Maryland basketball and head coach Mark Turgeon spent their Labor Day picking up a commitment for their 2016 recruiting class. 4-star shooting guard Kevin Huerter announced his decision via Twitter and the Terps have added another guard to their class. The announcement came shortly after visiting Maryland this past weekend. He chose the Terps over Michigan, Notre Dame, Villanova and others.
Huerter is a 6-foot-5 shooting guard from Clifton Park, N.Y. and will be a great fit for the Terps. He’s a deadeye shooter that can also penetrate and make plays for his teammates. Whether it’s a set shot or off the dribble, he is deadly with his shooting ability. He’s a guy that could prove to be instant offense off the bench his freshman season, if he gets hot from beyond the arc. Huerter also plays with a great sense of urgency, but is able to keep under control.
On the defensive end, Huerter will be a project that needs to develop. Bulking up and adding more weight will also be a part of his development into a collegiate player. Getting bigger and stronger will help him become more of a threat on the glass as well.
Bottom line, Huerter should see playing time as a freshman for Turgeon. He’ll join Jared Nickens and Dion Wiley as the likely candidates fighting for the shooting guard and small forward minutes. Each have the size and skillset to play both positions, but Nickens is more likely to stay at shooting guard. Other guards Jaylen Brantley and another 2016 commitment Anthony Cowan are more suited for the point guard roles. As of now, these are the five players who will likely fill out the roster at the guard positions in 2016-17
Huerter is the No. 41 player in the class according to ESPN and analyst Paul Biancardi loves the pickup for the Terps. Shortly after Huerter announced his decision, 4-star shooting guard Brandon Robinson canceled his official visit to Maryland. He was supposed to accompany 5-star Wenyen Gabriel on visits next weekend, but now all to focus will shift to Gabriel.
Gabriel is the next target for the Terps and is a huge piece of the puzzle to landing top recruit Josh Jackson. The buzz around the Terps for next season is really having an impact on players visiting the campus. Huerter was impressed with the culture of the team right now. There is a good chance that Huerter made his decision quickly in case it will add any extra value to Gabriel’s visit.
(Huerter, Gabriel, and Jackson were featured in a recent Terps recruiting piece on BSL)
If the Terps can steal Gabriel from Duke (71-percent 247sports crystal ball odds), the impact to the 2016 class would be clear based on his talent alone. However, the greater impact could be the intrigue to a player like Jackson. Piling up the commitments helps further the revitalized perception that the Terps are and will continue to be a national contender.
Chris Garman attended Mount St. Mary’s University where he studied in Communications. He is a native of Steelton, Pa. and has covered Maryland Men’s Basketball and Football for PressBox since 2012. Chris previously covered High School Football for The Patriot News in Harrisburg, Pa. He can be reached by email at: crgarman103@gmail.com.