As the Publisher of Hoopniks.com (http://hoopniks.com/), Kellon Hassenstab is recognized as one of the premier College Basketball Recruiting Analysts.
You can find him on Twitter at:
http://twitter.com/#!/Hoopniks
Baltimore Sports and Life thanks Mr. Hassenstab for answering a few Terps related questions.
Baltimore Sports and Life: “It has been reported basically everywhere that Coach Turgeon and his staff – Bino Ranson, Scott Spinelli, and Dalonte Hill – have been extremely active in their pursuit of recruits, and building relationships with the local (Baltimore / Washington) AAU Teams. What have been your initial impressions of the staff? What was the reaction of recruits on the Summer AAU circuit?”
Kellon Hassenstab: “There was certainly a buzz initially when the staff was initially put together. On paper, the collective resume of the staff is impressive. For now, it’s best to take a wait and see approach, to determine if the positive press results in actual success in gaining top recruits from the area and beyond. Maryland certainly is being listed by numerous recruits, but it’s not clear that they are among the favorites for many of those players.”
Baltimore Sports and Life: “The first player that Coach Turgeon added here at Maryland was the ’12 PG Sean Allen. I know Allen’s stock had been rising prior to his verbal, and he is described as having good athleticism and a decent shot. Where does he need to improve?”
Kellon Hassenstab: “Allen probably projects best as an outside shooting specialist at the next level. He’s hasn’t participated against the elite level of competition that he is likely to face in the ACC, and will need to do so.”
Baltimore Sports and Life: “There were reports that had Gary Williams not retired, Maryland was on the verge of a commitment from Shaquille Cleare. Since then, we have heard that Maryland continues to lead for Cleare, and that Coach Turgeon has already built a relationship with the Center. Do you expect Cleare to be a Terp? Does he have the type of game to make an immediate impact as a Freshman?”
Kellon Hassenstab: “It’s definitely fair to say that Maryland is the clubhouse leader for Cleare. He’s a large post player from the Bahamas, and plays on the Houston Defenders with Andrew and Aaron Harrison and others. I think Cleare can make an impact as a freshman based on the existing post players at Maryland, and his sheer size. He’s got good hands and feet for his size. With Cleare, additional conditioning will be necessary in order to play extended minutes in college.”
Baltimore Sports and Life: “Philadelphia’s Amile Jefferson is a talented Forward who by all accounts had a very strong Summer. CBS Sports’ Jeff Borzello recently told us he believes Jefferson’s hometown Villanova Wildcats are the team to beat here, do you agree? How do you describe his game?”
Kellon Hassenstab: “Villanova has long been thought of as the leader for Jefferson. I certainly think that others will be considered by Jefferson, but when it’s all said and done I would expect he ends up there. Jefferson is a do it all power forward that can slash to the cup, rebound effectively and execute his game. Jefferson plays within himself and can rack up points through energy baskets. He really has a nice feel for the game and can be a consistent double-double threat at the next level. I was highly impressed this summer with Jefferson.”
Baltimore Sports and Life: “Another Forward of interest is Jake Layman. Offers seem to be pouring in for him, where does Maryland stack-up?”
Kellon Hassenstab: “Layman rightly received plenty of press playing for one of the best AAU teams on the circuit, BABC. He’s a valued player because he’s versatile and has huge upside. Maryland is a definite contender in landing his services, and he could develop into a dandy college player.”
Baltimore Sports and Life: “Joe Davis from Scoutsfocus.com reported recently that Maryland has offered Guard/Wing Terry Henderson, as well as PG Sam Cassell Jr. Have you seen either?”
Kellon Hassenstab: “No.”
Baltimore Sports and Life: “Prized big-man Mitch McGary recently visited College Park, and has told numerous outlets that Maryland is recruiting him the hardest. As talented as he appears, Maryland has numerous holes that need to be addressed, and it appears his recruitment might be a prolonged processs. Should the Terps be willing to hold a scholarship for him, or should they be focusing on the next tier of recruits and players who may be willing to commit sooner?”
Kellon Hassenstab: “Virtually all of the “name” schools are going to be after McGary, and his recruitment has not been easy to get a read on. He’s a Top 10 prospect in the country in the Class of 2012, and immediate starter at most of the programs courting him, Maryland included. As long as they are in the mix for him, he’s the type of player that will have an immediate impact, and worth pursuing. This is somewhat of a mystery recruitment, so it’s one to keep a close eye on.”
Baltimore Sports and Life: “As of today, the ’12-’13 Roster looks like:
Guards: Stoglin (Jr), Howard (Jr), Faust (Soph), Allen (Freshman)
SF: Parker (Jr)
Bigs: Padgett (Sr), Pankey (Jr)
The Terps would have the ability to add as many as 6 additional players to the Class of ’12, but I’d guess Coach Turgeon and his Staff would like to avoid any class being that top heavy. In addition to Allen, would you expect Maryland to sign 3 more players? To you, what is the best possible, but also likely class you could see the Terps finishing with?”
Kellon Hassenstab: “I think they need at least 4 players in addition to Allen to have enough depth to go into a season, and realistically would add up to their full scholarship allotment if they have players willing to sign with sufficient talent level. Given attrition, transfers, ineligibility and other factors that decimate rosters, it’s very rarely not in the best interest of colleges to sign a full boat of scholarship players.”
Baltimore Sports and Life: “As you mentioned, Cleare’s AAU teammates are the Harrison Brothers. Both certainly left their mark this Summer. The Class of ’13 Guards have placed Maryland in their respective Top 5, and plan to visit College Park in the coming weeks. How do the Brothers compare?”
Kellon Hassenstab: “I am extremely high on the Harrison twins. When it’s all said and done, I think Andrew Harrison is a Top 5 prospect, and Aaron Harrison is in the Top 10. They have ideal size, work well in concert with each other, and are simply built to play basketball at a high level. Though there are others in the conversation, I feel they are arguably the top guards in the 2013 class. Maryland could present an opportunity for heavy early minutes for the twins, which could be an attractive option for them. Kentucky and others will be heavily pursuing the twins, as well.”
Baltimore Sports and Life: “In an interview with ESPN’s Paul Biancardi, Biancardi was extremely enthusiastic about DeMatha’s BeeJay Anya. Where do you rank the 6’8, 250 lb Center in the Class of ’13?”
Kellon Hassenstab: “Very conservatively, Anya is at a minimum a Top 30 player in his class. He’s got uniquely long arms and a huge body. While he still has room to firm up and develop his body, he’s a huge, and at times dominant presence. Anya seems to continue to get better, and he’s under the tutelage of two terrific programs, DeMatha Catholic and Team Takeover. The theme here is that they don’t build too many people that have the physical gifts that Anya does.”
Baltimore Sports and Life: “Anya’s DeMatha teammate PG Jarius Lyles (Team Takeover) is known for his speed. How do you rate him a PG?”
Kellon Hassenstab: “Lyles can be a starter in the ACC, and is certainly a worthwhile backup plan to the Harrison twins. I would think Maryland fans would be pleased if the Terrapins could land both Lyles and Anya from DeMatha in the 2013 class. He’s a jet quick guy that has been able to blow by opponents on a regular basis, so when he increases his skill set, I would expect him to gain more national notoriety.”
Baltimore Sports and Life: “Borzello also told us that he believes Maryland will not be in the equation for Nate Britt, and that Britt is a heavy Georgetown lean. Britt (Gonzaga College HS / DC Assault) has received a lot of attention from Maryland since Coach Turgeon took over, as detailed by the Washington Post (http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/maryland-georgetown-battle-for-nate-britt-beejay-anya/2011/07/22/gIQAmNwBxI_story.html). During the Summer, a bit of a rivalry developed between Britt and the Harrison Brothers. How do you rate Britt individually against Andrew, and Aaron? Obviously two quality players are better than one, but long-term do you think Maryland would be better off getting the DC Assault player, and immediately establishing that local pipeline?”
Kellon Hassenstab: “I am also very high on Britt, as I really think he has a complete all-around game. He doesn’t possess the elite physical build and strength the Harrison twins have, which is really the only downside. There’s no way that Britt isn’t among the Top 20 players and Top 5 points guards in his class. I’m not sure that Maryland is going to be a legitimate factor in his recruitment, unless they make up ground quickly.”
Baltimore Sports and Life: “Baltimore’s Aquille Carr continues to illicit strong opinions from Recruiting Analysts that see him, and how they project Carr at the College level. What are your thoughts on him?”
Kellon Hassenstab: “Carr has a unique blend of athleticism and explosiveness that allows him to overcome his lack of size. I am of the opinion that Carr will be a very good college player, and a capable starter at a high-major level. Additionally, Carr has a track record of team success, which has to be a factor as well.”
Baltimore Sports and Life: “Who are some of the other players in the ’12 and ’13 classes that interest you, which you also think Maryland could (or should) be a factor with?”
Kellon Hassenstab: “They have some flexibility with a large amount of scholarships open to make more scholarship offers than usual, and build some press and momentum if they can get some pledges. The good thing about this stage in the recruiting cycle is that the Class of 2012 by and large hasn’t made many early commitments, leaving many worthwhile prospects available to pursue. Additionally, Maryland is blessed with top notch talent in their backyard. They should be actively pursuing prospects from the elite regional AAU teams, namely Team Takeover, DC Assault, Baltimore Elite, and others in their backyard, in order to cultivate the relationships that are likely to lead to long term success.”
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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.