More than a year ago, Riverdale Baptist forward Dee Liles committed to play basketball for Maryland.

Academics ended up rerouting Liles, a 6-foot-1 forward, to Gulf Coast Community College in Panama City, Fla. But -- as first reported by TerrapinTimes.com -- now Liles is heading to College Park after all.

Gulf Coast head coach Roonie Scovel said Liles recommitted to the Terps on a visit to Maryland’s campus earlier this month. She also considered LSU and Louisville.

During her freshman season, Liles averaged approximately seven points and five rebounds per game for a Gulf Coast team that will eventually have had “six or seven or eight” Division I players, according to Scovel. Liles will join the Terps during the 2008-09 season with two years of eligibility remaining.

Scovel was kind enough to answer ‘Five questions’ about Liles.

Were you surprised she committed to Maryland?

Well she had made a couple other visits, but I think that’s always been her dream. It was probably smart to look at a couple other schools to make sure, and then be able to follow her dream.

Now she’ll play close to home and be close to her family. She gets back to her roots and now she gets to do something she’s always wanted to do.

What is Liles like as a player?

Dee’s one of those players that has the ability to play a lot of positions, but you can’t really name the exact one. She has great athleticism in the post, and she’s quick enough to run outside and play the perimeter game. She’s got a lot of good qualities. She can probably play any position except the point.

What can she improve on?

Last year she didn’t shoot the ball very well from the perimeter. We took her out of her comfort zone, which was close to the basket. She can score and rebound close to the basket.

This year we’ll utilize her at both positions, probably a little more inside because of our team. She worked a lot on her perimeter shooting. I do think that’ll be a lot better this year.

What are your expectations of Liles this season?

We have a pretty diverse group. We’ve got three-point shooters; we’ve got quickness, a nice post game. I think on any given night we could have five different kids who could step up and lead the team in scoring. We’re pretty diverse. My expectation of Dee is that I expect her to average a double-double this year. There are going to be nights when we move her out to the perimeter. We’re going to use Dee at whatever position will be most successful for our team.

What you think of her commitment to Maryland?

She looked at a couple other schools, but I would say Dee’s heart and loyalty was always with Maryland. The second time around with these kids, you never know what will happen. I’m glad she was loyal to Maryland and I’m glad the Maryland coaches were loyal to her. In today’s society, we’ve kind of lost some of that [loyalty]. I think it’s great that both sides agreed to be loyal to each other. I think she’s got a lot of potential to be a really nice player for Maryland.

Posted by Matt Bracken at 11:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

Here are the last two Maryland commitment game recaps of the week. Both games were played yesterday after getting rained out over the weekend.

Davin Meggett -- 5-foot-8, 190-pound running back from Surrattsville

Surrattsville (7-1) pulled out a 18-13 win over Gwynn Park.

According to washingtonpost.com, Meggett had 18 carries for 193 yards and two touchdowns, and also caught a 75-yard touchdown pass. The three scores gave him 25 offensive touchdowns on the year, which leads the Washington-area, according to The Washington Post. Meggett has also returned an interception for a touchdown.

"For him to do that, in our league, he’s really stepped it up," said Surrattsville head coach Tom Green of Meggett leading D.C. in touchdowns. "There’s really not much more you can say. What you ask him to do, he goes and does it and then some."

For the season, Meggett has carried the ball 114 times for 1,216 yards and 20 touchdowns, and caught six passes for 301 yards and five touchdowns.

Kevin Dorsey -- 6-foot-2, 175-pound wide receiver from Forestville

Forestville (3-4) defeated Central, 26-14.

According to washingtonpost.com, Dorsey reeled in three passes for 29 yards, including a 16-yard touchdown catch.

Posted by Matt Bracken at 9:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

Stormy weather bumped six future Terps from playing their high school games this weekend.

Three commits had their makeup games last night. Here's what happened in each.

Gary Douglas -- 6-foot, 178-pound running back from Durham (N.C.) Hillside

Hillside (8-2) topped Northern Durham, 43-21.

Douglas carried 15 times for 196 yards and two touchdowns.

According to The [Durham, N.C.] Herald-Sun, Douglas ripped off a 71-yard touchdown run with less than three minutes remaining, putting Hillside on top for good.

“"I saw an opening and got some really great blocking downfield," Douglas told The Herald-Sun. "Northern may not have a good record, but they have a team that can beat anybody. This was a big win for us."

For the season, Douglas has rushed for 1,563 yards and 16 touchdowns on 151 carries, and caught seven passes for 144 yards and one touchdown.

Kerry Boykins -- 6-foot-1, 200-pound wide receiver from Chesapeake (Va.) Oscar F. Smith

Oscar Smith (9-0) blasted Deep Creek, 41-7.

According to The Virginian-Pilot, Boykins caught three passes for 57 yards and one touchdown.

Demetrius Hartsfield -- 6-foot-1, 210-pound linebacker from Southeast Raleigh (N.C.)

Southeast Raleigh (8-2) bested Holly Springs, 31-10.

• For those who missed last night's Zach Brown update/correction, here's the link.

Posted by Matt Bracken at 12:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

Maryland tight end commit Devonte Campbell received his qualifying SAT score today, according to Hargrave head coach Robert Prunty.

Posted by Matt Bracken at 9:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

Earlier today I reported that Zach Brown had withdrawn his commitment to Maryland.

Turns out there was never a commitment to withdraw.

I just got a call from Hargrave head coach Robert Prunty. Here's what he had to say regarding Brown's supposed commitment to the Terps:

"Zach Brown was never committed to the University of Maryland. Zach Brown was a kid they had a lot of interest in, but they never offered him. I had talked to Coach [Dave] Sollazzo and what they wanted to see was how he did academically at Hargrave. They were waiting to see his grades at Hargrave.

“I would like to apologize to the University of Maryland coaching staff and the fans of the University of Maryland because the statement that the assistant coach made was incorrect. He’s a young guy who made mistakes, but he’s also going to do great things before he leaves Hargrave.

“One thing that Hargrave does have is a great relationship with the University of Maryland, and we look forward to continuing to work with them.

“Any player that has the opportunity to go to the University of Maryland should consider himself very fortunate. They have a great coaching staff and a great academic program.”

Here's a link to the decommitment story -- which includes the assistant's quotes. Here's a link to an earlier story that said Brown was committed.

So what's the moral of this story? Recruiting is full of misunderstandings, which in turn leads to all sorts of misinformation (obviously).

This isn't an indictment of Brown, Hargrave, or the Terps' staff. It's not the first time in the history of recruiting that misunderstandings of this magnitude have taken place between player and staff. The situation just serves as another reminder of that.

Here's hoping both parties move on -- Brown to a BCS conference school after Hargrave, and the Terps to another prospect that will add to their 2008 recruiting class.

Posted by Matt Bracken at 5:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
                    

Correction: Brown was not a commitment. Here's a link to corrected story.

Former Wilde Lake standout and current Hargrave Military Academy linebacker Zach Brown is no longer committed to Maryland.

The 6-foot-1, 212-pounder actually withdrew his commitment to the Terps about a month ago, according to Hargrave assistant Jeff Burchman.

“He just decided to kind of look around and see what was available,” Burchman said. “He’s done a great job and is getting a lot of attention.”

Brown, a four-star prospect per Scout.com, is still considering the Terps, but has a wide open recruiting picture and no current leader, according to Burchman.

“He’s looking at a variety of schools. ... a lot of ACC and SEC schools,” Burchman said. “He just wanted to open his options a bit. He’s going to take his visits ... He’s just looking at everybody.”

Posted by Matt Bracken at 11:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

Here’s your weekly recap of all Maryland football commitments’ high school games.

Justin Lewis -- 6-foot-4, 285-pound offensive guard from Johnsonville (S.C.)

Johnsonville (4-6) was crushed by Carvers Bay, 48-0.

Lewis collected six tackles and one quarterback pressure, while grading out at 86 percent of his blocks on offense.

“We finished the season, unfortunately,” said Johnsonville head coach Lewis Lineberger.
"[Justin] played pretty well the last couple weeks. He played the best he’s played all year. …

"We were disappointed with our season. We didn’t play as well as we thought we could have. But I think he played well overall. I think he probably didn’t have quite as good a year as he did last year. But I think he has great potential and will do well in college.”

Lineberger said he believes in-state schools Clemson and South Carolina could eventually offer scholarships to Lewis, but the Terp commit is “pretty well set.”

“There are other people looking at him, but right now he is completely committed to Maryland.”

For the season, Lewis contributed 36 tackles, one sack, five tackles for loss, nine quarterback pressures and one recovered fumble. Lineberger estimated that Lewis graded out at over 80 percent of his blocks on offense.

Tyler Urban -- 6-foot-4, 240-pound defensive end from North Huntingdon (Pa.) Norwin

Norwin (6-3) ended an eight-game losing streak to conference rival Penn-Trafford with its 27-6 win.

Urban led the Norwin rushing attack with 76 yards and three touchdowns.

“Coach [Dan] Conwell said coming into this game that we were going to run the ball a lot,” Urban told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “Our offensive line, you have to (credit) a lot of those rushing yards to them. They opened up holes the entire game.”

Matt Furstenburg -- 6-foot-4, 220-pound tight end from The Hun School in Princeton, N.J.

The Hun School (7-0) edged Valley Forge Academy, 21-18.

Furstenburg reeled in three passes for 44 yards and one touchdown, and also contributed two sacks and three tackles on defense.

R.J. Dill -- 6-foot-8, 280-pound offensive tackle from Camp Hill (Pa.) Trinity

Trinity (9-0) dominated James Buchanan, 35-0.

The Shamrocks rushed for 336 yards and held Buchanan to just 19 total yards.

Cameron Chism -- 6-foot-2, 180-pound cornerback from Bishop McNamara

Bishop McNamara (5-4) was blanked by DeMatha, 22-0.

Chism led the Mustangs in receiving with three catches for 81 yards.

“[Cameron] did alright,” said Bishop McNamara coach Bryce Bevill. “He played well on defense. We were on defense a lot.”

Teddy Dargan -- 6-foot-3, 290-pound defensive tackle from Milford Mill

Milford Mill (4-4) fell to Franklin, 35-28.

“[Teddy] didn’t play,” said Milford Mill head coach Reggie White. “He was really sick all week. He didn’t get well enough to play. He really was out of it ... missed a few days of school.”

Tavon Wilson -- 6-foot-0, 175-pound cornerback from H.D. Woodson (D.C.)

HD Woodson (6-3) routed Spingarn, 55-0.

Wilson caught a 50-yard touchdown pass and returned a kickoff 80 yards for a score.

Cody Blue -- 6-foot-5, 280-pound defensive tackle from Wilde Lake

Wilde Lake (6-2) was defeated by Howard, 21-14.

A.J. Francis -- 6-foot-4, 314-pound defensive lineman from Gonzaga (D.C.) College

Gonzaga (4-4) shut out O’Connell, 28-0.

Justin Gilbert -- 6-foot-6, 280-pound offensive tackle from Richmond (Va.) Monacan

Monacan (5-3) topped Midlothian, 14-0.

Masengo Kabongo -- 6-foot-2, 280-pound defensive tackle from Fairfield (Conn.) Prep.

Fairfield Prep (5-2) blanked Hamden, 24-0.

Kerry Boykins -- 6-foot-1, 200-pound wide receiver from Chesapeake (Va.) Oscar F. Smith

Rain cancelled Oscar Smith’s (8-0) Friday matchup with Deep Creek. The game will be made up tonight at 6 p.m.

Demetrius Hartsfield -- 6-foot-1, 210-pound linebacker from Southeast Raleigh (N.C.)

Southeast Raleigh’s (7-2) date with Holly Springs was rescheduled for tonight at 7:00 p.m.

Gary Douglas -- 6-foot, 178-pound running back from Durham (N.C.) Hillside

Hillside (7-2) had its game at Northern Durham postponed. It’s been rescheduled for tonight at 7:00 p.m.

For the season, Douglas has rushed for 1,367 yards and 14 touchdowns on 136 carries, and caught seven passes for 144 yards and one touchdown.

Davin Meggett -- 5-foot-8, 190-pound running back from Surrattsville

Surrattsville (6-1) had its game against Gwynn Park postponed due to weather. The Hornets’ game is rescheduled for Tuesday at 3:00 p.m.

On the season, Meggett has carried the ball 96 times for 1,023 yards and 18 touchdowns, and caught five passes for 226 yards and four touchdowns.

Kevin Dorsey -- 6-foot-2, 175-pound wide receiver from Forestville

Forestville’s (2-4) matchup with Central was postponed due to inclement weather. The Knights’ makeup game is scheduled for Tuesday at 3:00 p.m.

Devonte Campbell -- 6-foot-2, 230-pound tight end from Hargrave Military Academy

Hargrave’s trip to Annapolis to take on the Naval Academy was cancelled due to poor weather. Rain and flooding prevented the Cadets from making the trip from Chatham, Va. to Maryland.

Posted by Matt Bracken at 11:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

Starting with football recruiting …

• Where does the Terps’ football staff turn for players when in-state guys go elsewhere? According to The [Newport News, Va.] Daily Press, the talent-stocked Hampton Roads area has increasingly become a UM recruiting destination.

State champions last year at Phoebus High School, fullback Haroon Brown and offensive lineman Maurice Hampton are redshirting this season for Maryland.

The former Phantoms are among six Hampton Roads players recruited to the Terps program by assistant coach Tom Brattan. Moreover, Maryland has a commitment from receiver Kerry Boykins, a senior at Chesapeake's Oscar Smith High who chose the Terps over Virginia, North Carolina, Virginia Tech and Tennessee.

• UM running back commit Davin Meggett has lead the Surrattsville High School football team to a completely unfamiliar scenario -- contending for a playoff berth.

The Clinton school has never sent its football team to the playoffs, but it looks like it’s going to happen this year, as the Hornets currently hold the third of four playoff spots available in the 1A South Region. After Saturday’s game, Surrattsville (6-1) will close the season against middle-of-the-road teams, Largo and Crossland. The Hornets are led by running back Davin Meggett’s 17 rushing touchdowns, but they’ve also allowed just 71 points in seven games.

• Scout.com is pretty high on Maryland’s three prep school football commitments. Hargrave linebacker Zach Brown, The Hun School tight end Matt Furstenburg and Hargrave tight end Devonte Campbell are Nos. 12, 17 and 22 respectively on Scout’s newly-released Prep School Class of 2008 Top 50.

• As part of The Sun’s ‘Football: The tie that binds’ series, Stefen Lovelace profiled one of Maryland’s top 2009 football targets, Baltimore’s own Tavon Austin.

The entire story is definitely worth the read, but to give you an idea of just how much competition the Terps will face for the Dunbar running back’s services, here’s an excerpt from the article.

Austin's smile fades and his expression becomes serious when he starts sifting through the envelopes, with return addresses from universities like Alabama, Illinois, Ohio State, Auburn, Syracuse, Arizona State and Florida State.

• One-time Terp wide receiver target Ben Barber pledged this week to the in-state Hokies.

Virginia Tech picked up the 21st commitment Wednesday for its 2008 football recruiting class from Ben Barber, a 5-foot-10, 200-pound wide receiver from Thomas Edison High in Alexandria. He also considered scholarship offers from Virginia and Maryland.

Finishing with basketball recruiting …

• Adam Zagoria of the Herald News in West Paterson, N.J. caught up with 2009 big man Greg Echenique. The St. Benedict (N.J.) Prep player commented on Penn, Duke and Rutgers, but also gave a little love to the Terps.

Echenique added that he also likes Maryland, which features fellow Venezuelan Greivis Vasquez, and Pitt and hopes to take some more visits when his parents come from South America for Easter.

• CSTV.com’s Van Coleman offers Part 1 and Part 2 of his ACC Fall Recruiting Preview. Per usual, ACC teams are bringing in absurd collections of talent.

Coleman also hosted his weekly chat, and one Terp fan got Coleman’s opinion on UM commitments Gus Gilchrist and Jin Soo Kim.

Gary Md: How good are Gilchrest and Kim? Do you see Md getting any other recruits?What about junoirs? THANKS

Van Coleman: Right now I think Gus Gilchrist comes in right away and has an opportunity to start at one of the two inside spots. He's made tremendous strides this past year, has improved his body, runs the floor well, has great hands. With Kim, he's one of the best shooters in the prep school league but he'll need to get stronger.

• Gilchrist’s commitment officially spelled the end of Maryland’s courtship of Elizabeth, N.J. power forward Quintrell Thomas. This week, Thomas officially found a home by offering a verbal commitment to Kansas.

He turned down the big-city lights of UNLV and Maryland and staying home to play at Rutgers to go with KU's tradition. Not to mention a chance for playing time as a freshman.

• Looks like Tubby Smith will be just fine at Minnesota. The former Kentucky coach pulled a commitment yesterday from former Terp target Ralph Sampson III.

• South Kent (Conn.) Prep center Assane Sene, another one-time UM target, committed to Virginia this week.

"It was a tough decision. I had only good schools," said Sene, who also visited UConn and Syracuse and had interest from UCLA, Texas, Kansas and Maryland. "But Virginia is my favorite."

• Remember former UM shooting guard target Chris Turner? Back in August, Sean Mosley beat Turner to the punch, committing to Maryland, and thus leaving Turner looking elsewhere to play his college ball.

Now it appears Turner is looking elsewhere to play his high school ball as well.

Patterson (N.C.) School coach Chris Chaney said that 6-5 shooting guard Chris Turner is no longer enrolled at the school, and that he and others were working on finding Turner a better situation.

Turner, a Durham, N.C. native who spent last season at Winchendon (Mass.) Prep, attended "Madness After Midnight" last week at Seton Hall and was thought to be an option for the Pirates if they don't land Tyreke Evans or Kevin Jones.

Posted by Matt Bracken at 11:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

DeMatha wide receiver/safety Kenny Tate has been fairly tight-lipped about his recruitment, but for good reason -- there's not much to report. He has unofficially visited Maryland and Florida but hasn't made an official visit to any school just yet.

According to Stags head coach Bill McGregor, Tate's been 100 percent focused on his high school season, bumping recruiting to the backburner. I caught up with McGregor earlier this week to check in on Tate's season and recruiting picture.

How has Tate performed this year?

"He’s done very well. He’s playing both ways -- wide receiver, running back, safety, kick and punt returns."

What position do you think he projects best at for college?

"I don’t know. He’s so versatile. I think he could be a wide receiver, a defensive back, a big running back. He’s tall, so I don’t know. He might even grow into a linebacker."

You've coached multiple players in the NFL, in addition to several more DeMatha alums that currently dot DI rosters. Where does Tate stack up with past DeMatha greats?

"He’s as good as anyone I’ve ever coached. He's a great kid, a great human being, a great person. He's focused on academics. He's very low key and comes from a great family."

What have you discussed with him regarding recruiting?

"Truthfully, we haven’t really talked about it. Basically we’re talking about winning the next ball game. My gut says Florida and Maryland. I don’t know which order, but again, all that could change. Kenny’s priority is high school football."

Do you have any sense as to where he's leaning?

"It’s Kenny’s call. There's pros and cons with both. It's nice being close to home and having a chance to play for Maryland. He could become a household name for the University of Maryland. At the same time, Florida is big-time. There’s lots of glitz and glamour with playing in the SEC. He could end up checking out Ohio State, too."

What does the emphasis on team over recruiting say about Tate?

"I just think that’s the kind of young man he is. He cares about his team and teammates. He doesn’t have a bad choice. He can go anywhere in the country. He's always had his priorites in order. I just think he’s following what he’s always done."

Recruiting Report programming note: For those of you that get CSTV, check out Tom Lemming's Generation Next at 7:00 p.m. tonight. I did a brief interview for the show discussing Tate's recruitment.

Posted by Matt Bracken at 10:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

Today's guest for 'Five questions' is MDVarsity.com editor Sheldon Shealer.

Shealer, a professor of journalism at Mount St. Mary's University, has covered high school football in Maryland since 1987. He started the official state rankings (1990) and the All-State teams (1992) and has served as the coordinator of both since their inception, in addition to creating and maintaining the official state records for football.

Shealer answered five questions via e-mail about the Terps' in-state commits and one UM target.

1.) What are your impressions of Maryland defensive line commitments Teddy Dargan (Milford Mill) and Cody Blue (Wilde Lake)? What type of impact do you foresee them making at Maryland? What are their strengths? What can they work on?

We've been waiting for Dargan to deliver and he finally put on a monster game last week in Milford Mill's loss to Hereford. It was his best performance to date from an athlete who has been getting hype since his sophomore year. Blue is more of a project for Maryland. He has good size and strength, but will not be an impact player right away.

2.) How has Forestville wide receiver Kevin Dorsey performed this year? Is he an instant-impact type of player? What are his strengths and weaknesses?

Dorsey is having a great season even though it appears his high school team will not make the playoffs. He has 29 catches for 519 yards and six TDs.

Dorsey's size and athletic ability, and the fact he's very polished as a high school player, could get him early playing time on the collegiate level. His body frame and route running reminds me of Keyshawn Johnson.

3.) What were your impressions of Terp commits and Hargrave players Devonte Campbell and Zach Brown coming out of high school? What did they need to work on during their year at Hargrave?

Zach Brown is an exceptional athlete -- almost freakish with his size and speed. He was a three-sport star at Wilde Lake -- wrestling, track and football. I see him making a smooth transition to the college game. Campbell is a speed end/tight end who might need to add a few pounds for the I-A game.

4.) From a statistical standpoint, it seems like running back Davin Meggett is having an excellent senior year. Was this expected? What has each shown to you?

Going into this season, the question on Meggett was could he take a hit? Clearly, he has shown he can -- he's already over 1,000 yards and appears to be on pace for a 1,500+ type season. It's no surprise that he's having this sort of statistical showing, the more impressive aspect is how far he's carried Surrattsville, a program that has never been in the playoffs. Surrattsville is 6-1. Meggett has very good speed and he's thick and strong.

5.) How does Maryland look for DeMatha wide receiver Kenny Tate? Is Florida the Terps' main competition? What type of wide receiver is he?

Tate is a possession receiver. He has good speed, but not great speed. Florida is in the mix, but his game seems more suited for a Big 10-style offense.

Posted by Matt Bracken at 11:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
                    

All it took was one official visit.

Gus Gilchrist had no idea that he’d visit College Park this past weekend and enjoy himself enough to become a Terp.

“Well I didn’t really know if I was going to [commit] to Maryland or not, but I took the visit because they were interested,” Gilchrist said. “When I met the coaching staff and watched them practice with the flex offense, I knew I could be good with them.”

On Sunday, Gilchrist made it official, offering a verbal commitment to the Terrapins’ coaching staff. Gilchrist picked the Terps over interest from Georgetown, Kansas, Kentucky, Virginia and West Virginia.

Gilchrist -- a four-star center/power forward -- originally signed a Letter of Intent to play basketball at Virginia Tech, where he would’ve been a freshman now.

But according to Terrelle Woody, Gilchrist’s longtime trainer/mentor, the shootings on the Blacksburg campus last April caused the 6-foot-10, 235-pound big man to reevaluate things.

“When the shootings happened, they really spooked him out,” Woody said. “Once they spooked him out ... Gus and his parents talked to [Virginia Tech] coach [Seth] Greenberg and told him they didn’t want to go this year. He wanted to sit out, go to prep school and then come back the next year after all the things blew over. ... The coach felt that he recruited him and Gus needed to come there now, but myself and his parents thought he should feel comfortable. ... Once he wasn’t supported, he changed his mind about the whole thing. ... He did want to go to school there. He really liked the school.”

When asked about the Virginia Tech situation, Gilchrist declined to rehash the past, saying he was entirely “focused on Maryland.”

While becoming a Terp was far from a certainty (or, at some times, a possibility), the match between Gilchrist and Gary Williams’ brand of basketball has been described by more than a few observers as “perfect,” thanks in large part to UM’s flex offense.

During his senior year of high school at Progressive Christian Academy in Camp Springs, Gilchrist had the opportunity to face a regular slate of high school opponents, but also a collection of prep school teams. Woody coached Progressive’s prep school contests, running the flex offense. Against prep school opponents, Gilchrist averaged approximately 27 points and 14 rebounds per game.

“I always kind of played the flex offense growing up,” Gilchrist said. “I remember early in AAU growing up, I was probably 9 when I started learning it.”

Gilchrist’s knowledge, experience and skill set make his play and the offense an ideal fit.

“I’m a versatile, perimeter post player,” Gilchrist said. “I can score inside and out and play defense.”

Damon Handon, the general manager of D.C. Assault -- Gilchrist’s AAU team -- is in agreement that Gilchrist and Maryland’s system are a good match. Handon, who has watched Gilchrist develop since he joined D.C. Assault at age 14, thinks his former star has the potential to start for the Terps at the power forward or center spot from “day one.”

“What [Maryland is] getting in Gus is a physical inside presence,” Handon said “He can step out and make the 17-foot jump shot. He has great size. He has gotten so much better over the last two years, so I think that’ll continue when he gets to college. His upside is just tremendous. [He’s] a kid that is physically ready right now.”

“He’s an inside-outside player. He can score around the basket. He’s multi-dimensional. One aspect of his game [that can improve] is the ability to rebound the basketball, but I’m quite sure that’ll come. But right now he’s very polished offensively. This is a kid who has made some really big strides.”

Gilchrist is set to matriculate to College Park during the winter semester. He’ll begin practicing with the team immediately, but it’s still up in the air as to whether he’ll suit up for the Terps this season, or wait to make his Comcast Center debut during the 2008-09 season.

“Well, I really haven’t even talked to the coaches about that,” Gilchrist said. “So there will be time for that.

“It’s pretty much even,” he said when asked whether he’d like to redshirt or play immediately. “If I had a preference, I’d let you know, but it’s really 50/50 right now.”

Right now, Gilchrist is using his free time to get more prepared for college basketball. Woody has worked Gilchrist hard, putting him through weight training, agility workouts, speed and stamina exercises, and of course, lots and lots of basketball.

Gilchrist is also getting his mind prepared for the rigors of a college education. When he’s not working out or spending time with family and friends, Gilchrist’s face can often be found buried in a book. He’s currently enjoying the John Howard Griffin classic Black Like Me.

In addition to his affinity for literature, Gilchrist -- a 3.5 student in high school -- is eager to explore some of Maryland’s business school offerings.

“[Education is] very important,” Gilchrist said. “The fact that Maryland has one of the best business schools in America -- that’s a field that I’d like to get into.

“I’m just really excited to start school. It feels great [to be committed to Maryland]. I’m relieved that I found a school that’s the right school for me all around, for basketball and education.”

Posted by Matt Bracken at 10:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (25)
                    

Here’s your weekly recap of all Maryland football commitments’ high school games.

Gary Douglas -- 6-foot, 178-pound running back from Durham (N.C.) Hillside

Hillside (7-2) defeated Chapel Hill, 25-6.

Douglas carried the ball 18 times for 100 yards and caught a 75-yard touchdown pass.

For the season, Douglas has rushed for 1,367 yards and 14 touchdowns on 136 carries, and caught seven passes for 144 yards and one touchdown.

Davin Meggett -- 5-foot-8, 190-pound running back from Surrattsville

Surrattsville (6-1) blanked Central, 42-0.

Meggett rushed for 150 yards and three touchdowns on 17 carries, and caught a 30-yard touchdown pass.

On the season, Meggett has carried the ball 96 times for 1,023 yards and 18 touchdowns, and caught five passes for 226 yards and four touchdowns.

Tyler Urban -- 6-foot-4, 240-pound defensive end from North Huntingdon (Pa.) Norwin

Norwin (5-3) blasted Connellsville, 42-6.

According to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Urban recorded Norwin’s first two touchdowns of the night.

Urban got the scoring started in the first quarter with an 8-yard touchdown run led by a key block from right tackle Jesse Dominy to give Norwin (5-3, 3-1) a 7-0 lead.

After Norwin senior Adam Dominick picked off Connellsville quarterback Cole Lowman in Falcons territory, the Knights went 30 yards in six plays for another Urban score. This one came on an 8-yard completion from quarterback Alex Dennison.

R.J. Dill -- 6-foot-8, 280-pound offensive tackle from Camp Hill (Pa.) Trinity

Trinity (8-0) toughed out a 7-0 over Milton Hershey. The Shamrocks, who rushed for 268 yards in the game, are the No. 4 team in Pennsylvania’s Class AA.

“For being in the mud [R.J.] did fine,” said Trinity coach Jeff Boger. “It poured -- it was a mud fest. Our quarterback fumbled nine times. Luckily he recovered all nine.

“It’s a tremendous help to know when the team needs yards, you've got a place to go. And [R.J.] wants it go there. He’s confident that when we go to his side, we’ll get the yards.”

Cameron Chism -- 6-foot-2, 180-pound cornerback from Bishop McNamara

Bishop McNamara (5-3) beat Paul IV Catholic, 42-14.

Chism rushed twice for 50 yards, caught four passes for 49 yards and broke the game open with an 85-yard kickoff return for touchdown.

“He made a big play,” said Bishop McNamara coach Bryce Bevill. “He muffed a punt right before which gave Paul field position and they scored to make it 7-7. He returned the kickoff after that. So if you want to make up for a mistake, that’s the way to do it.”

Teddy Dargan -- 6-foot-3, 290-pound defensive tackle from Milford Mill

Milford Mill (4-3) was edged by Hereford, 17-14.

Dargan registered seven tackles in the loss.

“Going against Hereford and holding them to 17 points was a big deal,” said Milford Mill coach Reggie White. “As he goes, so does the defense. ... He’s been the monster he’s supposed to be.”

Tavon Wilson -- 6-foot-0, 175-pound cornerback from H.D. Woodson (D.C.)

HD Woodson (5-3) beat Anacostia, 35-12.

Wilson reeled in a 28-yard touchdown pass.

Matt Furstenburg -- 6-foot-4, 220-pound tight end from The Hun School in Princeton, N.J.

The Hun School (5-0) beat Peddie, 35-12.

Furstenburg caught a 37-yard touchdown pass.

A.J. Francis -- 6-foot-4, 314-pound defensive lineman from Gonzaga (D.C.) College

Gonzaga (3-4) lost to Good Counsel, 35-8

According to DCSportsFan.com, Francis’ presence affected Good Counsel’s running attack.

Alan Elder rushed the ball hard, Johnson Bademosi made a number of devastating hits on defense while A.J. Francis (Maryland) and Cameron Johnson (Virginia) were recognized as threats by Good Counsel, which forced the Falcons’ offense to run plays away from the future ACC standouts.

Demetrius Hartsfield -- 6-foot-1, 210-pound linebacker from Southeast Raleigh (N.C.)

Southeast Raleigh (7-2) fell 24-19 to Garner.

According to
The [Raleigh, N.C.] News & Observer, Hartsfield was lost from the game immediately.

Southeast, which lost defensive leader Demetrius Hartsfield on the opening kickoff, stopped Garner again and took over at the 50, with 3:43 left to play.

Kerry Boykins -- 6-foot-1, 200-pound wide receiver from Chesapeake (Va.) Oscar F. Smith

Oscar Smith (8-0) rolled to a 49-0 win over Nansemond River.

Justin Gilbert -- 6-foot-6, 280-pound offensive tackle from Richmond (Va.) Monacan

Monacan (4-3) dropped a 22-7 game to L.C. Bird.

Masengo Kabongo -- 6-foot-2, 280-pound defensive tackle from Fairfield (Conn.) Prep.

Fairfield Prep (4-2) stomped Notre Dame-West Haven, 33-0.

Kevin Dorsey -- 6-foot-2, 175-pound wide receiver from Forestville

Forestville (2-4) topped Potomac, 20-14.

Justin Lewis -- 6-foot-4, 285-pound offensive guard from Johnsonville (S.C.)

Johnsonville (5-4) bested Latta, 34-14

Cody Blue -- 6-foot-5, 280-pound defensive tackle from Wilde Lake

Wilde Lake (6-1) trounced Long Reach, 34-6.

Devonte Campbell -- 6-foot-2, 230-pound tight end from Hargrave Military Academy

Zach Brown -- 6-foot-1, 212-pound linebacker from Hargrave Military Academy

Hargrave was off this weekend, but will return to action Friday at Navy.

Posted by Matt Bracken at 11:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
                    

Maryland picked up another basketball commitment this weekend when former Progressive Christian Academy star Gus Gilchrist pledged to the Terps.

Gilchrist, a 6-foot-10, 235-pound center, will reportedly enroll at College Park in January. He originally signed with Virginia Tech, but was released from his letter of intent to the Hokies following the shootings at the Blacksburg campus last April.

According to The Washington Post, Gilchrist is unsure of whether or not he'll suit up for the Terps during the second semester this season, or just practice with the team and make his playing debut during the 2008-09 season.

Posted by Matt Bracken at 9:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (8)
                    

With the emergence of Australian (by way of Sudan) power forward Ater Majok and his possible (likely?) commitment to the Terps, odds of Maryland continuing to go after Quintrell Thomas appeared slim. TerrapinTimes.com’s Dan Painter hinted as much in Tuesday’s edition of 'Five questions'.

Now it's official. According to Adam Zagoria of the Herald News in West Paterson, N.J., Thomas has dropped Maryland from consideration.

The Elizabeth, N.J. power forward has now delayed his decision, but should eventually choose between Kansas, Rutgers and UNLV. Thomas' high school coach told Zagoria that his decision could be delayed a bit, and another team could potentially join the fray.

• Who is new 2009 UM small forward commit Jin Soo Kim, and how did he become a Terp? TurtleSportsReport.com’s Seth Hoffman has the answers in this excellent feature about Kim’s journey from Korea to College Park.

• Two more Kim links, both brought to my attention by ‘Recruiting Report’ reader Corn T -- NewEnglandRecruitingReport looks at the commitment and Kim’s development at South Kent (Conn.) Prep. Also, Hoopville.com previews South Kent’s season.

• Ex-Bladensburg and current Arlington (Fla.) Country Day School forward Wally Judge sported an early Maryland offer, but took himself off the Terps’ board this week by making a verbal commitment to Kansas State.

• Can’t wait to see 2008 UM defensive tackle commit Masengo Kabongo play? You’ll get your chance on Jan. 4.

Kabongo has been selected to play in the second-annual Offense-Defense All-American Bowl at the Orange Bowl in Miami. The game will be televised on Fox College Sports.

• For those who missed it earlier this week, The Sun’s Childs Walker took a look at the life of Terp running back recruit Davin Meggett.

There’s lots of interesting stuff about his relationship with his father, former New York Giant star David Meggett, but in regards to what Terp fans can expect on the field, here’s a good quote from MDVarsity.com editor Sheldon Shealer.

"I was really struck by how sturdy he's built," Shealer said. "He reminds me of a college player the way he's built. He looks like a little bowling ball, and he's very fast. I was very impressed with how quick he got going."

• According to The [Charleston, S.C.] Post and Courier, Maryland offensive line commitment Justin Lewis is still being wooed by the in-state schools. He’s got an upcoming unofficial visit to South Carolina.

"I feel good about my commitment, but I can't count out all the schools just yet," Lewis said. He plans to set official visits with Clemson and Maryland.

• Here’s an early football name to watch -- Pete White, a 6-foot-5, 339-pound offensive tackle