, Penn State, Memphis, and Clemson among others), but he seems to be favoring the Terps with Xavier and perhaps St. Joseph's also in contention.
Quintrell Thomas (PF, Saint Patrick's HS) - The story on Thomas is that he's a banger. He's only 6-7 or 6-8 so he might be a little undersized at the four, but any questions about that should be silenced by his desire to play near the basket.
From that angle, he seems like a good fit for the Terps, similar to '07 recruit Braxton Dupree. The possibility of Thomas and Dupree teaming up in thr frountcourt is enticing because of the willingness both have shown to play with their back to the basket rather than playing facing the basket like most of the recent Terps who played the 4 and 5 (Garrison, Ibekwe, Gist). These two could, in principle at least,. complement raw atheltic big men like Jerome Burney and '07 recruit Shane Walker as well as '07 recruit Dino Gregory, who is not the prototypical banger that Thomas and Dupree are.
The top three for Thomas are Rutgers, Marquette and Maryland, and Thomas seems certain that his choice will come from among those three. He has just recently emerged nationally, so there are a lot of new suitors although he already holds a number of scholarhip offers including ones from Pitt, Seton Hall, Miami, and Saint John's. But the Terps were among the first to heavily recruit Thomas, so that would seem to give them as good a chance as any. Thomas plays for Team New Jersey Elite on the AAU circuit.
Sean Mosley (SG, Saint Frances HS) - The Terps have been heavily recruiting local players over the past few seasons, but Mosley is the first local name to appear on this list. He's a good one though, having been a standout for Saint Frances in Baltimore dating back to his freshman season when he made the Baltimore Sun All-Metro first team and was named BCL Tournament MVP.
Although he doesn't stand out for any one skill, he is impressive because he doesn't have any glaring weaknesses. He's big and athletic, can shoot it from deep and midrange and is tremendous at getting to the hoop. He recently had a very strong performance at the Boo Williams AAU tournament in April, earning all-Tournament honors.
Things don't look as great here for the Terps as they do for the first two. There are questions about possible grade/qualifying issues (though that is definately speculation), and he plays for the Team Melo AAU team - not exactly the Terps best friend on the AAU circuit. Mosley's shoices at this point include Syracuse, Maryland, Clemson, Virginia Tech, Virginia and Florida State. It also seems that Mosley is not likely to make a decision in the near future, whereas Brian Walsh could decide within the next month. Given all of that, the Terps seem to be focusing somewha on Walsh as the priority recruit. If Walsh chooses the Terps soon, there most likely would not be room for Mosley.
Frank Ben-Eze (C, Bishop O'Connell HS) - Ben-Eze - who plays for the DC Blue Devils AAU team - is another big man prospect for the Terps. The Nigerian import plays in the ultra-competitive WCAC and has held his own despite being relatively new to the game. While his heritage and the fact that he is relatively inexperienced might draw comparisons to former Terp standout center Obinna Ekezie, Ben-Eze is much more slender and not as powerful as Ekezie.
Ben-Eze is in the mold of many other raw, African-born players, in that his skills are extremely raw, as is his feel for the game, but his physical gifts, noticeably his athleticism, are what gets him noticed by college coaches. He has a long way to go in improving his skills, but the old saying is that you can't teach height, and Ben-Eze has plenty of that. With the Terps already bringing in a raw foreign born player in '07 in Shane Walker, as well as Jerome Burney the year before, Ben-Eze might not be high on the Terps' list, especially after a poor game in January in front of Gary Williams and Chuck Driesell. Still, with few frontcourt recruits on the radar right now, Ben-Eze could get a long look in the right situation. Ben-Eze lists Maryland, Clemson, Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, and Marquette among those who have offered him a scholarship.
Roscoe Davis (PF, Wise HS) - Another local big man on the Terps' radar, Davis is a member of the DC Assault AAU program. He's somewhere between Thomas and Ben-Eze in that he possesses a mixture of skill and athleticism whereas Thomas is short on athleticism but has plenty of skill and toughness, whereas Ben-Eze is highly sought after mainly because of his athleticism rather than his skills at this time.
Davis has possible grade issues and has attended several different high schools, neither of which will make him more likely to end up a Terp. He also may spend a year at a prep school and therefore become a class of '09 recruit. Pitt, Clemson, Miami, Maryland, Syracuse, and Stanford are among the many schools linked to Davis, with Pitt perhaps the most likely of that group to land Davis, although he has not indicated that he is leaning towards any particular school.
There will almost certainly be more prospects to emerge on the radar this summer unless the Terps get two early committments, perhaps from Walsh and Thomas. The Terps have also been linked to Terrence Jennings (C, Mount Zion Christian Academy), Ashton Gibbs (SG, Seton Hall Prep), Mike Davis (C, South Kent Prep/Team STAT) and Laron Dendy (PF, Greer HS). However, for now, this is the group that Terps fans should get to know a little better.
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