Terrence Ross Fallout: Where Does Maryland Go From Here?

There's plenty coming later tonight and early tomorrow morning (Red Bull!), but here's a good starting place to Maryland basketball's worst day since...uh, Bob Wade Day? Jesus Christ, today sucked.

Okay, though, we nned to move on. Bigger and better things, right? Okay, not bigger nor better, but at least other things. Can't freak out about Ross all season. While Ross is still listing Maryland, the staff needs to recruit a replacement (just in case the likely occurs) in addition to Ross himself (just in case the unlikely occurs). Then they need to move on to 2011 as soon as possible.

But starting in 2010, where else does Maryland look to back up Ross? Does the staff try to get back in with Roscoe Smith, a player that many consider just as good or better than Ross and is capable of playing the same spot? What about scoring machine Justin Coleman? Pe'Shon Howard?

First off, you have to think they'll try to get back in with C.J. Leslie, which is basically their only way to get back to the top half of the ACC in the 2010 recruiting class. No idea how heavily they're pushing Leslie, but I'd like it to be somewhat hard.

Any other top-flight is a longshot for various reasons. I had a passing thought of Josh Selby before realizing a snowball has a better shot of surviving in hell than there being any interest on either side in that recruitment. Gary doesn't take shots like that unless he's super-desperate (Lance, Tyree Evans), and Selby is Nike all the way. Roscoe Smith and Justin Coleman, while both being dream replacements in my mind, are academic longshots. Good luck with other top uncommitteds like Doron Lamb or Corey Joseph.

That leaves me with a few names. First up is Pe'Shon Howard. There's been some interest recently on both sides/ Howard will always be infamous for talking bad about UMD fans on Facebook (and the hilarious "But yo attitude is kinda bad son" in the exchange that followed), but the kids a player. He dropped 21 yesterday against a good Westchester team, and he's renowned as a pure point that can score. I wouldn't mind adding him, but he's not a 2. If he came aboard, you'd have to assume that either Parker would move to the 3 and Howard and Stoglin would share the 1 and 2, or Howard would be a Stoglin backup.

Don't be surprised if they sniff around a guy like Tashawn Mabry, who is a fringe ACC player with interest but no real offers (Mabry's just an example, tons of these guys exist). That's not what most are looking for, but it's better than nothing.

Two specific names stick out in my mind: Dante Holmes and Josh Langford. At this point, Maryland has two scholarships, and I honestly wouldn't mind using them both here. I wouldn't be happy, but I wouldn't be too upset.

Holmes is a scrappy, high volume scorer from Saint Francis Academy in Baltimore. He's very athletic and has a great work ethic - he's definitely not instant impact, but he could contribute in a Davin Meggett sort of way, and would likely be a contributor before his senior year. He's been lighting it up recently, and SFA has two big positives: they're a UA school and have some legit prospects on the way up in Daquan Cook and Sam Cassell Jr. He'd re-establish the Baltimore connection and get a presence at SFA.

Langford is an Alabama wing with a few decent offers and average rankings. That said, he's a Louisville decommit, so he's not too bad, and he has the genes going for him - his brother, Devin Langford, is a 2011 high-major prospect at Maryland's biggest position of need: shooting guard. He's under the radar, but still a possible very good player. Get an in with the younger Langford and I'm happy. Maryland's already been in contact, so they aren't starting from scratch.

It's not like Josh is a terrible fit, too. He's extremely athletic, has good size, and isn't completely lost: the makings of a valuable role player right there. ESPN called him "the prototypical SF for a running and pressing team", and seeing how I want Maryland to get back to running and pressing I'm all for it.

Not to mention that both of the options above give Maryland head starts into 2011 and 2012. Lock up these two, take another average recruiting class now, then grab Sterling Gibbs, Langford, and go all out on a high major big like Jordan Goodman or Desmond Hubert.

More names will pop up in the future. This is a simple guide as to what Maryland might do. If the past couple of years are any indication, some random name will pop up: Lance Stephenson, Bobby Maze, Tyree Evans...the list goes on and on. Maybe Selby? Maybe Lamb? I don't know. We'll have to see. The season will be a lot more interesting than before, that's for sure.