Courtesy Scout.com

Courtesy Scout.com

Last night it was announced that Jared Nickens had become the 3rd commitment to Coach Turgeon and the Maryland staff in the Class of 2014.

ESPN: 4 stars
247 Sports: 3 stars, 153rd overall
Scout.com: 3 stars
Rivals.com: 3 stars

Several of the services call him a SG, several call him a SF. So let’s split the difference and say he is a wing. At 6’6, he has good size. He looks to have a frame which can carry some additional weight.

Recruiting Analyst Evan Daniels from Scout.com, wrote the following last night:

“Jared Nickens made his college pledge on Sunday. Nickens, a 6-foot-6 wing out Westtown (Pa.) High, committed to Mark Turgeon and Maryland, per a source.

Following a big spring period, Nickens gained interest from a host of programs including Oregon State, Temple, Providence, Seton Hall, St. Joe’s, VCU, Dayton, Richmond, Creighton, Wake Forest, St. John’s, Oklahoma, Miami and Georgetown

A three-star prospect, Nickens is a long, lean wing prospect. He’s known for his ability to make shots from three, but he’s also developed his ball skills and is a shot maker from mid-range.

Mark Turgeon now has a stable of incoming guards and wing players that can help when they get to campus. To go with Nickens, Maryland has commitments from four-star guards Romelo Trimble and Dion Wiley.”

With Nickens, currently the 2014-15 Terps look like*
Guards:
Faust (Sr) Allen (Jr), Peters (Soph), Trimble (Freshman), Wiley (Freshman)
Wings: Wells (Sr), Layman (Jr), Nickens (Freshman)
Bigs: Smotrycz (Sr), Cleare (Jr), Mitchell (Jr), Dodd (Soph)

*With 1 remaining scholarship available.

Look at all those guards and wings. Things have a way of working themselves out. For example maybe Wells develops a consistent shot from outside this year, and leaves early – he would probably be projected as a 2nd round pick at this point. Right now though you wonder how Coach Turgeon is going to get all of these guys on the floor. Certainly a good problem to have.

It makes me wonder if Coach Turgeon’s future teams will feature more pressing and trapping. There will be enough depth to consistently send out athletic bodies to run at the opposition.  One trait that is showing with Peters this year, and the commits in the Class of 2014 is Turgeon is actively pursuing shooters, not just scorers. Maryland has gone through some recent seasons where scoring often became difficult if the Terps could not get out and run. This looks like a roster where opposing teams will pay for zoning MD to death, and daring the Terps to shoot.

The focus becomes what MD will do with that last remaining available scholarship. If everyone mentioned above is on the roster, the obvious need is an above-the-rim PF. There are several PF’s the Terps are in on, who would fit that bill. Players such as Kevon Looney, Ben Bentil, Obi Enechionyia, etc.  After Wiley committed, and prior to Nickens commitment last night; The Washington Post had reported that MD was still after local guard Phil Booth. With Nickens on-board,  you have to think that ship has sailed.

Chris Stoner
Chris Stoner

Owner

Chris Stoner founded Baltimore Sports and Life in 2009. He has appeared as a radio guest with 1090 WBAL, 105.7 The Fan, CBS 1300, Q1370, WOYK 1350, WKAV 1400, and WNST 1570. He has also been interviewed by The Baltimore Sun, Baltimore Business Journal, and PressBox (TV). As Owner, his responsibilities include serving as the Managing Editor, Publicist, & Sales Director.

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