On Friday, we talked (https://baltimoresportsandlife.com/?p=2877) about the talent scheduled to visit College Park over the weekend; and wondered if after Cleare’s recent verbal; the other recruits Coach Turgeon and his staff have pushing for would be committing to Maryland soon.
Today, Matt Bracken of The Baltimore Sun has passed along the news (http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/college/recruiting/2011/09/terps_land_forward_jake_layman.html) of Jake Layman (who ESPN ranks as the 53rd player in the 2012 class) announcing for Maryland.
In our previous interview with Kellon Hassenstab from Hoopniks.com, Hassenstab stated the following about Layman, “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.”
2012-2013 Roster as of Today:
Guards: Stoglin (Jr), Howard (Jr), Faust (Soph), Allen (Freshman)
SF: Parker (Jr), Layman (Freshman)
Bigs: Padgett (Sr), Pankey (Jr), Len (Soph), Cleare (Freshman)
The Terps could add up to 3 additional players to the Class of ’12, of course if they did that, they would have a very heavy class, and only one current available scholarship (a departing Padgett) for the Class of ’13. The Washington Post has reported (http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/recruiting-insider/post/dematha-f-jerami-grant-expected-to-choose-this-week-between-maryland-and-rutgers/2011/09/05/gIQAOjQX4J_blog.html) that Jerami Grant is expected to decide between Maryland and Rutgers as early as today.
Layman and Grant are talented enough that if they want to commit to your program, you can not tell them to hang around and wait. If the decision is definitively getting those two, as opposed to waiting for decisions from other Class of ’12 players like McGary, Jefferson, Carter, Upshaw, Mitchell, White, Henderson – I think you have to enthusiastically take the verbals from Layman and Grant.
If Grant provides his verbal to Maryland, the Front court next year will figure to be very solid. If one of the other above mentioned ’12 bigs would also want to commit, I’m sure the Terps would take that player. I’m sure McGary and Jefferson are confident enough in their abilities to believe that even if Padgett, Pankey, Len , Cleare, and Grant are all on-board, that the Coaching staff would still find minutes for them as Freshman. Of course it would also be understandable if McGary, and Jefferson etc. did not want to be in a Freshman class with two other bigs.
I expect Maryland will make sure they have at-least two scholarships to offer in the Class of ’13. As mentioned, Padgett’s departure will count for one. Even if both Grant, and say McCary were to verbal; the Terps would still have the two scholarships available for the Harrison Brothers in ’13.
EDIT: Jeff Borzello from CBS Sports later refuted the Washington Post report about Grant deciding between Rutgers and Maryland. There are now reports Grant has cut his list down to Notre Dame, Rutgers and Syracuse.
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