While the Maryland staff continues to focus its attention on the 2010 recruiting class, there could be a last-minute addition to the 2009-10 UM roster.

InsideMDSports.com reported that Matt Pilgrim, a junior power forward from Kentucky, was planning an official visit to College Park this week.

Pilgrim, 6 feet 8, spent his first two years of college at Hampton before transferring to Kentucky last year. After sitting out the 2008-09 season due to NCAA transfer rules, Pilgrim would have been eligible to suit up for the Wildcats this coming season.

When John Calipari was hired to replace Billy Gillispie in Lexington, Pilgrim -- according to the Memphis Commercial Appeal -- was told there wouldn’t be a scholarship available for him at UK.

According to a source close to the situation, Calipari and Josh Pastner are working together to bring Pilgrim to Memphis. Calipari, the source said, will support Pilgrim's case to the NCAA.

Though Pilgrim said he probably wouldn't make a commitment until he sits down with his family, he acknowledged the urgency of picking a new school so that he can start the appeal process. Pilgrim has also visited Oklahoma State.

Continue reading "Weekly recruiting roundup" »

Posted by Matt Bracken at 10:30 AM in Weekly recruiting roundup | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

After Maryland wrapped up its 2009 recruiting class, one of the Terps’ first junior scholarship offers went out to St. John’s College (D.C.) defensive tackle Andre Monroe.

The 5-foot-11, 290-pounder thought about making an early commitment, but decided to go through the recruiting process for a little while. That ended Tuesday night, when Monroe committed to the Terps.

“It feels great knowing that I’m committed and they were at the top of my list the whole time,” Monroe said. “It feels great and I feel relief, getting it out of the way before the season so I can concentrate on my senior year.”

Continue reading "Monroe discusses Maryland pledge" »

Posted by Matt Bracken at 11:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

In June 1999, Derry (Pa.) Area offensive lineman Kyle Schmitt landed a scholarship offer from the Maryland football program and promptly accepted.

Ten years later, Atholton wide receiver-defensive back Matt Robinson found himself in a similar position as Schmitt -- his new coach -- once did.

On Monday, Robinson decided to follow in Schmitt’s footsteps and commit to the Terps.

“It just feels good to know where I’m going,” Robinson said. “I’ve been following the team for awhile. They’ve always been a big school in my mind that I wanted to go to.”

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Posted by Matt Bracken at 9:19 AM in Local recruiting | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

The odds were stacked against Donya Jackson from the start.

That the Calvert Hall small forward is still in high school, let alone excelling on the court and off, is an unbelievable achievement. That the 6-foot-4, 200-pound rising senior is going to college, let alone an institution like the Naval Academy, is borderline miraculous.

Jackson, who committed to Navy two weekends ago, was born in Baltimore, spent several years in New York and returned before middle school to the Pumphrey section of Anne Arundel County and later South Baltimore. As a seventh grader at Benjamin Franklin Middle School in Brooklyn, Jackson said he was skipping school and staying out late.

“All the guys in my family have went to jail or sold drugs,” Jackson said. “A lot of women in my family used drugs. ... Right now I should be somewhere dealing drugs or in jail, because that’s the path that was set up for me.”

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Posted by Matt Bracken at 11:58 AM in Local recruiting | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

One week after attending the National Basketball Players Association Top 100 camp in Charlottesville, Va., Will Regan decided to make that location his home for the next four years.

The Buffalo, N.Y., power forward committed to Virginia this weekend. Regan’s other finalists were Arizona State, Maryland, Providence and Stanford.

"The coaching staff made the basketball side a good fit beyond being in the ACC," Regan said. "I was basing my decision first on academics and they have a really good business school, so that's a huge attraction to me."

Continue reading "Weekend wrap — Regan makes his choice" »

Posted by Matt Bracken at 10:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (14)
        

Last weekend's National Basketball Players Association Top 100 camp served as an introduction of Richmond, Va., shooting guard Justin Coleman to the college basketball recruiting world.

NBE Basketball Report’s Ron Bailey checked in with Coleman, who explained his under-the-radar status.

“I just recently got on the map about a month ago” confided Coleman. “I sat out my whole tenth grade year and half my 11th grade year”. That respite from hoops was due to friction with the coach at his previous high school, Louisa. This year, after moving, he transferred to Henrico.

• CharlottesvilleNewsPlex.tv conducted a video interview with Maryland small forward target Mychal Parker during last weekend’s NBPA camp.

When asked about his interest in the University of Virginia, Parker confirmed that they are on his list of schools that include Maryland, Miami, Virginia Tech, Virginia, and Clemson and that everything, "Is still up in the air." Parker will visit other schools as the summer goes along.

• Christchurch, Va., shooting guard Michael Gbinije -- a rising junior who was named Most Promising Player at the NBPA camp -- took a recent trip to College Park.

Frank Gbinije, Mike’s dad, shared his son is being recruited by “Georgetown, Texas, UVA, Virginia Tech, and Florida”, most if not all of which called him June 15th, the first day college coaches can call the homes of perspective Class of 2011 recruits, per NCAA guidelines. Mike also unofficially visited Maryland several weeks ago. Other colleges will be evaluated.

Continue reading "Weekly recruiting roundup" »

Posted by Matt Bracken at 11:58 AM in Weekly recruiting roundup | Permalink | Comments (4)
        

Josh Bordner knew the odds were stacked against him.

The Century quarterback was well aware that Carroll County schools were off the radar of most college football recruiters. Bordner planned on hitting the combine circuit this summer, hoping to land a Division I offer before Signing Day in February.

“I knew I was going to have to get my name out there,” Bordner said. “They weren’t going to know me.”

Last weekend Bordner’s timeline got moved up considerably. After spending four days at Boston College’s camp, the Eagles offered the 6-foot-4, 195-pounder a scholarship, and he promptly accepted.

Continue reading "Century QB Bordner headed to Boston College" »

Posted by Matt Bracken at 11:46 AM in Local recruiting | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

When Nermin Delic puts his mind to something, the Maryland-bound defensive end-tight end gives nothing less than 100 percent.

It’s a quality that has served the 6-foot-5, 240-pounder well throughout his high school career at Northwest Whitfield in Tunnel Hill, Ga. But Delic’s well-known work ethic is also one of the reasons he’s headed to College Park instead of an SEC school.

After the Bruins’ 6-4 season last fall, Delic went straight into basketball mode, working out like a maniac in order to improve his quickness and agility. By January, Delic was down to 215 pounds. As Northwest Whitfield’s starting center, Delic averaged 15 points and 10 rebounds per game.

While basketball couldn’t have gone much better, the slimmed-down Delic began to think his weight loss limited his recruiting. Marshall, Florida International, Florida Atlantic and Middle Tennessee State offered scholarships, but most of the SEC and ACC schools -- other than Maryland -- were taking a wait-and-see approach.

“When I went to Georgia, they were planning to offer me that day when I went to Junior Day,” Delic said. “I showed up at 215 pounds, and they were like ‘go home.’ But I deserved it. I was pretty mad, but when I got home, my dad told me ‘you look like a receiver or a [defensive back].’ ... That’s when I really decided to get committed to football. So I’ve been hitting the weights hard and eating right.”

Continue reading "Nermin Delic discusses Terps commitment" »

Posted by Matt Bracken at 11:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

The first time Laurin Mincy thought basketball might lead her to College Park was during Maryland Madness last October.

The Newark, N.J., shooting guard met the team, chatted with other recruits and saw Terps coach Brenda Frese work the Comcast Center crowd into a frenzy.

Still, the 6-foot Mincy was deliberate with her recruitment and didn’t want to make a hurried choice.

“I wanted to make sure [I was comfortable with] my decision,” Mincy said. “I just wanted to make sure it was right because it’s a lifelong decision.”

Eight months later, Mincy followed through on that gut feeling, committing to Maryland on Monday. The New Jersey girls basketball Player of the Year picked the Terps over Georgia and Rutgers.

Continue reading "Terps women land N.J. shooting guard" »

Posted by Matt Bracken at 10:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (12)
        

I wasn't able to make it down to Charlottesville this weekend for the National Basketball Players Association Top 100 camp, but the PR folks at the event were kind enough to orchestrate some phone time with a few participants of interest.

Camp director Tim McCormick, who started the NBPA Top 100 camp 17 years ago after the conclusion of his eight-year NBA career, has seen a few notable Baltimore players come through the camp during his tenure. But this year, with seven Baltimore natives in attendance, was unlike any other.

“It varies from year to year,” McCormick said. “Obviously the Baltimore area is loaded with great talent this year. And it does vary from year to year, because we are targeting only the best 100 players in the entire nation. We don’t do any favors. For instance, to get the No. 1 player in the country, we’re not going to take the point guard on his AAU team [just to have a chance to land him]. If one player can’t come, we’re going to the next player on the list. [But] Baltimore is really a hotbed of high school basketball. It always has been. It’s one of the best years we’ve seen.”

Continue reading "Recapping the NBPA Top 100 camp" »

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