I caught up with Blue Ridge boys basketball coach Bill Ramsey yesterday for a story on Croatian import Kristijan Krajina and his commitment to Mount St. Mary’s.

When Krajina went down with an ACL tear last January, power forward Darnell Turner stepped up in his place. According to Ramsey, Maryland is monitoring Turner’s progress.

“They are still in contact, no offer yet, but they have him as one of the guys they’re keeping their eyes on,” Ramsey said. “He definitely likes Maryland a lot. If he has a good summer and they decide to offer a scholarship, I think he would very seriously consider it. He really likes Maryland. Coach [Chuck] Driesell is in fairly close contact with him.”

Turner, 6 feet 8, 240 pounds, averaged 14 points and 10 rebounds per game as a junior, leading Blue Ridge to the Virginia Independent Schools state championship game, where they fell to Paul VI of Fairfax. Ramsey said there’s a lot to like about Turner’s game.

“He has really long arms,” Ramsey said. “He’s a good post player, good moves with his back to the basket. He tries to dunk everything he gets his hands on. ... I think Maryland could come in and get him. He likes Maryland a lot.”