Terp-Centric AAU Weekend Recap: Moto, Grant, House Shine

Lacrosse dominated the weekend, but there was a ton of AAU action over the past few days. The lax stuff might've overshadowed it, but like most other AAU weekends, it's worthy of its own wrap-up. A lot of info on Maryland's top targets came out, of course. Like, for instance, the favorites to replace Justin Anderson as Maryland's 2012 wing commitment, Arnaud Adala Moto and Jerami Grant. They were the stars of the first day of EYBL, says Rivals:

Facing an active zone, Takeover turned to rising senior wing Arnaud Adala Moto during the first half. Athletic and strong, the 6-foot-5 wing came up big, as he scored 18 first-half points in a variety of ways. He drove to the rim, finished jumpers out to the three-point line, all while playing active defense. Already ranked No. 117 in the 2012 Rivals150, the three-star wing is positioning himself for a move up the ranking.

After Adala Moto provided the scoring punch in the first half, it was Jerami Grant who took over offensively in the second half. Often operating out of the high post as a four-man, the 6-foot-7 four-star prospect delivered some passes, attacked the rim and finished with explosiveness when he got there while dominating second half scoring and helping Takeover to a tough win.

...

According to Grant, he'd like to decide prior to his senior season and he reports offers from Virginia Tech, N.C. State, Clemson, Maryland, Georgetown, Virginia and Syracuse.

Maryland even being on Grant's list is a positive; they likely stopped recruiting him after Anderson's commitment, so this is a new game for him. Moto, unfortunately, didn't give a list. But he did receive some kind words elsewhere:

Snow is an analyst for Scout, which already had Moto at #49. He could end up being comparable to Justin Anderson in the rankings if he continues to impress, if not higher than him.

The rest of the EYBL (read: Nike-sponsored AAU) brought a lot of notes on some fringe targets for Maryland. Most are new names. One, though, is familiar: Isaiah Miles, the combo forward from Baltimore who was a big name a year or two ago and has burst back.

A combo forward who can really score, it will be a surprise if the 6-foot-7 rising senior's recruitment doesn't heat up come July. Miles was draining three-pointers, hitting soft floaters in the lane and more than holding his own on the glass. He's good enough that BCS schools will take a look but he has the appearance of a guy who could be an instant contributor for good A-10 and CAA squads. ... One of the weekend's breakout players, Baltimore elite faceup four Isaiah Miles, isn't a stranger to college coaches. The three-star 2012 prospect rattled off a list that includes Loyola, Towson State, USF, Xavier, UMass, Washington, Virginia Tech and Maryland.

Miles is, like most of the players in this post, someone to track. He hasn't blown up enough to become anything more than reach for Maryland at this point, but with all the summer still to go, he could change that. He sounds like more of a 3 than 4, but I'm for embracing flexibility anyway.

In that same link was a less familiar name: 6-5 Michigan guard Jodan Price.

Because of his size and length, Price is going to get long looks on the mid- to high-major level this summer. His release is quick, he doesn't lack for confidence and manages to look for his offense without being a total gunner. Price mentioned interest from Boston College, Iowa, Iowa State, Oakland, Central Michigan, Maryland, Providence, USF, St. Joseph's, Temple and Colorado.

It sounds like he'd primarily reproduce the skillset of Seth Allen, so unless he takes a big jump, I expect him to stay on the fringes. After all, a single mention in the school list doesn't necessarily mean a serious recruitment. But keep an eye on him as a Plan B guy.

The second day was quieter for Terp targets, but we did find yet another new name: Massachusetts wing Jake Layman.

If Layman plays like he did on Sunday for the rest of the summer he could see his stock soar. A legitimate 6-foot-8, he looks like a genuine small forward. He has a pretty shot with deep range, is swift in the open floor and an excellent finisher on the break. According to Layman Providence, Boston College and UMass have offered while Maryland and Notre Dame have been showing more recent interest.

His skillset sounds intriguing, though it sounds like he's still in the "tracking" stage. His unique game and his position make me think he's more likely than any other fringe name except perhaps Miles to elevate to serious consideration.

And on day three yet another combo guard with a nice shot was of note, this time Minnesotan Isaiah Zierden:

Because it doesn't have a lot of big guys, the Howard Pulley squad relies an awful lot on jump shooting. And while streaky at times, the most reliable guy is Zierden. The three-star two-guard is a skilled perimeter scorer who puts clinics on defenders away from the ball. He scored 23 big points when his team needed him the most in a Monday morning win over the Albany City Rocks that propelled it into the Peach Jam.

About a week ago, news leaked out that Maryland might be close to offering Zierden. He's the son of a Washington Wizards assistant, so the location factor may be high for Maryland. That said, a 6-2 shooter sounds just like Seth Allen, and I'm not sure Maryland needs another one of them. I'm not quite sure how committable that offer will be, if it comes.

As far as EYBL goes, that's about it. But there was more from the AAU scene over the weekend, particularly from Houston's Danuel House, who played in the Best Buy Tournament in Chicago. House listed Maryland along with Texas and Houston near the top of his list earlier this month, and now he's enjoying a bit of a blowup. See:

House was in the top 50 in Rivals' last rankings, but wasn't ranked by Scout. He was also in the top 100 for ESPN and was a 4-star. He might be in line for a bump in the rankings, and his name is now one you should definitely know.

And that'll do it for now.