It's been a busy month for Maryland head coach Mark Turgeon.
Just two and a half weeks into June, Turgeon has secured commitments from a pair of sharpshooting wings -- Dion Wiley and Jared Nickens -- to join combo guard Melo Trimble in the class of 2014.
The commitment from Wiley was significant for a number of reasons. First, he was clearly Maryland's top priority in the class. He was the top-ranked player in the state of Maryland, and he joins Trimble -- the top-ranked player in the state of Virginia -- to form the Terps' future backcourt.
Wiley's AAU outfit -- Team Takeover -- is a Nike program, and one that Maryland has not had much luck with over the past few years. Between Under Armour-sponsored DC Assault and Nike-sponsored Team Takeover, the DC Metro area has two of the nation's top AAU programs. So a pipeline into both programs would be huge for obvious reasons.
Next, Wiley's commitment came early. That allowed Turgeon to focus his efforts on landing another swingman (more on that in a moment) and a big man for a four-man class in 2014.
Wiley is ranked the No. 49 player in the class of 2014 by Rivals, No. 39 by 247sports and No. 22 by ESPN. And through 18 games on the EYBL circuit, he led Team Takeover (16-2) in scoring and three-pointers.
And just a week or so later, Turgeon landed commitment No. 3 in the class of 2014 with Pennsylvania swingman Jared Nickens.
Nickens, who plays for Under Armour-sponsored Sports U in Pennsylvania, reclassified from 2013 to 2014 to gain an extra year of AAU play. And it paid off. Through a strong start to the AAU season, Nickens held offers from Oregon State, Seton Hall, Rutgers, Temple, Providence, Wake Forest, Miami (FL) and a number of mid-major programs.
He's not as highly rated as Wiley, but he, too, is a phenomenal shooter in a lanky frame. Some have loosely compared his game to former Terp star Drew Nicholas. One Rivals analyst said he'd be a top 100 player in the next set of rankings, while 247sports has him the No. 152 player in the class of 2014.
Turgeon has put together a three-man class full of elite shooters that ESPN and 247sports rank the third- and fourth-best recruiting classes in the country. Meanwhile, with one remaining scholarship to spend on a big man (i.e. Chinanu Onuaku, Pascal Chukwu, Trayvon Reed or Goodluck Okonoboh), the Terps' coaching staff can focus its efforts on closing out the class of 2014 on a strong note.
You can watch game footage of Dion Wiley here...
And watch game footage of Jared Nickens here...
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
TerpsRecruiting exclusive: Trayvon Reed
By the look of the scholarship offers Maryland has extended in the class of 2014, one thing is clear: head coach Mark Turgeon is looking to add a big man.
One of the prime targets on Maryland's board is 7-foot-1, 210-pound Atlanta center Trayvon Reed. TerpsRecruiting recently caught up with Reed, who holds offers from several SEC and ACC schools, including Maryland.
This summer, Reed has split his time running with Under Armour-sponsored Atlanta Xpress and Florida-based and Nike-sponsored Each 1 Teach 1.
Since joining Each 1 Teach 1, Reed has averaged 4.1 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game on 53% shooting. The team is 8-0 on Nike's EYBL circuit and qualified for the Peach Jam next month since Reed joined the team.
Reed's numbers aren't gaudy in AAU play, in part due to sharing touches with North Carolina commit and Each 1 Teach 1 point guard Joel Berry, who is averaging around 13 points per game on the EYBL circuit.
Reed says the schools standing out to him are "Florida, Auburn, Alabama, Tennessee, Florida State, Maryland and many others," but notes that he doesn't have a specific timeframe for making a decision. He told Rivals.com's Alex Kline last month that he plans to make his decision sometime next spring.
In the meantime, he'll soak in the recruiting process. He hasn't visited Maryland yet, but says "I plan to," adding that he's talked to the coaches "a couple times."
One thing that could play into Maryland's favor is that big man Charles Mitchell -- an outgoing personality -- is from Atlanta and is friendly with Reed.
Reed compares his game to NBA veteran Tim Duncan, noting that his "strengths are offense in the post."
You can watch Reed (No. 5, in black) playing with Atlanta Xpress at the Pitt Jamfest from last month here:
You can watch the second half here:
One of the prime targets on Maryland's board is 7-foot-1, 210-pound Atlanta center Trayvon Reed. TerpsRecruiting recently caught up with Reed, who holds offers from several SEC and ACC schools, including Maryland.
This summer, Reed has split his time running with Under Armour-sponsored Atlanta Xpress and Florida-based and Nike-sponsored Each 1 Teach 1.
Since joining Each 1 Teach 1, Reed has averaged 4.1 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game on 53% shooting. The team is 8-0 on Nike's EYBL circuit and qualified for the Peach Jam next month since Reed joined the team.
Reed's numbers aren't gaudy in AAU play, in part due to sharing touches with North Carolina commit and Each 1 Teach 1 point guard Joel Berry, who is averaging around 13 points per game on the EYBL circuit.
Reed says the schools standing out to him are "Florida, Auburn, Alabama, Tennessee, Florida State, Maryland and many others," but notes that he doesn't have a specific timeframe for making a decision. He told Rivals.com's Alex Kline last month that he plans to make his decision sometime next spring.
In the meantime, he'll soak in the recruiting process. He hasn't visited Maryland yet, but says "I plan to," adding that he's talked to the coaches "a couple times."
One thing that could play into Maryland's favor is that big man Charles Mitchell -- an outgoing personality -- is from Atlanta and is friendly with Reed.
Reed compares his game to NBA veteran Tim Duncan, noting that his "strengths are offense in the post."
You can watch Reed (No. 5, in black) playing with Atlanta Xpress at the Pitt Jamfest from last month here:
You can watch the second half here:
Friday, May 24, 2013
EYBL sends recruits' stocks soaring Part II
Picking right back up from where we left off earlier this week, five more high schoolers have considerably raised their stock since Nike's 2013 EYBL season kicked off.
One who has been particularly impressive is Texas Pro's Terrance Ferguson. What makes the 6-foot-5, 170-pound wing stand out is that he just finished his freshman year. While his frame may continue to fill out, putting on a few pounds may transform him from a wiry scorer into a more unstoppable player.
Beyond his stellar play on a 17U team -- when he could easily be playing 15U or 16U -- Ferguson's teammate, Emmanuel Mudiay, is the No. 2 player in the class of 2015 on Rivals.com. So big-time head coaches from schools like Arizona, Baylor, Kansas and Kentucky are watching Texas Pro games and seeing what Ferguson is bringing to the table as just a freshman.
Another player who has been outstanding is Ajon Efferson. The 6-foot, 155-pound point guard from California has been excellent in EYBL play alongside top 40 recruit Kameron Chatman, who has drawn in coaches' attention.
Efferson scored 34 points in a game against Wisconsin Playground, whose point guard Rashad Vaughn is a consensus blue-chip recruit. But for some reason -- potentially his transcript and ability to academically qualify -- schools haven't begun a full-out pursuit of the rising senior. Regardless, he's one to keep an eye on.
Class of 2015 big man Tyler Lydon did himself a huge service by reclassifying from 2014 earlier this year. The 6-foot-8, 180-pound big man from New York held offers from James Madison, Siena, Boston University, UAB and Fairfield prior to the reclassification.
Since then, his reclassification -- coupled with solid performances through three EYBL events -- has put Lydon on the radar of several high-major colleges. Suddenly, he holds offers from Boston College, Iowa, Iowa State, Minnesota, Penn State, Providence and Virginia Tech. And if he continues to perform well in AAU play, those offers should continue to roll in.
Another relative unknown prior to this AAU season was Leon Gilmore, a rising senior in Texas. The 6-foot-7 big man wasn't getting big-time looks, but after averaging more than nine points and nearly four rebounds per game for a loaded Houston Hoops program, Gilmore caught some coaches' eyes.
He added offers from Nebraska, Texas, Houston, Creighton and Oklahoma State, according to 247sports' Jerry Meyer, and is now rated the No. 62 player in the class of 2014. Kansas State, Oklahoma and UNLV continue to monitor him. And while Houston Hoops and its high-major recruits -- Justin Jackson, Justise Winslow and Kelly Oubre -- continue their reign of terror in the EYBL circuit, Gilmore should continue to get looks.
The final recruit whose stock ought to be on the rise through three EYBL events is Pennsylvania big man Nana Foulland. Foulland held offers from Holy Cross, Bucknell, George Mason, Delaware, Rider and Boston University prior to the summer, with interest from most of the Atlantic 10 Conference schools.
But Foulland has been hearing from bigger schools since averaging more than eight points and seven rebounds per game for Team Final. He told CityofBasketballLove.com that "he's also hearing from 'Wake Forest, Seton Hall' and other higher-conference schools."
One who has been particularly impressive is Texas Pro's Terrance Ferguson. What makes the 6-foot-5, 170-pound wing stand out is that he just finished his freshman year. While his frame may continue to fill out, putting on a few pounds may transform him from a wiry scorer into a more unstoppable player.
Beyond his stellar play on a 17U team -- when he could easily be playing 15U or 16U -- Ferguson's teammate, Emmanuel Mudiay, is the No. 2 player in the class of 2015 on Rivals.com. So big-time head coaches from schools like Arizona, Baylor, Kansas and Kentucky are watching Texas Pro games and seeing what Ferguson is bringing to the table as just a freshman.
| Player | AAU Team / Class | PPG | RPG | APG |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Terrance Ferguson | Texas Pro (Texas) / 2016 | 12.4 | 3.7 | 2.1 |
Another player who has been outstanding is Ajon Efferson. The 6-foot, 155-pound point guard from California has been excellent in EYBL play alongside top 40 recruit Kameron Chatman, who has drawn in coaches' attention.
Efferson scored 34 points in a game against Wisconsin Playground, whose point guard Rashad Vaughn is a consensus blue-chip recruit. But for some reason -- potentially his transcript and ability to academically qualify -- schools haven't begun a full-out pursuit of the rising senior. Regardless, he's one to keep an eye on.
| Player | AAU Team / Class | PPG | RPG | APG |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ajon Efferson | ICP Elite (Ore.) / 2014 | 12.9 | 3.2 | 2.8 |
Class of 2015 big man Tyler Lydon did himself a huge service by reclassifying from 2014 earlier this year. The 6-foot-8, 180-pound big man from New York held offers from James Madison, Siena, Boston University, UAB and Fairfield prior to the reclassification.
Since then, his reclassification -- coupled with solid performances through three EYBL events -- has put Lydon on the radar of several high-major colleges. Suddenly, he holds offers from Boston College, Iowa, Iowa State, Minnesota, Penn State, Providence and Virginia Tech. And if he continues to perform well in AAU play, those offers should continue to roll in.
| Player | AAU Team / Class | PPG | RPG |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tyler Lydon | Albany City Rocks (N.Y.) / 2015 | 7.0 | 8.1 |
Another relative unknown prior to this AAU season was Leon Gilmore, a rising senior in Texas. The 6-foot-7 big man wasn't getting big-time looks, but after averaging more than nine points and nearly four rebounds per game for a loaded Houston Hoops program, Gilmore caught some coaches' eyes.
He added offers from Nebraska, Texas, Houston, Creighton and Oklahoma State, according to 247sports' Jerry Meyer, and is now rated the No. 62 player in the class of 2014. Kansas State, Oklahoma and UNLV continue to monitor him. And while Houston Hoops and its high-major recruits -- Justin Jackson, Justise Winslow and Kelly Oubre -- continue their reign of terror in the EYBL circuit, Gilmore should continue to get looks.
| Player | AAU Team / Class | PPG | RPG | APG |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leon Gilmore | Houston Hoops (Texas) / 2014 | 9.2 | 3.8 | 1.9 |
The final recruit whose stock ought to be on the rise through three EYBL events is Pennsylvania big man Nana Foulland. Foulland held offers from Holy Cross, Bucknell, George Mason, Delaware, Rider and Boston University prior to the summer, with interest from most of the Atlantic 10 Conference schools.
But Foulland has been hearing from bigger schools since averaging more than eight points and seven rebounds per game for Team Final. He told CityofBasketballLove.com that "he's also hearing from 'Wake Forest, Seton Hall' and other higher-conference schools."
| Player | AAU Team / Class | PPG | RPG |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nana Foulland | Team Final (Pa.) / 2014 | 8.3 | 7.2 |
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Watch Damonte Dodd play in the Nat'l Prep Championship
Folks unable to make the trek 90 minutes west of Washington D.C. to check out Terps commit Damonte Dodd -- have no fear. The Basketball Diary's YouTube page captured Dodd's Massanutten Military Academy game in the National Prep Championship against Notre Dame Prep.
Massanutten (30-4) came up just short in overtime, and he had to share touches all season long with Kansas commit Frank Mason, Miami (FL) commit Deandre Burnett and Boston College commit Garland Owens. But Dodd had a successful prep year, averaging 14 points, eight rebounds and four blocks per game.
And Massanutten coach Chad Myers told the Baltimore Sun that the 6-foot-10 big man "had an unbelievable year for us. ... I think he's going to help Maryland right away."
Watch Dodd and Massanutten face off against Notre Dame Prep below. Dodd bursts out of the gate with an athletic alley-oop followed by an impressive block.
Catch the first half here:
Catch the second half here:
And catch the overtime period here:
Massanutten (30-4) came up just short in overtime, and he had to share touches all season long with Kansas commit Frank Mason, Miami (FL) commit Deandre Burnett and Boston College commit Garland Owens. But Dodd had a successful prep year, averaging 14 points, eight rebounds and four blocks per game.
And Massanutten coach Chad Myers told the Baltimore Sun that the 6-foot-10 big man "had an unbelievable year for us. ... I think he's going to help Maryland right away."
Watch Dodd and Massanutten face off against Notre Dame Prep below. Dodd bursts out of the gate with an athletic alley-oop followed by an impressive block.
Catch the first half here:
Catch the second half here:
And catch the overtime period here:
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
EYBL sends recruits' stocks soaring Part I
One of the best ways for a high school basketball player to get noticed -- and, in turn, earn a scholarship offer -- is to perform well on the AAU summer circuit in front of head coaches and assistants.
Through three Nike EYBL events, dozens of players have cemented their statuses as elite recruits in the 2014 and 2015 classes. Others have failed to live up to expectations. But the following 10 players have played their way from virtual unknown into bona fide high major recruits.
Case in point is Bonzie Colson, an undersized power forward from Rhode Island. Colson -- whose father is an assistant at Boston College -- came into the AAU season with offers from Rhode Island, Vermont, Boston University, Seton Hall, George Washington, Harvard, Fairfield and Quinnipiac.
But Colson should be collecting plenty more offers soon. The rising senior has exploded in the early part of this summer's AAU events, averaging more than 20 points per game for BABC (9-4). Though he may be undersized as a big man, he's clearly one of the more cerebral players on the circuit and hasn't let his 6-foot-6 frame stop him from stat-stuffing the box score.
Another player who has exceeded expectations is Team Takeover's Martin Geben. While his team has improved to 13-0 in EYBL play -- the only team still undefeated through three events -- Geben has been steady, averaging a hair over eight points and seven rebounds per game.
The Hagerstown big man had offers from Xavier, Temple and Dayton prior to AAU season, but has since collected offers from Maryland, Notre Dame, Virginia and Villanova, among others. Geben will miss the upcoming EYBL event as he travels to Lithuania to try out for its U19 national team.
Expressions Elite's Aaron Falzon has made quite the splash so far. The rising junior big man plays alongside consensus blue-chip recruit Abdul-Malik Abu for the Massachusetts-based AAU team.
While coaches from all over the country plant themselves at Expressions' games all summer in hopes of landing a commitment from Abu, Falzon's stock will continue to rise. He holds offers from Providence, Boston College, Sacred Heart and Boston University, but Rivals.com reports he has drawn interest from Ohio State and Duke as well.
And best of all, he has an entire AAU season left to play after this year.
California Supreme's Julian Richardson -- whose father, Pooh, played NBA ball for a decade -- has emerged in EYBL play. Julian, a 6-foot-2, 160-pound shooting guard, came into the AAU season with an offer from Fresno State.
But he and blue-chip wing Bennie Boatwright, who holds high major offers from most of the Pac-12, have led the team in scoring through 13 games. And while coaches continue to scout Boatwright -- a top 40 recruit in the class of 2014 -- they'll get a glance at Richardson, whose stock should continue to improve as his numbers continue to impress.
While Colson collects accolades for his play thus far, another player on BABC -- shooting guard Tyler Nelson -- has turned heads, too. The 6-foot-1, 165-pound sharpshooter ranks second in scoring on the Massachusetts squad with 13.2 points per game. He's established himself as one of the premier three-point threats on the AAU circuit, hitting 38 of his 77 three-point attempts, good for 49%.
And while he holds mostly low major offers from the Ivies and Northeastern schools, his performance through 13 games has cemented himself as an elite sharpshooter on the circuit.
Through three Nike EYBL events, dozens of players have cemented their statuses as elite recruits in the 2014 and 2015 classes. Others have failed to live up to expectations. But the following 10 players have played their way from virtual unknown into bona fide high major recruits.
| Player | AAU Team / Class | PPG | RPG | APG |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bonzie Colson | BABC (Mass.) / 2014 | 20.1 | 6.5 | 1.6 |
Case in point is Bonzie Colson, an undersized power forward from Rhode Island. Colson -- whose father is an assistant at Boston College -- came into the AAU season with offers from Rhode Island, Vermont, Boston University, Seton Hall, George Washington, Harvard, Fairfield and Quinnipiac.
But Colson should be collecting plenty more offers soon. The rising senior has exploded in the early part of this summer's AAU events, averaging more than 20 points per game for BABC (9-4). Though he may be undersized as a big man, he's clearly one of the more cerebral players on the circuit and hasn't let his 6-foot-6 frame stop him from stat-stuffing the box score.
| Player | AAU Team / Class | PPG | RPG |
|---|---|---|---|
| Martin Geben | Team Takeover (Md.) / 2014 | 8.2 | 7.2 |
Another player who has exceeded expectations is Team Takeover's Martin Geben. While his team has improved to 13-0 in EYBL play -- the only team still undefeated through three events -- Geben has been steady, averaging a hair over eight points and seven rebounds per game.
The Hagerstown big man had offers from Xavier, Temple and Dayton prior to AAU season, but has since collected offers from Maryland, Notre Dame, Virginia and Villanova, among others. Geben will miss the upcoming EYBL event as he travels to Lithuania to try out for its U19 national team.
| Player | AAU Team / Class | PPG | RPG |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aaron Falzon | Expressions Elite (Mass.) / 2015 | 12.2 | 5.8 |
Expressions Elite's Aaron Falzon has made quite the splash so far. The rising junior big man plays alongside consensus blue-chip recruit Abdul-Malik Abu for the Massachusetts-based AAU team.
While coaches from all over the country plant themselves at Expressions' games all summer in hopes of landing a commitment from Abu, Falzon's stock will continue to rise. He holds offers from Providence, Boston College, Sacred Heart and Boston University, but Rivals.com reports he has drawn interest from Ohio State and Duke as well.
And best of all, he has an entire AAU season left to play after this year.
| Player | AAU Team / Class | PPG | RPG |
|---|---|---|---|
| Julian Richardson | California Supreme (Calif.) / 2014 | 12.2 | 3.6 |
California Supreme's Julian Richardson -- whose father, Pooh, played NBA ball for a decade -- has emerged in EYBL play. Julian, a 6-foot-2, 160-pound shooting guard, came into the AAU season with an offer from Fresno State.
But he and blue-chip wing Bennie Boatwright, who holds high major offers from most of the Pac-12, have led the team in scoring through 13 games. And while coaches continue to scout Boatwright -- a top 40 recruit in the class of 2014 -- they'll get a glance at Richardson, whose stock should continue to improve as his numbers continue to impress.
| Player | AAU Team / Class | PPG |
|---|---|---|
| Tyler Nelson | BABC (Mass.) / 2014 | 13.2 |
While Colson collects accolades for his play thus far, another player on BABC -- shooting guard Tyler Nelson -- has turned heads, too. The 6-foot-1, 165-pound sharpshooter ranks second in scoring on the Massachusetts squad with 13.2 points per game. He's established himself as one of the premier three-point threats on the AAU circuit, hitting 38 of his 77 three-point attempts, good for 49%.
And while he holds mostly low major offers from the Ivies and Northeastern schools, his performance through 13 games has cemented himself as an elite sharpshooter on the circuit.
Saturday, May 18, 2013
Watch Martin Geben play in the Nat'l H.S. Hoops Fest
More goodies from The Basketball Diary's YouTube page. We've got St. Maria Goretti big man Martin Geben (No. 23 in the white) squaring off against fellow Terps targets Marcus Derrickson (No. 24 in black) and Franklin Howard (No. 1 in black) for Paul VI in the National High School Hoops Festival back in December.
Paul VI came out with the 57-43 win. Geben finished with 10 points and four rebounds, while Derrickson tallied 18 points and 11 rebounds and Howard added 11 points and three three-pointers.
Watch the first quarter here:
Watch the second quarter here:
Watch the third quarter here:
And watch the fourth quarter here:
Paul VI came out with the 57-43 win. Geben finished with 10 points and four rebounds, while Derrickson tallied 18 points and 11 rebounds and Howard added 11 points and three three-pointers.
Watch the first quarter here:
Watch the second quarter here:
Watch the third quarter here:
And watch the fourth quarter here:
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Watch Melo Trimble and DC Assault at the Pitt Jamfest
Just stumbled on The Basketball Diary's YouTube page, which includes loads of full-game footage of AAU and high school games.
In the two videos embedded below, you can catch Terps commit Melo Trimble lead DC Assault against Kentucky-based Louisville Magic a few weeks back at the Pittsburgh Jamfest. Trimble is wearing No. 0 for DC Assault (in gray).
Catch Part 1 here:
And catch Part 2 here:
In the two videos embedded below, you can catch Terps commit Melo Trimble lead DC Assault against Kentucky-based Louisville Magic a few weeks back at the Pittsburgh Jamfest. Trimble is wearing No. 0 for DC Assault (in gray).
Catch Part 1 here:
And catch Part 2 here:
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