While former Maryland recruit Gus Gilchrist awaits an NCAA ruling on his eligibility status for the upcoming season at South Florida, his longtime trainer/advisor Terrelle Woody is getting started on a new job at the Tampa university.

According to the Tampa Tribune, USF hired Woody this week as the men’s basketball team’s video and conditioning assistant.

Woody, who does not have a college degree, will be paid $30,000 and will not receive benefits from the school, USF coach Stan Heath said.

His job duties include recording games of upcoming opponents, making sure the televisions in the coaches' offices are connected to DirectTV and assisting a certified strength and conditioning coach with the players.

• The Terps are still in the running for power forward James Padgett, a 2009 prospect from Brooklyn, N.Y.

“Right now the schools that are still in it are West Virginia, Pitt, Maryland, South Carolina, Providence and St. John’s,” the 6-foot-8, 220-pound Padgett said by phone.

Padgett has already visited St. John’s unofficially and said he will visit South Carolina, Maryland, West Virginia and Pitt unofficially next week.

• Dix Hills, N.Y., power forward Tobias Harris continued his college tour this week with a stop in College Park. Harris’ father, Torrel, said his son “came away very impressed with Coach [Gary] Williams,” and was particularly moved by a speech on campus by Len Bias’ mother, Lonise.

“Mrs. Bias touched on several important issues that are important to young people,” Torrel said. “Len’s mother talked about being a leader in this world and knowing who you are as a person. She also said friends are important in anyone’s life. She also said it’s important knowing yourself as a person as opposed to trying to please your so called friends.”

• Rivals.com updated its class of 2010 prospect rankings this week, and numerous Terps targets cracked the top 150. Walbrook small forward Roscoe Smith (11), Plainfield, N.J., point guard Isiah Epps (40), Albany, N.Y., guard Taran Buie (53) and Calvert Hall power forward Jonathan Graham (77) are just a few UM prospects on the list.

Posted by Matt Bracken at 12:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
                    

Steve Goins has already gotten a taste of life in College Park.

The Maryland power forward recruit spent four weeks on campus earlier this summer as part of the university’s Scholastic Transitions Educational Program (S.T.E.P.).

Goins took courses in English, math and study skills, while also learning the ins and outs of campus living.

“It was like a [pre-college program to] get you acclimated to how life is going to be,” Goins said. “I met a lot of other athletes, not just basketball, but from lacrosse, baseball, football, every other sport. I think it was [very beneficial]. It helped out a lot.”

Goins will be back in College Park before the end of the month. He’s still waiting to be approved by the NCAA Clearinghouse. Once that approval comes, the once-improbable scenario of Goins as a Terp will finally come to fruition.

“I would’ve never thought I could be playing for Maryland a few years ago when I first started playing basketball,” Goins said. “I wasn’t forced into [playing] -- I always liked basketball, but never actually played. But then I started loving to play and got a scholarship offer from Maryland. ... So I’m just enjoying it and taking everything in.”

Here’s an introduction to Goins.

Name: Steve Goins
Birthdate: 7/29/90
Birthplace: Chicago
Hometown: Chicago
Height: 6’9
Weight: 245
Position: Power forward
High School: Curie High School (senior year), Leo Catholic High School (freshman-junior year)
Senior statistics: 14 points, 10 rebounds, five blocks
Runner-up: South Florida or Illinois-Chicago
Favorite pro basketball player: Carmelo Anthony
Favorite pro basketball team: None
Favorite music: Lil Wayne
Favorite book: The Outsiders by Susan E. Hinton
Favorite movie: Friday
Favorite TV show: The Fresh Prince of Bel Air
Favorite food: Pizza
Favorite high school class: Art
Favorite thing about College Park: “When I visited, it was just big, and there’s all types of people there.”
Hobbies: Drawing
Intended major: Computer graphics
Something that not many people know about you: “Last year, my senior year, was my first full year of playing basketball. I actually started playing basketball my freshman year of high school. Sophomore year I didn’t play much, got hurt in the summer and junior year I played a little bit. So senior year was my first full year.”
Best basketball moment: “My first game [as a senior at Curie] I guess. I almost had a triple-double, like one block off of a triple-double.”
Role model: “My mother and my father because they’re always there for me and always hard working, so I just try to work hard at everything I do.”
Why Maryland? “The town and everything was just great. With all the other schools I was looking in to -- Maryland was at the top being in the ACC. It’s a big school and I’ve got a real good opportunity to get a lot of playing time. Once I looked into the academic side, they were pretty good, too.”

Click here for AAU coach Nick Irvin's take on Goins.

Posted by Matt Bracken at 11:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
                    

Todd Bozeman has a lot returning from Morgan State’s 2007-08 team.

But he’s also adding several talented newcomers to the Bears -- the reigning regular-season MEAC champions.

Pensacola (Fla.) Junior College center Buford Foote, Hagerstown Community College forward John Long, Northeastern (Colo.) Junior College guard Troy Smith and Gwynn Park guard Sean Thomas are the new additions to MSU’s roster. Philadelphia forward Ameer Ali, former Walbrook center Kevin Thompson and ex-St. Frances point guard Desmond Thomas all redshirted for Morgan last season and will be eligible this fall.

Bozeman spoke with Recruiting Report recently about the Bears’ 2008 recruiting class.

Give us an overview of your class of newcomers.

Well there’s only one freshman that we actually signed, the rest are junior college players. The freshman is Sean Thomas. He’s a guard. I think he can play both spots but he’s really a point guard. He’s a tough, physical player, aggressive. I think that he is, physically, probably more prepared as a freshman just because he’s physically strong and I think he’ll bring a lot to the program. He comes from a good basketball program. He’s been well coached. He’s [a Washington Post] All-Met player and I think he’s the first All-Met from the D.C. area to attend Morgan since probably Garcia Hopkins back in the 70s, so I’m sure it was the first one since then. ... But to get an All-Met player was significant for us, not that I recruited him because he was All-Met. But I’m excited for Sean to be a part of the program.

The junior college guys, one is Buford Foote from Pensacola Junior College. At 6’10", he gives us a shot-blocking [presence] and rebounder, especially losing Boubacar [Coly]. Having some size will be important. We can’t replace Boo, but he’ll bring a lot to us in terms of experience. Being a junior college player, he’s already played against talent. He probably comes from one of the best JUCO leagues in the country down in the Panhandle. He’s from Atlanta, Georgia. His length will be a big asset to us and he can shoot the jumper from the elbow and from the free-throw line.

The other one is John Long. John is probably the best athlete we have on the team. He’s 6’7", really long arms and a really strong athlete. He was second in the country in rebounding [in] junior college, so again, that was important for us to try to replace the rebounding that Boubacar gave us. Boubacar was in the top ten in the country, but collectively by committee, that’s how we’ll try to replace that. But John is a rebounder and defender and that’s what he’ll bring to the table.

Troy Smith, he’s a wing player that can score in transition. He can defend anyone, really. He comes from Northeastern Junior College in Colorado, but he’s from Baltimore and came back home. Baltimore players have a certain grittiness that he certainly has, so it’s been a big part of what we’ve been able to do, what we’ve built these last two years. But he can really finish in transition.

And I’m looking forward to having an opportunity to coach the other incoming guys. Those guys were already there. Desmond Thomas was the first high school player who signed after my first year. He was at St. Frances for high school and sat out last year as a non-qualifier. He’s a real steady point guard, a real heady point guard. He has a lot of poise for a young player. And the other kid, Kevin Thompson, was a highly-touted 6’8" forward from Walbrook. He redshirted last year only because he didn’t get through the [NCAA] Clearinghouse until halfway through the season, so we decided not to play him even though he would’ve been a big help to us. He’s a very efficient low-post scorer. He will hopefully help fill the void of Boubacar in terms of scoring in the low post. And Ameer Ali is a tough, rugged wing player who also sat out last year. He’ll bring a certain amount of toughness and high basketball IQ. So I feel good about the class. [Thomas, Thompson and Ali] weren’t actually in the class, but they’re newcomers just the same.

Has it been a strategy of yours to target junior college players?

Well when we first got out there that was a strategy because I didn’t want to just rely on high school players because I knew that in order to build a program, we had to have some guys who had some experience playing and would physically be more mature. And that’s the reason why the junior college guys were the ones of choice. But you do want to bring in some high school kids because you want to continue building the program. For high school players, it normally takes them a while because they need to understand how hard you have to play. Junior college guys, they’re used to maybe playing against one player that’s very good or a couple games before they come upon a really good player or team. High school guys, it’s almost the same thing. When you get to college basketball, you have to bring it every day in practice and games. So it’s not necessarily a strategy, but when you’re looking for maturity, a lot of times you have to go the junior college route.

Smith is a Douglass High School grad, but he played his junior-college ball in Colorado. How did he end up there?

It’s a ways away, but he’s very close to Carmelo Anthony so that’s why he ended up there. That was by his choice, so we didn’t have anything to do with that. We recruited him out of high school, but he wasn’t a qualifier, so that’s why he went to junior college. So he chose that junior college, but he’s friends with Carmelo, and his brother might be one of Carmelo’s best friends. There’s not a story behind it, but he did very well.

How important is it for you to keep local talent at home?

Well I just think that anytime you’re in an area that produces an abundance of talent, you want to keep as many home as possible. We’re definitely not unique to that approach. Baltimore always has had a tremendous amount of talent. You just think of Juan Dixon ... Donte Greene, Malcolm Delaney at Virginia Tech, Carmelo Anthony, as I said. The [David] Wingates, Reggie Williams, Muggsy Bogues, Reggie Lewis. There’s always a ton of players in Baltimore. Just to have those kinds of players around, it only makes sense [to recruit the area]. You don’t have to go that far to get good players. That was the focus when I got here, so fortunately [we’ve been able] to keep some of the guys home.

Will your JUCO recruits be ready to play immediately?

That remains to be seen because for most junior college players, it takes a minute to get adjusted. Even Jamar Smith, who was the [MEAC] Player of the Year, it took him time to get adjusted. But that doesn’t mean these guys can’t have an impact. I don’t predict -- you just don’t know because it matters how soon they have to adjust to the consistent level of play that you have to get ready for in Division I, even in practice within your own team.

Do you expect any of the newcomers to make an immediate impact? Which guys are you counting on this year?

Not necessarily for the newcomers, but Marquise Kately will be one of the top players in the league. He was an all-league player last year. He has a very high basketball IQ. He’ll dictate a lot of what happens with us this year, as will Reggie Holmes, who could end up being the leading scorer in the history of the school because he’s been in double figures every year. Kevin Thompson in the post and Jermaine Bolden [at point guard], those guys will probably play significant roles, but everybody will play a part because we’ll be a deeper team than we were last year. We were eight deep last year, but [this year] we’ll probably have 10 or 11 guys that will possibly play every game.

What was the timeline for your recruits in terms of when they signed?

Buford Foote was the first guy this year. He was an early signing-period guy. The rest of the guys were late signing period. Sean Thomas went all the way down to the end of the season. He probably was the last guy.

Has your recent success made recruiting easier?

I don’t know if recruiting is ever easy, so I would never say that. But in terms of the program, I think the fact that we’ve been invited to participate in the Bracket Buster, the first MEAC team ever to do that ... I think that speaks volumes to what the guys we had last year [accomplished], and even the year before that with the foundation they were able to lay. ... It’s definitely a sign of growth at going in the right direction for the program. I think that just adds to the bricks being laid to build the program.

Baltimore Sun photo of Todd Bozeman by David Hobby / Nov. 25, 2006

Posted by Matt Bracken at 6:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

Nick Irvin is starting to get excited.

In a few months, the Chicago-based AAU basketball coach plans on watching one of his all-time favorite players -- Steve Goins -- suit up for Maryland.

It’s been an improbable journey for Goins, who didn’t start playing basketball until his freshman year of high school. Irvin’s been by the 6-foot-9, 245-pounder’s side for most of the way. The latest hurdle has been navigating the NCAA’s eligibility standards. Goins has been admitted to Maryland and took three classes in College Park earlier this summer. But he still has to be approved by the NCAA Clearinghouse. Irvin is confident everything will work out.

“I told him, ‘just take it in stride and everything will work itself out. So don’t be worried about [the Clearinghouse]. You’re in college now, so just be happy,’” Irvin said. “I’m pretty sure he’ll be fine, because he did all he had to do.”

Irvin first discovered Goins as a 6-4 freshman out of Leo Catholic High School on Chicago’s South Side. Goins joined the Mac Irvin Fire AAU program, which was founded by Nick Irvin’s father, Mac.

“When I first saw Steve play, he was real smooth, finger-rolling and dunking, so he always had the skills,” Irvin said.

As a newcomer to the game, Goins didn’t play much as a freshman. Then an injury before his sophomore year derailed his progress on the court.

“Once he broke his leg, it was a setback for him,” Irvin said. “And I always knew he had the potential to be real good. When you’re a kid, you get down on yourself, so my brother and my father and his mother picked his spirits up.”

The broken leg made his sophomore season a wash. In between rehabbing the injury and a gradual growth spurt to his current 6-9 height, Goins slowly began to feel more comfortable on the court.

“It took him a while, almost this year to get it back where he could say, ‘OK, I’m going to run and jump and be OK,’” Irvin said. “But once he got rolling, he was real good. Big men sometimes develop late. You just keep staying focused. So we were running him and running him and he put his mind to it. Man, he could be good.”

After his junior year, Goins left Leo for Curie High School, where he finally put it all together, averaging 14 points, 10 rebounds and five blocks per game. All of a sudden, Goins emerged as a solid Division I recruit. But there was still a lot of work to be done.

“Well I told him, ‘man, you want to go to Division I, you want to play at the highest level, you have to put in the work, take all the classes you need and don’t get discouraged about it,’” Irvin said. “So I just helped him stay focused, had him keep working hard.”

After his senior season, Goins was weighing scholarship offers from South Florida and Illinois-Chicago. Irvin said he thinks Goins’ recruitment was low-profile due to several factors -- his lack of playing time at Leo, the broken leg impeding his progress and questionable academics. It wasn’t until earlier this summer that Goins was academically qualified.

When Gus Gilchrist bolted for South Florida, the Terps suddenly had a gaping hole in their frontcourt. Once Goins took care of his academics, a scholarship was offered and accepted.

Irvin thinks Goins has the ability to contribute for UM as a freshman.

“As a freshman, probably they just want him to come in, do a little bit,” Irvin said. “They probably aren’t expecting that much -- just have a good freshman year and keep getting better. ... I don’t think any college program would be expecting [a freshman] to come in and dominate right off the bat. There’s probably a process he will go through. If they need him to play right away, oh yeah, he can play right away. He’ll be ready.

“He can score the ball, and rebound the ball. That transition will be real easy for him. Steve does everything good. He can score on the blocks, shoot the 15-footer. If his confidence is there, he’ll be fine.”

Goins is back in Chicago now, but plans on returning to College Park later his week. He’s been working on his strength and conditioning, and awaiting word from the NCAA Clearinghouse.

When he finally does suit up for the Terps, Irvin will be watching intently from afar.

“I’m so proud of Steve because people were like, ‘he’s not this, he’s not that,’” Irvin said. “For me being the one watching him develop [and see him] keep working and keep working -- man, I’m so proud of him because he’s one of my favorite players. I probably got on him worse than anybody. But he’s one of my favorites. ... And I’m just so happy for him.”

Check back with Recruiting Report later this week for a Q&A with Goins.

Posted by Matt Bracken at 10:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
                    

Ever wonder what went on beyond the scenes with former Maryland center recruit Gus Gilchrist? The Tampa Tribune has your answers.

The Florida newspaper investigated the relationship between Gilchrist, who is still waiting for the NCAA to rule on his eligibility status at South Florida, and his longtime trainer, Terrelle Woody. The entire story is definitely worth the read.

Throughout his dizzying basketball travels - at age 18, he already has attended two high schools and signed letters-of-intent with three universities - Gilchrist has been aligned with Terrelle Woody, 38, his personal trainer, adviser and spokesman.

Now, Woody is in line for a job in the USF athletic department, a non-coaching position that has not been advertised and for which school officials say "there is no record" of what the job might pay or what the qualifications are. Woody does not have a college degree.

• According to Zags Blog, Dix Hills, N.Y., forward Tobias Harris, a 2010 prospect, is scheduled to visit College Park today.

• A couple of Maryland football commitments had rough starts to their senior seasons. Running back D.J. Adams was stifled in Norcross’ 21-6 loss to Camden County (Ga.).

Maryland commitment D.J. Adams found few holes in the fast Wildcats defense. He gained 27 yards on 13 carries and lost a fumble.

Quarterback Danny O’Brien struggled in East Forsyth’s season-opening loss to Rocky Mount (N.C.). The UM commit went 7-of-16 for 83 yards and one interception in his team’s 43-13 defeat.

• Terps linebacker commitment Bradley Johnson checked in at No. 38 on The Roanoke Times’ list of top senior prospects in Virginia.

38. Bradley Johnson, 6-1, 205 LB, Dinwiddie – Ex-Rockbridge coach Billy Mills is building a power at Dinwiddie, with Maryland-bound Johnson leading the way.

Posted by Matt Bracken at 10:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (8)
                    

Back in June, East Forsyth (N.C.) quarterback Danny O’Brien committed to Maryland over offers from Duke and East Carolina.

In a Winston-Salem Journal profile of O’Brien, East Forsyth head coach Todd Willert said being slightly overlooked serves as motivation for O’Brien.

"I think he feels like he gets slighted quite a bit," Willert said of O'Brien. "He is not all about that though; he wants to win. But deep down, he hears people talking about other quarterbacks, and I have told him the more you win, the more they talk about you. The big thing is he got his offers and now he can relax and enjoy playing football and not worry about trying to earn a scholarship. The biggest pressure he has is he wants to win.

"That's what you need in a quarterback. The colleges that sat down and talked to him realized his leadership and knowledge of the game."

• The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette singles out two UM commitments in its preview of the PG North.

Maryland recruit C.J. Brown, a 6-foot-4, 190-pound quarterback [for Seneca Valley], passed for 1,567 yards last season as a junior. His top target last season, Matt Plautz, returns after catching 51 passes for 659 yards and also earning all-conference honors. …

Maryland recruit Ryan Schlieper (6-5, 278) and Mike Vuono (6-3, 280), both seniors, will anchor the [North Allegheny] offensive line and linebacker Jackson Boyd and defensive end Wes Henderson should do so for the defense. Senior Brian Austin, a the WPIAL 100-meter champion in track, led the team in receiving yards last season.

The Post-Gazette also conducted a Q&A with Brown.

• Florida is chasing three serious Maryland targets: Good Counsel linebacker Jelani Jenkins, Quince Orchard cornerback Travis Hawkins and St. John's (D.C.) offensive lineman Pete White. GatorCountry.com analyzed Florida’s chances with each prospect.

TRAVIS HAWKINS, CB (5-11, 190, Gaithersburg, MD Quince Orchard): Haven’t been able to get in touch with Hawkins, who performed very well during Friday Night Light’s. I think there is some mutual interest but, I really don’t see him ending up at Florida.

• Chesapeake, Va., linebacker Jerod Askew, who previously listed UM in his final five, was named the top college prospect in the Hampton Roads area by The Virginian-Pilot.

1. Jerod Askew, Oscar Smith linebacker: His stock keeps going up, up, up. Coaches see him and his game film, and say he’s a beast, which is exactly what they want.

• According to The Fayetteville (N.C.) Observer, Windsor, N.C., offensive tackle Travis Bond is still considering Maryland for an official visit.

The 6-foot-8, 330-pounder has set an Oct. 25 date to make an official visit to Michigan. He’s also considering visits with East Carolina, Maryland, N.C. State, North Carolina and UCLA.

• The recruitment of Good Counsel cornerback Louis Young, a 2010 prospect, is far from over, but Young told Yahoo! Sports that the Terps are in good shape.

“I don’t have a list yet but I really like Boston College and Maryland right now,” he said.

“With Maryland, it’s close to home and I go up there a lot. I have a good relationship with the coaches.”

Basketball recruiting

• The stock of Torrington, Conn., power forward Jordan Williams continues to rise. The Maryland target made his first appearance on the Rivals 150 this week, checking in as the No. 102 prospect in the country for the class of 2009.

The Register Citizen spoke with the 6-foot-10, 245-pounder and his family, some of whom are still getting used to Williams’ status as a top recruit.

"I got a call from (Maryland coach) Gary Williams and, for a minute, I thought it was one of my friends joking with me," said Leron [Williams, Jordan’s father], still sort of amazed that the guy he used to stuff so easily in the driveway - for his own good - is now so sought after, at least partially as a result.

• Dix Hills, N.Y. forward Tobias Harris has plans to visit College Park soon, according to the New York Daily News.

Harris said he plans to visit Maryland, Virginia and Georgetown next week, although a plethora of other schools - including Louisville, UConn, Texas and Rutgers - are still in the hunt for him. He has no timetable on a decision (he’s just a junior), but he said he might decide this year.

• According to Rivals.com, former Terps shooting guard signee Tyree Evans has finally found a home.

Rivals.com has learned that 6-foot-3 guard Tyree Evans has been accepted to Kent State. Evans, the No. 6 prospect in the 2008 junior college rankings, will join the team as a walk-on. The Golden Flashes did not have any scholarships available.

• TampaBay.com reports that ex-Terp Gus Gilchrist is waiting for a ruling on his immediate future at South Florida.

Frontcourt depth is a key, and hinges on two things. First, hugely, is a hardship waiver being filed for power forward Gus Gilchrist, the transfer from Maryland. It hasn't gone out yet, but if granted, would allow Gilchrist to play this season.

Posted by Matt Bracken at 11:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (9)
                    

Dunbar wide receiver Sean Farr’s big junior season has paid off on the recruiting trail.

The 6-foot-2, 180-pounder caught 49 passes for 1,383 yards and 18 touchdowns last season, helping the Poets to the Class 1A state title. Thanks in part to those efforts, Rivals.com rated Farr the No. 57 wide receiver in the country.

Akron and Eastern Michigan have offered Farr, while Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia are showing serious interest. Farr, who camped at Maryland, Memphis, Pittsburgh and West Virginia this summer, expects additional offers to come during the season.

Farr spoke with Recruiting Report recently about his status.

Do you have any favorites in your recruitment?

I would say Akron is my favorite right now, because they treat me like I’m already one of their players and they were the first one to offer me a scholarship. I know some people might find it surprising it’s my favorite ... maybe because Akron’s not like a Maryland or a Virginia. But it’s a good program.

Was it a relief to get that first offer from Akron? What went through your mind when you received the offer?

Yeah. When I first got the offer it was a relief. I was happy I’d be able to go to college. Then I thought about leaving my family and going to a new city, all the way in Ohio. And I was probably going to get a lot of playing time there. Those were the three things [I thought about].

When did Eastern Michigan offer you?

They offered me three days after Akron offered me, so it was my second offer.

Do you have plans to visit EMU?

Yeah. Probably when they play Akron. I met their coaches at the Pittsburgh camp. They told me they were looking to put me at slot, and I could get a lot of playing time at slot.

What have the Maryland coaches said they’d like to see from you this season?

They want to see me put on a couple pounds and want to see my lifting. They’ll see a couple of our games, see how I’m doing.

What did you like about your visit to West Virginia?

It was a big atmosphere. There are a lot of big players on that team. I like the way their spread offense runs. And they’re on TV the most, too.

When did the Virginia coaches get involved in your recruitment?

Virginia started showing interest before football season even started last year. Because I transferred from Lake Clifton, they figured I’d probably be better going to Dunbar anyway.

Is there any reason that you and Dunbar running back Tavon Austin plan on making your decisions after the season?

We both want to do the best for our team. We want a lot of college coaches to come to see us, but we want them to come to our school and see other guys, too.

Photo of Sean Farr by Kim Hairston / December 1, 2007

Posted by Matt Bracken at 11:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

As promising as Baltimore’s class of 2009 men’s basketball recruits could be, the city’s 2010 crop looks even better.

Carlton Carrington’s 16-and-under Mt. Royal-Team Melo squad (which will officially be known as Nike Baltimore Elite in October) did major damage on the summer AAU circuit, opening the eyes of college recruiters across the country to Baltimore’s high-level talent.

“Oh man, I would say at least seven-to-10 [local players in the class of 2010] would be mid- to high-majors down the road -- not just in my program but all around Baltimore,” Carrington said. “I think at least seven could, right now, sign big letters of intent, and I think another three if they keep on improving. We’ll have probably three kids in the top 25 and five in the top 50, when Scout and Rivals’ new rankings come out. Josh Selby, who’s the No. 1 point guard in the country, he played on the 17-and-under team. He played up with Jonathan Graham. You put them in the mix and they’re going to be real good.”

Selby, who started his high school career at John Carroll before transferring to DeMatha for his sophomore season, is ranked as Rivals.com‘s No. 5 player in the 2010 class. Carrington said Selby’s recruitment is wide open.

“Josh Selby’s going to be recruited by everybody under the sun,” Carrington said. “Memphis, Florida, Louisville. I’m surprised that Maryland hasn’t come after him. Tennessee, he visited there and Louisville. He’s going on visits to Memphis, Oklahoma, Texas. He just has a world of schools coming after him.”

Graham, a 6-foot-8 power forward from Calvert Hall, more than held his own playing a year up for Carrington’s team. Several high-major schools took notice.

“Villanova has offered,” Carrington said. “I think Maryland is involved, of course, because his father [Ernie Graham] played there. I know Syracuse has been inquiring. Those are the big schools.”

On Team Melo’s 16-and-under team, City College power forward Jordan Latham led the way.

“He’s being heavily recruited right now by Florida, Xavier University, James Madison, Richmond, which offered a scholarship, along with Xavier,” Carrington said. “Maryland and Clemson are also looking at Jordan Latham.”

Carrington cited several other standouts on Team Melo’s U-16 team this summer: St. Frances shooting guard Dante Holmes, Calvert Hall forward Damien Lee, Dunbar guard Derrell Edwards, St. Frances forward Greg Lewis, St. Frances point guard R.J. Williams and Baltimore Freedom Academy guard Kevin Smith.

According to Carrington, Holmes “could be a high-major if he keeps working hard,” Edwards is hearing from George Mason, Siena and Towson, while Lee is also receiving interest from several CAA schools.

Lewis, Williams and Smith are all 2011 recruits, but Carrington has high expectations for each -- particularly the St. Frances big man.

“Greg Lewis is really class of 2011, but he played up with the 16s,” Carrington said. “His recruitment is going to be big, too. I know Maryland is involved, Florida is going to tear the door down and I think Georgetown [will be there], but he’s still 2011.”

While the summer AAU circuit has come to a close, Carrington is having trouble containing his excitement for next summer, when Nike Baltimore Elite makes its debut.

“I’m excited about [Latham and Graham] and Josh Selby as the number one point guard in the country,” Carrington said. “I’m excited because we’ve got some bigs that can play and hang around the basket and guys that can flat out shoot it. I’m just excited about next summer with the new name, uniforms and logos.”

Posted by Matt Bracken at 11:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

A decent chunk of Carlton Carrington’s summer has been spent preparing for change.

This fall, the Mt. Royal-Team Melo AAU basketball coach will see his organization change names, logos and uniforms. On Oct. 26, the program will be introduced as Nike Baltimore Elite.

But while the team has undergone transition off the court, it was business as usual for Carrington and company on it.

Team Melo’s 17-and-under team, comprised mostly of local 2009 prospects (and a couple standout 2010 recruits), was named one of Nike’s top 24 programs in the country. The squad also earned an invite to the Nike Peach Jam AAU tourney in North Augusta, S.C. And, per usual, several of Team Melo’s players improved their stock in the eyes of college coaches throughout the summer.

“For the ‘09 kids you have Andrew Fitzgerald, one of the best big men on the circuit this year,” Carrington said. “He’s one of the top 10 big men in the country. He got invited to the Amare Stoudemire Skills Academy. So he played well [this summer] and got invited. [DeMatha shooting guard and Baltimore native] Naji Hibbert committed to Texas A&M. He had a real good summer, was invited down to the Paul Pierce Skills Academy in California and was recognized as one of the top two-guards in the country.”

Fitzgerald, who played as a freshman at St. Frances, spent his sophomore year at Towson Catholic and went to Owings Mills for his junior season, is on the move again. The 6-foot-9 power forward is headed to Brewster Academy in New Hampshire for his final high school season.

“It was nothing about the school or academics,” Carrington said of Fitzgerald’s decision to leave Baltimore. “Andrew felt like he progressed so much that he didn’t want to be the super big fish in the pond. He wanted to play against good competition day in and day out. That’s definitely not a knock on Baltimore County. He just wanted to play against kids his size. He didn’t want to average 28 and 20 and not be ready for college. He realized he can play with those guys, that he can play with all the top bigs in the country. He just wanted to keep working against them.”

Fitzgerald’s recruitment took off over the summer. According to Carrington, Fitzgerald focused on seven schools.

“Louisville just offered him a scholarship last week,” Carrington said. “He’s going on an official visit there. Oklahoma, he’s going to visit there. Xavier offered, he’ll visit there. Boston College, I don’t think has offered yet, but [he could] use one of the five officials there. Seton Hall offered, Pittsburgh offered -- they’ve been in the picture for a while. Texas A&M offered a scholarship in the summer time. And all these schools, I’m not saying they called him a couple times. The head coaches really sat down and offered him scholarships, full rides. ... I’m so proud of that kid. He came so far and he just wants to play against big kids night in and night out.”

Carrington said Fitzgerald will probably bypass the fall signing period and wait until spring to make his choice.

Two John Carroll standouts also had big summers for Team Melo. Combo guard Raphael Jordan and shooting guard/small forward Wyatt Smith are both hearing from Division I schools.

“Wyatt Smith from John Carroll is in that mid-major range,” Carrington said. “Rider, Siena, schools up in the MAAC conference [are interested] .... Towson is really looking at him. … Raphael Jordan, he’s a mid-major kid. A lot of Patriot League schools [are interested in him]. ... Raphael Jordan has an offer from American University. He went on an unofficial to Bucknell. ... Those guys have a couple offers, but I know [John Carroll head coach] Tony Martin does a good job, so there’s no doubt in my mind that they’re going to land somewhere.”

Two other 2009 Team Melo guards are definite DI prospects. According to Carrington, Digital Harbor's George Jackson has offers from UMBC and Drexel and is also being recruited by Towson and St. Joseph’s. Towson Catholic point guard Devin Spence, meanwhile, is focused on several academic heavyweights.

“Devin Spence is being recruited by Ivy League schools,” Carrington said. “He has a 3.8 core GPA. Harvard is very, very interested in him. I think he’s very interested in Harvard, too.”

Check back with Recruiting Report later this week for more on Team Melo, including info from Carrington on some of the team’s 2010 prospects.

Posted by Matt Bracken at 12:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
                    

There were times this summer when Alec Lemon felt like he could hardly catch his breath.

The Arundel wide receiver had a seemingly nonexistent summer break, embarking on an almost nonstop schedule of college visits, camp appearances and combine performances.

But it all paid for Lemon last week, when the 6-foot-2, 180-pounder verbally committed to Syracuse.

“It feels real good actually. I’m real excited,” Lemon said. “I called them [Thursday] night after 10. They kind of thought I was thinking of committing there for awhile. Me and [my] family were talking about it, going through the options [and thought it was the right time to commit]. But [the Syracuse coaches] were excited. They were pumped.”

Lemon shined as a junior for the Wildcats, catching 70 passes for 969 yards and 13 touchdowns, helping his team to the 4A state championship game against Quince Orchard.

But after the season, when scholarship offers didn’t start pouring in, Lemon and his stepfather, Sean Asbury, became proactive with his recruitment.

“We had to take the approach that since not many colleges were coming toward me, we had to come to them,” Lemon said. “So I made a lot of contact, went to the camps and impressed them there.”

The first stop on Lemon’s summer itinerary was Louisville’s camp in early June. The father-son duo flew from Baltimore to Kentucky and back. Days later, Lemon and Asbury loaded up the family’s 2004 Chevy Malibu and made the drive from their Crofton home to Nashville, Tenn., for Vanderbilt’s camp.

When the Commodores’ camp was complete, Lemon and Asbury hit the road again, this time heading to Louisiana for Tulane’s camp. After that it was a drive back up north and a couple well-deserved days of relaxation.

The rest of the summer was much of the same. Lemon participated in two combines at M&T Bank Stadium and one in Philadelphia. He went to camps at Maryland, Richmond and Delaware. A couple weeks after their southern road trip, Lemon and Asbury headed north for camps at Connecticut and Syracuse.

All told, Lemon and Asbury logged more than 4,600 miles, pushing the Malibu over 100,000 miles. Along the way, the duo bonded over football, recruiting and Lemon’s future.

“It brought us closer, especially all the time in the car we had with each other,” Lemon said. “... After each camp we would talk about college, but then the conversation would be about anything really, trying to keep my focus off of college and trying to have fun since it was the summer. ... [Going on trips with him] means a lot, just showing how much time he put into me.”

With the summer finally drawing to a close, Lemon held offers from Syracuse and Delaware, and felt confident scholarships from Vanderbilt, James Madison and Richmond would soon be on the way.

At nearly every place he visited, coaches told Lemon to be patient. The offers would come during the season, they said. But with two-a-days approaching, Lemon thought back to all the positives at Syracuse. He liked the campus and was impressed with the dorms. SU had his major of choice -- mechanical engineering. And Lemon felt wanted by Orange head coach Greg Robinson and his recruiting coach, Randy Trivers.

So he sat down with his family and made the decision. His parents, who are considering purchasing season tickets, were completely supportive and pleased with their son’s choice. For the Lemon-Asbury family, it was a summer well spent.

“[At times I was] just overwhelmed with everything. I was basically playing for my future, for a scholarship, at every event,” Lemon said. “[Committing to Syracuse] was just a relief. It felt like what I did paid off.”

Click on the YouTube player for Lemon’s junior highlights.

Photo of Alec Lemon during 4A state championship game by Colby Ware / Special to The Sun / December 7, 2007

Posted by Matt Bracken at 9:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)