Turgeon, Terps Rollin’ on 2014 Recruiting Trail

In recent years Maryland basketball fans always seemed frustrated with recruiting.  People believed Maryland should have been bringing in top tier talent consistently in an area flooded with basketball prospects.  Well, those frustrations can be put to rest as third year coach Mark Turgeon is reeling in a top-5 recruiting class after 7-1 center Trayvon Reed pledged his commitment to the Terps yesterday.

Turgeon is on a roll.  Over the last few months he has locked up four top 100 players as well as the two best players in the DMV area.  Combo guard Romelo Trimble from nearby O’ Connell High School was the first to commit to the Terps.  A combo guard at this point, but likely to make the transition to the point guard spot in upcoming years, Trimble is an elite scorer who has risen in the rankings throughout this summer.  Ranked as the 42nd best prospect in the nation, Trimble set the tone for this class and has been adamant about recruiting others to come join Turgeon and the Terps as they enter the Big 10 in 2014.

Trimble will be instant offense the minute he steps on to the College Park campus.

Dion Wiley was the second commitment of the 2014 class.  Another local kid, Wiley plays for PG County’s Potomac High School and is another dead-eye shooter.  Wiley is ranked as the 47^th best prospect in the nation and is another guy who has been shooting up the rankings during this summer’s AAU circuit.  He will bring the ability to hit shots from all over the court the minute he steps on the floor for the Terps.  At 6-3 and fairly lengthy, Wiley has the potential to be an excellent defender in his years as a Terp as well.

Wiley is seen as one of the elite shooters in the 2014 class.

The third commit to jump on the bandwagon was 6-6 swingman Jared Nickens out of Westtown School in Pennsylvania.  Nickens is a long, athletic small forward that is also considered an excellent shooter.  He is ranked the 96^th best prospect in the nation and was not widely known until he committed to the Terps in June.  Since his commitment, scouts have said Nickens looks much more relaxed and loose on the court, which has translated to him elevating his play.  After an impressive showing at the Reebok Classic Breakout Nickens said, “I can play my game freely.  I don’t have to worry about losing an offer or trying to get another offer.”  I look for him to continue to improve over the next year before joining the Terps.

Nickens is another big-time shooter and athlete.

Trayvon Reed will most likely be the last commit of the Terps 2014 class, but he was a big pickup for Turgeon.  Reed was quite literally a big pickup.  At 7-1, he possesses the ability to protect the rim and block shots.  Players with the ability to protect the rim are a huge asset.  It allows your perimeter players to gamble more knowing there is help and affects the other team trying to score at the basket.  Reed is listed as the 68^th best prospect in the country.  The big man from Georgia is still considered raw and underweight.  But, you cannot teach height and he will continue to get stronger and bigger just as former Terp and lottery pick Alex Len did in just two years at Maryland.  His upside is tremendous and with solid frontcourt depth in College Park when he arrives, he will not be asked to do too much right away.

Reed will have an immediate impact on the defensive end in 2014.

This is Maryland’s best recruiting class in recent memory.  Four top-100 guys is good any day, but when you address issues of the current team, it is even better.  Maryland has not had a knock down shooter since Eric Hayes.  Last year’s team struggled to hit the three-ball.  In 2014, that worry will be gone.  Turgeon added three of the best shooters in the entire country in Trimble, Nickens, and Wiley.  The current roster does not have a noticeable rim protector either since the departure of Alex Len.  At the very least, Reed will be able to come in and protect the rim for the Terps.  This is exactly what Maryland basketball needed heading into the powerful Big 10 in 2014.  With solid veteran leadership and this class coming in 2014, the Terps will have no problem competing with the top dogs of the Big 10.

In Turge We Trust.

5 Takeaways from Maryland Football Media Day

I attended Maryland’s football media day and took away five things from a team and coach looking to improve after the last two less than stellar seasons (being nice).  I was working, so I did not have a chance to get the full effect.  But whatever, have at it:

1.        Last season Maryland ended the year with a linebacker at quarterback, this year there will be no quarterback competition, as the team gets ready for their first fall practice this evening.  “CJ (Brown) is our quarterback,” Coach Randy Edsall said when asked about a possible competition.  He said the other guys, Caleb Rowe, Perry Hills, and Ricardo Young will all get reps as the number two quarterback.

Brown was the projected starter for last season until he was the first of many to tear his ACL.  He was granted a medical redshirt for last season.  In 2011, he played in 10 games while starting five of them and showed an elite ability to run the football.  He ran for over 100 yards in three of those games.  However, many questions still linger.  First of all, he is still yet to win a game as a starter.  For a team that has six wins in the last two years that is concerning.  Can he throw the football at a high level? He was inefficient at best in 2011.  In Mike Locksley’s pro-style/spread offense, he will not be asked to throw the ball down the field a ton.  A lot of short quick passes will hopefully make him a more successful passer than he was in 2011.  Especially coming off a knee injury, he may not be able rely on his legs as much.  With possibly the best receiving core in the ACC in Stefon Diggs, Deon Long, and Nigel King, if Brown can make most of throws within the offense it will open running lanes for him and give Edsall no reason to open up a quarterback competition.  If Brown struggles early, I would not be surprised to see Edsall give other quarterbacks or even linebackers a chance.

2.        Randy Edsall likes Stefon Diggs…like a lot, which is completely understandable.  IMO, Diggs is the most purely talented player to step foot in College Park since Vernon Davis.  Diggs came in last season with almost unfair expectations and exceeded them all.  With a circus of different quarterbacks last season Diggs still put up All-ACC numbers.  He had 54 receptions for 848 yards and six receiving touchdowns.  His 848 yards rank third all-time for ACC freshman.  He was eighth in the nation for all-purpose yards per game (172.4).  The guy is really good at football, but that is not the only reason Coach Edsall raved about him at media day today.

“I think the thing that separates him, despite that talent and ability, is that he is a tremendous competitor,” Edsall said.  He is a worker.”

Despite being able to dominant with his raw athletic ability, Diggs has worked this offseason on technical aspects of the game, Edsall told the media.  He has been working on his route running, blocking, understanding the various defenses, and being more patient on special teams.

Edsall also ranted about Diggs’ leadership and how he has separated himself as one of the leaders of this season’s team during summer workouts.  The leadership of Diggs stood out so much that the coaching staff made him a part of the team’s “leadership council.”  Edsall said the added responsibility will allow Diggs to take the next step as a player.

The sky is the limit for Stefon Diggs in 2013.

3.        The SAM position battle will be one to watch in camp.  The battle will between Alex Twine and former strong safety Matt Robinson.  Twine started five games last year and may be the more prototypical type for the outside linebacker position, but Robinson will have a great shot at taking over the starting SAM duties this year for second-year coordinator Brian Stewart.

Robinson is ultra-talented and possesses a unique size for an outside linebacker.  He is a legit 6’4 240 and will look identical to Kenneth Tate on the field this season.  Tate made the move to SAM after being a highly touted safety in 2011.  It did not work out well for Tate because his talent did not fit the scheme.  That is what worries me about Robinson, who made the position switch this Spring.  If he loses out to Twine in fall practice, the Terps need to find a way to get him on the field.  He was very solid his first three years, but injuries have plagued his career.  He told the media today he felt almost 100% for the first time in his career and has added 20 pounds this summer.  Whispers were whirling around the media room about how big Robinson looked.  However, whoever wins the job, Edsall did say the staff will look for ways schematically to have both players on the field at the same time.  Edsall was extremely excited to see how this competition pans out.

“There is going to be great competition between Robinson and Twine.  That’s what we want at every position,” Edsall said.  That’s going to be fun to watch.”

Robinson is listed as the starter on the depth chart as of now but that could change as fall practice starts.  Twine and Robinson are both talented and could give the Terps some versatility on the defense side of the ball this season.

 4.        Wes Brown may have been the most talented of the Terps’ running backs, but Edsall believes his team will be just fine with the running backs on the current roster.  Brandon Ross and Albert Reid will be the two primary ball carriers and Edsall is confident in both.

I am sure most of you are aware Wes Brown has been suspended from the university for a year for a variety of legal issues.  Therefore, he will not be available to play football this year.  There was little doubt he wasn’t going to be the starter heading into the 2013 as the starter, even despite off-season shoulder surgery.  But with his suspension it has put added responsibilities on Ross and Reid, who both saw playing time here and there last season.  Since, Brown was out all of spring ball as well; all the first reps have gone to Reid and Ross, which has led to Edsall having confidence in them.

“We have tremendous amount of confidence in both of those guys,” Edsall said when asked about Ross and Reid.  “They got a lot of work in this spring.”

He gave high praise to both players.

“I think with Brandon, the biggest thing, is he is more experienced this season,” Edsall said.  “He has playing time under his belt.  He understands the offense better.”

“You have to love Albert,” Edsall said when later asked about Reid.  “He works his tail off and does everything you ask him to do.”

Joe Riddle, who looked very good when I saw him in the spring, will also be in the running back mix, according to Edsall.

It hurts to see guys like Brown land in trouble and not be on the team, but it is good when players get the chance to make the most of an opportunity.  And that is what Edsall thinks will happen with Ross and Reid come game time.

5. The team seems like a close knit group.  Edsall is in his third season.  So, most of these players are “his” guys.  He is a coach who stresses a family atmosphere and team chemistry, which makes sense why it is one of the biggest things I noticed today.

Everyone was joking around, giving each other hard times about messing up interviews, or being monotone when they answered a question.  Many players stressed how close this team already is and how all they want to do is win an ACC championship.

It was evident how close they were last year as a team.  When they were throwing in a freshman linebacker to play quarterback at Clemson, everyone could half-assed it and gone through the motions.  But they fought every play and didn’t make excuses.  And from the looks of today, it looks like they are building off that.

My expectations are not super high for this team, but with a weak schedule and talented skill players, this team is certainly capable of 6-7 wins.

In Diggs We Trust.