And while I'm at it, F Dan Shulman and F Jay Bilas! I feel better now. Do we really need to be subjected to Shulman and Bilas doing a Puke game on national TV every week?!

Maryland Basketball Recruiting: Terps eyeing emerging guard from a familiar school​

A name to keep an eye on in Maryland basketball recruiting.​

St. Frances Academy in Baltimore has become a hub for Maryland basketball as frequent recruiting spot over the years with players like Julian Reese, Jahnathan Lamothe and Derik Queen finding their way to College Park. There could be another one in line.

That's 2027 guard TJ Jones, 6-foot-1 lefty guard can score it in bunches and has proven himself as a catalyst for the top 20 ranked Panthers this season.

"This season has been amazing so far," Jones told IMS. "Last year I got moved up to varsity late in the year, so in the spring and summer I just stayed in the gym to make sure I would have a big year this year and earn my spot. I feel like I've done that."
Jones plays with Team Melo and makes his mark on the E15 team that qualified for Peach Jam this summer. In four games of Peach Jam play, he posted 16 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game averages, along with a 44.4 percent conversion rate from the field.

"Don't leave me open," Jones said when asked to describe his game.

Jones has no lack of confidence in his ability to put the ball in the basket. He can make his mark from all three levels and is especially effective playing with his strong hand. He's more effective playing as an off-ball guard at this point where he can focus on picking his spots, but he isn't a tunnel vision scorer. On drives or quick rotations of the ball, he's a willing passer.

TJ's father, Terence, is where his son gets his bucket-getting acumen and supreme confidence. His father spent three years in college doing the same for Texas A&M Corpus Christi before finishing his college career at UAB in 2012-13.

Jones holds three official offers at this point from Hampton and Nicholls St. and West Virginia, but more mid-to-high major programs have him firmly on their radars, including Maryland. In recent matchups, assistant coach Kevin Norris and director of player personnel/assistant coach Ricky Harris have been frequent visitors.

It's still very early in Jones' recruiting process, so there are plenty of things to play out before a picture can be formed. Per source, Maryland's proximity and connections with the Baltimore area on staff could play a big role down the line within his recruitment if he lives up to his level of play that he's shown thus far. Much of the communication with the Terps' staffers and Jones' circle have been between his father, St. Frances head coach Nick Myles or the Team Melo contingent.

IMS was in attendance for St. Frances' win last night over McDonogh where they erased a double-digit deficit at halftime to win by a final score of 64-57 behind Jones' 16 points.

"Angry" Kevin Willard, Julian Reese and Ja'Kobi Gillespie break down Maryland basketball's big win over UCLA​

Kevin Willard, Ja'Kobi Gillespie and Julian Reese discussed their defensive changes and how players responded, from making Willard "angry", Gillespie's big night and the comforts of Xfinity Center​

After two close losses on the West Coast, nightmares of last season started to reappear for Maryland basketball. So Kevin Willard's team needed to rebound quickly on Friday against No. 22 UCLA. And they did.

Maryland played one of its most complete games of the season, defeating UCLA 79-61. Ja'Kobi Gillespie responded from a poor stretch, scoring a season-high 30 points. Against a floundering UCLA offense, Maryland held the Bruins to 61 points on 41.5% shooting from the field and 33.3% from three and forced 20 turnovers.

Afterward, Willard, Gillespie and Julian Reese discussed the defensive changes and how players responded, from making Willard "angry", Gillespie's big night and the comforts of Xfinity Center.

On the Terps response

"I felt like it was a big statement, shows our character our bit, coming off the two game losing streak," Julian Reese said.

"I just think it feels good just to get out there and play in front of our fans after two straight road games, come and make a statement at home," Gillespie said.

Gillespie's gem

"I just wanted to defend better, I wasn't really defending on the road trip," Gillespie said.

"I think Ja'Kobi was a little upset at the way he played out west. I don't think he played particularly well out west. And so, I think he had, we had a good conversation about just understanding at this level on what it takes to play at a high level," Willard said. "Not only the level of effort that you got to play with but the attitude you have to have every game. I'm not sure he has it yet, but I think he's starting to realize it."

Defensive improvements

"I definitely felt like it picked up defensively. Just finishing plays, last week we kind of defended the first half of the shot clock and didn't finish it. We picked it up in that aspect," Reese said. "Especially when you're at home, it's kind of like a domino effect, just going on a run like that, I kind of knew we had them right there."

"We've had three-minute stretches of defense that's killed us in all three road games. We just kind of talked about it sometimes, you know, we don't need to drill it, we don't need to do it. Sometimes you just got to re-emphasize it," Willard said.

"We're one of the best teams in the country in how long it takes to get a shot off. We're not one of the best teams in the country at finishing those possessions. So, I thought we did a much better job. I thought we took a step in the right direction."

"But I think the biggest thing was how well Reese was defensively tonight. He made himself mad, he really made me angry, just his defensive awareness in Washington and Oregon. He was one of the best defenders of pick and rolls and post defense last year. And I think, you know, just getting him to refocus on that a little bit was a huge difference, because he's again, I thought he was locked in tonight," Willard said.

Xfinity's atmosphere

"I thought we played well at spurts out there. And you know, it was good to come home and just have a couple days and obviously have a great home crowd," Willard said. "It's our first conference game at home since December 2. So, when you have three in a row on road. You play well on the road, but you don't win, it's good to come home."

Bench choices

"Analytics tells me who to play with, and there's this huge difference when Tafara's playing with certain guys and Jordan's playing with certain guys," Willard said.

"As much as I'm old school and believe in the feel and the flow and energy of the game, I still go back every morning, and I look back and look at every lineup. I look at the guys on the floor, every time guys are off the floor. I mean, we have, we have numbers and data to kind of sit there and say, okay, in the first half, this is who plays well together. This is who you should have on the floor. And I don't go by it religiously, but I do use it as a big tool. And right now, Tafara, from numbers wise and helping out Julian spacing, is the guy that's that that's really helping us."