Introducing Maryland's Incoming 2011 Freshmen: Sterling Gibbs

by Ben Broman on Mar 22, 2011 8:00 AM EDT in Basketball

This may not be the six-man monster that was last year's class, but there's still plenty of intrigue and interest in Maryland's incoming freshmen. If you don't follow recruiting, though, these names aren't much more to you than that: just names. Over the next three days, we'll flesh out your knowledge of Maryland's three freshmen with template-tastic profiles. Make sure to check out Martin Breunig's as well.

Name: Sterling Gibbs
Height: 6-1
Weight: 180
HS: Seton Hall Prep
From: West Orange, NJ
AAU: New York Panthers
Position: PG
Rankings: on Rivals; , 91 on ESPN, #26 PG; on Scout, #29 PG
Strengths: Sterling has fantastic bloodlines, as he's the younger brother of Pitt's all-everything point guard, Ashton Gibbs. Some have called him a "carbon copy" of Ashton, but I'm not sure I buy that. He used to be a pure scorer, but he's adapted very well to the point guard spot, which gives him (and Maryland) some versatility. He has great floor vision and is very poised. He's a natural scorer; he can hit open shots, finish at the hoop, or get to the line. He loves to penetrate and either finish or get fouled, while he's a pretty good FT shooter (thank God). He has a nice-looking shot and supposedly pretty good range so long as he gets a clean look at the basket. His biggest strength, though, is that stereotypical "NYC toughness." He's a scrappy fighter, someone who never gives up and would be at home in the Big East. Case in point: he consistently played a year up on the AAU circuit.

Weaknesses: While he has good strength, his height is kind of limiting, especially if he's going to play with Pe'Shon Howard or Terrell Stoglin at the same time. He's not tall enough to be a true combo guard, even though that's his true game. If he was going to play the point next to Faust at the 2, it'll work. But with other short guys like Pe' and Stogs, is there going to be a problem defensively? His PG play can be spotty, too, even though it's improving - remember, he hasn't always been a true/pure point. He sometimes gets too dialed in to finding his own shot on offense. Much like Terrell Stoglin, he's not an amazing athlete; his savvy makes up for it, though, and I don't expect that to be a limiting factor in the ACC. This isn't really a weakness, but he's more solid than spectacular when it comes to scoring: he won't give you 40-point onslaughts full of dunks and long-range threes, but I'll just as soon take a 20-point game with 7 FTs and a couple of fastbreak layups.
In a Turtleshell: A short combo guard who's becoming a full-time PG, Gibbs is hard-nosed and a surprisingly solid, prolific scorer, but minutes may be hard to come by early on.
Interesting Storyline: There are two interesting things about Gibbs, though neither of them are "storylines" per se. First, he's the brother of Pitt guard Ashton Gibbs, as mentioned above. Second, the last Terp from his high school: Alex Wujciak, who already gave his opinion on the guard.
Comparison: I keep going back to Adrian Bowie with a jump-shot and better point guard instincts. Like Bowie, he's quick, likes to penetrate, and is tough on defense despite being around 6-1. He has a better jumper, though, and may be more at home playing the point than Bowie.
Prediction: There's no reason Gibbs can't be an effective ACC starter before too long. His height isn't ideal, but plenty of players have overcome that. If Bowie can do it (if only for stretches at a time), there's no reason Gibbs can't, either. Offensively and defensively, he's a rather complete player. Early on, though, I don't know where the minutes are going to come from: one of Pe'Shon Howard or Terrell Stoglin will almost always be on the floor, and putting Gibbs out there at the same time gives Maryland a lineup short on both height and experience. In time, though, I get the vibe that Gibbs has a very high ceiling.
Other Useful Links: Rivals | ESPN | Scout | Bracken's Commitment Story | Team USA Profile | Sterling's Twitter | Local Paper Profile | Team USA Interview

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Comments

best player of the class

by bloodwatermission on Mar 22, 2011 9:59 AM EDT reply actions

by valenciais1 on Mar 22, 2011 10:37 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions

maybe so

but we dont need him as bad as we need faust

by tmoneyttime1 on Mar 22, 2011 10:45 AM EDT up reply actions

NIck?

I think Nick is best out of this class….He can be a legit star in a couple of years

by Seat pleasant on Mar 22, 2011 11:00 AM EDT up reply actions

I think Sterling will be starting PG by his Jr year

Call me crazy but I think he is a more natural fit at PG than Stogs and will ultimately force Stogs into the 2 slot.

by Sephtical on Mar 22, 2011 12:50 PM EDT up reply actions

OK, I'll call you crazy

I can’t imagine having two sub-6 footers starting together. Our backcourt defense would be even more of a liability than it was late in this season. If Gibbs is starting at PG by his JR year, it will be because Stogs has transferred or jumped to the NBA. And no, I’m not saying Stogs is likely to leave early for the NBA…

by jellisjenius on Mar 22, 2011 6:07 PM EDT up reply actions

+1 and peshon is the odd man out he is only here because t ross did us dirty

by valenciais1 on Mar 22, 2011 8:47 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions

I agree wth gibbs starting by his junior year

by valenciais1 on Mar 22, 2011 8:50 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions

his 3pt shots seem a little flat

but I’m not going to complain if they keep going in

clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose!
smoke'em if ya got'em!

by Daniel Hamilton on Mar 22, 2011 10:26 AM EDT reply actions

Flat compared to what?

Seems like he’s got a nice arc to it…at least more than AB ever had.

by kckb8 on Mar 22, 2011 12:12 PM EDT up reply actions

Flat compared to

Faust.

by rsdk on Mar 23, 2011 8:07 AM EDT up reply actions

Just like his brother

If you see Ashton shoot, he also has a really flat jump shot… like you said, he’ll knock em down so it doesn’t matter

by terps on Mar 23, 2011 1:36 AM EDT up reply actions

Sorry but I am gonna reserve my excitement

Until we get someone like Myck Kabongo.

Highlights: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEOgSsWPn5E

by word2bigbird on Mar 22, 2011 10:42 AM EDT reply actions

BTW

At the ESBC game over the weekend Faust had limited touches but still had 10 pts with a couple of 3s and a nice dunk apparently.

by word2bigbird on Mar 22, 2011 10:57 AM EDT reply actions

Shooting

Good to know that he can shoot. It looks like all 3 recruits this fall have nice shooting touches. Hopefully we can put to rest the complaints that we have no perimeter shooting.

by torope on Mar 22, 2011 11:34 AM EDT reply actions

playing time lineup

next year how do u think gary will give them playing time. like who will he pair up in the backcourt. i could see faust and peshon (passer and scorer) and stoglin and gibbs. but that would make a small lineup so i would think a better size balanced pair would be gibbs peshon and stoglin faust but then two of our potential scoring threats would have to split touches alot. i think the best pairs overall would be peshon stoglin and faust gibbs. this makes sense according to size and skillset but i dont think gary will want to play two freshmen at the same time when he has other options-this year was an exception. maybe parker will step up and get some minutes at the 2. gibbs parker wouldnt be a bad pair.

thoughts?

by Luke Goldsborough on Mar 22, 2011 11:50 AM EDT reply actions

I honestly dont think Gibbs will get a lot of pt

unless peshon or parker have a big sophmore slump.
We got Stogs/Parker and Pe’/ Faust.

by MurlandTerps on Mar 22, 2011 12:00 PM EDT up reply actions

This

Gibbs is smallish and (though deceptively strong) not built to endure a lot of ACC-level physical play off the bat. I’m also not convinced he is ready to defend at this level. I see no more than 10-12 mpg, especially once the conference season kicks in.

by jellisjenius on Mar 22, 2011 6:09 PM EDT up reply actions

I really hope

That Gary doesnt remain too loyal to Mosley if he is not contributing that much. Especially if he is being used at the 3 position.

by word2bigbird on Mar 22, 2011 12:01 PM EDT up reply actions

+1

My thoughts exactly.

by TerpMasterX on Mar 22, 2011 3:18 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions

Gibbs

I think he will be a pleasant surprise and will see plenty of playing time. He likes to penetrate and get to the foul line.

by bpell on Mar 22, 2011 12:03 PM EDT reply actions

i also think he will be a pleasant surprise, but not right away

by Luke Goldsborough on Mar 22, 2011 12:38 PM EDT reply actions

He's going to play big minutes right away IMHO

I don’t think we are going to go with Stogs at the 1 next year…I think he’s the only pure point we have and thus he’ll get at least 15 minutes a game

by tiimbitz4786 on Mar 22, 2011 3:20 PM EDT reply actions

Still stubbornly against Pe'Shon at PG?

I’ll stop short of calling him a “pure” PG if the standard is, say, Steve Blake, but Pe posted ~2 to 1 assist to turnover ratio this year while often running the offense. The only ACC freshman PGs to post a better number over the last 10 years or so were Chris Paul, Ty Lawson, and Kendall Marshall. I think he and Stoglin will both start next year, and you have to limit Gibbs and Stogs on the court at the same time b/c their height makes them a defensive vulnerability. So yeah, I disagree that Gibbs will get “big minutes right away.” I guess we’ll wait and see.

by jellisjenius on Mar 22, 2011 6:15 PM EDT up reply actions

Do we really need another player that cant dunk?

Just Kidding

by stripesean on Mar 22, 2011 3:52 PM EDT via mobile reply actions

I like Gibbs...

and he seems to have made great strides as a playmaker this year (both scoring and distributing). He seems fundamentally sound, not quite as hard to rein in as Stogs but has a similar proclivity for converting tough shots in the lane and seems to have legit range.

On the other hand, though the scouting reports suggest that he’s solid defensively, he has looked very nondescript and disinterested defensively on the video I’ve watched. I would agree with the ESPN assessment that he “has a nose for the ball” but other than that opportunism (which Stogs also has) I don’t think he’s ready to defend guards like Iman Shumpert, Kyrie Irving, Kendall Marshall, etc. I hope he proves me wrong, but he seems like a guy who will reap a big return later in his career (like his brother) but maybe not so much early.

by jellisjenius on Mar 22, 2011 6:23 PM EDT reply actions

video of Faust at the ESBC showcase

along with some others:
http://hoopmixtape.ning.com/video/jerome-seagears-shaquille

You make my pee-pee maker t-t-tingle.

by Hey Yo! on Mar 22, 2011 6:39 PM EDT reply actions

It’s more important to have height in the frontcourt, where MD has been undersized for years, than PG. The PG position is a different skill set and not reliant on height to be effective. There have been plenty of PGs 6’1" and under who could ball.

I agree with the earlier poster about Mosley. Maryland has got to get bigger at the 3 and 4 spots and it appears the players are in place to improve two of Maryland’s biggest weaknesses: frontcourt height, and outside shooting. Mosley has great heart, but he hasn’t developed into a consistent scoring threat.

I think all three of Maryland’s incoming freshman have a real chance to play, but Faust is the real deal who will give the Terps an outside scoring threat. I think he starts.

Kembe Walker is 6’1." Just saying.

by Go Maryland on Mar 22, 2011 6:59 PM EDT reply actions

I agree, for the most part, but that doesn't answer the question about where the minutes come from

Because while you’re right that height at the 1 isn’t that important, it is important at the 2. If you have Gibbs on the floor, you’ll also have Stoglin or Howard, meaning your 2 is about 6-1 and inexperienced. Against top-flight teams with 2s that are 6-4, that’s a defensive problem.

by Ben Broman on Mar 22, 2011 7:04 PM EDT up reply actions

Height is overrated

Blake, Dixon, and Nicholas was never a huge lineup, but they got it done.

Gary will make it work.

by mmford10 on Mar 23, 2011 8:52 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions

all 3 of those guys around 6'3

Blake was definitely very lanky for a college guard.

by testudo4lunch on Mar 27, 2011 9:44 PM EDT up reply actions

I agree with nmford10

I think ya’ll are overrating height, especially with respect o perimeter defense. Our perimeter defense is sub par because we don’t close out on people spotting up on the perimeter, mostly because I believe Gary is obsessed with interior defense and teaches his players to shade inside. However, close-out ability, and therefore perimeter defense, would be more efficiently improved by getting quicker on the perimeter and not by adding a couple of inches. Note that wingspan is more important than height here.

But if you’re talking about improving perimeter D by adding 6’6 Faust and 6’7 Anderson over 6’0 guards, then yes, that would make a much bigger difference. Moreover, a couple inches would help in defending penetration.

by ivan24 on Mar 23, 2011 10:24 PM EDT up reply actions

Realistically

I don’t think Sterling plays a ton his freshman year. And it is not because he won’t be ready. i think we will have the wonderful problem of having to much talent at that position. Stogs is nothing but PG and don’t kid yourself. Pe’ is not a prototypical PG but also not a pure SG either, he needs to be on the court to manage a game and for defense. You can’t take Stogs out too much because you need the scoring to be on the court. I would bet Faust and Sterling split time at the 2 and Stogs and Pe’ split the pg position.

by Jeffro78 on Mar 22, 2011 7:05 PM EDT reply actions

Hoops Acadamy 9 EST on Fox College Sports Central

tonight with Justin Anderson coverage:

http://twitter.com/HoopsAcademy

You make my pee-pee maker t-t-tingle.

by Hey Yo! on Mar 22, 2011 7:13 PM EDT reply actions

I hope y'all watching now! Montrose and JA gettin' alot of luv!

You make my pee-pee maker t-t-tingle.

by Hey Yo! on Mar 22, 2011 9:06 PM EDT up reply actions

JA is a naturally born leader

he is gonna do epic things at UMD!

You make my pee-pee maker t-t-tingle.

by Hey Yo! on Mar 22, 2011 9:31 PM EDT up reply actions

will it be on again?

i missed it

by dterpfan on Mar 22, 2011 9:36 PM EDT up reply actions

I am hoping Faust plays the 2. That’s his natural position. And it changes the dynamics of Maryland’s backcourt and scoring options.

I think Stogs is a natural PG. I don’t see him playing the 2. He’s a threat with the ball, not playing off the ball. I think he has to play and I expect him to improve. MD didn’t have scorers, so it fell on a freshman who often played erratically to shoulder the scoring load. So yeah, he took bad shots. No one else would shoot.

So leaves Pe and Gibbs off the bench and plenty of guard combinations.

So in my perfect world, I am hoping Parker, Pankey, and Mosley can play the 3.

Padge and Breuning the 4.

JW the 5.

Basically, I would like to see a traditional lineup, but fear it won’t be, mostly because of Mosley, not guard height.

by Go Maryland on Mar 22, 2011 7:15 PM EDT reply actions

I don't think there is any doubt that Faust will play the 2

And if Pankey can go, i’m pretty sure he won’t play the 3. He’s gotta be a 4. Not only is he better suited there, but we have a stronger need there than at the 3.

And what about Hawk? I believe his ideal position is the 3, though he got pushed to the 4 much of the time this season. I believe Hawk will get significant playing time at the 3.

by T Free on Mar 22, 2011 8:33 PM EDT up reply actions

How could I forget Hawk? You are right. And he should play at the 3.

I haven’t seen Pankey play. I believe Breuning is going to be a tremendous player however. Regardless, I think we are finally starting to get some height in the frontcourt and some players that won’t be playing out of position. If Faust can win the 2 spot, and Gary doesn’t start Mosley, we have a shot to be very good.

by Go Maryland on Mar 22, 2011 8:41 PM EDT up reply actions