Maryland Minute - 07.28.10 - More on Potential Basketball Targets

Lots of news about some potential 2012 and 2013 basketball targets. Also a few football related things going on as well. Enjoy.

Dorian Finney-Smith, Justin Anderson Performances From Orlando
I'd be surprised if DFS didn't fall a tad in the rankings; most people have seemed lukewarm on him lately. Hopefully he starts to turn it around.

In a game against the Westchester Hawks that can only be described as brutal to watch, Finney-Smith showed some of the talent that makes him such a highly thought of recruit. He blocked shots with his length, rebounded like a madman, and hit a shot or two from the outside as well. Beyond that for a player his size he can really handle the ball. Now Finney-Smith did it all in spurts, and he needs to be more consistent with it, but the talent was certainly on display, though not every possession.

Anderson's already fallen, but he'll stay in the 20s or 30s for good because he does what he does so well. He's a rich man's Deron Washington, essentially; perhaps a very rich man's.

Anderson is really fun to watch, not just because he has explosive athleticism that leads to highlight reel plays, but because he plays so hard on every possession. Not a great skill guy, Anderson uses his athleticism to rebound and score in the lane. To go with that he is getting much better in catch and shoot situations. He needs to improve his ball handling, and raise his overall skill level, but playing good defense and athleticism will always be his calling card.

I swear, he's perfect to pair with a talented wing guy, like, oh, Nick Faust; and because of the way he plays, I don't think there will be a big transitional period. -BB

Maryland Offers Rodney Purvis, Sign Me Up
That Chris Thomas guy at Bowie? If he's not #1 in the country for 2013, it'll probably be Rodney Purvis. Maryland offered him yesterday. And I love Purvis' reaction.

The rising sophomore sensation was excited. "I like the colors," he jokingly said. But in all seriousness, Purvis "likes the tradition, area and the great coaching staff," he said.

UMD joins Xavier, Baylor, UVA, VT, Georgia Tech, and Wake Forest. You'll notice that the only school with red and yellow as their colors is, of course, Maryland. Upper-hand? You tell me. -BB

My take - the kid knows something good when he sees it. Glad we're getting on him early.

Purvis' Reaction to Maryland Offer: Pure Gold
Okaaaaayyy, then.

Praise God, just got a offer from Maryland University !

I appreciate the optimism, so I'll let the whole "Maryland University" thing slide.

My Take - I can't remember who, but some other recruit once said Maryland University. Drove. Me. Crazy.

Chris Thomas Highlights - HDWD
Thomas is the real deal. He's originally from Denver and plays for a Colorado AAU team, but he's playing HS ball at Princeton Day Academy in Bowie (same place Eric McKnight was from). He's almost guaranteed to a be a top 5 prospect in 2013. Crazy athletic, great shooter. -BB

My take - Bowie is the place to be in 2013. Now lock these kids up before other schools try to come in and steal them away.

D1scourse Rounds Up Magazine Preseason All-ACC Selections
The official ones are already out; Pat Stevens looks at the unofficial ones. Only Sporting News thought Torrey Smith was worthy of a first-team selection, but Alex Wujciak was unanimous. -BB

William & Mary returning to Maryland in 2012
Hey, in the slow days of summer, this passes as pretty big news.

Maryland will play host to William and Mary in football in 2012, Tribe coach Jimmye Laycock said at the CAA 's football media day.

It will be the schools' first meeting since the Terrapins collected a 27-14 victory in the 2006 season opener.

As Virginia proved last year, W&M ain't bad. The game in 2006 was closer than the score. And it also rounds out Maryland's schedule in the way of FBS teams for the next several years with Towson in 2011 and Rhode Island in 2013. -BB

Friedgen Knows Where Maryland Football Stands...Or At Least Won't Talk About It
We all know that (right now) Maryland football isn't exactly important to the "school's identity." Heck, soccer and lacrosse are almost as big right now. But still, this isn't want I want to hear.

REPORTER: On a scale of 1 to 10, how important would you say football is to your school's identity, one being little to no impact and 10 being it's really important, it's the first thing people think about?

FRIEDGEN: I don't know if I want to answer that question.

Okay, technically, I have no problem with the way he answered the question. But it just seems strange to me that Friedgen, who was here during the program's golden era, when Maryland was one of the biggest programs in the country (and it was known on campus), would so quickly give that up. I'd much rather hear him say that he's working toward making a big deal, etc., and give Maryland a shot at selling the program.

That said, this was a private interview, and it probably wouldn't be news-worthy. But remember when everyone was excited about Erik Bakich? It was because he was frank, yet incited hope and energy. "No comment," isn't the way to do that. -BB

West Virginia Metro News - Maryland Preview
They preview MD from WVA's perspective. Always good to see what others are thinking.