Maryland Basketball Recruiting: Local guard excited by Gillespie role, location and Terps' coaching staff
This Maryland basketball recruiting target is high on the Terps. "I always talk to Coach Cox about Ja'Kobi and he tells me how they would use him in a similar way they would use me."
Although the recruiting process has undergone several big changes that have forced college coaches to focus more on the transfer portal, pinpointing impact prospects in high school still helps establish a strong position as they approach the summer of their senior years. That's what Maryland has done with another 2026 standout.
"I've been to three home games so far this year," Archbishop Carroll (D.C.) and Team Takeover point guard Anthony Brown told IMS. "I really like the tempo and how they use their guards this year. They're pushing it in transition and shooting it at a high clip. They're playing off Derik [Queen] very well and I think him being a playmaker at his size really opens things up."
Brown made the move from Paul VI (Va.) to Carroll over the summer and has been the focal point in just about every aspect for a young Lions team.
"I feel like Coach Willard and Coach Cox are doing a really good job. You see when guys miss a shot and all you hear the next time down, if they're open, is those guys telling them to let it go. That confidence and motivation makes a big difference with a team, and it really builds confidence. Having a coach that helps build your confidence is the type of coach that I want to play for."
During Brown's viewings of the Terps, he's been taking mental notes on the success of Ja'Kobi Gillespie.
"I always talk to Coach Cox about Ja'Kobi and he tells me how they would use him in a similar way they would use me. I talk to my uncle Ray, who's my mentor, and my dad a lot about how teams use guys. We'll sit down a lot and just watch games and how Maryland plays," he said. "Gillespie is playing like one of the best guards in college basketball right now and they're winning games. He's making the right plays and I'm just taking notes in case I would have to step into his shoes in a couple of years. That would be major."
Ray Brewer, Brown's mentor, has been influential with many of the highly touted prospects out of the DMV and the Team Takeover program. He frequents College Park often, working with DeShawn Harris-Smith and others.
"You know, the other thing with Maryland is that it's close to home. It's a family environment and all my family could come to games so you know, little things like that is something I'm really paying attention to," Brown said.
It's still early in Brown's process and things should become clear once spring rolls around who the true contenders will be down the road. Other programs involved with Brown include Mississippi State and South Carolina. The Bulldogs seem to be the program that reaches out the most to Brown and have been determined to land an impact DMV prospect in the coming years. George Mason and Providence are among the others to offer.
Brown currently ranks as the No. 133 overall prospect.
