recruiting update

[ccbird]

Woot Woot. Best birthday gift ever!!! Probably just made us legit title contenders for 2009 as long as Dupree is as good as advertised and we get solid play at the #3 position from someone.

Now get Thomas and call this a money class.

[scarey1999]

Not that it matters in the grand scheme, but how old is he? I just read he was originally in the class of 2006, but has prepped for the last 2 years?

So, will he be a 21 year old frosh?

[Eight]

Not that it matters in the grand scheme, but how old is he? I just read he was originally in the class of 2006, but has prepped for the last 2 years?

So, will he be a 21 year old frosh?

From what I've read, he entered HS a year early and will be 19 when he comes to college. That's a year old, but it isn't particularly unusual for a guy to be that old, I don't think. Eric Hayes and Greivis Vasquez where both 19 at the start of the year and turned 20 during the season for example.

CCBird, Thomas would be a nice way to end the class, but given our needs I might prefer Sean Mosley. But getting either (or both) would be great.

[Mark J]

Seriously, I think more than any 1 individual signing, we should be thankful of Chuck Driesell coming here. Since he's been at MD it seems he's rejuvenated our recruiting efforts big-time. Any chance he'll be the heir apparent for Gary's job down the line?

[mdterpsfan17]

It really sucks that we only have 2 scholarships available for 2008 and 1 for 2009. They loaded up on all these average players in the 2007 class. In the years 2008 and 2009 when Dreisel's recruiting should really start to pay off, there are bairly any scholarships to give. In the rankings for the upcoming years, it lists Maryland as in the running for a bunch of blue chippers, but they may have to pass on some as a result of lack if scholarships.

[BaltBird 24]

Very, very impressive. I had built myself up to be disappointed like so many times over the past couple years. I can't believe we actually got a real blue chipper.

[Eight]

Seriously, I think more than any 1 individual signing, we should be thankful of Chuck Driesell coming here. Since he's been at MD it seems he's rejuvenated our recruiting efforts big-time. Any chance he'll be the heir apparent for Gary's job down the line?

No doubt about Driesell really improving our recruiting efforts. He's identifying and targeting a wide range of prospects locally and nationally and then staying on them hard. He worked hard on Jennings even though for a while it looked like Maryland was out of the running. Add in Gary doing the things he needs to do to help Chuck out and the recruiting has started to really look positive for the coming seasons. And if we get Sean Mosley we can talk about Booth starting to make some serious in Baltimore over the past two years. Now let's finish '08 strong, grab a couple of the guys we're looking at in '09, and we'll really be in business to make some noise.

And while it's too early to talk about Driesell as the next head coach, how great would it be to hire the son of one of our great coaches to take over after working under the other great coach. How perfect would that be?

[inmn]

This could be a real important signing as it pushes some of the kids they have signed the last two years into support roles. GW mentioned going over tape of the championship team and he felt that team had two things that current teams were lacking-the ability to handle the ball at every position and lots of big man depth. All the sudden you push kids like Walker and Burney down the depth chart and they look like real productive-similar to Holden and Randle, plus they should be a real good passing team. This is also the type of early committment that reinforces other kid's decisions. Big win for GW and Chuck.

[Eight]

It really sucks that we only have 2 scholarships available for 2008 and 1 for 2009. They loaded up on all these average players in the 2007 class. In the years 2008 and 2009 when Dreisel's recruiting should really start to pay off, there are bairly any scholarships to give. In the rankings for the upcoming years, it lists Maryland as in the running for a bunch of blue chippers, but they may have to pass on some as a result of lack if scholarships.

We'll see how average they are. I don't see Vasquez and Hayes as average. I feel that Dupree and Bowie are good bets to be much better than average as well. The rest should be solid contributors. Add Jennings and three other top notch players and that has the potential to be a loaded roster that can compete with anyone in the country. When 09-10 rolls around, I don't forsee fans having reason to contemplate not having enough scholarships in '08 and '09.

[Ruzious]

CRS, I wouldn't project Jennings out too far - with his NBA potiential. I think there might be a small chance that he could go straight to the NBA from high school - since he'd be 19 by the time he'd come here - but I'm not clear on the rule.

[inmn]

CRS,

"They were all obviously recruited on purpose… guys from strong programs, (Calvert Hall, Montrose, Mt St Joe) with good Coaches… teams that won a lot of games, with players that know how to play the right way."

I have to disagree with you as they went after others harder and earlier- Wright and Freeman, Green who went to Syracuse and Koufus at Ohio St, possibly McClain and Delaney. All are much more talented than the class they ended up with. You point out in your projections that all except Dupree project as career reserves. That being said you need a certain amount of players like that and Md especially needs 4 year kids that graduate.

In my opinion Md will struggle next year much as Duke struggled this year, they are a very young and not very talented team with little outside shooting. But they have a very good coach who knows how to win and maybe they surprise. Jennings can be the start of something, all it takes is a blue chipper or two surrounded by coachable talent.

[Ruzious]

The idea that this team is not talented, is a joke to me…

I can understand wanting to see the young guys play a bit, but just on Gist/Vasquez/Hayes alone, there is reason for optimism.

They will struggle with outside shooting, and defensively their guards dont have great footspeed... but they have great front-court depth, and back-court experience..

Co-sign. I appreciate inmn's knowledge, but I respectfully disagree with most of his conclusions. Outside shooting is my one concern, and that's something that is correctible. We've seen guys like Steve Blake come into the program with the shooting touch of a Michael Ruffin and come out as a very solid 3 point shooter.

[ccbird]

My take. It is way too early to tell. I have to see all the incoming freshman plus Burney and Milbourne before I can even start to project how talented we are or how we will do in the ACC. I was gonna say it earlier when the guy called the last two classes average and I'll do it now that we got some a few people really talking up the classes.

The only known variables of what will be the core of the team for the next three years are Vasquez and Hayes. With Hayes, I'm actually not sure exactly what we got yet because I'm not sold on him being a starting ACC PG.

I probably won't have a good read on the this team until the middle of January. That said, just going on paper, I find it hard to believe we will be a top 4 team in what should be a much stronger ACC this year.

[Ruzious]

I probably won't have a good read on the this team until the middle of January. That said, just going on paper, I find it hard to believe we will be a top 4 team in what should be a much stronger ACC this year.

Why do you think the ACC will be a lot stronger this year? It seems to me that most of the quality players went away in the draft - with the exception of some UNCsters - and they lost their forwards to the draft. And besides the Terps quality returning backcourt, what ACC team has 2 better returning bigs than Osby and Gist? I can understand why people weren't real high on those 2 going into last season - but based on what they did last season, people should be able to adjust their evaluations and expectations.

[ccbird]

Why do you think the ACC will be a lot stronger this year? It seems to me that most of the quality players went away in the draft - with the exception of some UNCsters - and they lost their forwards to the draft. And besides the Terps quality returning backcourt, what ACC team has 2 better returning bigs than Osby and Gist? I can understand why people weren't real high on those 2 going into last season - but based on what they did last season, people should be able to adjust their evaluations and expectations.

I typed without looking too deeply at things. It certainly appears the ACC is again top heavy. Looks like UNC, Duke and then a crapshoot. It gives me more confidence that MD can finish in the top 4. I still wouldn't project it at this point. Right now, I'd have us behind NC State, Clemson and Virginia but it certainly is more attainable than I originally thought.