On Tuesday night, 2008 Terps women’s center commitment Lynetta Kizer had one of the more memorable games of her decorated high school career.

Playing in the Virginia Group AAA Northwest Region Tournament quarterfinals against a Stonewall Jackson team that had defeated Potomac by 21 in December, Kizer helped the Panthers pull off the upset.

The 6-foot-3 senior center, headed to the University of Maryland, converted a field goal with one second left to enable Potomac to upset the previously-unbeaten Raiders, 60-59.

Kizer’s stick back of a missed shot by teammate Kyana Jacobs set off an explosion of joy at the Panther bench. While Kizer cried and hugged well-wisher after well-wisher, Potomac coach Mike Wilson raced across the floor to embrace Woodbridge coach George Washington, his coaching men-tor and good friend.

The win advanced Potomac to the semifinals against George Washington-Danville last night.

This game, however, didn’t go Kizer’s way. Potomac was handed a 60-41 loss by GW. The loss ended Potomac's season, and Kizer's high school career.

Potomac senior Lynetta Kizer paced the Panthers with 17 points, 10 rebounds, four blocks and three assists in her final high school game. Dominique Whidbee added eight rebounds. Kizer was the only Potomac player to score in double figures, and was ejected after receiving two technical fouls in the final minute of the game, fouls that sandwiched Potomac coach Mike Wilson’s second technical and ejection.

• The eighth annual Charm City Challenge has been scheduled for April 6 at the Towson Center. The roster for the Baltimore All-Stars was announced earlier this week, and future Terp Sean Mosley and Georgetown commit Henry Sims headline the team, which will face a yet-to-be-announced U.S. All-Stars team.

The United States team is expected to be announced later this week. The Baltimore squad won 116-113 last year and leads the all-time series 5-2.

• Keith Mills from Press Box brings in Baltimore Catholic league historian Jerry Savage for a fantastic history lesson of the BCL tournament. Here’s the relevant Mosley information, but the whole thing is really worth the read.

One year later, freshman Sean Mosley led St. Frances past Towson Catholic before Mount St. Joe rebounded in 2006 with one of the greatest seasons ever. The Gaels finished 38-1 and were ranked fifth nationally in USA Today. Now, Mosley, Henry Sims of Mount St. Joe, Brandon Greene of Towson Catholic and Jamar Briscoe of Gibbons take aim at the 37th Catholic League title.

Football recruiting

• WashingtonPost.com just started a great video feature this week that will highlight some of D.C.’s top high school athletes. Recruiting Spotlight’s debut piece took a look at St. John’s (D.C.) offensive lineman Pete White -- a major Terps recruiting target for 2009. Click here to see the video interview.

• Loyola athlete Leon Kinnard picked up a Terps offer this week, according to this premium article from Scout.com. The relevant info from the first paragraph is free.

• Good Counsel linebacker Jelani Jenkins received an early Maryland offer, and his teammate, running back Caleb Porzel, got some interest from the Terps as well. Porzel, however, is officially off the board, having committed to Virginia earlier this week.

Porzel, 5-foot-9 and 170 pounds out of Good Counsel High School in Onley, Md., rushed for 967 yards and 16 touchdowns and also caught nine passes for 114 yards last year. With 4.32 speed, he also returned a kickoff for a touchdown and averaged 23.8 yards on punt returns.

Doug Doughty of The Roanoke (Va.) Times says the Cavaliers are trying their best to make Porzel and Jenkins teammates at UVa.

UVa coach Al Groh mentioned Good Counsel on signing day as one of the Washington, D.C.-area private schools that his staff has targeted. The Cavaliers signed SuperPrep All-America defensive lineman Nick Jenkins from Good Counsel in 2007 and are making a push for Porzel's touted teammate, linebacker Jelani Jenkins.

• H.D. Woodson (D.C.) produced one UM verbal commitment for 2008 in Tavon Wilson. Of course, Wilson ended up signing with Illinois, but that apparently hasn’t stopped Maryland from going back to Woodson to look for 2009 players. According to this article from Yahoo Sports, wide receiver Jerrard Hunter and cornerback Joelil Thrash are hearing from the UM staff.

According to [Woodson coach Wayne] Johnson, Hunter already holds his first offer, a verbal from Maryland.

“He is a track sprinter as well,” he said. “He’s a go get it type of guy. He played offense defense and special teams for us. He’s a corner in college thought because he’s a physical athlete that loves to be around the football and always makes plays. He’s a vocal guy with a lot of leadership.”

• ProFantasySports.com takes a look at junior college and freshmen running backs to watch, and Maryland’s incoming duo gets a mention.

Davin Meggett/Gary Douglas, Maryland: Davin Meggett is worth a mention in this column, as his father (Dave) was a former NFL player for the Giants, Patriots and Jets. Meggett could be an all-around specialist for the Terrapins, while Douglas should battle for backup carries next year.

Posted by Matt Bracken at 11:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

It’ll be roughly 20 months from now when South Kent (Conn.) small forward Jin Soo Kim suits up for the Maryland men’s basketball team.

But Terps fans can get a free preview of Kim's game today thanks to a kindly YouTube user, who posted extended highlights of the 2009 UM commitment one week ago.

If you’ve got about five minutes to kill, take a look.

The first Kim video looks to be taken from a recent South Kent practice.

This second clip is footage from international play -- Kim’s Korea squad vs. Spain.

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

It’s been a big couple of weeks for the Dixon family.

First, Juan Dixon was traded from the Toronto Raptors to the Detroit Pistons.

Then on Monday, younger brother Jermaine Dixon, a sophomore at Tallahassee (Fla.) Community College, was named to the Coaches All-Panhandle Conference first team.

Dixon, the brother of former University of Maryland standout and current Detroit Pistons player, Juan Dixon, etched his own place in TCC's basketball history this season. A native of Baltimore, Dixon became the first player to lead the Eagles in scoring (20.9), rebounding (6.7) and assists (3.6) in the same season. He also averaged a team-best 2.8 steals per game and connected on a single-season record 157 free throws.

Dixon, who played his high school ball at James Hubert Blake in Silver Spring followed by a year of prep at Maine Central Institute, committed to Pittsburgh last week. The 6-foot-3, 190-pound guard chose the Panthers over Kansas State and East Carolina, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

Dixon had some Baltimore company at TCC this season. Former Northwestern point guard Jeremy Robinson averaged 6.4 points, 1.9 assists and 1.8 rebounds per game during his freshman season with the Eagles.

• Maryland women’s commitment Dee Liles was named to the Coaches All-Panhandle Conference first team. Liles averaged 11.1 points and 7.8 rebounds for Gulf Coast (Fla.) Community College, the No. 3 team in the country. The Commodores begin postseason play March 6 against Hillsborough Community College.

Jermaine Dixon photo courtesy of Tallahassee Community College.

Posted by Matt Bracken at 9:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

Former UConn and now New Jersey Nets center Josh Boone and ex-Indiana guard Marshall Strickland are the two obvious choices for most notable Carroll County basketball players in recent memory.

Beyond those two, coming up with a list of other recent Carroll County players to play for major DI programs is difficult, something Winters Mill guard Cammeron Woodyard was extremely cognizant of.

“I don’t play in Baltimore and I don’t play in a place where there’s a lot of people recruited,” Woodyard said.

Thankfully for Woodyard, his location didn’t stop him from joining the likes of Boone and Strickland at the high-major level. The 6-foot-5, 195-pound shooting guard verbally committed to Penn State on Feb. 17.

Woodyard picked Penn State over offers from Longwood, Loyola, UMBC and Youngstown State. He was also receiving interest from Holy Cross.

Woodyard credited Winters Mill coach Dave Herman and his AAU coach on the Maryland Mavericks, Thomas Caviness, with getting the word out to college coaches.

“Coach Herman called [Penn State] up and was telling them that I was being under-recruited, so they took the chance and came out and recruited me.”

Woodyard, who’s averaging more than 20 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game, did his part on the court once Ed DeChellis and his staff got a look.

On an unofficial visit to Penn State on Feb. 2, Woodyard was on hand to witness the Nittany Lions’ biggest win of the year -- an 85-76 shocker over then-No. 7 Michigan State.

“It made me understand that it’s tough to play on the road in the Big Ten,” Woodyard said, “and it’s good to have supporting fans. But it also made me realize that the team isn’t as bad as it seems to be with what they’ve been through the past couple of months.”

Penn State’s biggest problem this season was the loss of leading scorer and rebounder Geary Claxton with a torn knee ligament.

But the Michigan State win showed Woodyard that PSU was closer to being a winning program that most people would think. So when DeChellis called Woodyard two weekends ago to offer a scholarship, the Winters Mill standout didn’t even have to sleep on the decision.

“He called me up, and as soon as he offered, I took it,” Woodyard said. “He said [he was offering a scholarship], and I told him that I would come out and play for him next year. And he said, ‘You’re saying you’re coming?’ He was making sure I actually said it.”

Woodyard said it feels good not having to worry about returning phone calls from other coaches anymore. Rather, he can just focus on his game, and look forward to arriving in State College after his time at Winters Mill is done.

“It’s like a small town on campus,” Woodyard said of State College. “The people up there were cool and friendly, so it made me feel at home.”

The Sun’s Stefen Lovelace got Dave Herman’s take on Woodyard’s decision yesterday. Click here to read that Varsity Letters blog entry.

Posted by Matt Bracken at 10:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

Scoring 49 points in a game has a way of drumming up recruiting interest.

At least that’s what Loch Raven senior Jordan Lee discovered after his 49-point outburst against Hereford earlier this month.

The only problem for those new schools (including Morgan State and several others) in pursuit of Lee was that the 6-foot-3, 175-pound guard had recently been removed from the market, having committed to Coppin State just before his breakout game.

“Yeah, it’s kind of funny [that other schools started recruiting me after that game],” Lee said. “But I like my decision to go to Coppin and I wouldn’t change it.”

Lee, who played his freshman year at Calvert Hall before transferring to Loch Raven, was a little dismayed by the lack of recruiting interest he was receiving up until the summer before his senior year. The summer was when schools like Coppin first started paying attention.

“For three years I was playing good, but I could never get any looks from the schools that I wanted to go to until I got on the AAU circuit with the Baltimore Stars,” Lee said. “Then schools started paying attention to me and coming to my games this year.”

Lee, who is averaging more than 27 points per game, said playing for Eagles coach Fang Mitchell was a big selling point for him.

“I know he has a history of winning,” Lee said. “The other players that he recruited [let me know] the success that we can have when I get there.”

Lee followed up that 49-point game with a 33-point performance against Western Tech. Still, Lee said he had no concerns about dealing with his newly acquired high profile.

“I mean I already had a target on me,” Lee said. “I’m used to it. I’m not worried about that.”

Click on the video player to watch Lee’s Athlete of the Week video.

Posted by Matt Bracken at 10:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

It’s no surprise that Dunbar’s undefeated state championship team last fall was full of DI prospects.

The headliner of the group, of course, was running back Tavon Austin. According to this article from Yahoo! Sports, Austin has sported a Terps offer since his sophomore year. Here are probably the two most interesting quotes from the article.

“I always liked Florida and Florida State,” he said. “I like the schools down south because when I was watching them, nobody was beating them. I don’t think I’m really leaning towards those teams anymore though.” …

“I also don’t think I really want to go that far away, six or seven hours. I don’t want it to be that long.”

• Sticking with the Dunbar players, quarterback Jonathan Perry is scheduled to attend Maryland’s Junior Day tomorrow.

“I like the environment at Maryland and was impressed by the players and coaching staff while I was there,” Perry said. “It’s very close to home and my recruiting coach James Franklin is a really down to earth guy who is real about the recruiting process which I like. I’m supposed to go there on Saturday for a visit.”

Poets linebacker Tevin Brown has also received Terps interest, according to this article from Scout.com.

“I also like Maryland, Virginia and Rutgers a lot,” Brown added. “I visited Rutgers and really liked the atmosphere there. They also have very good academics and offer their student-athletes a lot of support in terms of tutoring. Maryland is just the hometown school and my family could come watch me play there, so I am always going to like them as well.”

• Rivals.com’s Mike Farrell offers a recap of last weekend’s New Jersey Junior Day at Rutgers. Several Terps targets receive mention in the Yahoo! article, including Austin and Quince Orchard cornerback Travis Hawkins, but the loftiest praise is reserved for Forestville defensive end DeOnte Arnett.

On the defensive side, Forestville, Md., defensive end DeOnte Arnett took home defensive MVP honors by showing the quickest first step and an array of moves during the long and physical one-on-ones for the linemen. Arnett needs to improve his lower-body strength but his quickness and ability to shake linemen using his hands was impressive. Arnett boasts offers from Maryland, Syracuse and Virginia.

• River Hill athlete Michael Campanaro draws comparisons to New England Patriots receiver Wes Welker in this Scout.com article. Maryland hasn’t offered yet, but that could soon change.

The Terps are only 15 minutes from his house and Campanaro says he's always followed the home team. "I watched them because they are the home team, but location isn't going to be a factor.

"The main three things I'm looking at are academics, coaches and the overall program," he said. "I want a school where I feel really comfortable with all the coaches and where there's just a good vibe."

• N.C. State has already offered Ashburn (Va.) Stone Bridge defensive end Brian Slay. Now Slay’s hoping for Maryland to follow suit.

“I’m going to Maryland for a junior day next weekend and then I’m going down to NC State on March 1st for a junior day. I just want to see what the campus and everything is like.”

Slay also mentioned he plans to participate in the Nike Combine in Baltimore later this spring.

• Here’s yet another new name to watch among 2009 prospects -- Spartanburg (S.C.) offensive lineman Brandon Thomas, who claims a Terps offer in this article from The [Charleston, S.C.] Post and Courier.

Thomas will play tight end this season but the colleges will recruit him for tackle. He has offers from UNC and Maryland. His coach said Clemson is close to making an offer. Thomas attended USC's junior day earlier this month and was scheduled to be at UNC this past weekend. He plans to go to Clemson on Saturday.

Terps basketball recruiting

• Sean Mosley's St. Frances team dropped a 78-74 overtime game to Towson Catholic in the MIAA A semifinals on Wednesday.

Mosley led No. 4 St. Frances (24-9) with 23 points and 13 rebounds. He had 17 points in the second half but none in overtime.

On the bright side, Mosley, along with Georgetown commit and Mount St. Joseph center Henry Sims, were named the Baltimore Catholic League’s Players of the Year.

• The Sun’s Don Markus participated in a Q&A for BaltimoreSun.com yesterday, and was asked when and how the Terps will get inside scoring for next year. The whole blog entry is definitely worth the read, but for this particular question, Markus drops some insider knowledge on one of the Terps’ prized 2008 commitments.

Don Markus: The players have talked about how Gus Gilchrist has been one of the best frontcourt players in practice this season, but Williams downplays that so as to not take anything away from his current team.

• Hutchinson (Kan.) Community College point guard and 2008 Terps commit Bobby Maze had a monster game earlier this week in a 72-61 win over Pratt Community College.

Bobby Maze, who entered the game fourth in Region VI in scoring, drowned the Beavers with 31 in just over 29 minutes.

Maze had 18 of the Blue Dragons' 40, including a 10 of 10 performance at the free-throw line. In the first half, he went to the line once.

Maze’s HCC teammate, power forward Ken Bowman, turned in a solid performance as well.

Kenny Bowman, bothered by a leg injury, grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds. Maze and Bowman are expected to attend the University of Maryland next season.

• Maryland women’s basketball commitment Lynetta Kizer got some big news earlier this week. The Potomac (Va.) standout received an invite to play in the McDonald’s All-American Game on March 26 in Milwaukee.

The 6-foot-3 Kizer is averaging 20 points, 12 rebounds and 3 blocks for Potomac (13-8). Kizer received more than 30 Division I scholarship offers.

"When I found out I was like, 'That's crazy.' I was kind of shocked. But I was excited, too," Kizer said.

Posted by Matt Bracken at 12:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

With high school basketball playoffs getting under way, I thought this would be a good time to check in on the local hoops recruiting scene.

Enter Jide Sodipo of MidAtlanticHoops.com, who was kind enough to answer 'Five questions' (via e-mail) about that very topic.

1.) Has Sean Mosley exceeded expectations this season? What elements of his game have improved since his junior year? What type of impact do you see him making at Maryland?

Sean Mosley is doing the same thing he has done at St. Frances for the last three years, and that’s winning. As a freshman, he led his team to a Baltimore Catholic League tournament championship. The only improvement this year from previous years is that he’s hitting his outside jump shot with more consistency.

Mark my words, Mosley is going to make a major impact at Maryland just from his leadership, his will to win and his ability to change the game from all aspects (scoring, rebounds, steals e.g.). He reminds me of former UNC star Rashad McCants, now with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

2.) How has Henry Sims fared for Mount St. Joseph? What improvements has he made between his junior and senior years? What do you expect from him at Georgetown?

Sims has done a great job stepping into the leadership role and accepting the go-to-guy responsibility for the Gaels in the team-oriented style of coach Pat Clatchey. He has become a force to be reckoned with on both ends of the floor. His back-to-the-basket post moves have improved tremendously, and he has always been a good low-post passer and rebounder. Now he has become more of an all-around force. I expect him to continue the great tradition of the Hoyas big men.

As a senior, Sims is way ahead of Roy Hibbert development-wise when Hibbert was coming from Georgetown Prep. I know that because I had the opportunity to scout him for four years and he was a project all throughout his prep career.

3.) Who are some of the best unsigned seniors in the Baltimore area?

The best available seniors right now have to start with Brandon Greene, a 6-foot-6 power forward from Towson Catholic who has really come into his own. Greene is a solid mid-major prospect who can rebound, run the floor, finish strong around the basket and also hit the mid-range jumper.

Five-foot-nine point guard Jamar Briscoe from Cardinal Gibbons has proven it in his senior year that he is more than capable of playing the position that he has been criticized about most of his career.

Devon Branch, a 6-foot-5 swingman from Aberdeen is not known to a lot of people, but this young man can flat-out play. And also Omar Strong, a 5-foot-8 point guard from Douglass, is a typical Baltimore-bred guard -- tough, small, but competitive.

Other players to watch include Anthony Oquendo (6-4 WF St. Frances), Byron Westmoreland (6-4 SG Mervo), Dwayne Wheeler (6-1 P-SG Mt. Carmel). Check MidAtlanticHoops.com for the Top Available/Unsigned Prospects in the area.

4.) Several Baltimore-area sophomores have gotten a lot of major recruiting attention
already. Who are some of your favorites? What do their recruiting pictures look like?

The Baltimore area has four of the 10 and six of the top 15 prospects in the Mid Atlantic Hoops area for the class of 2010. The class is led by Roscoe Smith, a talented 6-foot-7 wing forward from Walbrook, who’s currently getting recruiting interest from Georgetown (offer), Maryland (offer), Texas, Connecticut (offer) and Texas A & M.

Eric Atkins, a 6-foot-1 point guard from Mount St. Joseph, is the real deal and is rated as one of the best point guards in the Mid Atlantic Hoops area. He’s getting interest from Maryland, Georgetown, Kansas State, Pittsburgh and Virginia to name a few.

One of the most interesting prospects is Carl “C.J” Fair, a 6-foot-7, smooth, lefty shooting guard from City. He’s getting recruiting interest from NC State, Wake Forest, Georgetown, Maryland, Virginia, Texas A & M and Pittsburgh.

Also Jonathan Graham, a 6-foot-8 power forward from Calvert Hall, is going to make a major impact in the BCL/MIAA next season. Graham is the son of former Terrapins great Ernie Graham. All preliminary indications point to the Terrapins as a leader [in his recruitment].

Also, there are a few more sophomores with potential to be solid high-major prospects by the end of summer, depending on their development. They are Donte Holmes, a 6-foot-3 SG from St. Frances, and Jordan Latham, a 6-foot-8 PF/C from City.

5.) How are some of the local DI colleges faring in local recruiting? Who are some good local players that have committed to those schools?

Towson got itself a good prospect in Troy Franklin, a 5-foot-11 point guard from Mount Carmel.

The Eagles of Coppin State also inked a Mid Atlantic Top 50 prospect in Justin McCoy, a 5-foot-10 combo guard from Mount St. Joseph (Baltimore).

Loyola signed one of the area’s unsung heroes in 6-foot-8 power forward/center Josh Wiegand, who seems to impress me more and more every time I see him play.

And last but not least, Morgan State might have the best recruit so far, and it’s not a player, but a coach. Longtime Baltimore Select and local AAU coach Keith Goodie joining the Bears staff is something that is going to make an already strong staff even stronger locally.

Posted by Matt Bracken at 10:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
                    

If I was writing Recruiting Report five years ago when Joey Haynos was a high school senior, he most likely would not have been mentioned in this space.

I wouldn't have been alone in giving so little, if any, attention to Haynos.

Haynos (pictured here as a 6-foot-7, 220-pound freshman at Maryland) did not have a recruiting profile on either Rivals or Scout.

You can read more about Haynos' unlikely path from Terps walk-on to NFL combine invitee in an article I wrote for BaltimoreSun.com today.

But looking back, Haynos said he's happy he was overlooked from a recruiting perspective.

"Five stars and all that stuff, it’s ridiculous," Haynos said. "It makes kids so full of themselves because they feel like they don’t have to work. I think that was one of the best things to happen to me because I had to prove myself."

The Maryland staff gave Haynos the routine walk-on sell -- Bust your butt for a year or two, then we’ll see where you're at. If you work hard, you can earn a scholarship.

Haynos obviously took advantage of the opportunity, embracing that 'something to prove' attitude. Joe Haynos, Joey's father, recalled just how serious his son was about proving the gurus wrong.

"I can remember talking to Ralph Friedgen and him telling me, [Joey] will be on the scout team. I said, 'Well he’s not coming here to be a scout-team player.' Friedgen must’ve thought I was crazy, but lo and behold, it came to pass."

So take heed, potential DI walk-ons -- you could be the next Joey Haynos.

Posted by Matt Bracken at 11:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

Here's another potential quarterback for Terps fans to watch in the class of 2009 -- San Diego Scripps Ranch dual-threat Tate Forcier.

TurtleSportsReport.com has a free story on Forcier, who is currently ranked as the No. 52 player in the country in the class of 2009 by Rivals.com.

From the TSR article:

Forcier has outstanding junior film and statistics. Last fall he completed an eye-popping 77 percent of his pass attempts for 2,387 yards, 21 touchdowns and five interceptions. A dual-threat quarterback, he also rushed 66 times for 733 yards and six scores. So it’s no surprise he already holds a dozen offers -- Arizona, Auburn, Iowa, Kansas, LSU, Maryland, Oklahoma State, Oregon, Penn State, Stanford, Virginia and Wisconsin -- with several more schools likely to offer soon.

Both of Forcier's older brothers are DI quarterbacks. Jason Forcier transferred from Michigan to Stanford where he'll be a junior this fall, while Chris Forcier redshirted at UCLA in 2007.

If you've got nine minutes to kill, check out Forcier's junior-year highlights. If those highlights aren't enough, click here for more Forcier videos.

Posted by Matt Bracken at 11:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

Signing Day earlier this month was a fruitful one for Morgan State head coach Donald Hill-Eley.

MSU signed 23 players to its 2008 recruiting class, including four transfers from DI programs.

Hill-Eley was kind enough to answer questions about the Bears' recruiting class last week.

From the looks of your class on paper, it appears defense -- and linebacker in particular -- were heavy areas of emphasis. Do you feel you adequately addressed those needs?

Hill-Eley: Yes, we needed to beef up at the linebacker spot as well as the defensive line. I think we got some impressive young men where in the past we had to take freshmen and sit them out a year or two to get them up to playing level. But we’ve got a group of young men who can come in and at least help us out on special teams. Because of the program and the continuity, we’ve been able to recruit a little bit better athlete every year. Every year it’s gotten better with the quality of the athletes. We’ve gone from no-star kids to two- and three-star kids. So it’s putting us in the game that we’re getting more of the first-tier than second-tier players.

You brought in two players from Detroit, four from the Atlanta area and seven Miami-area natives. How has Morgan State been able to develop a national recruiting profile?

Hill-Eley: Well Morgan has been fortunate enough and has really supported us going to these different areas to recruit these young men. I truly believe if we can get any student-athlete to our campus and show them the resources and facilities that we have, that’ll definitely give us an opportunity to get them and make it tough to lose them.

Miami in particular has been good to you. To what do you attribute your recruiting successes in South Florida?

Hill-Eley: We actually ended up getting a couple of kids out of Miami Northwestern [High School], and the thing about it is, Miami Northwestern has been in the top five of high schools nationally. To be able to go in there and get kids like [sophomore offensive lineman] Corey Sellers, [junior wide receiver] Chauncey Thompkins, this new kid, [defensive back Steve] Gallon. We’re actually working on another kid [from Miami Northwestern] as we speak. To get these national-caliber kids gives you a chance to add that competitive edge to our program. We’re fortunate enough that Miami has become one of my two recruiting areas -- south Florida is one of the areas I recruit myself. I have some relationships with players I used to coach, and that helps me bring new players to the program.

What’s your other recruiting area?

Hill-Eley: Georgia.

What’s your specific strategy in developing this national recruiting profile?

Hill-Eley: Well the thing about it is my technique is so different than any of the other coaches. I recruit the parents. I let the parents know what we have to offer. Then I can understand what they want for their son. About the third time [I go to recruit] I talk to the kid. I’ll answer any questions about myself or the university. By that time, I’ve talked to their family, they believe in what we’re doing, the successes that we’ve had on the field and off the field; People want to have their kids in a place where they can grow.

You brought in three quarterbacks. What do you expect from each?

Hill-Eley: Our biggest need was at the quarterback position. I think we shored that up with the young men we have. [We also shored up] the defensive end position. I’m looking forward to this being one of the classes to get the program going in the right direction.

[The quarterbacks are] all winners from their current schools, great passers as well as runners. Any time you have those quarterbacks that are dual-threats, that gives us a competitive edge when we’re in the one-back set. The quarterback has to be a threat to really offset the defense and limit the things they can do to us.

This class contains six players from the Washington D.C. area, but none from Baltimore. Was this a specific strategy you had with this class?

Hill-Eley: The thing about it is not intent. We have a big thing going on now of young men just wanting to get away from home. We were recruiting some Baltimore kids and some kids locally. But some kids just want to get away from home. You can look at that at any other university that doesn’t have a big turnout of local guys.

What do you expect from transfers you’ve brought in?

Hill-Eley: At the quarterback position, Carlton Jackson is a young man from the Miami, Broward area. He started some games up at Akron and did a great job there. To be able to get a player of his caliber up at Morgan -- that kid was recruited by a bunch of major DI schools out of high school. He brings experience and is a great passer and a great runner.

Another young man from Akron, Rodney Etienne, is a very explosive young man, a great hitter and plays with a lot of range in the secondary. He’s going to help us out a lot with attacking the football and fending off deep passes from the safety position.

Jody Ellis, he transferred in from Illinois. He plays both sides of the ball. He’s so talented, we’re not sure what side of the ball we’re going to play him on. He’s an excellent wide receiver and an outstanding defensive back.

E.J. Morton-Green, he’s a 6’6 wide receiver that gives us leverage outside at the wide receiver and a big target. We look forward to those guys coming in and giving us depth at a lot of positions.

What's the legal status of Ellis, who was dismissed from Illinois last March after being charged with felony burglary and theft?

Hill-Eley: He has an arrangement with the judicial system giving him a second chance at school, so they allowed him to come out here to better his life. So he got a second chance. He has another court appearance later on in the summer. At that point he’ll weigh in on what he’s done since the incident at Illinois.

Are there any other individual guys in this class who you feel can make an immediate impact for the Bears?

Hill-Eley: With this particular class, I don’t think there is not one who can’t contribute in his freshman year of college. We have a good list of guys who have been part of championship teams and have more accolades than we’ve had in the past. With that particular list, they all have an opportunity to contribute. I don’t think one stands out over another.

Photo of Donald Hill-Eley by Sun photographer Monica Lopossay.

Posted by Matt Bracken at 10:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

It’s been more than a week since Signing Day for the class of 2008. So, I suppose it’s about time to start paying attention to the 2009 kids.

For the Terps, quarterback will likely be a huge priority for 2009. Hampton (Va.) Phoebus quarterback Tahj Boyd sports an early offer, but Maryland will have plenty of competition for his services. That’s apparent in GatorCountry.com article about Chesapeake (Va.) Great Bridge receiver Logan Heastie.

Another thing that Boston College has going for them is that Heastie’s close friend, Tajh Boyd, quarterback at Phoebus High School in Hampton, Virginia, is being recruited by the Eagles.

“We talk about going to school together all the time,” Heastie said. “I think where he wants to go will be a big factor in my decision because he is one of my best friends and an awesome quarterback. Florida isn’t really looking at him, but he is interested in Wake Forest, Boston College and West Virginia.”

Here’s what Boyd had to say about his recruitment in this Yahoo! article from last week.

"Boston College is really high on my list," he said. "Tennessee is up there along with West Virginia. I like those schools because I've gotten a chance to meet my position coaches. They all seem like good guys that are honest."

"Hopefully we can get a chance to play together," he said. "We talk about going on visits all the time and I look forward to the recruiting process with him."

• Quince Orchard athlete Travis Hawkins is another big name to watch. One thing working in Maryland’s favor is a former teammate of Hawkins’ – who just so happens to be a future Terp.

"Zack Kerr (Maryland) and I have been talking about going to the same college," he said. "That's something I'm thinking about and hopefully it happens. But I'm looking at all my options. I'm about to go on a junior day to Rutgers this weekend. I've also been to Penn State and loved the atmosphere.

"I do like Maryland since it's close to home, but in some ways I do want to get away a bit."

2008 football recruiting

• In case you haven’t read enough about Maryland’s 2008 football recruiting class, here are a couple more takes on the newest Terps. First, CollegeFootballNews.com weighs in with a less than optimistic opinion, ranking UM’s class the ACC’s ninth-best.

Ralph Friedgen and his staff aren't brining [sic] in the top talents the other ACC teams are; this isn't the hot program it was a few years ago. There aren't many, if any, instant impact players, so Friedgen has to be planning for the future with this group. However, this staff has done more with less, especially at quarterback, where Tyler Bass should eventually be the man.

CSTV.com’s Tom Lemming doesn’t offer a ranking for the ACC teams, but does give a somewhat optimistic look at the Terps’ class.

Maryland is kind of the sleeper of the ACC. Everybody forgot about the guys who committed early, where they filled their needs at defensive line and wide receiver. Kenny Tate (62) and Kevin Dorsey (77) highlight the pass-catching talent.

• For any college fantasy football players out there, the Terps might not be a bad pick this fall at the wide receiver position. CollegeFantasyFootballInsider.com names UM’s incoming receiving trio among recruits to keep an eye on.

WR Kerry Boykins, Maryland - Deep ball threat with excellent hands. Daruis Hayward-Bey [sic] has a lock on one of the starting spots, but Terps could use someone to complement him.

WR Kevin Dorsey, Maryland - Quarterback/wide receiver that will get a chance at wide receiver for the Terps.

• Ralph Friedgen went on and on about Kenny Tate’s character during Maryland’s Signing Day press conference last week. This story from The Washington Post seems like a good example of what Friedgen was referring to.

Tate's latest move, though, had little to do with basketball for the No. 8 Stags (17-8, 11-5), who take a five-game winning streak into tonight's game against No. 18 Bishop McNamara. Before Sunday's 62-49 victory over St. John's, Tate approached [DeMatha coach Mike] Jones with an unusual request: The Maryland football recruit wanted to switch jersey numbers to honor a friend, football teammate Jonathan Mason, a senior who will play for Harvard in the fall.

Mason's father, Ted, died Saturday night, one day after suffering a stroke, according to school officials. For the rest of the season, Jones said, Tate wanted to switch from his customary No. 4 to the No. 5 that Mason wore on the football field. The plan also required junior forward Naji Hibbert to give up No. 5 on the court; he now wears No. 34.

2008 basketball recruiting

• How did Los Angeles native Ken Bowman end up at Hutchinson Community College in Kansas? The Wichita (Kan.) Eagle’s Jeffrey Martin has the answers in this feature on Bowman. Below is the relevant recruiting info on Bowman, but the whole piece is definitely worth the read.

Bowman, who is averaging approximately 16 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks for Hutch (18-6 overall, tied for first in the Jayhawk West with Seward County at 8-2), took an official visit to Maryland.

“They’re at the top of his list -- as they should be as that’s the only official visit he’s taken,” [Hutchinson head coach Ryan] Swanson said.

• UConn assistant Andre LaFleur visited 2008 power forward prospect Ater Majok in Australia last month. According to The Connecticut Post, Majok is all set to return the favor.

Ater Majok, a 6-foot-10 forward originally from the Sudan, will visit UConn on March 1 to see the Huskies take on West Virginia. Currently living in Australia, Majok is also considering Kansas, Maryland, UCLA and Baylor.

Posted by Matt Bracken at 11:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)
                    

Last week Gordy Combs and his Towson Tigers football program signed its largest recruiting class in team history. Click here to look at the complete list of recruits.

Combs was kind enough to discuss the team’s recruiting haul (via e-mail) with Recruiting Report.

This was the largest recruiting class you've had at Towson. Does this mean recruiting went particularly well for your staff?

Combs: This was the largest recruiting class because it was replacing the first true scholarship class we've had. Since we went to scholarship football five years ago, this is the first time we used all of our scholarship money on freshmen. In the past, we would use some scholarships to reward 'walk-ons' and transfer students.

But, recruiting went very well for us. We had 90% of our recruits verbally committed before Christmas. Then, it just became a matter of following up on our verbals until Signing Day.

How will this class stack up with the rest of the CAA?

Combs: That's a very difficult question to answer. We are confident that we have a class of CAA-caliber athletes that address our specific needs.

You brought in seven players from Maryland this year -- including four from Montgomery County and two from Frederick County. Did you recruit those areas particularly hard? What can you tell us about the in-state class?

Combs: Our first objective is to do a thorough job recruiting the state of Maryland. Perhaps because of our proximity, we've been very successful recruiting Montgomery County the last five years. I think our visibility in Montgomery County has been enhanced by the success that Brian Bradford (Gaithersburg H.S.) and Eric Yancey (Seneca Valley H.S.) have had here. (Bradford was a 1st team All-America linebacker in 2007; Yancey was a 1st team All-CAA wide receiver in 2006). We are very pleased with the Maryland players we have coming in.

Which players do you envision making contributions as true freshmen?

Combs: Our attitude is that we go into the preseason with the idea that the entire freshman class will be redshirted. But, sometimes circumstances change and we have to adjust. So, it's difficult to envision who will contribute as true freshmen.

Five linebackers are part of Towson's class. Was that a position group you specifically targeted for this class? What can you tell us about the linebacker recruits?

Combs: We knew that we needed to put an emphasis on recruiting linebackers this year. We lost three of our four linebackers to graduation and our fourth starter, Jordan Manning, is going to be a senior. Since we are committed to a 3-4 defense we need a lot of talented linebackers. All of the linebackers we recruited are good athletes with speed who can make plays in space.

Brian Potts was one of the more decorated players in Delaware this year. How big of a coup was it to land him? What do you expect from him as a freshman? What type of quarterback is he?

Combs: Brian Potts is a dropback style of quarterback who fits our system perfectly. With Sean Schaefer (the Tigers' three-year starter at quarterback) entering his senior year, we knew it was imperative to bring in a quarterback of this magnitude to compete for the starting position after Sean graduates. We plan to have Brian redshirt this year and watch and learn from Sean Schaefer. Next spring, he should compete for the starting quarterback position with Andrew Daley.

Photo courtesy of Towson University

Posted by Matt Bracken at 12:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
                    

As if the ACC-Big Ten Challenge needed to become any more lopsided.

News broke late last night that Indiana, which currently sits at No. 2 in the Big Ten standings, received a list of major violations from the NCAA last week.

This revelation arrives less than four months after head coach Kelvin Sampson and the Indiana program self-reported impermissible phone calls to the NCAA. Sampson was already on NCAA probation thanks to making 577 impermissible phone calls during his time at Oklahoma.

Here are the nuts and bolts