By the end of the day Wednesday, Maryland will have signed a pair of four-star guards in No. 46 Anthony Cowan and No. 79 Kevin Huerter.
This year’s (to-date) two-man class is currently ranked No. 18 nationally by Rivals. Mark Turgeon’s 2014 class, which included preseason All-American Melo Trimble, was the No. 12-ranked class. While last year’s two-man class included McDonald’s All-American Diamond Stone, the highest ranked recruit of the Mark Turgeon era, and a much needed ball handler in Jaylen Brantley.
In Cowan, the Terps are getting the quintessential point guard to likely take the reigns from Melo Trimble should he depart for the NBA. The two are good friends and just like Melo has been learning from guys like Steph Curry, Cowan soaks it all in from Trimble.
In high school and during AAU play, Cowan was a scorer, with the ability to knock down threes but also attack the basket and score in the paint. But at 5-11, Cowan likely won’t have the ability to attack the basket and finish at the rim above the type of bigs he’ll face in the Big Ten.
But one thing Cowan says he’s worked on and it showed this past summer, especially at the Under Armour All-American camp, is his floater. At his size, Cowan likely won’t be able to finish often at the basket, but with his quickness, he can get in the lane and get off a floater. His ability to consistently knock down those floaters at the collegiate level will be key for him.
Cowan is also a natural leader and does a good job of pushing the ball up the floor as well as finding open teammates. He’s a floor general that gets guys where they need to be on both ends of the court.
In Huerter, the Terps are getting someone that is as much about potential as he is a polished player. Huerter had a tremendous spring and summer with the Albany City Rocks, but he also continued playing baseball and still isn’t 100 percent focused on hoops.
Kevin Huerter officially becomes a Terp
Huerter has excellent height for a 1 or a 2 guard at 6-5 and also has good length. While Huerter has the ability to play the point, he’s likely to be more of a 2/3 at Maryland with Cowan at the 1.
Huerter has a nice looking stroke from beyond the arc and is able to knock down those shots at a solid clip. He’s a very good ball handler with excellent vision. His height gives him the ability to see over smaller defenders which also makes him a good perimeter passer with entry passes, cross court passes, etc. Should he continue to grow and add some bulk to his frame, he could be a nightmare matchup at multiple spots on the floor.
What’s next?
By the time this is posted, Mario Kegler will likely either be about to commit to Mississippi St. or have already committed to Mississippi St. Maryland and head coach Mark Turgeon went all in on Kegler and in the end, came up just short.
This staff showed once again that they are willing to do whatever it takes to land elite talent by building solid relationships, showing the players how they will be used in College Park and then following up and visiting the kids numerous times to hammer home how much they are wanted at Maryland. But sometimes even that is not enough. You can’t win them all.
The next player Maryland will turn their focus to is the top player in the Class of 2016, No. 1 Josh Jackson.
Jackson is an elite talent, even a generational talent. He is a two guard in a three’s body with a frame that is already filled out with the strength and explosiveness to match. He can shoot the three, attack the basket and dunk over defenders and he is an excellent on-ball defender on the wing, even being a very good shot blocker.
For Maryland, Jackson could immediately be plugged in as a third guard on the wing to replace senior Jake Layman next season and the Terps likely wouldn’t miss a beat. He’s similar to Kegler in that he can post smaller defenders, but Jackson is more skilled.
So where do things currently stand with Jackson? His camp, namely his mother Apples Jones, isn’t really talking. Jackson visited Maryland over the summer ahead of the Elite 24 in New York and said he could see himself in College Park. Jackson also visited Arizona and Michigan St. over the summer.
Since then, Jackson has received visits this fall from Kansas’ Bill Self as well as Michigan State’s Tom Izzo. Right now, we’d have Arizona and Michigan St. in the lead with Maryland trailing those two and Kansas in the mix but likely still on the outside looking in. But with Jackson not expected to sign until the spring, there are likely to be some twists and turns between now and then. A big season from Maryland and Jake Layman would definitely help build a case for the Terps.
Turgeon does seem to be working on at least one additional backup plan if they miss out on Jackson. Turgeon recently traveled to West Virginia to offer Huntington Prep four-star wing Micah Thomas.
Maryland interested in Micah Thomas
Thomas is a long 6-7 wing that is fluid, bouncy and can drain the open three. But maybe more importantly, Thomas is considered an excellent defender on the wing with the ability to block shots with his length. While the Terps are obviously looking for an instant impact wing to sign, at the least they need a wing able to really defend on the perimeter. Thomas appears to fit the bill.
While the Maryland staff got a chance to see Thomas over the summer with Team Thad, it was his performance versus Mario Kegler in a scrimmage with Oak Hill a few weeks ago that caught Turgeon’s eye. Thomas had 14 points in the scrimmage against Oak Hill while Kegler led Oak Hill with 19. Thomas scored 12 points in a big season-opening win over Keith Gatlin’s Wesleyan Christian squad.
Along with Maryland, Arkansas, Florida, Ole Miss and Tennessee of the SEC as well as Memphis have all offered. The reason Thomas likely hasn’t picked up more offers is due to the fact he’s still got work to do in the classroom. But should Thomas get everything straightened out, the Terps should have a good shot here.
Finally, Maryland hosted Danish big man Jacob Larsen and his father for Maryland Madness last month. As of this writing, the latest we were hearing is that Larsen was still being heavily pursued by Gonzaga, who is still recruiting multiple foreign bigs, and is expected to sign with the Zags in the near future. Things had gone radio silent with Larsen and we reached out to our source ahead of signing day and heard back late last night that they believe he is done to Gonzaga.
With losses this offseason of Layman, Sulaimon, Carter, Trimble and Stone a real possibility, the Terps will have scholarships to work with. With only two signed, they will certainly take at least one more in the spring and possibly even two with the chance to add a grad-transfer depending on what happens with the three underclassmen that could possibly bolt for the NBA.
Looking ahead to 2017
Taking a quick look ahead to 2017, Maryland is well positioned with a number of elite targets, including five-star prospects Trevon Duval and Billy Preston.
Trevon Duval USA Basketball Highlights
Preston and Duval are both now at Advanced Prep International in Dallas where they play for coach Ray Forsett, the former coach of Prime Prep which closed earlier this year.
This is Preston’s second season playing for Forsett as the California native played at Prime Prep last year. This is Duval’s first season after transferring from St. Benedict’s in a hope to play against better competition on a daily basis. By all accounts, Duval is enjoying playing for coach Ray.
But we have heard over the past couple of weeks that things are in flux with Preston’s MWA Elite AAU program. Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Mo Williams, who runs the Mo Williams Academy program, is signed with Nike and apparently will be bringing his AAU program with him to the EYBL circuit. But sources have told us that Ray Forsett wants to start his own AAU program out of the Dallas area with Billy Preston as the centerpiece of the team. It’s something to keep an eye on moving forward.
Another prime 2017 target is five-star wing guard M.J. Walker out of Georgia. Walker plays for the same AAU program that Robert Carter Jr. played for and his AAU coach Winfred Jordan has been extremely pleased with Robert Carter’s progress at Maryland. Walker recently decided to give up football to focus on hoops and his stock is likely to continue rising as he puts all of his focus on the hardwood.
One other prime guard target that might be fading is Philly point guard Quade Green. After having a standout season with WER1 last spring/summer, Green has moved on and will play his final season of AAU ball with Team Final on the EYBL circuit. Green, who wants the ability to showcase himself more, was supposed to attend Syracuse’s Midnight Madness and the Orange might be trending there.
Other key 2017 targets to keep an eye on this season: Myles Douglas, Jordan Tucker, Jaren Jackson, Nicholas Claxton, Dajour Dickens
This year’s (to-date) two-man class is currently ranked No. 18 nationally by Rivals. Mark Turgeon’s 2014 class, which included preseason All-American Melo Trimble, was the No. 12-ranked class. While last year’s two-man class included McDonald’s All-American Diamond Stone, the highest ranked recruit of the Mark Turgeon era, and a much needed ball handler in Jaylen Brantley.
In Cowan, the Terps are getting the quintessential point guard to likely take the reigns from Melo Trimble should he depart for the NBA. The two are good friends and just like Melo has been learning from guys like Steph Curry, Cowan soaks it all in from Trimble.
In high school and during AAU play, Cowan was a scorer, with the ability to knock down threes but also attack the basket and score in the paint. But at 5-11, Cowan likely won’t have the ability to attack the basket and finish at the rim above the type of bigs he’ll face in the Big Ten.
But one thing Cowan says he’s worked on and it showed this past summer, especially at the Under Armour All-American camp, is his floater. At his size, Cowan likely won’t be able to finish often at the basket, but with his quickness, he can get in the lane and get off a floater. His ability to consistently knock down those floaters at the collegiate level will be key for him.
Cowan is also a natural leader and does a good job of pushing the ball up the floor as well as finding open teammates. He’s a floor general that gets guys where they need to be on both ends of the court.
In Huerter, the Terps are getting someone that is as much about potential as he is a polished player. Huerter had a tremendous spring and summer with the Albany City Rocks, but he also continued playing baseball and still isn’t 100 percent focused on hoops.
Kevin Huerter officially becomes a Terp
Huerter has excellent height for a 1 or a 2 guard at 6-5 and also has good length. While Huerter has the ability to play the point, he’s likely to be more of a 2/3 at Maryland with Cowan at the 1.
Huerter has a nice looking stroke from beyond the arc and is able to knock down those shots at a solid clip. He’s a very good ball handler with excellent vision. His height gives him the ability to see over smaller defenders which also makes him a good perimeter passer with entry passes, cross court passes, etc. Should he continue to grow and add some bulk to his frame, he could be a nightmare matchup at multiple spots on the floor.
What’s next?
By the time this is posted, Mario Kegler will likely either be about to commit to Mississippi St. or have already committed to Mississippi St. Maryland and head coach Mark Turgeon went all in on Kegler and in the end, came up just short.
This staff showed once again that they are willing to do whatever it takes to land elite talent by building solid relationships, showing the players how they will be used in College Park and then following up and visiting the kids numerous times to hammer home how much they are wanted at Maryland. But sometimes even that is not enough. You can’t win them all.
The next player Maryland will turn their focus to is the top player in the Class of 2016, No. 1 Josh Jackson.
Jackson is an elite talent, even a generational talent. He is a two guard in a three’s body with a frame that is already filled out with the strength and explosiveness to match. He can shoot the three, attack the basket and dunk over defenders and he is an excellent on-ball defender on the wing, even being a very good shot blocker.
For Maryland, Jackson could immediately be plugged in as a third guard on the wing to replace senior Jake Layman next season and the Terps likely wouldn’t miss a beat. He’s similar to Kegler in that he can post smaller defenders, but Jackson is more skilled.
So where do things currently stand with Jackson? His camp, namely his mother Apples Jones, isn’t really talking. Jackson visited Maryland over the summer ahead of the Elite 24 in New York and said he could see himself in College Park. Jackson also visited Arizona and Michigan St. over the summer.
Since then, Jackson has received visits this fall from Kansas’ Bill Self as well as Michigan State’s Tom Izzo. Right now, we’d have Arizona and Michigan St. in the lead with Maryland trailing those two and Kansas in the mix but likely still on the outside looking in. But with Jackson not expected to sign until the spring, there are likely to be some twists and turns between now and then. A big season from Maryland and Jake Layman would definitely help build a case for the Terps.
Turgeon does seem to be working on at least one additional backup plan if they miss out on Jackson. Turgeon recently traveled to West Virginia to offer Huntington Prep four-star wing Micah Thomas.
Maryland interested in Micah Thomas
Thomas is a long 6-7 wing that is fluid, bouncy and can drain the open three. But maybe more importantly, Thomas is considered an excellent defender on the wing with the ability to block shots with his length. While the Terps are obviously looking for an instant impact wing to sign, at the least they need a wing able to really defend on the perimeter. Thomas appears to fit the bill.
While the Maryland staff got a chance to see Thomas over the summer with Team Thad, it was his performance versus Mario Kegler in a scrimmage with Oak Hill a few weeks ago that caught Turgeon’s eye. Thomas had 14 points in the scrimmage against Oak Hill while Kegler led Oak Hill with 19. Thomas scored 12 points in a big season-opening win over Keith Gatlin’s Wesleyan Christian squad.
Along with Maryland, Arkansas, Florida, Ole Miss and Tennessee of the SEC as well as Memphis have all offered. The reason Thomas likely hasn’t picked up more offers is due to the fact he’s still got work to do in the classroom. But should Thomas get everything straightened out, the Terps should have a good shot here.
Finally, Maryland hosted Danish big man Jacob Larsen and his father for Maryland Madness last month. As of this writing, the latest we were hearing is that Larsen was still being heavily pursued by Gonzaga, who is still recruiting multiple foreign bigs, and is expected to sign with the Zags in the near future. Things had gone radio silent with Larsen and we reached out to our source ahead of signing day and heard back late last night that they believe he is done to Gonzaga.
With losses this offseason of Layman, Sulaimon, Carter, Trimble and Stone a real possibility, the Terps will have scholarships to work with. With only two signed, they will certainly take at least one more in the spring and possibly even two with the chance to add a grad-transfer depending on what happens with the three underclassmen that could possibly bolt for the NBA.
Looking ahead to 2017
Taking a quick look ahead to 2017, Maryland is well positioned with a number of elite targets, including five-star prospects Trevon Duval and Billy Preston.
Trevon Duval USA Basketball Highlights
Preston and Duval are both now at Advanced Prep International in Dallas where they play for coach Ray Forsett, the former coach of Prime Prep which closed earlier this year.
This is Preston’s second season playing for Forsett as the California native played at Prime Prep last year. This is Duval’s first season after transferring from St. Benedict’s in a hope to play against better competition on a daily basis. By all accounts, Duval is enjoying playing for coach Ray.
But we have heard over the past couple of weeks that things are in flux with Preston’s MWA Elite AAU program. Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Mo Williams, who runs the Mo Williams Academy program, is signed with Nike and apparently will be bringing his AAU program with him to the EYBL circuit. But sources have told us that Ray Forsett wants to start his own AAU program out of the Dallas area with Billy Preston as the centerpiece of the team. It’s something to keep an eye on moving forward.
Another prime 2017 target is five-star wing guard M.J. Walker out of Georgia. Walker plays for the same AAU program that Robert Carter Jr. played for and his AAU coach Winfred Jordan has been extremely pleased with Robert Carter’s progress at Maryland. Walker recently decided to give up football to focus on hoops and his stock is likely to continue rising as he puts all of his focus on the hardwood.
One other prime guard target that might be fading is Philly point guard Quade Green. After having a standout season with WER1 last spring/summer, Green has moved on and will play his final season of AAU ball with Team Final on the EYBL circuit. Green, who wants the ability to showcase himself more, was supposed to attend Syracuse’s Midnight Madness and the Orange might be trending there.
Other key 2017 targets to keep an eye on this season: Myles Douglas, Jordan Tucker, Jaren Jackson, Nicholas Claxton, Dajour Dickens
