Quick hoops recruiting links
• Van Coleman of CSTV.com dropped some interesting Maryland-related basketball recruiting nuggets in his weekly chat. The entire transcript is definitely worth the read, but here’s a Terps-specific question and answer involving New Jersey power forward Quintrell Thomas and Georgia center Ralph Sampson:
Rusty Md: Do the terps have a legitimate chance for Sampson and or Quintrel Thomas? Thanks
Van Coleman: Any time you can get guys on your campus, you have a shot. In this case, that's where they're at right now. It's going to depend on how well they sell the program to the two kids. I don't see them as the leader for either of those young men, but top three? I think so.
• SPARQ has been holding training sessions up and down the East Coast with some of the most high-profile high school basketball programs, including St. Benedict’s Prep in Newark, N.J. – home of 2009 Terp target Greg Echenique.
Echenique has a particularly interesting story, having moved to Newark and St. Benedict’s from Caracas, Venezuela. Built like a freight-train, Echenique is in his third year in the US. The 6’9” center has excelled on and off the court, establishing himself as a top recruit in the class of 2009. Echenique said that he is still considering a number of schools, but named nearby Rutgers, Maryland, Miami, Pitt, and Penn as some of his top choices. He also said that he is very committed to his academics; he said “in five years my goal is to have graduated from college.”
Click here for the entire St. Benedict’s recap, which also includes more tidbits on Echenique, photos and results from the training session. SPARQ also stopped by Montrose Christian last month, the home of ’09 UM targets Isaiah Armwood, Terrell Vinson and Tristan Spurlock. (Credit goes to the always excellent Big East Basketball Report for the links.)
• Adam Zagoria answers questions about Thomas and Echenique (in addition to numerous other New Jersey/New York prospects) in this recent entry to ZAGSBLOG. Scroll down to the bottom of the entry for answers to various Thomas and Echenique-related questions.
