Terps Basketball Recruiting Q&A w/ Dave Telep, ESPN

Dave Telep covers College Basketball Recruiting, as the Senior National Basketball Analyst for ESPN.

You can find his coverage at:
http://espn.go.com/college-sports/basketball/recruiting/index
http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/dave-telep/

You can find him on Twitter at:
http://twitter.com/#!/davetelep

Baltimore Sports and Life thanks Mr. Telep for answering a few Terps related questions.

Baltimore Sports and Life: “With the current commitments of PG Seth Allen, along with consensus Top 50 players C Shaq Cleare, and SF Jake Layman; Maryland currently has the 11^th ranked 2012 Class in the updated ESPN rankings (insider.espn.go.com/ncb/recruiting/classrankings) posted on October 4^th.

As of today, the 2012-13 Terps Roster looks like:
Guards: Stoglin (Jr), Howard (Jr), Faust (Soph), Allen (Freshman)
SF: Parker (Jr), Layman (Freshman)
Bigs: Padgett (Sr), Pankey (Jr),  Len (Soph), Cleare (Freshman)

This means Maryland can add up to 3 additional players in the Class. Of course, if Coach Turgeon and his Staff did that, it would be a very heavy class, and there would be only one current available scholarship (a departing Padgett) for the Class of ’13.

Would you be surprised if Maryland takes more than one additional player for ‘12?”

Telep: “Given the state of college basketball and its transient nature in the spring with transfers, defections, guys leaving for the NBA, recruiting is never finished. Having room for three likely means that Maryland would be looking to add at least one and maybe more depending on the quality of the player. What’s been happening a lot is the coaching carousel yields the best players each spring so patience is required. Plus, there’s always an eye on the talent in the area in 2013 and beyond.”

Baltimore Sports and Life: “We are not one game into the 2011-12 season, but based off the roster above, many Terps fans are excited about Maryland’s prospects beginning next year. Should the Terps also add a Top PF (such as a McGary, or a Jefferson), do you see the makings of a National Contender? Do you see Michigan or Duke (McGary), and Villanova (Jefferson) as the respective favorites for those players?”

Telep: “I don’t think MD is the favorite at this point for McGary or Jefferson so expectations there should be tempered. I see the foundation of Turgeon’s program being laid. It’s important to remember this is not a one-year deal. Mark Turgeon is going to be around MD’s program for a long, long time. He needs to add his guys, develop his own style and brand. That’s going to take 2-3 recruiting classes. What I see is the talent base being replenished and top tier ACC talent coming into College Park.”

Baltimore Sports and Life: “Maryland is involved with two other talented bigs in Robert Carter, and Charles Mitchell. How do you compare the two, and which do you see as a better post combination with Cleare?”

Telep: “Carter would be the better one next to Cleare for two reasons. 1) he’s got a higher ceiling and more developed skill set. He would be a great fit next to an anchor like Cleare. Mitchell is much more like Cleare than Carter. He’s a slightly undersized four man. Putting him next to Cleare or presumably backing him up would give the Terps two anchors inside and a beefy front-line.”

Baltimore Sports and Life: “While another big to close out the Class would probably be ideal, Maryland is also involved with Torian Graham, who backed out from his commitment from NCST. You see reports about Graham being a strong athlete, with shooting ability. Where do you see the 2G winding-up?”

Telep: “I’m not sure where he winds up. Graham is a major talent. My questions about him surround his stability and ability to stay in one spot. He hasn’t played back to back seasons at the same school in a while. This is a young man with major game as a scorer. This is a big senior season because the hope is he experiences success on the court and in the classroom.”

Baltimore Sports and Life: “On a visit to Brewster Academy to see McGary, Coach Turgeon also saw Jakarr Sampson, the 6’8, 200 lb SF that decommitted from St. John’s. I see he was a Top 40 caliber player in the Class of ’11 rankings, prior to being reclassified as part of the Class of ’12. Where do you rank him in the Class of ’12? For MD, would the Terps take him without McGary?”

Telep: “Sampson is an elite level athlete. He can run all day and he’s very long. His perimeter game was picking up when he left high school. He’d be a Top 40 player in this class too and he because of his length and athleticism, you could package him up with of the bigs that MD is recruiting.”

Baltimore Sports and Life: “In the Class of ’13, Maryland has been extremely aggressive with their recruitment of PG Nate Britt, and the Harrison Twins PG Andrew, and SG Aaron. How do you compare Britt and Andrew Harrison as PG’s? North Carolina has offered Britt, and Georgetown was long seen as the leader for him. Who do you see as the favorite? Has the commitment of their AAU teammate Shaq Cleare, made Maryland the favorites for the Harrison’s?”

Telep: “Andrew Harrison is a pro point guard. He’s got the exception size and big game scoring ability. You can see him being an elite collegian and then spending a year or two in college. His brother is a better shooter and frankly, this may be the best pair of twins we’ve seen in a long, long time. They’re different and play off each other so there’s no stepping on toes. Kentucky is going to be a factor and Maryland is in the mix. I think the twins will make decisions independent of Cleare, though his presence does help. Nate Britt is a fantastic point man. He’s as tough as they come and a fearless leader. His ceiling, because of his size, isn’t the same as Harrison but you can expect a huge collegiate impact and he’s a high-major all-league kid and All-American in time. Nate Britt is going to be the face of someone’s program; he’s got that winning personality.”