Much of the talk involving Maryland's power forward targets for the 2012 class has centered on Charles Mitchell, Mitch McGary and Amile Jefferson. But there's at least one other highly rated prospect who still has the Terps on his list.

Robert Carter, a 6-foot-8, 245-pound power forward from Shiloh High in Snellville, Ga., was a standout performer at the Under Armour Grind Session in Chicago last weekend. Maryland was one of five schools that the four-star prospect mentioned to ESPN.com's Reggie Rankin.

PF Robert Carter (Thomasville, Ga./Shiloh) has terrific skill and the ability to score inside and out with 3-point range in addition to being able to handle and pass. Carter is visiting Georgia, Georgia Tech, Maryland, Florida and Florida State.

• The Wolverine's Chris Balas tweeted Thursday that McGary will make his college decision "in a month."

• Detroit Country Day shooting guard Jodan Price, who reportedly received some UM interest, committed this week to DePaul.

Price held offers from Northwestern, Minnesota, and a variety of other mid-major schools as well.

• ESPN HoopGurlz reports that the Maryland women's basketball program has planned a big recruiting weekend.

The courtship of Malina Howard of Twinsburg, Ohio, now is down to Notre Dame and Maryland. Two weeks ago, Notre Dame played host to the prospect ranked No. 7 in 2012 by ESPN HoopGurlz. Now it's Maryland's turn, and it has an equally big weekend planned as the Terps are hosting their current Class of 2012 commitments, including four-star guard Chloe Pavlech and No. 22 Tierney Pfirman.

Brenda Frese and her staff also will welcome a couple of Top 20 Class of 2013 players to College Park this weekend, including No. 17 Alexis "Lexie" Brown and No. 3 Diamond DeShields.

Football recruiting

• Maryland quarterback commitment Caleb Rowe has helped his Blue Ridge squad to the No. 3 spot in WYFF Greenville's high school football power rankings.

Caleb Rowe has led his Tigers off to the team's best start since 2007. The senior commitment to Maryland has thrown 20 touchdown passes this season, throwing at least five per game since Week 2.

• MaxPreps.com this week profiled Friendship Collegiate (D.C.) defensive tackle Eddie Goldman.

Goldman says he won't make his final college choice until signing day in February, and stressed that distance won't be a factor in his decision. He has narrowed his choices, in no particular order, down to seven: Maryland (the first to offer), Alabama, Auburn, California, Clemson, Florida State and Miami.

• ESPN.com's Dave Hooker spoke to several Gilman players this week, including sophomore defensive lineman Melvin Keihn.

"I'm not sure right now," Keihn said when asked what he thought about the Terps. "I think they're a really good football team. Coach [Randy] Edsall is changing a lot of things up there."

• The Washington Post's Josh Barr and B.J. Koubaroulis talk about Terps linebacker pledge Stefan Houston and more in their latest Recruiting Insider video. Check it out here.

Posted by Matt Bracken at 11:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (8)
Categories: Weekly recruiting roundup
        

Editor's note: Each week, InsideMdSports.com provides this blog with a Maryland recruiting feature that previously appeared as premium content on its site.

The Maryland basketball staff continues to log frequent flier miles in its efforts to secure a top-flight power forward to pair with committed center Shaquille Cleare. The Terps' tour stopped Monday in Marietta, Ga., where one of their top targets – Wheeler High senior Charles Mitchell – resides.

“They came to my school two days ago. It was [Maryland assistant] coach Bino [Ranson] and [assistant] coach Dalonte [Hill],” said Mitchell, who joins Mitch McGary and Amile Jefferson at the top of the Terrapins' wishlist. “We didn’t really get to talk a lot because I had to get to class. They just watched me work out..”

Mitchell will take an official visit to Maryland sometime soon, and he said a date will be secured shortly.

“I take my test [the SAT] this weekend, and after that I can start setting up some visits. I’ll probably start the second week in October,” he said.

The burly 6-8 forward is still looking closely at Maryland, Tennessee, Florida State, Clemson and perhaps a few others. He plans to take three officials and make a decision shortly thereafter.

The biggest factor “will probably be my relationship with the coaching staff,” said Mitchell, who has been hearing regularly from Maryland’s staff for several months now. “It’s an open playing field, that’s why I want to get out and take these visits.”

-- Story by Jeff Ermann

To gain access to all of InsideMDSports.com's premium Terps sports and recruiting content, click HERE.

Posted by Matt Bracken at 10:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: InsideMDSports
        

Mark Turgeon learned everything he needed to know about Sean Mosley within minutes of their first meeting at Maryland.

The new Terps coach invited Mosley – one of just two seniors on Maryland’s 2011-12 roster – into his Comcast Center office for a rehash of the 2010-11 season and a look forward to what was expected of him in his final college campaign.

“He was very honest,” Turgeon recalled. “He talked about how he had a bad year and didn’t know why. But he was honestly just excited. He loves Maryland. He loves Maryland basketball. Academically, he’s on track to graduate, which is a great story. He’s done a lot of great things and hopefully he’ll finish up his career real strong and graduate in May. I could tell he was totally committed to doing whatever it takes to be successful.”

Whether or not Turgeon’s first season in College Park will be considered a success depends on a number of factors, including – but certainly not limited to – finding a reliable post player to take Jordan Williams’ minutes, identifying a No. 2 scoring option behind Terrell Stoglin and getting contributions from a woefully thin bench. But a bounce-back year from Mosley – the second-leading scorer in Maryland high school history – could be just what the Terps need to surprise people in the ACC.

Despite a disappointing junior year in which he averaged 8.1 points, Mosley’s ever-sunny disposition hasn’t changed. If anything, the promise of something new has brightened the 6-foot-4, 210-pound wing’s outlook.

“Everything is going great,” Mosley said. “Everybody’s chemistry with Coach [Turgeon] and with the team is working well. We’re working really hard toward having a great season. With the [coaching] change, definitely everything happened fast. But I think we’re back on track as a team with new coaches and new guys coming in. I’m looking forward to great things this year.”

Great things were expected from Mosley immediately at Maryland thanks to the record-breaking legacy he left at St. Frances. A four-time Baltimore Sun All-Metro selection – and the 2008 Player of the Year – Mosley was a rare Charm City recruit for the Terps. Playing for Gary Williams – and fellow Baltimore legend Keith Booth – was a major selling point for Mosley. So the veteran coach’s surprise retirement after a postseason-less 2010-11 campaign came as quite a shock.

“Coach Williams is a Hall of Fame coach,” Mosley said. “But once I found out that he was retiring, it was kind of hard for me because I’ve been around him since freshman year. He’s one of the main reasons I committed to the University of Maryland. But at the end of the day, I had to stick here and not move elsewhere because either way, it was going to be a new beginning for me. Why not stay close to home, with the fans and their support? There’s definitely been adversity. But those of us left, we came together at the team meeting and [decided] we were all going to stay.”

Since that decision to stay at Maryland was made, Mosley has thrived in his leadership role. Turgeon has counted on the former Panthers star to serve as an example for his teammates – on and off the court. Mosley, meanwhile, has surprised his new coach by improving on at least one key element to his game.

“He’s a much better shooter than I thought looking at his numbers,” Turgeon said of Mosley, who shot just 26.9 percent from 3-point range last season. “His form is good shooting the ball. Hopefully it’ll carry over in games. He’s a much better shooter. He’s tough kid, a strong kid who guards multiple positions because of his strength. He’s just a great leader for us. You can tell he’s serious about doing what’s best for the team and leaving his mark. He’s been great.”

Part of Mosley doing what’s best for the team means him playing out of his natural position. Rivals.com’s No. 8 shooting guard in the 2008 class, Mosley has always been asked at Maryland to guard bigger players. That will be the case again this year.

“Sean will do anything for the team,” Turgeon said. “He realizes the situation that our program is in as far as the lack of [frontcourt depth]. If we can get Alex [Len through the NCAA Clearinghouse], that’ll help give us another body and give us a chance to play bigger lineups more. But Sean just wants to play well and do whatever it takes. I think the way that we’ll coach, if Sean starts at the 4, we’ll put him in a position to really be successful.

“What his natural position is, I’m not sure. Maybe a 3, but I think in today’s college game, he’ll be a real threat for us at the 4. So he’s going to play both. That means more playing time for him. I think he’ll be great at both positions.”

Mosley said he’s grown accustomed to guarding guys that are three-to-five inches taller than him. While he may not have envisioned himself spending so much of his college career battling against bigger players in the paint, he’s more than willing to do whatever Turgeon thinks is best.

“At the end of the day, if I have to do that, that’s my job. I’m definitely going to do that because I’ll do anything to help the team win,” Mosley said. “Once the ball is thrown up, the game is on. My mind is clear. I’m not worrying about the past, but just trying to take it one game at a time and getting back to winning.”

The days of Mosley scoring 25 points per game at St. Frances seem like a long time ago. He’s turned into different player at Maryland than many recruiting analysts may have expected. But not once, Mosley said, has he regretted his decision to play for his hometown Terps. His only hope now is to end his college career by leaving “a good legacy behind.”

“It’s a blessing to be here at the University of Maryland,” Mosley said. “I’m playing at the highest Division I level. The three years have been great. We’ve been to the [NCAA] tournament two out of the three years I’ve been here, got [an ACC championship] ring when I was here. This is my last year. I just want to go out being remembered and having a great season, making the tournament and playing my best. Last year wasn’t the best season for me or the [team]. But I think this change is definitely for the better. We’re looking forward.”

Devon Saddler, Delaware
Devin Brown, Holy Cross
Eric Atkins, Notre Dame
Brendan Bald, Vermont
Jamar Briscoe, Charlotte
Dylon Cormier, Loyola

Baltimore Sun photo of Sean Mosley by Kenneth K. Lam / Jan. 26, 2010

Posted by Matt Bracken at 1:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: The Sweet 16
        

With little fanfare, Devon Saddler committed to Delaware over Drexel and Towson in the fall of 2008. Less than one year later, the 6-foot-2, 205-pound combo guard was back on the AAU circuit, headed to prep school and receiving substantially more interest from a variety of high-major schools.

Saddler, who graduated from Aberdeen in 2009, heard from DePaul, North Carolina State, Oregon, Rutgers, Washington and several other programs thanks to his play with Baltimore Assault. More college coaches discovered the Baltimore Sun second-team All-Metro selection when he took part in open gyms at the Winchendon (Mass.) School that fall.

While the increased attention left Saddler flattered, there was never any doubt in his mind about what he would do during the 2009 fall signing period.

“I knew I was going to sign the papers to the University of Delaware,” Saddler said. “I kind of did look into the other schools, but I really didn’t pay that hype any attention.”

When Saddler’s letter of intent arrived at the Delaware basketball offices, Blue Hens coach Monte' Ross -- who discovered the Aberdeen star at a camp in New Jersey before his senior year -- breathed an expected sigh of relief.

“He was a very, very loyal young man,” Ross said. “That eased our fears in terms of him going to prep school. … We were pretty confident in just the type of young man that he was. He wasn’t a wishy-washy type of young man. He was the type of young man that said what he meant and meant what he said. He pretty much stuck to his word. You always look for that in young men.”

Saddler’s loyalty to Delaware worked out well for both parties throughout the 2010-11 season. The Blue Hens experienced a seven-game improvement from the previous season, and Saddler established himself as one of the Baltimore area’s top college players by earning Colonial Athletic Association Rookie of the Year honors.

“Winning Rookie of the Year in such a tough league, such a highly regarded league … is quite an accomplishment,” Ross said. “He brought a different type of intensity to our team from Day 1. I think other guys on our team really, really appreciated that. We were better from Day 1 [because of] the type of competitor he was and what he was bringing to the program.”

Saddler’s freshman campaign got off to a promising start. He led the Blue Hens (14-17, 8-10 CAA) in scoring in his first two college games – 19 points in a loss at Ohio, and 15 points in a loss at Cornell. The highlight for Saddler – who averaged 13.3 points and 4.3 rebounds – came at Towson in January.

With plenty of supporters in the Towson Arena stands, Saddler was shut out in the first half. In the second half he came out possessed, pouring in 13 points on 4-for-4 shooting from the field. That flawless second-half performance included the highlight of his young career.

“We ran a double screen for Jawan [Carter], and they double-teamed him,” Saddler recalled. “I was open and I hit the game-winner. He kicked it out to me for the 3. It was a buzzer-beater. It was a blessing. It felt so good. I never had a buzzer-beater 3.

“I felt like I was coming out of my shell. I had just now arrived. It was time for me to just start taking over.”

Saddler, whose Blue Hens claimed a 66-63 win over the Tigers that day, did just that for the rest of his freshman year. He carried that over to the summer, when he split time between Newark, Del., and Baltimore. Saddler was a frequent participant in the Melo Center Pro-Am League, teaming with San Antonio Spurs guard and fellow Harford County native Gary Neal against the likes of Josh Selby (Memphis Grizzlies), Brandon Jennings (Milwaukee Bucks) and several others.

Competing with professionals was an eye-opening experience for Saddler.

“I feel like I can go as high as [those] guys can go,” he said. “I came to play, day in and day out. When I was up there, I was holding my own. I’m like, why not? Why can’t I make it if they can? I feel like this year I’m going to try and win the CAA championship and take it from there. We’ve got great leadership this year. … This is our year.”

Ross said Saddler has worked hard on his outside shooting this summer, and has continued to get stronger. He sees no reason why the reigning CAA Rookie of the Year can’t take another step forward this year.

“I think he’s a reason why we took so many strides last year. I think he’ll be one of the reasons why we take more strides this year,” Ross said. “I think his natural leadership ability will come out and he’ll help us in taking the next step. He’s really excited about it. And he’s put the work in this summer to be excited about it. I think good things will happen for him.”

Rookie success hasn’t gone to Saddler’s head. If anything, individual accolades have made Saddler hungrier for team success. He’s ready to do everything he can to help Delaware rise in the CAA standings.

“I’m pleased so far, but I’m not settling,” Saddler said. “I think this year is going to be my breakout year. [I hope] to have a great year this year. I’m working out, my jump shot is falling now [and] I’m getting more comfortable shooting off the dribble. This year might be my year. I might go off.”

Devin Brown, Holy Cross
Eric Atkins, Notre Dame
Brendan Bald, Vermont
Jamar Briscoe, Charlotte
Dylon Cormier, Loyola

U.S. Presswire photo of Devon Saddler by Howard Smith / Dec. 18, 2010

Posted by Matt Bracken at 11:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: The Sweet 16
        

As the Maryland football program underwent wholesale changes over the past year, one thing for Stefan Houston remained exactly the same: the Terps' interest in him.

Houston, a 6-foot-2, 210-pound linebacker and wide receiver from Clarksburg High in Montgomery County, was first recruited by Terps defensive line coach Dave Sollazzo as a sophomore. When Randy Edsall took over at Maryland last winter, he and offensive line coach Tom Brattan picked up where Sollazzo left off.

On Friday, Houston rewarded Maryland for its consistent pursuit with his commitment.

“It feels really good actually, to have all this weight lifted off my shoulders,” Houston said. “I bonded with every coaching staff member there, just like I knew them from when I was young.”

Houston picked the Terps over offers from East Carolina, Rutgers and West Virginia. Many more Football Bowl Subdivision programs were interested in the Coyotes’ two-way star.

“People have expressed interest [in him from] all over the country,” said Clarksburg coach Larry Hurd. “But Stefan pretty much [knew what he wanted] from the first time he stepped on campus. He’s been there several times. He’s real comfortable. His mom will be able to see his games. He’s pumped about that.”

Hurd, who also coached Maryland sophomore linebacker Avery Graham at Clarksburg, welcomed Houston into his program as a 10th-grader. The future Terp immediately claimed a starting role for the Coyotes and never relinquished those duties.

“He’s always been dedicated to the football team,” Hurd said. “He really loves football, enjoys competition and has done a great job since Day 1. … I think he makes really big plays. There’s no one play that sticks out in my mind right now. He’s just very consistent in what he does.”

On the offensive side of the ball, Houston is a big-play wide receiver who currently leads Clarksburg’s league in receptions (21) and receiving yards (414). Houston, who runs a 4.39 40, has caught five touchdown passes and also carried the ball 19 times for 106 yards.

The Maryland coaches, however, took one look at Houston and saw a perfect fit for the STAR linebacker position, which is currently occupied by Kenny Tate.

“They love his athletic ability and what he does on the football field,” Hurd said. “He’s consistent, makes big plays. He’s got great upside and we’re looking forward to getting him there.”

Hurd said the most important thing Houston needs to do before enrolling at College Park next fall is continue to get stronger. That shouldn’t be a problem for the future Terp, who said he intends to bring “hard work, dedication and team chemistry” to Maryland. Hurd is confident his star player will deliver on that vow.

“We’re extremely proud of him,” Hurd said. “We’re happy he’s at the in-state school. It seems like a perfect fit to me.”

Posted by Matt Bracken at 12:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

The Next Level is a weekly Recruiting Report feature that focuses on natives of Anne Arundel County, Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Carroll County, Harford County and Howard County who appear on NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision rosters. Chris Eckard, a senior at the University of Maryland and Baltimore Sun sports department intern, is your author.

Temple senior quarterback Chester Stewart (Hanover native) and junior running back Matt Brown (Baltimore native, Peddie School grad) feasted on a lackluster Maryland defense this past Saturday at Byrd Stadium.

Stewart, in particular, had an impressive afternoon. Making his first start of the season, the DeMatha graduate was a perfect 9-for-9 for 140 passing yards. He also rushed for 57 yards on nine carries, often extending a broken play with his legs.

His control of the offense all afternoon led to a 38-7 drubbing of the Terps. It marked Temple’s first win against a BCS opponent on the road since 2002 and its first-ever win against an ACC opponent.

For his efforts, in quite possibly the biggest upset of the weekend, Stewart is this week’s Next Level Player of the Week.

Brown also played a big role, leading the Owls with 194 all-purpose yards, including 76 rushing yards on 12 carries. Temple sophomore linebacker Gary Onuekwusi (Dunbar) recorded a tackle in the win.

Not only did the Terps get humiliated Saturday, but they also lost starting sophomore safety Matt Robinson (Atholton) to a season-ending shoulder injury. He had recorded eight tackles (13 total) before suffering the injury. Terps sophomore defensive end David Mackall (Edmondson) had one tackle in the loss (six total). Maryland junior safety Eric Franklin (Archbishop Curley) had five solo tackles (12 total). Maryland junior defensive tackle A.J. Francis (Severn native, Gonzaga grad) recorded one tackle.

Honorable mention

• West Virginia's Tavon Austin (Dunbar) had another huge game Saturday night. The junior wide receiver had 187 yards on 11 receptions in the Mountaineers’ 47-21 loss to LSU. Austin also had 100 kickoff return yards on six returns. West Virginia junior safety Terrence Garvin (Loyola) had two solo tackles (four total) in the loss.

• Colorado State sophomore Shaq Barrett recovered a fumble and scored a touchdown on a 15-yard run-back in the Rams’ 35-34 overtime victory against Utah State. Barrett (a Baltimore native who went to high school in Nebraska) also led the team with six solo tackles (14 total) and recorded a five-yard sack.

• Michigan freshman cornerback Blake Countess (Owings Mills native, Good Counsel grad) played his best college game to date, with five solo tackles (seven total) in the Wolverines’ 28-7 win against San Diego State. Wolverines freshman safety Josh Furman (Old Mill) had a solo tackle (two total) in the win.

• Syracuse junior wide receiver Alec Lemon (Arundel) caught an 18-yard touchdown pass with 2:07 remaining in the fourth quarter to give the Orange a late lead over Toledo. Syracuse went on to win 33-30 in overtime.

Other contributions

• Arkansas State senior cornerback Darron Edwards (Dunbar) recorded four tackles in the Red Wolves’ 53-24 win against Central Arkansas.

• Army junior slotback Kelechi Odocha (Atholton) carried the ball once for 16 yards in the Black Knights’ 48-21 loss to Ball State.

• Central Michigan sophomore safety Leron Eaddy (River Hill) had two solo tackles (seven total) as the Chippewas fell to Michigan State, 45-7.

• Virginia freshman wide receiver Darius Jennings (Gilman) had two receptions for 23 yards in the Cavaliers’ 30-24 loss to Southern Mississippi. Cavaliers senior defensive tackle Nick Jenkins (Westminster native, Good Counsel grad) had a sack and four tackles in the loss.

• Virginia Tech junior wide receiver Corey Fuller (Woodlawn) had a 7-yard reception in the Hokies’ 30-10 win against Marshall. Hokies sophomore cornerback Kyle Fuller (Mount St. Joseph) had three solo tackles (four total) in the win.

• North Carolina senior linebacker Zach Brown (Wilde Lake) had three solo tackles (six total), one for a loss, in the Tar Heels’ 35-28 loss to Georgia Tech.

• Rutgers sophomore linebacker Nick DePaola (Hereford) had a tackle in Rutgers’ 38-26 win against Ohio.

• Ole Miss senior defensive end Wayne Dorsey (Southwestern) had three solo tackles (six total), including one for a loss, as the Rebels’ lost to 27-13 to Georgia.

• Penn State freshman safety Adrian Amos (Calvert Hall) returned one kickoff 18 yards and recorded two solo tackles in the Nittany Lions’ 34-6 win against Eastern Michigan.

• UAB sophomore quarterback Jonathan Perry (Dunbar) split time and finished with 106 yards passing (9-for-16) and 13 yards rushing on five carries in the Blazers’ 28-23 loss to ECU. East Carolina sophomore defensive end Derrell Johnson (Cardinal Gibbons) had two solo tackles (four total), including one sack in the win.

• San Jose State senior cornerback Brandon Driver (Parkville) had three solo tackles (five total) in a loss to New Mexico State, 34-24.

• New Mexico freshman safety Zach Dancel (Ellicott City native, Good Counsel grad) had three solo tackles (six total) in the Lobos’ 48-45 loss to Sam Houston State.

Getty photo of Chester Stewart by Rob Carr / Sept. 24, 2011

Posted by Matt Bracken at 10:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: The Next Level
        

With five seconds left in the first half of No. 4 McDonogh's game Friday against No. 9 Archbishop Spalding, Roman Braglio made the play of the game to break a scoreless tie.

The Maryland-bound defensive end recovered a Cavaliers fumble and returned it 75 yards for a touchdown. The Eagles went on to beat Spalding 20-7.

It was only the second touchdown of Braglio’s career. His first came three weeks ago when he returned an interception for a score in the 17-14 loss to Gonzaga.

“Every practice, I kind to mess around and pick up a loose ball and run it,” the 6-foot-4, 240-pound Braglio said, “and when I saw it, I was like, ‘Oh man, here’s my chance.’ I picked it up and I ran for my life. I ran as fast as I could.”

• Clarksburg linebacker Stefan Houston committed to the Terps on Friday.

“He came in this morning and said he had made a decision,” Clarksburg Coach Larry Hurd said. “It’s exciting. He’s put his time in, been to the places, spoken to the coaches. I know [Clarksburg graduate] Avery [Graham] being at Maryland influenced his decision and so did seeing [Quince Orchard 2010 All-Met] Alex Twine play the last couple weeks. Coach [Randy] Edsall and [assistant] coach [Tom] Brattan have done an excellent job recruiting him.”

Check back with Recruiting Report later for more on Houston's decision.

• Maryland quarterback pledge Caleb Rowe threw for three touchdowns in Blue Ridge's 49-7 win over Travelers Rest (S.C.).

In the second half, Blue Ridge scored after the 18-yard loss that killed a TR drive. Rowe and [Brennen] Griffin connected on a 35-yard pass play and then Rowe threw to Bryton Griffin for 16 yards and a touchdown for a 28-7 lead.

Through five games, Rowe has thrown 20 touchdown passes.

• Maryland-bound athlete Joe Riddle's Linganore squad recorded a 47-6 win over Oakdale.

Linganore's Joe Riddle ran for 137 yards and 2 touchdowns on 10 carries.

• Terps recruits Perry Hills and Anthony Nixon helped Pittsburgh Central Catholic to a 31-13 win over Woodland Hills.

Nixon finished with eight catches for 84 yards, and Hills completed 11 of 15 passes for 117 yards and no interceptions.

• UM wide receiver commitment Malcolm Culmer had a big game to pace Willingboro (N.J.) in its 34-13 win over Maple Shade.

Anthony Robbins threw two of his three touchdown passes to Malcolm Culmer, who picked up 115 yards on 11 catches, helping the visiting Chimeras (2-0) pull away in the second half of an interdivision game.

Basketball recruiting

• KentuckySportsRadio.com reports that the Wildcats are now interested in Terps forward target Amile Jefferson.

Amile Jefferson, a 6-foot-7 power forward from Philadelphia, is on Kentucky’s radar and Coach [John Calipari] and his staff are making a hard push in his recruitment. He’s Scout.com’s No. 4 power forward in the class of 2012 and he holds offers from a number of schools including Syracuse, Ohio State, Miami, West Virginia, and Virginia Tech.

• Buddy Hield, a three-star shooting guard from Kansas who reportedly drew some Terps interest, committed to Oklahoma on Sunday.

Rivals reports Missouri, Memphis, Texas A&M, Colorado, Nebraska, Miami and Utah were among schools that offered scholarships. Hield visited Nebraska and Colorado in the weeks leading up to his trip to Norman.

Posted by Matt Bracken at 8:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

A prime Maryland shooting guard target is apparently off the board.

According to multiple media reports, Christian Sanders committed to Stanford on Friday.

A three-star prospect from St. Thomas High in Houston, Sanders was recruited by Mark Turgeon at Texas A&M, and the pursuit continued at Maryland. Sanders, a teammate of Terps pledge Shaquille Cleare on the Houston Defenders, also had offers from Colorado, Oklahoma State and Vanderbilt, among others.

Another prospect with Terps interest also made his decision Friday night. Elijah Macon, a four-star power forward from Columbus, Ohio, committed to West Virginia.

Posted by Matt Bracken at 11:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

Maryland's 2012 basketball recruiting class of Seth Allen, Shaquille Cleare and Jake Layman will undoubtedly add members sooner rather than later. But for now, the three-man group is considered one of the Top 25 classes in the country.

Rivals.com this week updated its team rankings, and the Terps checked in at No. 20 on the list

Four-star post player Shaquille Cleare is a physical presence who should have a significant impact on the ACC. Layman is a talented combo forward with a smooth shooting stroke and upside. Allen, a shooting guard, rounds out the class.

Other ACC teams listed are North Carolina (11), Florida State (13) and Virginia (16).

• Tar Heel Illustrated conducted a Q&A this week with Maryland target Mitch McGary.

And do you know of any other official visits at this point in time?

(I'll officially visit) Maryland, Kentucky, and Florida sometime soon.

• TerpsInsider.com posted a highlight video Thursday of Allen, the Terps combo guard pledge. Check out the video here.

• Jon Rothstein reported that Maryland forward target Amile Jefferson will make an official visit to Ohio State from Sept. 30 through Oct. 2.

It is his only scheduled official visit as of now.

• CBSSports.com posted an update earlier this week on Elijah Macon, a 6-foot-8 forward who had drawn some Terps interest.

Macon is going through the process for a second time, and he still has plenty of teams in hot pursuit. DePaul and West Virginia have come through for in-home visits, while Kansas State, Louisville and Pittsburgh have also gone to Huntington Prep (W.Va.) to watch him work out.

• Former UM target Twymond Howard committed this week to UTEP.

• Rivals.com's Eric Bossi reported Friday that Zach Auguste, who reportedly drew interest from Maryland's previous staff, committed to Notre Dame.

Football recruiting

• Phil Kornblut's weekly report for The Post and Courier of Charleston, S.C., includes updates on several Terps targets, including Good Counsel running back Wes Brown.

RB Wes Brown of Olney, Md., narrowed his list to 10 but is not ready to reveal them. Maryland has been making a strong push, and USC also is recruiting him.

• Gilman athlete and Terps target Cyrus Jones is headed to Morgantown this weekend.

While Cyrus Jones from Baltimore (Md.) Gilman works out the logistics to take an unofficial visit to Saturday night's West Virginia-LSU game in Morgantown, one thing is clear: He'll have plenty of company from the surronding areas.

• The Washington Post's Josh Barr talked about Maryland football commitments Sean Davis and Shawn Petty in his weekly Recruiting Insider Live video feature.

Posted by Matt Bracken at 10:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: Weekly recruiting roundup
        

Editor's note: Each week, InsideMdSports.com provides this blog with a Maryland recruiting feature that previously appeared as premium content on its site.

The Maryland basketball staff continues to span the country in its efforts to bring in a top 2012 recruiting class, a tour that recently made a pit stop at Arlington Country Day School in Jacksonville, Fla. – the new home of senior shooting guard Torian Graham.

Graham, a highly touted former N.C. State commitment ranked the No. 52 prospect in the Class of ’12, has been on Maryland’s radar for some time, having known Terps assistant Dalonte Hill from his days playing for the D.C. Assault AAU program. Hill joined head coach Mark Turgeon on the visit to Graham, an ultra-athletic 6-foot-4 scorer who hails from Durham, N.C.

“They think he’s an outstanding player and would be an asset to their program,” said ACD head coach Rex Morgan. “Coach Turgeon makes his kids better, and as a coach, that’s important to me.”

Both Morgan and Len Lilly, Graham’s guardian, said Graham is nowhere near making a decision. He’s been settling in at Arlington Country Day following his fall transfer there, working on academics and coping with the recent passing of his mother.

“He’s doing pretty good. He’s taking everything well. I’m impressed with him. He’s matured a lot,” Lilly said. “He’s really just taking it easy right now.”

Lilly said Maryland, Baylor, Florida State and Texas are among the schools seriously pursuing Graham. Graham has been high on Kentucky for some time, but does not have an offer from the Wildcats and may not receive one following the commitment of blue-chip Arkansas shooting guard Archie Goodwin on Tuesday.

“He’s got a lot of schools recruiting him,” Lilly said. “I talked to Dalonte. They offered, I think it was a few weeks ago.”

Could the presence of Hill, who’s known Graham for years, secure Graham’s commitment? It could help, Lilly said, but won’t be the deciding factor.

“Sort of, but it’s not that big of an influence. Dalonte is a good guy,” he said.

Graham has yet to schedule any visits but will likely do so soon, including a trip to College Park.

“He hasn’t as of right now, but he will probably [take visits] in November some time,” Morgan said.

It remains undecided whether Graham will sign early or wait until the spring period. Morgan said Graham is preparing to take the ACT and/or SAT right now.

Graham has been recovering from an ankle injury, but Morgan has had no trouble seeing why high-major programs are seeking his commitment.

“He’s very explosive. He’s been injured but I’d seen him play before. He’s also got very good basketball IQ,” he said.

The other question: is Maryland pursuing Graham as a sixth recruit – the Terps will likely take a power forward and are in prime position with Houston guard Christian Sanders – or is he an alternative in case Sanders goes elsewhere? Only the staff knows for sure, but it’s become clear there is serious interest in Graham.

Stay tuned …

-- Story by Jeff Ermann

To gain access to all of InsideMDSports.com's premium Terps sports and recruiting content, click HERE.

Posted by Matt Bracken at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (10)
Categories: InsideMDSports
        

For the past three months I've been catching up with the nine head coaches of the state's Division I men's basketball programs, starting with Loyola's Jimmy Patsos in June and ending with Mount St. Mary's Robert Burke last week. Each coach discussed his school's incoming recruiting class at length.

With the interviews complete and classes back in session, here are my picks for headliner and sleeper for each team's group of newcomers.

Maryland

Headliner

This one’s easy. City shooting guard Nick Faust was Mark Turgeon’s lone signee of the 2011 class. “I was really impressed with him and his ability,” Turgeon said of the Baltimore Sun first-team All-Metro player. “He can do a lot of things on the floor. I thought he had tremendous upside.” It’s probably a safe bet that Faust -- a consensus four-star prospect -- sees serious minutes on the wing for the Terps early on in his freshman year.

Sleeper

My interview with Turgeon was conducted before the Terps brought in Alex Len in late August. Information on the 7-foot-1, 225-pound center from the Ukraine is scarce, save for his numbers from the U18 European Championships in 2010: 16 points, 11.4 rebounds, 4.3 blocks, 1.7 steals and 0.8 assists per game. With an unproven trio of post players in James Padgett, Ashton Pankey and Berend Weijs, Len will have ample opportunities for playing time. “I can see myself coming in and contributing right away and helping our team compete in a great league,” Len said in a news release.

Towson

Headliner

First-year coach Pat Skerry lost his headliner earlier this month when the NCAA denied an eligibility waiver for Kelvin Amayo, a point guard from the allegedly academically dubious NIA Prep. With Amayo out of the mix, we’ll go with Marcus Damas, a JUCO transfer from Westchester (N.Y.) Community College who will have three years of eligibility. The 6-foot-7, 200-pound forward averaged 14 points and nine rebounds last season, and could be a factor at the 3 or the 4 right away. “He’s a guy that can play a couple different positions,” Skerry said. “He’s long and athletic. He’s got to get stronger and more consistent with his shot, but he’s a versatile guy with length.”

Sleeper

Will Adams signed with Towson in 2009, but was diagnosed with leukemia just a few months later. Now the 6-foot-4, 190-pound shooting guard from Philadelphia is cancer-free and ready to compete. “We need him to make shots and be another guy that will guard and be an interchangeable guy,” Skerry said. “I also think he could become a very good leader.” For more on Adams’ incredible story, check out this excellent feature by The Sun’s Ken Murray.

Loyola

Headliner

One year after Dylon Cormier (Cardinal Gibbons) stayed home to play for the Greyhounds, St. Frances point guard R.J. Williams decided to follow suit. “He’s a pass-first, defense-first guy. In this day and age, that’s hard to find,” Loyola coach Jimmy Patsos said of the first-team All-Metro player. “He just wants to pass first and play defense first, which means he wants to win.” Patsos said that if Williams didn’t start, he would “probably be the first guy off the bench.”

Sleeper

Tyler Hubbard was the designated outside shooter for national powerhouse Montrose Christian last season. For the Greyhounds, Hubbard could be called on to fill that very same role. “He can make shots, he can stretch the defense,” Patsos said. “I thought we struggled just getting easy baskets [last season]. We would throw the ball inside, everyone collapses, throw it out, and we shot very poorly from the 3-point line. As a coach, they weren’t bad 3s. We just didn’t have someone to make enough of them.” Hubbard’s an obvious candidate to eventually emerge as that much-needed 3-point threat.

UMBC

Headliner

Joey Getz capped his career at Archbishop Wood by leading the Philadelphia Catholic League in scoring at 21 points per game. The 6-footer is more than just a prolific scorer – he also was one of his squad’s top distributors. “He can score in a couple different ways,” said UMBC coach Randy Monroe. “He’s very competitive. He’s definitely one who will be able to play both guard positions.”

Sleeper

Monroe traveled to Indianapolis to sign Chandler Thomas, a 6-foot-6, 210-pound forward who was named to the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association 2011 All-State team. The final recruit in the Retrievers’ class is well-versed in the fundamentals of the game. “For a guy his size, he does a terrific job of rebounding the basketball,” Monroe said. “He really does have a nose for that. … A shot goes up, he blocks his man out and he does not allow him to get any scoring chance. I think he’s really good at that.”

Navy

Headliner

Here’s the abridged resume of former Calvert Hall wing Donya Jackson: two-time Baltimore Catholic League Defensive Player of the Year, member of the 2010 BCL tournament-champion Cardinals, 20-plus-point scorer at Mercersburg (Pa.) Academy. The versatile 6-foot-3, 212-pound wing stayed committed to the Mids throughout his prep year despite interest from several mid-major programs. “He loves to play,” said first-year Navy coach Ed DeChellis. “I think he’s going to be a very, very good player here and hopefully in the Patriot League. But he has a high skill-set and he has a high, competitive motor. He just loves to play. He loves to compete and he’s very athletic.”

Sleeper

Jared Smoot’s senior statistics at Crown Point (Ind.) High were modest -- 9.6 points, 7 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game – but he does bring one important factor to the table that none of his Navy teammates possess: the size of a true center. At 6 feet 10, 244 pounds, Smoot’s the tallest Midshipman by three inches. “He’s a big kid, is strong, can run and jump and can block shots,” DeChellis said. “He has got very good timing and he’s a very good shot-blocker. I think he’s a kid that will continue to get better and better.”

Morgan State

Headliner

Anthony Hubbard was a high-major recruit coming out of Frederick Community College. The 6-foot-5, 215-pound wing eventually chose Iowa over Nebraska and Penn State. But after a month with the Hawkeyes, the Woodbridge, Va., native left Iowa City and enrolled at Morgan State. “… He can really create his own shot and can really get to the basket,” said Morgan State coach Todd Bozeman. “He’s really strong, so he rebounds and can play three positions – all three perimeter positions.” It wouldn’t be crazy to pencil Hubbard into the Bears’ starting lineup – at least at some point in the season.

Sleeper

Thair Heath comes from San Bernardino (Calif.) Valley College with three years of eligibility remaining. The 6-foot-9 forward was a first-team all-conference selection last season. And that’s about the extent of what we know about Heath. But Bozeman likes what he could bring to the Bears. “He’s one of those kids that’s just a tenacious rebounder,” Bozeman said. “He throws his body around a lot. We really believe in his defense and rebounding.”

Coppin State

Headliner

None. Thanks to an Academic Progress Rate score below the NCAA-mandated minimum, Coppin was prevented from adding any new players to its roster because of scholarship loss.

Sleeper

We’ll go with the same player that occupied this spot last year: Logan Wiens. The 6-foot-8 forward redshirted last season after transferring from Merced (Calif.) College. Eagles coach Fang Mitchell expects Wiens to be part of his playing rotation. “Well he is a very intelligent player,” Mitchell said. “He passes well, but he can put the ball on the floor and he can also shoot it. He just adds shooting. We led the conference in 3-point shooting, and Logan adds another 3-point shooter.”

UMES

Headliner

Pina Guillaume appeared in 25 games – starting nine – for Binghamton during the 2009-10 season. When things didn’t work out with the Bearcats, Guillaume headed to Blinn College in Texas. The 6-foot-9 power forward should be an instant-impact player for the Hawks this season. “At 6-9 he can put it on the floor, dribble and [shoot the] jump shot,” said UMES coach Frankie Allen. “I think he’s a very capable defender and rebounder. Like I said, he’s got good skills offensively with his back to the basket and facing the basket. He can step out and shoot the mid-range jumper and be an outside threat. I really feel very fortunate that we were able to get him.”

Sleeper

Gregory Womack is a 6-foot-5 shooting guard that was recruited by the Hawks for one main purpose: 3-point shooting. The former Redlands (Okla.) Community College player shot 65 percent from beyond the arc. “He’s got good size also, but he can really stretch the defense with his 3-point shooting,” Allen said. “Gregory can do other things. He’s a good rebounder, a solid defender, and just a solid player. He’s kind of a no-nonsense type of guy that gets the job done for you.”

Mount St. Mary’s

Headliner

Xavier Owens could be just the type of do-it-all player Robert Burke needs in Emmitsburg. The 6-foot-5, 220-pound wing was a versatile scoring threat for Wharton High in Wesley Chapel, Fla. “He's got good size and strength that, right away, should allow him to compete,” Burke said. “He's an outstanding defender. It's rare you find a guy who has that defensive mentality that was able to put up the [offensive] numbers that he did in high school. We'll look for him to be versatile and fill in wherever he's needed, mostly on the perimeter, but maybe if we play small he can help on the frontcourt.”

Sleeper

Taylor Danaher, a 6-foot-10 center, was home-schooled before playing for Fredericksburg (Va.) Christian last season. He’s a developmental prospect that intrigued Burke enough to offer him a scholarship before last fall’s signing period. “Obviously, strength will be a factor,” Burke said. “But he’s versatile and already has a really nice feel around the rim. He likes to rebound the ball, he can really run, and he seems to have good endurance in that regard. So I think he can [help] in a lot of different ways.”

Posted by Matt Bracken at 1:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

After final exams in May, the Holy Cross campus in Worcester, Mass., becomes somewhat of a ghost town.

Living in a nearly vacant college town might be lonely for some. But Crusaders guard Devin Brown, a second-team All-Patriot League player last season, wouldn’t have it any other way.

“The entire campus empties,” said Brown, a 2007 City grad. “I’m with my teammates in the gym, working out, usually three or four times a day up at the Hart Center. It’s really good. It cuts down on the distractions, allows me to work on my game as much as possible.”

When Brown wasn’t working on his game this summer, the Baltimore native was interning at GE and plotting his post-graduate plans for entering the business world. That summer balancing act of books and basketball was typical for Brown. Over the past three years at Holy Cross, the 6-foot-2, 190-pound senior has emerged as a seemingly model student-athlete at the academically rigorous institution.

"We talked earlier in the summer about some things he was going to need to do from a basketball standpoint, but he also has had some things off the court with his academics,” said Holy Cross coach Milan Brown. “One of the [business] professors pulled me aside and said, ‘He’s absolutely going to be a star.’ … [This is] what kids who go to Holy Cross do. They’re going to play and be about academically trying to set themselves up for the future and where they’re going to work. He goes just as hard going for 30 points as he does in [in the classroom]. He’s done both. He’s talked a lot about being good in both avenues.”

Devin Brown’s status as one of Baltimore’s top college basketball players certainly wasn’t a given coming out of high school. He transferred to City from Calvert Hall at a time when the Knights were far from the powerhouse program they are today. As City’s lone senior starter during the 2006-07 season, however, Brown led the Knights to a 20-5 record – its best mark since 1999. A first-team Baltimore Sun All-Metro selection, Brown averaged 20.5 points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals.

Brown was fully qualified academically coming out of high school, but decided to enroll at Notre Dame Prep in Fitchburg, Mass., in hopes of generating more college interest. In Holy Cross, Brown found a program with a rich basketball history and – most importantly to him – an institution that offered a rich educational experience.

“I would definitely say the academic reputation of Holy Cross [was a major reason I committed],” Brown said. “One thing about Holy Cross is that academically, I’ll be graduating with a degree that will make me competitive in the work force. I would be surrounded by a lot of smart individuals. That was something that was really important to me. I was fortunate enough to learn early on that the basketball won’t bounce forever. I wanted to focus on basketball for as long as possible with a good athletic program, and also really establish myself academically as well. That’s kind of how I came to the decision.”

On the court, things haven’t gone quite as smooth for the Crusaders during Brown’s three seasons. Ralph Willard, who guided Holy Cross to four NCAA tournaments, left after Brown’s freshman year to join Rick Pitino’s Louisville staff. Sean Kearney, Willard’s successor, was fired after just one year.

Then came Milan Brown from Mount St. Mary’s, who knew of Devin Brown “just a little bit” from his time recruiting Baltimore.

“I had remembered seeing him playing at City, but it had been so long,” Milan Brown said. “A couple of people we know from back home told us he was a good athlete, good player, and we would probably have a chance to turn him into an even better player than he is now. Obviously we’re excited with the way he played. Physically, he’s a freak. He’s a really strong kid. He’s benching over 300 pounds. Last week he had a 35-inch vertical. It’s pretty freakish for a kid that’s 6-2 and doesn’t play football.”

Devin Brown, who’s majoring in psychology with a pre-business concentration, said he bonded with his third coach in three years almost immediately. His individual results reflected a comfort in the new system. Brown averaged a team-best 15.6 points, reaching double figures 21 times. The former City star converted on 81.1 percent of his free throws and 36.6 percent of his 3-point attempts.

But for Brown, all the individual accolades were essentially for naught. Holy Cross finished the 2010-11 season with an 8-21 record, including a 7-7 mark in the Patriot League.

“I would say there were a few moments when I was able to produce at an individual level,” Brown said. “But as my coach said and told my team, it really doesn’t matter. If the team isn’t performing as a whole, there’s probably something going on with the individual parts. It doesn’t matter how many moments I had. If we’re not producing, it really doesn’t mean much.

“I wish I would’ve been able to do more to help the team – taking [better] shots, grabbing more rebounds, finding the open man, getting a few more steals, motivating my teammates better when I’m on the bench, pushing the team more in practice – a lot of things I could have done. When we didn’t perform as well as I thought we should have last year, I took it really hard.”

Milan Brown appreciates the passion his star player has exhibited on a daily basis since he’s known him. He knows the senior has time for two activities in life -- basketball and school – but that clearly suits him just fine. The fruits of Devin Brown’s labor this summer have definitely been noted.

“Once we got here for the first week of workouts, you can tell how hard he’s worked, and his mentality and how he’s been in workouts,” Milan Brown said. “He worked on his game last summer. He’s basically ready, basketball-wise, to take that next step.”

Devin Brown has big plans for his post-college life. He’s “loading up on business courses now” in the hopes of landing a job in finance. But he’s also intently focused on his senior season with the Crusaders. Brown committed to a Holy Cross program that was used to winning. By drawing on his Charm City upbringing, Brown hopes to restore the Crusaders to their old ways.

“Just growing up in Baltimore, you have to be tough,” he said. “Nobody is going to give you anything. Everything you have, you really have to earn it. You just have to go the extra mile. That’s something I’ve tried to bring here to Massachusetts. There’s always someone coming for what you have. To remain on top, it’s always good to have a goal. I think that really comes from training and being from Baltimore.”

Dylon Cormier, Loyola

Photo of Devin Brown courtesy of the Holy Cross athletic department.

Posted by Matt Bracken at 1:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: The Sweet 16
        

The Next Level is a weekly Recruiting Report feature that focuses on natives of Anne Arundel County, Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Carroll County, Harford County and Howard County who appear on NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision rosters. Chris Eckard, a senior at the University of Maryland and Baltimore Sun sports department intern, is your author.

In a similar fashion to last week’s Next Level Player of the Week, Syracuse junior wide receiver Alec Lemon (Arundel) made an impact not only as a play-making pass-catcher, but also a southpaw trick play quarterback.

Playing on the other side of the country against USC, Lemon hauled in seven catches for 72 yards and a touchdown. But the Trojans quickly built up a sizable lead, which cued a trick play by the Orange in the third quarter. Lemon threw a 28-yard touchdown pass to Van Chew to bring the game within two touchdowns. USC went on to win, though, 38-17.

Lemon, a 6-foot-2 junior, has become a reliable target in the Orange’s offense this season, leading the team with 24 receptions. He is second on the team with 218 yards receiving and a pair of touchdowns. For his efforts against USC, Lemon is your Next Level Player of the Week.

Honorable Mention

• West Virginia junior wide receiver Tavon Austin (Dunbar) torched the Terps for 122 yards on 11 receptions, including a 47-yard catch, as the Mountaineers won 37-31. He also returned six kickoffs for 121 total yards.

Defensively for West Virginia, cornerback Terence Garvin (Loyola) returned an interception 37 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter against the Terps. The score gave the Mountaineers an early 14-3 lead. He also had five solo tackles (nine total).

Maryland junior safety Eric Franklin (Archbishop Curley) led the team with 15 total tackles, including 10 solo stops against West Virginia. Terps sophomore safety Matt Robinson (Atholton) finished with 11 solo tackles and two pass breakups, junior defensive end David Mackall (Edmondson) had two solo tackles, including a sack and a forced fumble, and junior defensive tackle A.J. Francis (Severn native, Gonzaga grad) recorded one solo tackle.

• North Carolina senior linebacker Zach Brown (Wilde Lake) led the team with seven solo tackles (12 total) and forced a fumble in the Tar Heels’ 28-17 win against Virginia. Cavaliers freshman wide receiver Darius Jennings (Gilman) had a reception for 15 yards.

Other contributions

• Colorado State sophomore linebacker Shaquil Barrett had six solo tackles (seven total) in the Rams’ 28-14 loss to Colorado.

• Connecticut junior safety Jerome Junior (Archbishop Curley) had three solo tackles (six total) and a pass breakup in the Huskies’ 24-20 loss to Iowa State.

• Michigan freshmen cornerback Blake Countess (Owings Mills native, Good Counsel grad) and safety Josh Furman (Old Mill) each recorded a solo tackle in the Wolverines’ 31-3 win against Eastern Michigan.

• Ole Miss senior defensive end Wayne Dorsey (Southeastern) recorded a sack and forced a fumble in the first quarter in the Rebels’ 30-7 loss to Vanderbilt. He finished with four solo tackles (five total).

• San Jose State senior cornerback Brandon Driver (Parkville) had a solo tackle (three total) and a pass breakup in the Spartans’ 17-14 loss to Nevada.

• Temple senior offensive lineman Pat Boyle (Calvert Hall) had a solo tackle, junior running back Matt Brown (Baltimore native who graduated from New Jersey's Peddie School) had 11 rushing yards on two carries and senior quarterback Chester Stewart (Hanover native, DeMatha grad) went 3-for-6 for 28 yards in the Owls’ 14-10 loss to Penn State.

• UNLV freshmen defensive back Mike Horsey (Dunbar) had two solo tackles in the Rebels’ 40-20 win against Hawaii.

• Virginia Tech's Kyle Fuller (Mount St. Joseph) had four solo tackles (five total), 1.5 sacks and a punt return for nine yards in the No. 13 Hokies’ 26-7 win against Arkansas State. Red Wolves senior cornerback Darron Edwards (Dunbar) had five tackles (six total) and an interception.

• Wake Forest junior linebacker Joey Ehrmann (Gilman) had a solo tackle in the Demon Deacons’ 48-5 win against Gardner-Webb.

Getty photo of Alec Lemon by Stephen Dunn / Sept. 17, 2011

Posted by Matt Bracken at 12:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: The Next Level
        

Maryland cornerback commitment Sean Davis starred on offense, defense and special teams Saturday in Maret's 32-7 win over Randolph-Macon (Va.).

Davis returned the opening kick-off 91 yards for a touchdown. He caught seven passes for 159 yards. On defense, he had two interceptions and 13 tackles.

• A.J. Liddell and Maryland have parted ways, according to InsideMDSports. The 6-foot-4, 195-pound wide receiver recently transferred high schools and picked up offers from Connecticut and Vanderbilt, plus interest from Georgia.

• Terps quarterback commitment Perry Hills had an efficient game Friday in leading Pittsburgh Central Catholic to a 42-7 win over Kiski Area.

Hills finished 6 of 7 for 115 yards and two touchdowns.

• Maryland athlete pledge Joe Riddle's Linganore team suffered a surprising 32-31 loss to Westminster.

Lancers running back Joe Riddle, a University of Maryland commit, racked up 199 rushing yards and a touchdown on 33 carries, but the Owls (2-1) limited him to just two yards on his final four carries. They also forced a Riddle fumble early in the fourth quarter, which [Dan] Johnson recovered.

• UM wide receiver recruit Amba Etta-Tawo caught a touchdown pass in McEachern's 55-0 win over Campbell (Ga.).

Less than 8 minutes into the first quarter, McEachern already was up 21-0, thanks to three touchdown passes from [Trent] Thompson to Tray Fletcher, Amba Etta-Tawo and Victor Brannon.

• Maryland linebacker pledge Shawn Petty, playing quarterback for Eleanor Roosevelt, was knocked out in the first quarter of the Raiders' 23-22 win over Wise.

“He said that when he was throwing a ball, someone dove and hit his foot in the joint between his foot and his ankle, and he really couldn’t put pressure on it,” [Raiders coach Tom] Green said. “I was hoping he could fight through it, and hopefully he’s OK and we’ll get him back soon.”

Basketball recruiting

• Terps coach Mark Turgeon was scheduled to see four-star forward Charles Mitchell work out at his high school in Marietta, Ga., today, according to Scouts Focus.

• DeMatha forward Jerami Grant committed to Syracuse on Friday, according to The Washington Post.

“I was definitely close [to picking Maryland] with the new coaching staff and all,” Grant said. “It felt like that was a good decision at the time. Then the decision-making process got crazy. It didn’t feel like it was going to be the right fit.”

• Robert Upshaw, the 7-foot center from Fresno, Calif., is no longer considering the Terps, according to the Louisville Courier-Journal.

Upshaw had narrowed his list of schools to nine: U of L, Arizona, Georgetown, Fresno State, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, Maryland, USC and UNLV. He said Maryland and USC are no longer in the running.

Posted by Matt Bracken at 11:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

Any questions Jordan Floyd may have had about the Connecticut football program had been answered long ago.

The Loyola safety and wide receiver saw a Huskies spring practice last April, and was comfortable with the coaching staff’s plans for him in their secondary.

But before Floyd could offer his pledge to Paul Pasqualoni’s program, he needed a little more information about what Connecticut had to offer off the field.

“My parents and I had a couple questions academically. We went up there [Friday] and talked to the academic advisers,” Floyd said. “They don’t have a criminal justice major, but you can individualize your major, which is basically … [putting] a lot of classes together and creating your own major, which is what I really want to do. … They answered all of our questions. After that, it was a done deal.”

Floyd committed to UConn before its 24-20 loss to Iowa State on Friday night. The 6-foot-2, 207-pound senior picked the Huskies over offers from Marshall, Maryland and Temple.

“It feels great,” Floyd said Sunday. “It’s a weight off my back. It’s nice to just have a home.”

A 2010 Baltimore Sun second-team All-Metro selection, Floyd was fairly unfamiliar with the Huskies’ football program before they started recruiting him during his junior year. During his visit last spring, however, he was disavowed of the notion that UConn was strictly a “basketball school.”

“I sat and watched a practice, and I knew it would be a place I could see myself at,” he said. “I had never been up there before. It’s a really nice campus. It’s big, which I like. It’s a beautiful campus.”

Floyd said he bonded with his recruiter, quarterbacks coach Joe Moorhead, and safeties coach Darrell Perkins.

“[UConn has] a lot of great coaches,” he said. “Coach Moorhead, we talked a couple times a week. It wasn’t even always about football, which really sold me. He’s just a really good guy. He was straightforward from the beginning. There was never any deception. He’s like a friend basically. Coach Perkins, I talked to him a lot on Friday. I got to know him pretty well. He’s a very good guy, and a great coach.”

Floyd, a three-star prospect and the No. 46 safety in the country according to Scout.com, was recruited by some schools as a wide receiver. But playing on the defensive side of the football was OK with him.

“They basically said that for what they needed, I’d probably see the field at safety first,” Floyd said. “That’s fine with me. I love football, so whatever I play is great. … They said they like my size and speed. They’re going to put me at strong safety. They like to blitz their safeties a lot.”

Floyd said the response to his decision from friends and family has been extremely positive. He’s happy to be able to focus his attention entirely on the Dons’ season, while also planning for his future in Storrs.

“I hope to just bring intensity and passion for the game,” Floyd said. “I want to be a big-play threat on defense and just make their whole team better.”

Photo by Steve Ruark of Jordan Floyd / Special to The Baltimore Sun / Sept. 3, 2011

Posted by Matt Bracken at 9:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Local recruiting
        

Three-star shooting guard Christian Sanders is in College Park this weekend for an official visit, giving the Maryland men's basketball staff a chance to impress one of its top targets.

Sanders, who also has offers from Colorado, Oklahoma State, Stanford, Texas and Vanderbilt, was a teammate of Terps center commitment Shaquille Cleare on the Houston Defenders. Brad Sanders, Christian's father, spoke to InsideMDSports.com this week about his son's visit to Maryland.

“This is not a four-year decision, it’s a 40-year decision. At least that’s the way we view it. I don’t know if that makes us unusual. It’s the way that Christian is approaching this decision,” Brad Sanders said. “The idea for this weekend is to be fully informed. When we’re ready and we feel completely comfortable with a specific situation, we will [make a commitment]. We’re not saying we’re definitely going to go to all of these places, but that’s the plan right now.”

• CBSSports.com's Jeff Goodman visited Brewster (N.H.) Academy this week and spoke to Terps power forward target Mitch McGary.

McGary didn't deny the fact that his parents favor Duke while his summer coach with the SYF team, Wayne Brumm, likes Michigan.

He also said he's still taking it all in right now.

• Maryland had an in-home visit this week with Charles Mitchell, according to InsideMDSports.com. Mitchell is a four-star power forward from Marietta, Ga.

• The Louisville Courier-Journal posted a quick update on the list of Fresno, Calif., center Robert Upshaw.

The 6-foot-11 Upshaw is also considering Arizona, Fresno State, Georgetown, Kansas State, Maryland, Oklahoma State, UNLV and Southern California.

• Miller School (Va.) wing Andrew White, who reportedly has a Terps offer, has scheduled official visits to Kansas, Louisville and Texas, according to Rivals.com.

• Inside the Hall conducted an Indiana-focused Q&A with DeMatha center and Terps target BeeJay Anya.

On the strengths of his game and what he’s looking to improve upon:

“I think my strengths are definitely attacking the rim and rebounding. And I want to get better at facing up and shooting the 16- to 17-footer and just being able to be more consistent with my jump shot. And get my ball handling better as well.”

Football recruiting

• Maryland wide receiver commitment A.J. Liddell recently picked up offers from UConn and Vanderbilt. The 6-foot-4, 195-pound senior from Fulton County, Ga., has also started hearing recently from Georgia, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

What if UGA offered? “I don’t know, I’m committed to Maryland. Georgia is a good school, I’d listen to what they had to say.”

• Terps linebacker pledge Shawn Petty was 6-for-11 for 105 yards and two touchdowns, in addition to rushing for two 1-yard scores in Eleanor Roosevelt's 35-7 win over Bowie on Monday night.

Petty shook off the early fumble and led the Raiders on three scoring drives in the fourth quarter. The 6-foot-3, 220-pound University of Maryland recruit ran for a touchdown, then hit Jermaine Boykins for a 23-yard touchdown pass and connected with Tamlin Antoine for an 8-yard score.

• Press Box contributor Dave Lomonico spoke to a number of in-state recruits who were impressed by the Terps in their season-opening win over Miami.

"Maryland is a great university with an outstanding staff," said [Good Counsel five-star wide receiver Stefon] Diggs, who claims more than 40 offers. "They are definitely in contention for me after this Miami game."

• Good Counsel running back Wes Brown spoke to The Washington Post about his visit to Maryland for the Miami game.

“It made me like them more,” Brown said of the Terps’ season opener, saying he liked the crowd and atmosphere, but didn’t much like the new helmets. “We’ll see how they do next time.”

• The Frederick News-Post spoke to former Linganore running Zach Zwinak about Terps commitment and current Lancers star Joe Riddle.

“I was shocked by how fast he was, honestly,” said Zwinak, who starred at running back for the Lancers before accepting a scholarship to Penn State University. “I tried catching up to him, and I just wasn't ready for it.”

• The Sun's David Selig reported this week that Maryland was the first school to offer two Gilman standouts.

Maryland football coach Randy Edsall attended the matchup between the top two teams in the state, and on Monday he offered scholarships to Gilman's junior quarterback Shane Cockerille and sophomore defensive end/wide receiver Melvin Keihn.

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Categories: Weekly recruiting roundup
        

In the fall of 2006, Mount St. Joseph coach Pat Clatchey gave Eric Atkins the ball and asked the ninth-grader to lead his team.

Mike Brey didn’t go quite that far with Atkins last season. But the Notre Dame coach had no problem giving Atkins more responsibility than your average freshman point guard in the Big East.

“I was extremely pleased with what he was able to do coming off the bench … and actually starting a little bit,” Brey said. “He believes he’s supposed to be good. He knew it was his destiny to be a really high-level Big East guard. He prepared for it mentally. Even though his body was young last year, he was able to be a very efficient player in the Big East because of his discipline.”

Atkins may have had a modest season statistically for the Fighting Irish last year (5.8 points, 3.2 assists, 1.8 rebounds), but the two-time Baltimore Sun first-team All-Metro player proved to Brey and other Big East observers that his best was yet to come.

“I think I had a really good experience as a freshman last year,” Atkins said. “Coach Brey told me before the season that pretty much everything was going to be done just the way it happened. He told me how my playing time was going to be. I knew how it was going to play out.”

For those who watched Atkins’ decorated four-year career at Mount St. Joseph unfold, seeing him appear in all 34 games – and starting six – for the Irish was no surprise. The Columbia native proved to Brey early on in his freshman season that he was up to the challenge. Notre Dame (27-7) reached the championship game of the Old Spice Classic in Orlando last November. In the Irish’s 58-51 title-game win over Wisconsin, Brey said Atkins -- who scored 12 points against the Badgers -- was arguably “the most consistent player” on the floor.

“The first couple of weeks [of practice], there were times that he was the best guard on the floor,” said Brey, whose team also featured senior guard Ben Hansbrough, the Big East Player of the Year. “[Atkins’] ability to find guys at the right time, understanding tempo and controlling the tempo as a point guard, those were things [that immediately stood out]. In the Wisconsin game, and really the whole Old Spice tournament … [he was] making big plays for us and really helped us win there. When Carleton Scott got hurt, we beat St. John’s and Connecticut with him starting for us. That’s why this season I’m so excited to just give him the ball and say, ‘It’s your team.’”

Beating UConn in Storrs was a definite highlight for Atkins, although watching the Huskies win the national title brought on somewhat of a bittersweet feeling.

“It kind of made me mad to see them win the national championship knowing we beat them twice last year,” Atkins said. “It’s just kind of frustrating, but our team knew what we were capable of doing. I wouldn’t say we reached our potential last year, losing in the second round [of the NCAA tournament]. But we’re ready to build up and [our time] is coming.”

Looking back on the 2010-11 season, Atkins said he was pleased with how he performed, but acknowledged there was plenty of room for improvement. He spent the summer focused on two key areas: improving his jumper and adding strength. The 6-foot-2, 183-pound sophomore added 10 pounds of muscle to his frame, which Brey expects to make a big difference in Atkins’ ability to handle the physicality of Big East competition.

Atkins credits Clatchey for teaching him how to be a leader. It didn’t come naturally to Atkins as a freshman at Notre Dame, but this season he’s definitely up to the task.

“I’m looking forward to becoming one of the leaders of this team,” Atkins said. “Leading my team to wins, whatever I have to do to make that happen, if it’s scoring, assists, locking down the other team’s best offensive player, whatever they need, I want to do it. … Getting back to the tournament, that’s my first goal. Winning the Big East is another goal, and just probably finishing in the top three again, just like we did before, would be another team goal of mine.”

Brey, who welcomes back two senior captains in Tim Abromaitis and Scott Martin, has already noticed Atkins becoming more vocal in the locker room. Atkins may have “learned by survival” as a freshman, but with an improved jump shot and much-needed strength, the former Gaels star seems primed for an expanded role this season.

“I’m just looking for him to make a big jump so that by the end of the season, Eric Atkins will be referred to as one of the better guards in the Big East,” Brey said. “I feel strongly about his career here. It makes me sleep well at night, knowing he’s the guy running the team for three more years.”

U.S. Presswire photo of Eric Atkins by Mark L. Baer / Feb. 23, 2011

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Categories: The Sweet 16
        

Near the beginning of what proved to be a relatively nondescript freshman season for Brendan Bald, Vermont assistant coach John Becker was reminded why the Severna Park grad was such a coveted recruit for the Catamounts.

“Against Providence his freshman year, we got killed,” said Becker, who was elevated to head coach in May after Mike Lonergan left for George Washington. “But Brendan followed a miss, came in and had a two-handed dunk. There you got a sense of his athleticism.”

Moments like that were somewhat scarce for Bald during the 2009-10 season. The 6-foot-5, 200-pound wing, who scored 12 points against the Friars that day, finished his freshman year with a stat line of just 2.9 points and 9.9 minutes per game.

“I knew I could play,” Bald said. “I just waited for the opportunity to perform. I was sucked into my role freshman year a little too much – a little too comfortable. I had a good role for my freshman year and helped my team a lot. But the team needed me a lot more sophomore year.”

Bald was able to answer those needs all throughout the 2010-11 season. The Baltimore Sun’s 2009 Anne Arundel County Player of the Year was Vermont’s second-leading scorer at 11.3 points per game and its top 3-point shooter at 41 percent. He also served as a lockdown defender on the wing. For his efforts, Bald was named the America East Defensive Player of the Year, in addition to earning third-team all-conference honors.

“It was great. I automatically stepped into a larger role on the team,” Bald said. “I felt like I had to perform. I really worked on my game after my freshman year. I basically just had the opportunity and seized the opportunity by just getting better and better. Hopefully I’ll take another large leap after this year.”

Becker first encountered Bald when he was an assistant at Catholic University in Washington. Brad Bald -- Brendan’s older brother who eventually signed with UNC-Wilmington -- was a recruiting target for Becker, along with a couple of his Triple Threat AAU teammates. Becker later moved on to Vermont as the director of basketball operations, and the younger Bald brother emerged as a top target for the Catamounts.

“Coming out of high school when we recruited him, we thought he was a great athlete. That’s the thing that kind of jumped out at you,” Becker said. “We thought he could really develop into a dynamic wing player in the America East conference.”

Much of Bald’s development freshman year took place behind the scenes. Georgetown Prep grad Garvey Young saw most of the minutes at the wing, while Maurice Joseph -- a Michigan State transfer -- was another starter on the perimeter. But after the 2009-10 season, Joseph graduated and Young transferred to Quinnipiac, opening up plenty of minutes for Bald.

“He did really well offensively and defensively in the league,” Becker said. “He can really guard and take the opposing team’s best wing player out of the game. Offensively, we’re going to need him more this year – more than the last two years. I told him he better get better on those wind sprints. We’re going to need him to perform at a high level both on and off the court. I told him that he has a chance to be a Player of the Year-type in our league the next two years. That should be his goal. I think he’s really motivated and worked really hard this summer. I think he’s going to have a really great junior and senior year.”

Vermont lost to Syracuse in the first round of the NCAA tournament during Bald’s freshman year, and the Catamounts suffered a first-round loss to Cleveland State in the NIT last season. Bald stayed on campus all summer, taking classes and working out with his teammates in the hopes of reaching the NCAA tournament once again.

Bald said he’s excited for Vermont’s first year under Becker’s direction. Player and coach are in full agreement on expectations for the coming year.

“I’m definitely going to be looked on as an aggressive scorer, and I’m still going to have to lock up the other team’s best player,” Bald said. “I’m going to have a larger role this year. My team’s going to depend on me a bunch. We’ve got a lot of good guys coming back, a lot of guys that are going to step up. It’s looking great this summer with the freshmen coming in. I think we’re going to have a good year and surprise some people in the postseason.”

The Sweet 16 is an occasional series profiling the 16 best Division I college basketball players from the Baltimore area. Players were selected based on prior accomplishments and projections for the upcoming season.

Previous Sweet 16 selections:

Jamar Briscoe, Charlotte

Dylon Cormier, Loyola

U.S. Presswire photo of Brendan Bald by Mark L. Baer / March 6, 2011

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Categories: The Sweet 16