Maryland's 'the perfect place' for Sterling Gibbs
Sterling Gibbs' introduction to the Maryland basketball program came nearly two years ago when he met Terps assistant coach Chuck Driesell.
Driesell started recruiting Gibbs, a 6-foot, 170-pound point guard from Scotch Plains, N.J., early in his sophomore year at Seton Hall Prep, and the pair immediately formed a strong bond. Gibbs was quickly sold on the Terps’ style of play, which featured elements of his high school team’s system.
On Monday night, player and coach both had good news to share. Gibbs was ready to become Maryland’s first commitment of the 2011 class, while Driesell would be leaving College Park to become The Citadel’s head coach. While Gibbs is coming and Driesell is going, the junior never wavered in his choice.
“That wasn’t really an issue,” Gibbs said. “Coach Driesell just told me I would be in great hands. ... I get along well with Coach [Gary] Williams and I should be alright. But Coach Driesell is a great recruiter, he’s a great coach and he will definitely do well at The Citadel. ... I knew that Maryland was the perfect place for me. At the end of the day, Maryland is what I chose, and I’m definitely happy with my pick.”
After speaking with Driesell, Gibbs called Williams and relayed to him the good news.
“He just said that he feels I can be successful in his offense if I work hard,” Gibbs said. “I should be able to do some good things at Maryland, and it’s definitely the right situation for me. Overall, he was just as excited as I was.”
Gibbs, who averaged 20 points and eight assists for the Pirates as a junior, chose the Terps over offers from Indiana, Florida, Rutgers, Seton Hall, Virginia and Wake Forest. Throughout the process, Gibbs was able to lean on his older brother -- Pittsburgh sophomore Ashton Gibbs -- for advice. Sterling said his older brother, when informed of his commitment, “got so excited and put it [online] first” Monday night. Sterling followed suit soon after, announcing his Maryland pledge on his Facebook page.
Gibbs joined the Seton Hall Prep varsity squad as a freshman, coming off the bench as the sixth man, while Ashton took on the starring role. After Ashton moved on to Pitt, Sterling became Pirates coach Bob Farrell's go-to guy.
“A lot of games that were close ended up going in our favor because he would get fouled down the stretch and make those foul shots,” Farrell said. “But he also is a good shooter from 3-point range so that defenses have to play him honestly. I remember we played a team in a tournament that had scouted him and saw him drive to the basket. So they put at 6-6 kid, a very good Division I player, on him, and I think he had 38 points in that game. He must’ve had six or seven 3s. If you lay off him so he can’t drive, you’re going to have to pay that price, too.”
Gibbs is already familiar with much of Maryland’s roster. He knows two incoming freshmen — Oak Hill (Va.) Academy guard Pe’Shon Howard and St. Anthony (N.J.) power forward Ashton Pankey — from the AAU circuit. Gibbs played against freshman center Jordan Williams once in high school, and he was hosted by sophomore guard Sean Mosley on a visit to College Park earlier this year.
Mosley will be a senior when Gibbs arrives at Maryland, while Howard and Tucson (Ariz.) Santa Rita’s Terrell Stoglin — both point guards — will be sophomores. For Gibbs, joining a backcourt with so many versatile pieces is “definitely a positive.”
“I think we’ll definitely be able to play together and work together,” he said. “The way the offense is set up, you have to have shooters. I think all three of us are able to knock down the J and get our teammates involved. It definitely should be a good fit. We’re all unselfish, so there’s no going wrong with it. I definitely think it should be a great experience.”
Click here for more on Gibbs' decision from Seton Hall Prep coach Bob Farrell.
Comments
Man I hate these early commits. You watch he'll have a great Senior year and all of a sudden the Kentucky, Duke's and Kansas' of the world will come knocking. And faster than you can say Terrence Ross he'll be gone.
Posted by: David | April 28, 2010 8:57 AM
Nah....Ross was a different creature. Ross came from the west coast in an area w/VERY strong Nike ties.
Gibbs will stay with Maryland.
Besides, now that he signed early with Maryland, he'll stay 3-star and you know KU, UK and Coach Ratface only takes those 5-star MickeyD players.
Posted by: Troof | April 28, 2010 9:18 AM
Terrance Ross seems like a headcase. I dont think you can assume Gibbs or most kids would be like that. J-Will had a great senior year, but he never waivered. Gibbs sounds excited to come and Maryland has proven successful in getting good guards.
Posted by: Mikepcfl | April 28, 2010 9:47 AM
Sounds like a mature and intelligent young many who is willing to work hard in order to become a good player. What more could we ask for? Great pick up GW!
Posted by: Charles | April 28, 2010 9:56 AM
Welcome Gibbs, im pumped you will be a terp, and can not wait for you to tear it up in college park. From what I have been reading about you, you seem like your going to be a good one. I still got love for Cook, but this much pretty much means he is def not coming....but whatever, Gibbs pulled the trigger first, and I love his game. Gibbs your a beast!
Posted by: TerpsRule34 | April 28, 2010 10:16 AM
great news ! By then, the Terps should be spectacular in the low post with Williams and Padgett as juniors, and smaller perimeter guys can just overplay and force people into the lane.
Posted by: onceawarrior | April 28, 2010 10:20 AM
Who cares, the Terps suck. They have zero academic standards (lowest grad rate out of all tourney teams, only 8%) and still can't win (and please don't say "we were Co-Champs in the ACC," b/c regular season titles don't mean anything). I love watching all of the talent in the DC/Bmore area go elsewhere b/c Gary is a sweaty *****. You losers wish you could get "those 5-star MickeyD players" that coach K gets every year, but even with that sweet arena and all of the UA money, you guys get the leftovers of UNC, Duke, UConn, KY, Etc.
Posted by: Terps Suck | April 28, 2010 10:43 AM
duh, hey Terps suck--
haha, you are a very fnny unedumecated piece of wrke. very intllgeint commnt you gived.
Posted by: the turtle | April 28, 2010 11:12 AM
Thanks, Terps Suck, for making it easy to see why everyone thinks Duke fans are insufferable, stuck-up losers. Good work going onto a Maryland blog and talking smack about academic statistics from ten years ago.
Sterling Gibbs is going to blow up his senior year and everyone will be talking about what a great sign he was for GW. Welcome to Maryland!
Posted by: Zach | April 28, 2010 12:18 PM
hey terps suck, I like how rat face turns all those 5 stars into great pro's, plus you need to learn how those academic numbers are addressed in the grad rates
you idiot.
Posted by: joe from Thurmont | April 29, 2010 7:05 PM
Hey Terps Suck, do some research before you come on a MD blog and talk crap. UMD actually has very high academic standards for their student athletes. This has led to a lot of players not being recruited harder or coming because they dont cut it in the classroom. The stories were never about academic standards, they were about Grad rates you idiot. GW makes a good point if the players have the opportunity to leave and make some money while they still can, why shouldn't they? They are always welcome to come back and finish. You know what is really weird? Almost every duke player is a sociology major. Not knocking sociology but i find it funny how all their basketball players are the same major. UMD Co-ACC Champs. I'll say it loud and clear. YOU IDIOT.
Posted by: Skinsterps | April 30, 2010 10:29 AM
I have to write and say something about what the Dukie had to say and how wrong the guy is! I hope he is a “Duke fan” and not a student or Grad from Duke, because his facts are just completely wrong!
Several comments; Those Graduation Rates were from the mid 1990’s thru early 2000’s, and were due to guys that did well at Maryland academically, but left early for the NBA to make some money and prove something to themselves. Guys like Joe Smith, Steve Francis, Chris Wilcox, etc. Which were always better players in the NBA then Duke players…
Maryland has over 95 programs in the Top 25; the Engineering and Business Schools are always ranked high in the Top 25, and when we graduate we get great jobs and produce!
We have great alums and a number that started major corporations like Google, UA, Clark Enterprises, Whiting-Turner (running the company), etc.
We are right there with Cal, Michigan, UCLA, UVA, etc. and right there with Duke! In fact, we have had players transfer from Notre Dame, Naval Academy, BC, etc. and all said what they have to take and do at Maryland was way beyond those other great Universities and we know Maryland is right there academically! To add, we have had a number of “great high school” basketball players that could not get into Maryland, but could get into Syracuse, UCONN, Villanova, Pitt, BC, Notre Dame, Florida, Kentucky, Kansas, Tennessee etc., but not Maryland.
I think also, at Maryland you need 132+/- credits to graduate compared to Duke which just needs 90+ (this is what I read somewhere).
Understand this; at Maryland we are well educated with great programs that “prepare” all students for the workplace and life!
Hope you can go read up on some articles and see what the “real” facts are and not just silly statements from a Duke “fan” at least that does not know much about Duke or Maryland!
BTW…the “regular season” should count more! It really should…
And also, only Maryland in the ACC or elsewhere in the land give Duke more trouble than any other school! Just the facts!!!
Posted by: Gavin | April 30, 2010 5:13 PM
... you guys think just maybe that Terps Suck is just pushing yr buttons? The loud & indignant reaction is more hilarious than his non-sensical OG post.
Posted by: DJ_Dunk | May 2, 2010 10:50 PM