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July 3, 2009

Weekly recruiting roundup

While the Maryland staff continues to focus its attention on the 2010 recruiting class, there could be a last-minute addition to the 2009-10 UM roster.

InsideMDSports.com reported that Matt Pilgrim, a junior power forward from Kentucky, was planning an official visit to College Park this week.

Pilgrim, 6 feet 8, spent his first two years of college at Hampton before transferring to Kentucky last year. After sitting out the 2008-09 season due to NCAA transfer rules, Pilgrim would have been eligible to suit up for the Wildcats this coming season.

When John Calipari was hired to replace Billy Gillispie in Lexington, Pilgrim -- according to the Memphis Commercial Appeal -- was told there wouldn’t be a scholarship available for him at UK.

According to a source close to the situation, Calipari and Josh Pastner are working together to bring Pilgrim to Memphis. Calipari, the source said, will support Pilgrim's case to the NCAA.

Though Pilgrim said he probably wouldn't make a commitment until he sits down with his family, he acknowledged the urgency of picking a new school so that he can start the appeal process. Pilgrim has also visited Oklahoma State.

Here’s a quick video clip of Pilgrim playing with Hampton against, coincidentally enough, Maryland in the 2007 CBE Classic at Comcast Center. The Terps edged Pilgrim’s Pirates, 70-64. Pilgrim finished with 11 points, five rebounds, three steals, two blocks and two assists.

Check out Testudo Times for more on Pilgrim.

• Former Maryland shooting guard target Lance Stephenson has finally found a home. The five-star prospect committed to Cincinnati on Tuesday.

"We are very excited about Lance's decision to become a Bearcat," head coach Mick Cronin said. "Lance has terrific talent as a basketball player and is also a fierce competitor on the court. His desire to win will help us compete for a Big East Championship.

"As a big guard, Lance brings playmaking ability and versatility to our team, along with his talent for scoring. We look forward to getting Lance here for summer school and building our team for the upcoming season."

• Terps point guard commitment Terrell Stoglin has fared well in the Tucson (Ariz.) Summer Pro League, according to league director and former Arizona player Corey Williams.

"I don't really follow high school basketball at all," he said. "There's some good, talented kids in town. It's been surprising to me to see these kids come out and play very well against grown men."

Over three games, Stoglin has scored 32 points on 56 percent shooting.

• Maryland power forward targets C.J. Leslie and Terrence Jones stood out at Nike’s Vince Carter Skills Academy in Orlando last weekend. ESPN.com’s Paul Biancardi listed Leslie as the No. 3 best scorer in camp.

Leslie is an explosive, active athlete who is a big-time finisher when he gets in the paint. He has a quick first step to the basket; he stays low on the drive to finish high above the rim. He gets points from finishing dump-off passes from his teammates' penetration along with climbing on the offensive glass.

Jones checked in at No. 1 on Biancardi’s best slasher list.

This lefty is a physical specimen who drives the ball with explosive strength and overpowers defenders on his way to the basket. A good percentage of his points come from the free throw line because he is so strong and attacks the basket on the drive and from the post.

MaxPreps.com ranked Terps power forward target Tobias Harris No. 8 on its list of New York male athletes of the year.

The 6-8 forward missed most of the first half of his junior season with a severe ankle injury but returned with a vengeance to lead the run to a victory over Triche and Jamesville-DeWitt for the Federation Class A crown. Harris averaged 23.5 points and 11.5 rebounds after arriving at Lutheran as a summer transfer. College suitors -- and just about anybody that matters would like to recruit him -- will find Harris back at Half Hollow Hills West, where he averaged 29 points as a sophomore on a 22-2 season; Harris transferred back there during Easter break.

Football recruiting

• Maryland defensive back recruit Avery Graham has been named The Gazette’s boys track Athlete of the Year.

Outstanding at Class 2A state meet, scoring or contributing to 40 of team's 76 points. Captured gold medals in 100, 200, two sprint relays, lifting Clarksburg to first state team title.

The Washington Post’s Recruiting Insider reports that Friendship Collegiate (D.C.) offensive tackle Earl Johnson was offered a scholarship by Maryland last week.

While he'll likely need to add plenty of weight to transition to a college tackle, Johnson also plays defensive end for Friendship, which has sent several players to low-level Division I programs the past couple of years, but hasn't been able to attract the attention of larger schools like Maryland.

• The Terps lost out on offensive guard Daquan Jones earlier this week when the three-star prospect committed to Penn State.

Jones (6-4, 300) is from Johnson City, N.Y. He also had offers from Pitt, Boston College, Syracuse, Maryland, Illinois, Rutgers and Connecticut.

Posted by Matt Bracken at 10:30 AM | | Comments (3)
Categories: Weekly recruiting roundup
        

Comments

Matt, Pilgrim looks like he'd make a very nice addition to the Terps. He's got a great touch on his jumper.

How much playing time do you think he'd get? That could be a big factor in where he decides to go, don't you think?

I just hope he falls in love with College Park, so he doesn't even bother with the other schools, though I imagine Memphis would be hard to ignore if he got a call from them.

Stoglin's looking awfully impressive, but I'm curious about one thing. You write that he's playing in the Tuscon Summer Pro League. What exactly is that and why doesn't playing in a professional league affect his scholarship? Thanks.

Ken -- No dice on Pilgrim. He picked Oklahoma State on Saturday. On Stoglin, it's called a 'pro league' and several former and current professionals play in it, but there's no money involved. There isn't an NCAA rule forbidding high school recruits or college athletes playing pickup with pros. Growing up I used to watch a summer league in Lansing with Michigan State recruits and various local NBA players, so I think it's somewhat common nationally.

Would be a nice addition but this Pilgrim may have already landed on Stillwater Rock........

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About Matt Bracken

Matt Bracken was a lightly recruited football and tennis prospect out of East Lansing (Mich.) High School in 2001, but spurned all (nonexistent) scholarship offers to attend the University of Michigan. Matt graduated from UM in 2005, earned a master's degree in new media journalism from Northwestern University in 2006, and spent the first 11 months of his career as an online producer / videographer / blogger at the Arizona Daily Star in Tucson. He has worked at The Baltimore Sun since July 2007, where he currently serves as an assistant sports editor / producer / recruiting writer.

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