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.”