Maryland Basketball (some football) recruiting news (Shaq, Layman Commits!)

[BRAVEONAWARPATH]

Alex Prewitt @alex_prewitt

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Edsall says Jesse Aniebonam will play the Will linebacker spot, the blitz-heavy position in Stewart's 3-4 package.

[RemoveSnyder]

Duke Football is doing great things Duke Football has never done

---> http://msn.foxsports.com/college-football/story/national-signing-day-2014-duke-football-recruiting-david-cutcliffe-best-class-020414

Teddy Mitrosilis FOX Sports

FEB 04, 2014 4:00p ET

This could count as more recruiting-related hyperbole, but Trevon Lee’s commitment to Duke on Monday seemed to signify something.

 

Duke football, for the first time in the lives of current recruits, looks and feels and resembles a viable place to play college football for those whose athletic and academic desires intersect with what’s being sold in Durham, N.C.

 

No, the Blue Devils don’t yet compete in conference clout with the ACC’s top tier — which currently is pretty much Florida State and Clemson before a drop off — and they certainly aren’t in fighting shape with the national brand-name programs. Nobody is saying Duke’s now battling Alabama on the recruiting trail.

 

But that’s not news, nor is it really the point. The point is this: Would, only a year ago, Duke get a player like Trevon Lee, a four-star receiver out of Fort Lauderdale, Fla.?

 

Maybe — perhaps if Lee had specific academic interests in Duke — but probably not. He’s the kind of athlete who’s usually scooped up by a more football-centric school, and Stanford, South Carolina, Missouri, Ole Miss and Vanderbilt (all which finished second in the race) all made him offers.

 

It’s easy to see why those programs would be interested.

 

At 5-foot-11 and 168 pounds, Lee has plenty of room to add strength to a frame that’s wiry but already muscular and physical. His best asset, which won’t be mitigated a bit by routinely facing Division I-caliber athletes, is his catching ability.

 

“People will talk about his hands,” Mike Morrill, Lee’s coach at Cardinal Gibbons High School, told FOXSports.com. “He just catches everything. He catches it over his shoulder, he catches it over the middle. He catches the ball with his hands.”

 

Lee’s speed and quick feet were good enough to overwhelm most opponents at the prep level, but he won’t be a burner in college. Instead, Morrill says, he’ll have a chance to separate himself in the nuances of his position.

 

“He has great precision in running his routes, and he’s just so fluid he doesn’t look like he’s running as fast as he is,” Morrill said.

 

“Next thing you know, he sticks his foot in the ground and gets some separation from the DB. That takes time and a lot of hard work — anyone can run straight down the field. He’s just an all-around great receiver.”

Lee is the fourth four-star recruit in Duke’s 2014 class, which is more history for the David Cutcliffe regime.

 

In the six seasons Cutcliffe has been the head coach in Durham, the Blue Devils signed a total of one four-star recruit — kicker Will Monday in the Class of 2011.

 

This year, in addition to Lee, Duke has four-star commits from linebacker Zavier Carmichael (Mobile, Ala.), quarterback Nicodem Pierre (Miami, Fla.) and running back Shaun Wilson (Charlotte, N.C.).

 

That’s more four-star recruits than Missouri, Wisconsin, Louisville and others, although more important might be where Duke is strengthening its presence with this class.

 

Lee plus three-star defensive tackle Edgar Cerenord (Plantation, Fla.) and three-star wide receiver Chris Taylor (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) give the Blue Devils three recruits out of Florida’s Broward County, one of the country’s most talent rich sectors that’s mined every year by the nation’s best programs.

 

In the previous six seasons of the Cutcliffe era, Duke has pulled only two total recruits from the Broward area — cornerback Tim Burton, who went to Lee’s high school but is no longer with the program, in 2011 and linebacker Austin Gamble out of Weston, Fla., in 2009.

 

Combine the Broward three in 2014 with Pierre out of Miami-Dade County, the state’s most populous territory, and that’s great Florida work for the Duke in a single recruiting cycle (In the six years prior, Duke nabbed three players total from Miami-Dade).

 

Does this mean Duke will start winning ACC championships and competing for the college football playoff that goes into effect in 2014? No, but getting to a league title in 2013 — even if Duke was thoroughly overmatched against the eventual national champion Seminoles, losing 45-7 — was historic and, along with the Chick-fil-A Bowl loss to Texas A&M, marked the beginning of newfound name recognition and pull Duke now enjoys.

 

That’s a funny sentence to write — that two losses to end a season could have such a positive effect on a program — but in this sense it’s definitely true.

 

Duke’s 10-2 regular season was the first double-digit win campaign in program history, and just the fact it beat out Virginia Tech, Miami and others to win the Coastal was notable. Nobody seemed to care whether the ACC Championship Game would be competitive or not.

 

We’ll remember the 2013 Chick-fil-A Bowl for Johnny Manziel’s fourth-quarter comeback in his final college game, but we’ll also remember Duke’s Anthony Boone throwing for 427 yards and jitterbug Jamison Crowder catching 12 passes for 163 yards and a TD. We’ll remember the 38-17 lead Duke took into halftime and thinking, “Wait — are the Devils really going to do this?”

 

Whatever the feeling, the fact that there was feeling regarding Duke football beyond the boundaries of Durham and the hearts of alumni scattered across America’s metropolises was something different and unique and welcomed.

 

Hopefully this Class of 2014 is the extension of that for Duke, a finally formidable pillar upon which David Cutcliffe can build something to last in the ACC.

...

Hello ACC

 

 

[Gallen5862]

NC State flipped Indiana recruit OLB Airius Moore a 3 star recruit.

[Gallen5862]

 

http://ncstate.rivals.com/

 

 

Signed Letter of Intent

Name Pos Ht/Wt Stars Rank Tony Adams OL 6-1/318 NR Kyle Bambard K 5-9/175 NR Shawn Boone DB 5-10/180 NR Garrett Bradbury TE 6-3/240 NR Bradley Chubb DE 6-3/220 NR A.J. Cole K 6-4/215 5 Cole Cook TE 6-5/229 26 Coult Culler LB 6-5/230 NR Elliott Davis ATH 6-1/165 NR B.J. Hill DT 6-3/262 NR Bo Hines WR 6-1/190 91 Deonte Holden DE 6-5/220 31 Justin Jones DE 6-3/275 14 Tyler Jones OL 6-4/285 48 Stephen Louis WR 6-2/190 NR Kalen McCain DB 6-1/175 NR Jalan McClendon QB 6-4/198 18 Deshaywn Middleton DT 6-2/295 39 Germaine Pratt LB 6-3/200 13 Terronne Prescod OL 6-5/336 28 Will Richardson OL 6-7/295 61 Jaylen Samuels RB 6-0/225 2 Eric Shute OL 6-5/275 NR Michael Stevens DB 5-11/182 NR Kentavius Street DE 6-2/267 4 Marcelias Sutton RB 5-9/175 NR Micah Till TE 6-5/260 NR Maurice Trowell WR 5-11/172 NR Troy Vincent DB 5-10/181 31 Dexter Wright DB 6-2/201 NR   Committed/Not Yet Signed Name Pos Ht/Wt Stars Rank Airius Moore LB 6-0/216 27

[RemoveSnyder]

Signed

Deshaywn Middleton DT 6-2/295

 

That's one of the guys I wish we had gotten. No secret the D-Line, the interior DT spots, but especially passrush, was the weakness of the team.

 

I'm sure everyone wanted Da'Shawn Hand.

[BRAVEONAWARPATH]

Hey guys, if you want to post non-MD info, use this thread.

 

 

http://es.redskins.com/topic/353485-2012-2013-ncaa-football-thread-national-signing-day/page-61

[ixcuincle]

@Ourand_SBJ 4:09 PM

The Terps are up 17 points at half? I am going to tempt fate and keep watching the second half. #FearTheTurtle

[BRAVEONAWARPATH]

Damian Prince in regards to becoming a Terp.

 

R.I.P Willie Prince ‏@HeavyGleesh  Feb 6

 

I never been the type to jump on a moving train, I like to get stuff moving

[BRAVEONAWARPATH]

Click on the link to read the rest,

 

http://www.testudotimes.com/2014/2/5/5383662/damian-prince-commits-maryland-highlight-film

 

 

 

Damian Prince commits to Maryland: reviewing the film of the five-star offensive tackle

 

It's a great day to be a Maryland fan thanks to one Damian Prince, the five-star left tackle out of Bishop McNamara who chose the Terps over Florida on National Signing Day. He's the shining star of this class and the most decorated commit since Stefon Diggs stepped to the Looney's Pub stage in 2012. He's also a 300-pound feather in the cap of Mike Locksley and, yes, Randy Edsall, who hauled in the biggest fish to be found in the Old Line State this year.

 

Not only does Prince fill a vital need for a depleted and questionably talented offensive line corps, but he fills an even bigger need in the stay-at-home narrative Edsall has been pushing since Day 1. Prince, Diggs, Wes Brown, Derwin Gray, Jesse Aniebonam, Shane ****erille and Will Ulmer, among others, are huge local gets and are the type of prospects that were not pulling Maryland hats in the final years of the Friedgen regime. These are the type of guys that build recruiting momentum and that draw the eyes of younger stud players who might some day think staying home is cool, too. Even among those great Maryland/DC prep football names, Prince stands out. He's a 5-star. The best of the best. So let's celebrate the young man a little bit by watching him on video. 

 

 

 

 

Click on the link to read the rest.

http://www.testudotimes.com/2014/2/6/5386100/derwin-gray-maryland-film-review

 

 

 

Reviewing the film of Maryland signee Derwin Gray

 

 

Please allow me to interrupt everybody's Damian Prince-induced NSD hangover to talk about another star offensive lineman in the Terps' Class of 2014, Derwin Gray. 

 

The stay-at-home movement Maryland is (hopefully) at the dawn of includes a lot of special guys. Prince was the latest, while Stefon Diggs & Wes Brown were among the first. Gray, however, should have a special place in the hearts of Terps fans, even amongst those other exciting local guys. Unlike Prince, Diggs or Brown, there was no real drama with Derwin Gray's recruitment. There were no long and painful weekends in Gainesville, Coral Gables, Columbia or anywhere else. We never had to read quotes about how much he loved Nick Saban or see photos of Gray in the tunnel at the Swamp, even though Gray was plenty talented to commit to a school like that. The reason we didn't go through any of that is simple: Gray loved Maryland all along. He was a Terp long before he officially became one and along the way, he talked the talk, walked the walk, tweeted the tweets and did his best to sell the school he loves to other key recruits who were not as concrete as he was. Derwin Gray, you haven't played a down yet, but you're already a great Terrapin and we salute you. Now let's take a look at some film!

 

[pjfootballer]

ESPN had us listed as the 9th best recruiting class for football......in the Big 10.  Nice to see our name with the Big 10. 

[BRAVEONAWARPATH]

ESPN had us listed as the 9th best recruiting class for football......in the Big 10.  Nice to see our name with the Big 10. 

I wouldn't use ESPN. Their rankings aren't very accurate.

 

I recommend 247 Sports.

 

They have us with the 7th best class in the B1G but you also have to take into account our small class.

 

We only had 17 players while some teams had almost 30.

[pjfootballer]

I wouldn't use ESPN. Their rankings aren't very accurate.

I recommend 247 Sports.

They have us with the 7th best class in the B1G but you also have to take into account our small class.

We only had 17 players while some teams had almost 30.

Yeah, I never believe anything from BSPN. It was more of, we are "now" a part of the Big 10. And 7th isn't bad for our first year in the conference.

[BRAVEONAWARPATH]

http://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-state-football-recruiting/2014/02/33374/b1g-football-recruiting-rankings-final-2014-edition

 

 

 

B1G FOOTBALL RECRUITING: RANKING THE 2014 RECRUITING CLASSES

 

 

7. MARYLAND

 

The Terrapins landed a huge commitment with five-star offensive tackleDamian Prince picking the Terps over the Florida Gators. Maryland would have finished with a top five class if they would have landed five-star corner Jalen Tabor, who was always predicted to stay close to home. 

 

Prince will be joined by the nation's top prep school prospect, tackleDerwin Gray. Four-star dual threat quarterback Will Ulmer should be a quality player in the future for Maryland. 

 

It's a small class for Randy Edsall, but it has some very good talent. If the Terrapins would have landed a few prospects they were once considered heavy favorites for, they could have had a top three class. 

 

[BRAVEONAWARPATH]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/colleges/terps-lexie-brown-escapes-shadow-of-her-father-nba-slam-dunk-legend-dee-brown/2014/02/12/b95e765e-940d-11e3-9e13-770265cf4962_story.html

 

 

 

Terps’ Lexie Brown escapes shadow of her father, NBA slam dunk legend Dee Brown

 

Here’s the thing about being Dee Brown’s child: You just aren’t going to escape question after question about his iconic performance in the 1991 NBA slam dunk contest.

 

Brown, then a member of the Boston Celtics, bent over to pump up his shoes, got a running start, took off from just inside the foul line and, in midair, covered his eyes with his right arm before dunking with his left.

 

So in awe of the maneuver was Magic Johnson that the most accomplished point guard in NBA history was left to exclaim: “Everybody at home, don’t try that. Please don’t try that. That is unbelievable.”

 

Lexie Brown knows all about that seminal moment in NBA all-star weekend history, even though she was not born at the time her father, a late entry into the competition, beat Shawn Kemp in the finals. She has watched the sequence countless times and these days, as a basketball player herself, has come to appreciate it that much more.

 

Much to the relief of her father, though, Lexie doesn’t need to worry about being compared to the 19th overall pick in the 1990 NBA draft who played 12 seasons for three teams. She’s doing just fine on her own as the starting point guard for ninth-ranked Maryland — and as a freshman no less.

 

 

[skinfan2k]

NICK FAUST with a nasty put back!

[Warhead36]

Heartbreaking loss. How did that ball not go thru the hoop?

[grego]

Had their chances. Couldn't score the last couple of minutes

[RemoveSnyder]

Bye Maryland, it was fun. I'll remember Keith Booth and that other dude from back in the day, I'm think "something" Smith. I think wore #32. Gary getting beet red, sweating through every shirt, storming up and down the sideline.

 

And of course the unending vitriol and diatribes I would endure from angry umd folks. There were battles onto battles that you wouldn't believe.

 

When you won it all, it may have legitimized the program to the casual national college b-ball fans, those who really didn't follow it closely, but it simply verified what Devil fans already knew, that Gary basically built the program to compete and rival Duke and unc.

 

Believe me, I loved it when we would beat maryland, still do, because we had a lot invested into that rivalry too. Anyway, it was fun while it lasted. Go Duke.

[CRobi21]

Thought for sure that was gonna fall. It hit the rim at a pretty good angle, and i said "he got it."

Crazy.

[abdcskins]

Good fight.  A few too many mistakes and let a couple loose balls go the other way.

 

This game showed me that Maryland has the capability to play well.  They need to show that consistency desire to win.  Turgeon has fire and needs to teach his players a little more.  Maryland isn't going to make the tournament this year, but they will hopefully make a big stride next year.

By the way Dez Wells showed that he can be a prime player.  Missed a key shot though in the final couple minutes.  He did all he could.  We need a big man who can be a presence around the rim.  And a PG- but Seth Allen showed me a lot tonight.  He's learning the PG role even though he's a SG.

[SuperBash]

That one hurt. It hurt real bad

[BRAVEONAWARPATH]

FT: 28-34 82.4% Duke

FT: 12-19 63.2% Maryland

[pjfootballer]

What I find funny is that Coach K had a hissy fit over MD leaving for the Big 10 and their fans chanting "not our rival," but if we weren't truly a rival then why are the fans and coach K making a big deal out of it? I mean, if they thought so little of us, they would have shrugged it off and said, "oh we'll, we get Louisville to replace them." They really wouldn't care if they thought we weren't a big part of the ACC. Admittedly, MD has been the 3rd best team in the conference the last 20 some years, but no other school has stepped up to challenge UNC or Duke.

[Popeman38]

Alternating possession apparently means nothing on Tobacco Road. 

 

“A miscommunication occurred between the officials and the table crew during last night’s Maryland and Duke game,” Hicks said. “The administrative error happened in the second half at the 16:58 mark when a jump ball was not registered, which resulted in Duke receiving consecutive possessions.”

Of course, with the FT disparity and Doris Burke of ESPN stating to a national audience that Maryland would not receive the benefit of the doubt in any situation, mo one should be surprised.

[lovetoaster]

That was obviously a mistake, but that is on the coaching staff too. Coaches always have someone that keeps track of the possession, fouls, time outs, etc. The possession arrow does get fouled up every once in a while, and while it was a mistake at the scorer's table, one of the coaches should have been paying attention and spoken up too.