Maryland Basketball Scoop: Big Change Coming? | Good as Advertised | Familiar Recruit Name
Maryland basketball fell a couple of points and a few seconds short of a big win on Friday against Marquette, setting up a run of games against lower-level teams with a trip to Villanova in the middle. Could a change be coming before then? And who's a familiar name to keep an eye on in recruiting?
Maryland basketball fell a couple of points and a few seconds short of a big win on Friday against Marquette, setting up a run of games against lower-level teams with a trip to Villanova in the middle. Could a change be coming before then? And who's a familiar name to keep an eye on in recruiting?
With the first stretch of games done, Kevin WIllard's had a chance to get a better feel for the roles his players should be playing, who should play together and what the starting lineup should look like. The most obvious move at this point would be to get Rodney Rice into the starting lineup, and I wouldn't be surprised if he makes the move.
Rice has looked like a significantly more efficient offensive player than Maryland's starting off-ball guards, DeShawn Harris-Smith and Selton Miguel. Harris-Smith has shown some signs, most notably his two big buckets in the Marquette comeback, but those were spoiled when he missed a couple of free throws that could've tied the game in the final 20 seconds. Harris-Smith's 3-point shot is falling at a rate similar (1 for 6) to last year (20.2% ), his free throw struggles have continued (3 for 8) and he's registered four assists and two steals in 91 minutes.
It's apparent that it's time to experiment and see if the former top 25 recruit is more comfortable as a sixth man, and if Rice can thrive in a starting role. Sometimes that move can pay benefits mentally. Just ask Aaron Wiggins. The former Terps star going through the same struggles as Harris-Smith when his game thrived in the sixth-man role, but it did get him going and it has done the same for others. Aside from the numbers, Harris-Smith's body language consistently appears defeated, so any sort of shake-up is worth a try.
Though it's possible Rice could take Selton Miguel's spot; he's shooting the lowest percentage among the regulars (37.5%) and the ball stops sometimes when it reaches him.
Rice has been one of Maryland's most efficient players, even with that 26-point first-half outburst against Mt. St. Mary's inflating the numbers a bit. He's averaging 14 points per game on 52.6 percent shooting and a team-best 42.9% from deep. He's also shown some ability as a playmaker and has turned it over once in 91 minutes. It's not hard to see why Willard would make that move. It's apparent that Rice is a far better player than many realized. And his defense, once a weak spot, is improving fast.
Elsewhere, Jakobi Gillespie has been everything Willard thought he was. The Belmont transfer is tied with Derik Queen for the team lead in points per game (16.3) on 54.3 percent overall and 41.7 percent from three. Gillespie has high-level athleticism even for the Big Ten. He's a former football standout and you can see it in his first step and open-court speed. His soft touch on floaters and consistent form on his jumper have been impressive. The popular analytics site Evan Miya ranks him the sixth-best player in the Big Ten so far.
The one knock after four games: he needs to look for the pass more often. He missed a few open shooters and didn't see a cutting Julian Reese multiple times on screen-and-rolls against Marquette. If your offense is usually initiated by pick-and-roll, you can't afford not to get
On the recruiting trail, a familiar name is on the radar in BJ Ranson. The son of former Terps assistant Bino Ranson, he's a Class of 2026 standout at Baltimore's Mt. St. Joseph.
The younger Ranson has offers from George Mason, St. Joe's and others, while Maryland and a number of other high-majors are keeping tabs on him.
His father, who helped bridge a gap between Baltimore and Maryland basketball -- and from the Gary Williams era to the Mark Turgeon era -- during an 11-year run in College Park, is back in the area and working as personal trainer. Ranson, a successful recruiter during his time at Maryland who'd love to return to College Park when there's another opening, had a bad experience at DePaul under Tony Stubblefield, who was fired halfway through his third year there.
