Weekly recruiting roundup
Hoboken, N.J., defensive end Bernardo Nunez will make an official visit to College Park this weekend for Maryland’s date with Florida State.
Nunez told Scout.com this week that he grew up a Seminoles fan, but he’s now seriously considering the Terps.
The Terps on the other hand are recruiting Nunez very hard. "They are in a tough conference and are on top right now," he said.
"I know some guys who go there and they all love it and it's in a great area too," he said. "I love the location. It's close to D.C. and Virginia and there's a lot to do there."
Another plus for the Terps is that they are only three hours from Nunez's home. "That definitely helps," he admitted. "I think that distance might be a big factor. I'd have to really get a great vibe and feeling from a team to want to go far away."
• Rivals.com’s Mike Farrell spoke to Quince Orchard defensive end Jason Ankrah after his unofficial visit to Maryland for the North Carolina game.
“It was fun. There were a lot of Maryland commitments there and I’m very familiar with those players. I want to go somewhere I’m comfortable with the players. They were laid back.
“Travis Hawkins went up with me and he’s still pressing me to go there too.”
• Maryland has made the final cut for Williamsburg, Va., defensive end Will Hill. Hill told Rivals.com that he’s narrowed his list to Maryland, Penn State, Virginia and Tennessee.
“They all pretty much fit the mold I was looking for,” he said. “All of them have good academics, an opportunity to play early and a coaching staff I’m comfortable with. I like all these schools.
“It’s a hard decision, so many schools have what I want. I can’t go to a school because of the coach. I have to go where I feel best if football wasn’t in the equation.”
• Several Maryland recruits have committed to play in the inaugural Maryland Crab Bowl, an all-star game pitting the top football players from the Baltimore area against those from the Washington D.C. region. The game is scheduled for Dec. 20 at 1 p.m. at Towson’s Johnny Unitas Stadium. Click here for the Baltimore roster and here for the D.C. team.
Basketball recruiting
• Maryland power forward signee James Padgett’s Lincoln (N.Y.) high school team was ranked No. 3 in the country by USA Today.
Returning starters: Three. Outlook: If All-USA G Lance Stephenson (23.3 points 7.2 rebounds a game) can stay healthy, the Railsplitters could three-peat as state Federation 2A champions. C James Padgett (nine points, 9.3 rebounds a game) and G Darwin Ellis (12.4 points, 3.4 assists a game) return. The schedule includes a tough game at No. 2 Duncanville, Texas, the HoopHall Classic in Springfield, Mass., The City of Palms Classic, No. 5 St. Patrick (Elizabeth, N.J.), Prime Time Shootout vs. Paterson Catholic (Paterson, N.Y.) and No. 15 Westchester (Los Angeles) and at No. 6 St. Benedict's Prep (Newark). Opens: Dec. 2 vs. Grady (Brooklyn).
• Power forward prospect Tobias Harris will put recruiting on the backburner this season and focus on his junior year at Long Island (N.Y.) Lutheran.
It also appears any campus visits are in the distant future. "He's just focusing on the high school season and school," said Mr. Harris.
Mr. Harris believed that it was unlikely that Tobias would take any unofficial visits during the season.
• North Carolina is heavily recruiting Walbrook swingman and Terps target Roscoe Smith, according to The Fayetteville (N.C.) Observer.
Roscoe Smith, a 6-7 forward who can flourish inside and out, could very well be the next high school star to commit to UNC. Smith has received heavy interest from Carolina in recent months and would be a great complement to the two other 2010 prospects already secured — point guard Kendall Marshall and shooting guard Reggie Bullock.
