Loyola junior Leon Kinnard didn’t grow up hoping for a chance to play quarterback in college.

But when Connecticut offered him that opportunity last month, Kinnard reevaluated his collegiate goals.

“Well honestly ... I didn’t think anyone would give me the opportunity [to play quarterback],” Kinnard said. “But when UConn offered me, I felt great about the opportunity, so I just went ahead and pulled the trigger.”

Kinnard, 5 feet 9, committed to UConn last Thursday over Maryland, which offered him as a defensive back. Boston College and West Virginia also expressed interest in Kinnard as a slot receiver.

Should things not pan at quarterback for Kinnard at Connecticut, slot is an acceptable alternative.

“They said, ‘We’re bringing you in to let you play quarterback. The only way you won’t play quarterback is if you prove to us that you can’t -- then we’ll let you play on the offensive side of the ball.’ Some of the schools wanted me on defense, but I didn’t want to play defense.”

Kinnard picked up the Huskies offer in February, before ever setting foot on campus. When he did make the trip up to Storrs, Conn., he was immediately impressed.

“When I went up there, I really fell in love with the school," Kinnard said. "My mom and I thought it would be a good opportunity because they were giving me the opportunity to play quarterback. Them offering early -- it showed me I’m high on their board and they’re really interested, unlike some other schools.”

Still, Kinnard held off from committing immediately. Some encouraged him to hit the summer camp circuit in hopes of attracting additional offers. One of Kinnard’s mentors was told he’d be the kind of player to attract up to 20 scholarship offers if he waited until the summer.

But instead of earning offers just for the sake of earning offers, Kinnard decided to end the recruiting process and pick UConn last week on an unofficial visit to a Huskies practice. According to Kinnard, the UConn coaches had trouble hiding their excitement when he committed.

“[UConn head] coach [Randy] Edsall had this big smile on his face,” Kinnard said. “... Coach [Rob] Ambrose, he gave me a big kiss on the cheek and said ‘welcome to the family.’”

Kinnard, who plans to major in either kinesiology or business, said it’s a relief to have ended the recruiting process early. And he’s excited to have found a school that he thinks has a bright future.

“They’ve only been DI for six years and they’ve already won a Big East championship and they have some of best facilities in the nation,” Kinnard said. “I just think the program is up-and-coming and I want to be a part of history in the making.”

Sun photo of Leon Kinnard by Lloyd Fox

Posted by Matt Bracken at 8:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
                    

For any Terps basketball fans looking for optimism for next year, TurtleSportsReport.com’s Jeff Ermann offers this feature on Bobby Maze, who gives his take on a number of topics, including how he’ll fit in at College Park.

”The thing that will help me next year is I’ll be playing with better players, with guys like Vasquez and Hayes, who can hit shots when you get them the ball,” he said. “I think they fought hard and I know they’re a little disappointed in what happened this year, but they’re competitors, like Vasquez. I can’t wait to play with him. He plays with a lot of heart and he just wants to win. All I can do is picture myself out there playing with him.”

• Another week, another set of honors for Sean Mosley. The Maryland guard commitment was named The Sun’s All-Metro Player of the Year.

Mosley, a 6-foot-4 senior swing player, joins former Calvert Hall star Duane Ferrell (1980-84) as the only four-time All-Metro players. Headed to the University of Maryland, Mosley was recruited by Keith Booth, the former Dunbar and Terps standout to whom many observers compare Mosley.

Over at Press Box, Keith Mills breaks down Mosley and the rest of the roster for the Charm City Challenge, which will tip off April 6.

• Here’s an interesting development in the Ken Bowman recruitment. The Topeka (Kan.) Journal-Capital spoke with the head coach at Hutchinson (Kan.) C.C., and he had this to say about Bowman’s status.

Hutchinson coach Ryan Swanson said K-State remains in the mix for Bowman, even though the 6-foot-8 forward gave a verbal commitment to Maryland.

"He had verbally committed," Swanson said. "He said it, but he still wanted to visit K-State, so I’m not sure how solid of a commitment it was."

• Barring completely unforeseen circumstances, Sudan native and Australia resident Ater Majok won’t become a Terp. But that doesn’t make his recruitment any less interesting. The Australian paper The Daily Telegraph has the latest, including his coach Edward Smith explaining why Majok hasn’t committed anywhere yet.

"Ater has taken the decision to wait this long (the NCAA late-signing period runs from April 15 to May 15) to see which coaches will stay with the program and which players will stay, rather than transfer to another school or leave for the NBA Draft."

• Terps women’s commitment Lynetta Kizer didn’t light up the stat sheet at the McDonald’s All American game in Milwaukee this week, but according to this article from The Washington Post, her experience went beyond the court.

The smile the senior center from Potomac (Va.) wore as she spoke of the little girl in the hotel lobby who exchanged a stuffed bunny for an autographed ball and some attention told you her 0-for-3 shooting performance and three turnovers Wednesday night wouldn't cause her to lose much sleep.

Posted by Matt Bracken at 10:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)
                    

Quarterback is a definite position of need for Maryland in its 2009 recruiting class, and this past week saw a bit of movement on that front.

On Wednesday, West Springfield (Va.) signal-caller Bryn Renner committed to North Carolina over offers from Maryland, Virginia Tech, West Virginia, Michigan State, Ohio and Delaware, according to the Winston-Salem (N.C.) Journal.

Bill Renner, Bryn’s father and coach, said that his son is confident that he will develop as a player under Coach Butch Davis and offensive coordinator John Shoop, who is also the quarterbacks coach.

“He also really thinks that the program is headed in a great direction,” Bill Renner said.

• Yesterday Loyola quarterback Leon Kinnard, who Maryland had offered as a defensive back, committed to Connecticut, which promised him a shot at quarterback.

Kinnard, who was at UConn's practice Thursday, threw for 1,489 yards and 13 touchdowns as a junior last season, leading Loyola (9-1) to a state title. Kinnard also had an offer from Maryland. Kinnard is the second oral commitment of the 2009 signing class, joining Seymour linebacker Mike Osiecki, who committed March 1.

• Fayetteville (N.C.) Jack Britt quarterback Everett Proctor picked up an ‘athlete’ offer from N.C. State earlier this month. But according to Proctor’s high school coach, a Terps offer at quarterback could bring a quick end to his recruitment.

But while Proctor has an early favorite in Maryland, according to [Jack Britt coach Richard] Bailey, [offensive lineman Xavier] Nixon is still sorting through the options.

“With other kids I’ve had here, you could kind of tell who they liked,’’ Bailey said. “With (linebacker) Wesley (Flagg), he liked (North) Carolina. I know if my quarterback gets an offer from Maryland, he’s probably going to commit on the spot.

• WashingtonPost.com continues its Recruiting Spotlight video series with a profile of Good Counsel linebacker Jelani Jenkins. Jenkins, who has more than 25 scholarship offers, just turned 16, and has over a 3.8 grade point average. Click here to watch the video.

• A Maryland/D.C. contingent of football players represented the area well last weekend at the Badger Sport/New Level Skills Pass Camp in Akron, Ohio. Thanks to the team speed of local players like Dunbar’s Tavon Austin and River Hill’s Michael Campanaro, the Maryland/DC squad topped Pennsylvania’s team in the final.

Maryland/DC was led by (Dunbar) running back Tavon Austin who may be the most dangerous player in the country when he gets in the open field. Austin looks like a bigger version of Noel Devine. Michael Campanaro (River Hill) who is always the model of consistency caught touchdown passes in every game his team played. (Anne Arundel) wide receiver Alec Lemon performed quite well for his team. Campanaro’s teammate Malek Redd came up big a few times for his squad including two circus catches in the championship game that he so kindly dedicated in his post game speech.

• Maryland offensive line coach Tom Brattan has made his mark on the recruiting trail in Virginia. But according to Doug Doughty of the Roanoke (Va.) Times, a new assistant at West Virginia could make things in Virginia more difficult for any team trying to pull players from the state.

Chris Beatty’s return to Tidewater should not be taken lightly by his fellow football recruiters.

Beatty, hired by new West Virginia football coach Bill Stewart, was the point man for the Mountaineers’ successful recruitment of Phoebus quarterback Tahj Boyd and Great Bridge wide receiver Logan Heastie.

Doughty also has a note on Sherando (Va.) quarterback Ross Metheny. Metheny has reportedly received some Maryland interest, but he picked up an offer from Virginia this week.

Programming note: I’ll post a basketball recruiting roundup at some point tomorrow.

Posted by Matt Bracken at 11:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
                    

Dunbar football coach Lawrence Smith knew this was coming.

After leading the Poets to the 1A state championship last fall, Smith knew the college recruiters would come calling for his players. But did he know it would be this crazy?

“My phone bill’s been off the hook with these coaches calling,” Smith said.

Of course the main attraction to Dunbar has been running back Tavon Austin, The Sun’s All-Metro offensive player of the year.

Dunbar football coach and police officer Lawrence Smith sifts through recruiting mail with Tavon Austin last October / Sun photo by Lloyd Fox

According to Smith, Austin has picked up scholarship offers from Maryland, Boston College, Rutgers, Virginia, West Virginia, Syracuse, Penn State, Illinois and South Carolina.

Austin’s been to Junior Day events at Maryland, Penn State and West Virginia, but Smith says he’s not close to making a decision.

“Not ‘till next year,” Smith said of Austin’s timeline for picking a school. “His mom’s looking at every school closely and they’ll go from there.”

Handling the recruiting process has been a new experience for Smith, who replaced legendary Poets coach Ben Eaton after his untimely death last August. For Smith, two things have made coordinating recruiting for his players easier.

“Tavon’s really been opening up the doors for a lot of the other guys,” Smith said. “I’ve also been consulting Bob Wade a lot. He’s really helped me out a lot with this process. He’s really helped me out. But Tavon is an All-American, and like I said, Tavon’s opening doors to see other guys. Coaches, they look at his film and are like, ‘Whoa, who are these other guys?’”

Some of the other guys include wide receiver Sean Farr, quarterback Jonathan Perry, linebacker Tevin Brown and linebacker Gary Onuekwusi. All are juniors, each receiving DI interest.

Farr could be the next Poet to receive an offer.

“He hasn’t received an official offer yet, but he’s getting highly recruited by Virginia, Maryland and Syracuse,” Smith said.

There had been some talk that Perry could be brought in as an ‘athlete’ recruit, but Smith said all the talk from college coaches has been for the quarterback position.

“He’s had high recruiting interest from West Virginia,” Smith said. “He visited them for their Junior Day. Maryland has high interest in Jonathan, and also Syracuse.”

As for the two linebackers, Brown has visited West Virginia and Maryland and has been receiving interest from Syracuse, while Onuekwusi is hearing from Maryland, Syracuse and James Madison.

“There’s been really close interest in all these guys,” Smith said. “[Coaches have] told me after spring ball that a lot of these guys will probably be receiving offers.”

Until then, Smith will keep sending out film to schools, prepping for next season in hopes of defending Dunbar’s crown, and undoubtedly watching his phone bill continue to rise.

Posted by Matt Bracken at 10:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
                    

Jin Soo Kim’s junior season at South Kent (Conn.) School was a pretty eventful one.

In October, the 6-foot-8 small forward committed to Maryland, becoming the Terps’ first commitment of the 2009 class.

Then in mid-January, South Kent head coach Raphael Chillious took a job with Nike’s grassroots basketball division. Chillious left South Kent, handing the reigns to the Cardinals program to longtime assistant and school athletic director Owen Finberg.

Those events were two pretty substantial moments for Kim, a native of Korea who came to the United States for school about four years ago. But according to Finberg, Kim handled this year of transition well.

“Jin Soo really took a big step forward this year,” Finberg said. “In the past, he’s had trouble adjusting to the strength and the speed of the game and he caught up with all that this year. He was ready to play on a nightly basis -- he really came in with an attitude that he was going to make a mark on this team every game out. I think the areas that he improved in the most were his rebounding, certainly. That was probably his biggest improvement. And he improved defensively as well. On the defensive side, he still has a long way to go and a lot of that is due to his lack of strength at this point.”

Kim averaged 12.3 points, 6.4 rebounds and one block per game for South Kent, which finished 17-17.

On a team that featured multiple future Division I players, including Washington-bound point guard Isaiah Thomas and Virginia signee Assane Sene, Kim more than held his own.

“He stepped into the role where he’s more of an impact player, starting 80 or 90 percent of our games,” Finberg said. “He handles that pretty well. Obviously, he’d like to get more shots. Isaiah kind of dominated the offense this year, being our point guard and best offensive player. But [Kim] adjusted well.”

Whether Kim was starting or coming off the bench, Finberg could always count on the future Terp to showcase his shooting ability.

“That’s what he does best. His stroke is pure,” Finberg said. “He shot the ball very well. He can really flat-out shoot. One of the other things he improved upon was his confidence -- being ready to go in and make an impact in the game. When he came with that mindset, he really did a nice job shooting the ball for us.”

Right now Kim’s plans for the summer are “a little bit up in the air,” according to Finberg. While South Kent has just resumed its semester following spring break, Kim remains in Korea, where he’s enrolled in a SAT prep class. He'll be back in Connecticut soon, but according to Finberg, Kim’s exploring his options for next year.

“He’s considering the option of being at Maryland next year if that’s possible to do,” Finberg said. “It’s kind of a long shot, but he’s one of the players that’s had the most trouble with the [coaching] transition [at South Kent]. Coach Chillious brought him in, and I think [Jin Soo] really kind of felt left hanging by the whole deal, even though he didn’t express it that way. So he’s looking at that option to really see what he can do.”

Finberg acknowledged that Maryland’s scholarship situation makes Kim enrolling early at College Park an especially unlikely scenario, but it’s not completely out of the question. Finberg ultimately expects Kim to suit up for the Albany (N.Y.) City Rocks AAU team this summer, and be back for his senior year at South Kent in the fall. In the past, Kim has returned to Korea during the summer, but Finberg expects he’ll stay in Connecticut, play AAU ball and participate in a few camps.

Between now and senior year, Finberg expects Kim to continue putting in long hours at the South Kent weight room and in the gym. But as far as Kim’s development is concerned, Finberg says he’s on the right track.

“Most of all, I’m just happy he’s continued his improvement and maturation,” Finberg said. “If he continues on that pace, he’s certainly got a very good chance to be a pro. I just look for him to continue to improve, and I think Maryland’s going to be a great place for him to do that.”

Posted by Matt Bracken at 12:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)
                    

I don’t think I’m alone when I admit that I didn’t see this coming.

St. Benedict’s Prep (N.J.) center Greg Echenique had been weighing scholarship offers from Maryland, Duke, Villanova, Creighton, Notre Dame, Miami and Penn, among others.

But yesterday, the Venezuela native and Newark, N.J. resident committed to the in-state Rutgers Scarlet Knights, according to the Herald (N.J.) News’ Adam Zagoria. Here’s Echenique on his decision, courtesy of Zags Blog:

"By going to St. Benedict's Prep, New Jersey has become a second home to me. I want other players to believe in Rutgers the way I do. What has always impressed me about the RAC and the Rutgers fans is that they love the basketball team and are supportive whatever the circumstances. Coach Hill and his staff and have convinced me and my family that the balance of academics and athletics is a perfect fit for me. In the long run, what convinced me most was not the fact that they play in the Big East or the facilities, but it was the people who make up the program."

Echenique was thought to be a pretty serious Maryland target. He visited College Park and was in the Comcast Center crowd during the Terps’ loss to Clemson earlier this month. Echenique took in a Duke game the next week. So if there’s a silver lining to this recruiting loss, it’s that the Terps won’t be facing Echenique two or three times a year on an opposing ACC roster.

With Echenique gone, all UM eyes can probably turn to National Christian Academy power forward Dante Taylor, who, according to Scout.com, sports offers from Maryland, Pittsburgh, South Florida and USC.

Here’s what Scarlet Knights fans are getting in Echenique:

Posted by Matt Bracken at 11:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (23)
                    

This time next year, Dee Liles will probably have just played in her first NCAA women’s tournament game for Maryland.

But this weekend, Liles capped off her junior college career in the best way possible.

The 2008 Terps women’s commitment led her Gulf Coast (Fla.) Community College squad to a 62-61 win over Central Arizona in the National Junior College Athletic Association national championship game.

Liles had 11 points, 10 rebounds, four steals, two blocks and two assists in the Commodores’ win.

After earning Women’s Basketball Coaches Association Junior College/Community College (JC/CC) Player of the Year honors last week, Liles was named MVP of the NJCAA tournament. Liles averaged 12.8 points, 11.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.5 blocks and 1.5 steals during the four-game tournament.

Gulf Coast finished its season 36-1. The NJCAA title was the program’s first since 2003.

Posted by Matt Bracken at 10:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

For any Terps masochists out there, earlier this week The Sun’s Jeff Barker recapped some of Maryland’s notable local recruiting misses for basketball.

The experts said most programs have "down" periods and Williams - like all coaches - is simply better at some tasks than others. The coach is better known for developing moderate talent than attracting marquee high school recruits to College Park. Some supporters have been frustrated that top players in the talent-rich Baltimore-Washington corridor - notably current NBA stars Carmelo Anthony (Towson Catholic) and Rudy Gay (Archbishop Spalding) - have left the region to attend other schools.

Another local star that left the state faced Maryland last night in the NIT. Towson Catholic alumnus and Syracuse freshman Donte Greene scored 16 points in last night’s win for the Orange. According to Syracuse.com, Greene was recruited early on by Maryland, but eventually chose the Orange.

"Maryland recruited me when I was a sophomore, before anybody was recruiting me," Greene said. "I was waiting for them to call and they called. (Maryland assistant) Keith Booth came up to me and was talking to me and I was on my way to Maryland."

Click into the link above for Greene’s explanation on why he ultimately spurned the Terps.

Football recruiting

• Here’s a promising quote from Good Counsel coach Bob Milloy. Milloy told The Washington Post’s Josh Barr that GC linebacker Jelani Jenkins is a national recruit, but could very well stay local for college.

First, Jenkins, who recently picked up offers from USC, UCLA, Ohio State and Michigan, Milloy says. "We all know it doesn't get that much better than USC, whether you want to go that far or not," Milloy said. "But he's a different guy. He's not too impressed with all that stuff. I don't know what he's going to do. Probably he'll go to Maryland or Virginia."

One thing to keep in mind here -- Jenkins’ teammate, running back Caleb Porzel, is a Cavaliers commitment.

• Another instate Terps target whose recruitment is taking off is Quince Orchard cornerback Travis Hawkins. Look no further than this Yahoo! Sports article for evidence.

“I’ve been offered recently from Syracuse, Connecticut, Illinois, Oklahoma, Michigan State and yesterday, Florida,” [Hawkins] said. “Getting an offer from Florida, that shocked me. It was crazy. I was about to go up to football workouts and my coach pulled me aside and said Florida wants to talk to me. I called them up and talked to Coach Gonzales and Meyer on the phone.

“He told me they usually don’t go out of state unless they find a guy that can make a big impact on the team. That stuck out in my head. He also said they want me down there for a visit, hopefully I’ll be able to go soon.”

• Hawkins’ Quince Orchard teammate, defensive tackle Terrence Stephens, has a crowded recruiting picture as well. This profile from The Gazette looks at Stephens’ recruiting, and his success in football and wrestling.

In football, he was a dominant two-way lineman for the Class 4A state champion Cougars, so dominant in fact that he has already earned full-scholarship offers from NCAA Division I programs such as Nebraska, North Carolina State, West Virginia, Connecticut, Stanford and Maryland (where fellow QO lineman Zach Kerr has signed).

• Dunbar running back Tavon Austin told Yahoo! Sports this week that he plans on “going to Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia and Penn State for spring games.” Austin also told Yahoo! his criteria for choosing a school.

“Really, I’m looking for a good education in case I don’t make it to the next level,” he said. “Then, I’m looking to see what college is telling me the truth. Is it about my athletic ability or do they really care about me? If I get hurt, do they still want me to come to their school? I’d also like a school in the region within three or four hours.”

• Maryland’s 2008 recruiting class had an embarrassment of riches at wide receiver, but that hasn’t stopped the Terps from targeting several highly-regarded wideouts in the class of ’09. One example of this is Gastonia (N.C.) Ashbrook receiver Jheranie Boyd, who, according to Yahoo! Sports, is developing into a big-time recruit.

He’s picked up eight offers thus far – North Carolina State, Maryland, Mississippi State, South Carolina, Wake Forest, Clemson, Florida and Alabama – and schools like Ohio State, Michigan and many others are starting to take notice. Pete Carroll from USC called his coach the other day. Things are about to blow up for the talented wideout.

• One of Maryland’s long-shot quarterback targets removed himself from the Terps’ wish list last weekend. Hampton (Va.) Phoebus dual-threat quarterback Tahj Boyd committed to West Virginia. According to Boyd, Mountaineers head coach Bill Stewart had a little trouble containing his excitement when Boyd informed him of his decision.

“I just left, but I told Coach Stewart. He was ecstatic. He got up and all the coaches came in. I told them I’m committed and he gave me a kiss on the forehead, he was hyped. It was crazy.”

Posted by Matt Bracken at 11:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
                    

Terps women's commitment and Gulf Coast (Fla.) Community College forward Dee Liles is still gunning for a National Junior College Athletic Association championship.

No. 3 Gulf Coast (34-1) edged No. 6 Jefferson (Mo.) College 64-62 in a NJCAA quarterfinal last night. The win moves Gulf Coast to the Final Four.

Gulf Coast produced another balanced scoring attack, led by NJCAA player of the year Dee Liles’ 16 points and nine rebounds. Janae’ Stokes scored 15, Alexis Givands 14 and Jackie Sanders 10.

The Lady Commodores are set to face No. 2 Arkansas-Fort Smith on Friday at 6 p.m. in a semifinal matchup.

Posted by Matt Bracken at 9:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

It’s going to be a slow week at Recruiting Report, thanks to the fact that my voice is completely gone, thus preventing me from doing any interviews.

I can communicate about as effectively as Kramer in the Seinfeld episode where he takes dog medicine to treat a cough (sadly, no You Tube clip is available to demonstrate this).

So, since I’m limited, this seems like as good a time as any to stray from recruiting for a second, and highlight a few of my favorite Maryland sports blogs, something I’ve been meaning to do for awhile.

I’m sure I’ll miss several good ones, so feel free to post your favorite Terps blogs below. I’ll add them to my blog roll on the right rail. Without further ado, here’s a list of five UM sports blogs that I enjoy:

Terps Nation by Greg Abel

Full disclosure -- I do occasional appearances on Abel’s weekend sports talk show on ESPN 1300. That’s how I found the blog, but it’s a good one nonetheless, mixing humor and Terps basketball. Abel hasn’t posted in a few days -- I’m guessing he’s still depressed about the Terps’ late-season collapse. His most recent post is a pre-Boston College, American Idol-style breakdown of the Maryland basketball team. I’m not an Idol watcher, so I’ll defer to those that do watch the show on that entry.

The best part about Terps Nation right now, however, has nothing to do with the Terps at all. Scrolling down past the Idol post, you’ll find a three-part video interview Abel did on his radio show with Jermaine Crawford, better known as ‘Dukie’ from The Wire. Fantastic stuff (although I still haven’t gotten over Dukie becoming the next Bubbles ... Heartbreaking).

Turtle Soup by Jeremy Gold and Gregg Kanner

More full disclosure here -- About three-and-a-half years ago, I interned at WJBK TV in Detroit after my junior year at Michigan. My boss at this internship was Kanner, a sports producer for the FOX affiliate. I’d log Tigers games, while he flipped on MASN to watch the Orioles, wrote the night’s sportscast, and intermittently cursed out Sidney Ponson. Good times. Anyway, my former boss actually didn’t even mention he had a Terps blog when I took this job -- I stumbled upon it randomly a few months back.

Regardless of my connections to one of the co-authors, Turtle Soup is easily the most dependable and interactive Terps blog out there. You’ll routinely find 50 or more comments on a particular post. That sort of reader interactivity is tough to come by, and it says a lot about the voices of Gold and Kanner. Their writing styles consistently fire up the Maryland fan base.

It Never Rains in College Park by Kyle Goon

One of the more prolific Terps bloggers out there, Goon brings a student’s perspective to the Maryland blogosphere. Since I’m not a Maryland alumnus, there’s a ton I really can’t relate to about the Terps. I’m not sure this is Goon’s intent, but it feels like he’s the voice of the gung-ho Maryland student fan. It definitely brings a viewpoint that I wouldn’t ordinarily be familiar with. It Never Rains in College Park is still in its infancy, but it’s been really strong so far.

Turtle Waxing by Esquire

This blog’s been around since March 2005, and shows no signs of slowing down. Some of Esquire’s best material are his pregame previews -- he had a great one courtesy of Gopher Nation before last night’s Minnesota game. Overall, Turtle Waxing is just a no-frills, always well-written, enjoyable blog.

DC BasketCases by Eileen and Judith

This is probably the best source for Maryland women’s basketball discussion (and Washington Mystics talk, if WNBA is your cup of tea). Eileen and Judith are ultra-passionate about women’s hoops, which shines through in each post. Much of the photography on the site comes from Eileen and Judith, exemplified by an excellent photo feature they did at the ACC tournament in Greensboro.

Those are my picks for some of the best Maryland blogs. What are yours?

Posted by Matt Bracken at 11:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
                    

An already big week for Gulf Coast (Fla.) Community College forward Dee Liles just got a little bit bigger.

Today, Liles, a 2008 Terps commitment, is playing in the first round of the National Junior College Athletic Association tournament.

But yesterday, Liles received the news that she’d been named the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association Junior College/Community College (JC/CC) Player of the Year.

Liles, a sophomore, adds the State Farm/WBCA JC/CC Player of the Year honor to an already impress list of awards that includes 2008 Florida Community College Activities Association Player of the Year and All-Region 8 accolades. A year ago, she was a finalist for the United States U19 World Championship team.

Liles averaged 11.1 points and 7.8 rebounds per game for GCCC, which earned the No. 3 seed in the NJCAA tournament.

Liles, one of four Lady Commodores that inked with a DI program last fall, averaged seven points and five rebounds as a freshman.

Click here to read an October interview with Gulf Coast coach Roonie Scovel on Liles’ potential, and her expectations for the season. While the season’s not over, it’s probably safe to say that Liles met those goals set by Scovel.

Thanks to Eileen of DC BasketCases for the link.

Photo: Liles tries to control a loose ball during her senior year of high school at Riverdale Baptist / Sun photo by David Hobby

Posted by Matt Bracken at 11:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

Sean Mosley wrapped up his St. Frances career over the weekend at the Alhambra Catholic Invitational Tournament at Frostburg State with a three-game, 89-point outburst.

Mosley scored 35 in the Panthers’ first-round win over Roman Catholic and 32 in their semifinal loss to Gonzaga (D.C.).

In the ACIT third-place game on Saturday, Mosley and SFA dropped a 64-58 game to Richmond (Va.) Benedictine, which was led by North Carolina-bound big man Ed Davis.

Mosley, who was named Most Outstanding Player of the tournament, contributed 22 points in St. Frances’ loss to Benedictine.

Mosley, who has signed with the University of Maryland, entered the ACIT tied for second on the Maryland career list with former Cardinals Gibbons great Quintin Dailey at 2,844. Rodney Monroe, of St. Maria Goretti, is the state’s all-time scoring leader with 3,047 points. Karcher is the fourth leading scorer in state history with 2,770 points.

• Dee Liles and her Gulf Coast (Fla.) Community College squad traveled to Salina, Kan. on Saturday in anticipation of the Commodores’ opening round National Junior College Athletic Association tournament game on Tuesday.

No. 3 Gulf Coast faces No. 14 Western Nebraska Community College at 10 a.m. tomorrow. All Gulf Coast games will be broadcast for free by WKGC-FM.

Posted by Matt Bracken at 11:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
                    

New Terps tight ends and special teams coach Danny Pearman is already earning his paycheck on the recruiting trail.

Pearman, who spent the last two years coaching at North Carolina and then Duke, is putting his Tar Heel State ties to use, starting with Durham (N.C.) Hillside running back Desmond Scott. The four-star prospect took a recent visit to College Park.

“It was a good trip to Maryland,” he said. “I went up with my quarterback and 2008 commit Gary Douglas. I had a good time. I went to some meetings, watched a few highlight tapes and talked to my recruiting coach, Coach Pearman. I didn’t get a chance to talk to Coach Friedgen, but Coach Pearman did a good job selling the program.”

Pearman’s also taken a role in the early stages of Raleigh (N.C.) Broughton quarterback Chandler Browning’s recruitment, according to Yahoo! Sports.

“Danny Pearman at Maryland got his highlight tape the week before last and personally called him. They’ve sent him personal letters.

• Verona (N.J.) linebacker Carlo Calabrese picked up a Terps offer recently, but according to his father, Carlo Calabrese Sr., his son has a lengthy list of schools on his list.

“I’d say the top six or so are Rutgers, Notre Dame, Penn State, Florida Virginia and Boston College,” he said. “There are a lot of RU alumni and everyone around here wants him to play for the Garden State. Of course, Notre Dame is a special scholarship and Charlie Weis likes him a lot. Penn State is high on his wish list and the Gators are a unique opportunity. It’s a very special to play in the SEC. Finally Coach Groh likes him a lot and Boston College is up there too.”

• Good Counsel linebacker Jelani Jenkins is another Terps target that basically has his pick of schools. According to this Yahoo! Sports article, Jenkins picked up offers from USC and Ohio State recently. There’s another school Jenkins recently visited that piqued his interest.

“Penn State was good,” he said. “I think eventually they will wind up being one of my top choices, I’m not totally sure yet there’s a long way to go. I got to meet Joe Paterno for the first time. He’s a real humble man. My mom was talking to him about being a legend and he was like, ‘I’m no legend, I’ve just been in the game a long time.’ He was real humble and it was good.”

• Lackey High School in Indian Head sports two DI defensive back prospects. Cornerback Darrell Givens claims a Terps offer, but Maryland’s two out-of-state recruiting nemeses are both after Givens as well.

“I got offers from Illinois and Penn State,” he said. “I called Coach Locksley last night. From talking to him for 20 minutes, I can tell he’s a real serious recruiter. He likes me a lot and told me the coaching staff likes me a lot.

“He talked about how they have a lot of players from the Maryland/D.C. area and it would be like home if I go there. I know a lot of those players from camps and that could affect me.”

• Givens’ teammate at Lackey, safety Malcolm Willis has drawn some Terps interest. But according to Yahoo! Sports, the Nittany Lions were the first program to offer a scholarship.

Penn State clearly is a school in the picture for Willis, but a number of other colleges are also recruiting him including Maryland, Illinois, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Connecticut and Rutgers.

Posted by Matt Bracken at 11:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

After the Terps’ debacle in Charlotte last night, I’m sure Maryland fans are searching for answers.

According to these baltimoresun.com poll results, 43 percent of the respondents think Maryland’s woes these past four seasons are due to subpar recruiting.

The good news for UM fans is that the 2008 recruiting class looks like it could buck that disappointing trend.

2008 UM commitments

Hutchinson (Kan.) Community College suffered an earlier than expected end to its season, but point guard Bobby Maze certainly did his part.

For his efforts this season, the Terps commitment was named Most Valuable Player in the Jayhawk Conference Western Division yesterday. He also earned Region VI first-team honors. From the HCC news release:

Maze became only the third Blue Dragon point guard to have 200 assists in a season, finishing with 218. That’s second on HCC’s single-season list and ninth on the Blue Dragon career assist list. ...

Maze averaged 20.7 points per game, shooting 50.5 percent from the field overall and 72.9 percent from the free-throw line.

Maze’s teammate, power forward Ken Bowman (who could become a Terp should a scholarship open up), was named to the Jayhawk Western Division’s first team, and earned honorable mention laurels on the Region VI squad.

Bowman entered the 2007-08 season as a second-team NJCAA Preseason All-American.

The 6-foot-9 sophomore forward from Phoenix didn’t disappoint, averaging 14.8 points per game and 8.9 rebounds per game. Bowman shot 53.5 percent from the field and led the team with 66 blocked shots.

• Meanwhile, Terps shooting guard commitment Sean Mosley continued his stellar play this season in St. Frances’ 95-86 overtime win over Roman Catholic in the opening round of the Alhambra Catholic Invitational Tournament. Mosley scored a game-high 35 points.

Mosley took sole possession of second place on the state's all-time scoring list and has 2,879. Rodney Monroe of St. Maria Goretti is the all-time leader with 3,047 points.

• Before yesterday’s loss, the Sun’s Terps beat writer Don Markus speculated on Maryland’s lineup combinations next year with Maze and Mosley factored in.

Williams admitted after practice Wednesday that Greivis Vasquez could be as effective at shooting guard if either Hayes, Bowie or junior college transfer Bobby Maze can be a reliable point guard next season. Bowie and Hayes have played out of position most of the time this season and while Bowie has seemingly adjusted, Hayes hasn't.

Given the lack of depth in the frontcourt next season, especially before Gus Gilchrist becomes eligible, I can also see Williams using a lot of three-guard sets with two big guards, Vasquez and freshman Sean Mosley, and either Bowie, Hayes or Maze running the point. Seems a bit crowded, especially at the point.

2009 recruiting

• TurtleSportsReport.com’s Jeff Ermann has a great article on two National Christian Academy standouts that are major UM targets – junior power forward Dante Taylor and sophomore shooting guard Will Barton.

Taylor and Barton’s coach at NCA, Trevor Brown, had high praise for Gary Williams in the article.

Williams “just gets the most out of them. It’s easy when ‘X University’ gets eight McDonald’s All-Americans and half of them become pros. They might have been pros coming out of high school. Those kids that Gary has put in the NBA, none of them were top-50 players, maybe not even top-75. [Chris] Wilcox may have been top-50, but look at Juan Dixon. And Lonnie Baxter, I don’t think he was even top-75 in his class.”

• Besides Taylor, St. Benedict (N.J.) center Greg Echenique is arguably UM’s biggest target for ’09. According to Charlotte.com, Echenique is a top priority for Duke as well.

The most important recruit in the arena was St. Benedict Prep junior Greg Echenique, who's 6-foot-8 and 240 pounds and could give Duke the body it dearly needs to bang against all the big guys who have committed to North Carolina. The Blue Devils probably will continue with their wide-open style, but still will need muscle in the future.

• The Washington Post’s Josh Barr checked in with Montrose Christian coach Stu Vetter this week for his take on the recruitments of the Montrose Three -- Isaiah Armwood, Tristan Spurlock and Terrell Vinson.

"Terrell was down at Duke this weekend," Vetter said. "Isaiah likes Villanova a lot, but he's also got several ACC schools. Tristan likes U-Va. a lot, but he's got several schools too. All of them like Maryland, but who knows what their scholarship situation is."

Women’s recruiting

• The Fairfax (Va.) County Times has a nice feature on one of Maryland’s primary targets for the class of 2009, T.C. Williams guard Tierra Ruffin-Pratt. According to the Times, Ruffin-Pratt had a pretty good season for the Titans.

“I just want to go all the time, and not settle for the 'now,'” said Ruffin-Pratt, who has been chosen as the 2008 Times Player of the Year. “I need to keep working because I know there's always someone out there that's better than me.”