Been quite the week for visits from basketball recruits: first Mitch McGary, then Arnaud Adala Moto, and now Shaquille Cleare:

Cleare was supposedly a heavy Maryland lean before Gary Williams retired, but Bino Ranson, Cleare's primary recruiter, was retained, which was big. A visit can, of course, only be a good thing, and given how much it appeared he liked Maryland, who knows? I wouldn't be shocked if he committed. I'm not expecting it, mind you, but it wouldn't be a big surprise. If nothing else, this should reaffirm the conception that Maryland is the team to beat.

A commitment from Cleare would be massive, if it came. A wide-bodied, 6-9 center, Cleare is pretty much universally considered a top 30 recruit, which would make him the highest-ranked commitment for Maryland since Mike Jones. He'd also provide instant depth at a position in desperate need of it, and could start from Day One.

Fingers crossed. (And, for the record, I apologize for the basketball recruiting-centric content around here over the past few days. But, that said, it's summer, and this is what usually happens. I'll try to mix it up in the coming days.)