Ok, figured I'd give another update on where things stand with some of the targets I've previously over the last week or so. So here goes....
- With regards to South Carolina transfer guard Jermaine Couisnard, I've gone from not feeling good, to feeling pretty good after his Maryland visit, to not feeling good again. Initially I was hearing that Oregon was a very likely destination for Couisnard, but then for the longest time he did not set up a visit and it seemed like this one could come down to Maryland and Gonzaga. Well, fast forward to this past weekend and Couisnard finally took an official visit to Oregon, who is offering up significant NIL money and also has the assistant who recruited him to Columbia in Chuck Martin. Considering he cancelled his Gonzaga visit to take in Oregon speaks volumes. I see Couisnard as an uphill battle at this point.
- As previously mentioned in another thread a few days ago, I expect Adou Thiero, the 2022 PG out of Pittsburgh to commit to Kentucky this week. The Terps hosted him last week but he took subsequent visits to Xavier and Kentucky. His father played for Coach Cal and barring something wild, he's done to the Wildcats.
- Things have been relatively quiet with Pitt transfer guard Femi Odukale. He's down to a final five of Maryland, Rhode Island, Seton Hall, UConn and Oregon. If Oregon lands Couisnard, I think they are out of the hunt for Odukale and if we are being honest, I don't like their chances here to begin with. I also don't see him ending up at UConn as they are pretty much filled up. I've heard some chatter that Archie and Rhode Island could be a team to really watch out for here. But I think he'd be a perfect complement to play alongside Young and if Maryland doesn't have another scoring guard in the fold, I think they could sell him on coming in and starting. I expect a visit to Maryland to likely take place at some point, but nothing has been set up at this time. This is just a hunch on my part, but I think Maryland has a very good shot of landing this one if he visits.
- The Terps are expected to host Mississippi St. guard Shakeel Moore this week. Moore would be an ideal pickup for Maryland to play maybe 20 minutes per game as a backup point guard next season behind Young. Obviously, with no other transfer guards currently in the fold, they could sell Moore on playing alongside Young, who is a big-time scorer. Moore is a solid athlete and excellent perimeter defender. Again, just speculation here, but between Maryland and Seton Hall, Maryland seems to have more to sell at the moment. Technically, he could come in to Maryland right now and be a starter with Young as the only portal addition as of this moment. At Seton Hall, Kadary Richmond is going to be handed the reins and Jamir Harris is coming back for a fifth year and should be the other starter for the Pirates or at least see starter minutes. Seton Hall is also supposed to host Clemson transfer guard Al Amir-Dawes today and they've got a very good shot at landing him. Again, if Maryland pushes here, I think they have a pretty good shot.
- I mentioned him when he hit the portal, but Georgetown's Donald Carey would be an excellent fit alongside Jahmir Young. He has ideal size for the two guard spot at 6-foot-5 and he is one of the best three-point shooters in America. He's almost been a gun for hire throughout his college career, having played at Mount St. Mary's as a freshman, transferring to Siena and playing there for a year before playing the past two seasons at G'town. Other than being a really good player, he is also a really good teammate, as he was one of the Hoyas' captains and I've heard nothing but great things about him as a teammate. The Terps have reached out to Carey along with a number of high profile schools including UVA, Texas, Arkansas, Wisconsin, TCU and more. One thing that I think is absolutely helping Maryland here, should they decide to really push, is the fact that he will need a waiver to play next season and the fact that he is from the area should help push that through. He is a local kid who played at Frederick Douglas High in Upper Marlboro which is a stone's throw from College Park. Like Odukale, I think Carey is an ideal fit to play alongside Young and if I had to pick one of the two, Carey would be a no-brainer for me. We will see where he decides to visit, but if he takes a visit to Maryland, the Terps should immediately be considered a front runner.
- One new big man name I haven't previously mentioned is St. Bonnie transfer Osun Osunniyi, who is a 6-foot-10 2x A10 DPOY. He averaged 11.3 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.9 (!!!) blocks per game last season. Other schools that have reached out include Iowa State, Iowa, LSU, Texas, South Carolina and Notre Dame. He's got one former teammate, Jaren Holmes, that already committed to Iowa State in the past few days. The Bonnies were a team that came into last season with high expectations but ended up missing the NCAA tourney. They have seen a mass exodus this offseason. We will have to see where the Terps stand with this one and the NBA is still an option at this point, but he'd be an enormous pick up.
- Still expecting Buffalo transfer and former MAC DPOY Josh Mballa to visit Maryland at some point soon. Mballa is a bit undersized at 6-foot-7, but is a beast in the paint and a big-time defensive presence. He'd immediately give the Terps an enforcer inside that they currently lack as well as a veteran presence.
- Finally, the Terps should be getting 2022 big man Tobe Awaka, who I mentioned several days ago, on campus for a visit. Awaka has blown up since leading the EYBL in rebounds over the first two sessions. Among his recent offers are Maryland, St. John's and Seton Hall. I think those three could be the biggest players for Awaka, who was NY State Gatorade player of the year. Awaka is a big-time presence in the paint with a college-ready body, but he also has the ability to step outside and stretch the defense a little bit. He'd be an excellent pick up, although they would still need another immediate impact big.
So Terps still in pretty good shape to land a starting two guard, a backup point, a big-time defensive presence in the paint and a second big despite some guys likely coming off the board. I think if they could land, say, Carey, Moore, Mballa and Awaka, that would be a solid team for next year.
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