Interesting Transfer Candidate Jamal Branch
by Shellshocked on Jan 2, 2012 4:20 PM EST
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PrintQuite a few interesting developments of interest over the last few days. I remember when Turgeon was initially hired quite a few posts were made in regards to A&M's then roster and if there were any potential transfer candidates that may come into play for UMD down the line; and quite a few posters were fantasizing about Jamal Branch, but as he was such a highly coveted recruit, the possibilities at that juncture seemed mute (the comments were more of a "wishful thinking" vein) . However, its been reported by ESPN (Insider) that Jamal Branch is indeed transferring from A&M (there was nothing listed as to why he is transferring?), but that he hasn't even thought about any other possible destinations.
I know the staff is really trying to add another PG and quite a few names have been bandied about here on TT for quite sometime (ESPN Insider report today also says that UMD is close to offering PG Roddy Peters) and while it maybe to early to speculate, I'm going to do just that. We have an obvious want/need for a PG and Branch is already very familiar with and comfortable enough to already commit once to Turge and Spinelli and there is no denying the need and fit for Branch here. Connecting the very early dots, this looks it could be a very promising development for the Terps.
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I have no idea what the heck will happen
"A new era has dawned in Maryland Athletics..."
what has happened in the 4-6 months
to Branch that would make him a waste of a scholly? When Turgeon was hired this was the one guy a lot of people singled out as a “dream defection” candidate and now that its happened, I’m interested in what has transpired over the last 4-6 months that would now make him unappealing? Granted, I have not seen one A&M game this year, but the guy is a frosh with 10 or so games under his belt and I believe he was a top high 4-star recruit(?). What’s happened to his game that makes him unappealing to the Terps moving forward?
its a tough decision...
Basically, here’s how i see it:
I love Pe’shon and think he should be the starting point guard no matter what recruits come to CP in the coming years. That being said, with pe’shon and seth allen we’ll have two point guards to work with next year. To go along with that, Branch would have to sit out a season next year. At least I’m pretty sure he’s going to finish out the season at A&M because he’s already 10 games in. (bball or someone know the rule on this?) So he wouldn’t help the team next year. The following year we HOPE to have the Harrison twins. So we would have Pe’shon as a senior, Allen as a soph, Branch as a sophomore, and the twins as freshman. I realize Allen is also a 2 guard and can play multiple positions. So I assume alot of people are going to say… we have no room for another PG and should hold out on the Harrisons.
To those people I say this:
If you can get a top player, you get him. The top teams get recruits to come and play for them even when their stacked at the respective position. When you are a top team kids leave for the NBA. And I want to be a top team.
He's done at A&M
He’s not finishing the year and will be eligible in 2013. I wholeheartedly agree, if you can get a top player, you take him.
I believe
the rule is that a player must sit out a full calendar year. Meaning if I understand the rule correctly he could play next spring. There is at least a good chance i am wrong however so take this with a giant grain of salt.
by formerlyknownasjinsookim on Jan 2, 2012 6:52 PM EST up reply actions
He was a 4-star per ESPN,
ranked #51 overall, and the 9th best PG. It’ll be interesting to see how this plays out, and how it affects the twins’ recruitment. He’d be a sophomore starting in 2013. The same year Pe’ is a senior.
so wrong
you 100% take him if he wants in. could use the pg depth, he is a very good player, it would prove how awesome turge is as a coach and how players love him, and i dont want to hear anyone say “what about the twins? would this make them not come?” these people need to think things through. a) a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush and b) the twins will get all the playing time they want no matter where they go. they are currently the best amateur backcourt in the country and that includes high school, college and any of those secret pickup leagues that celebs play in in hollywood
You obviously don't know talent.
by Charlotte NC Terp on Jan 2, 2012 5:50 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Too bad he didnt decommit before the season/semester started
Then he could’ve have played here this season, but there are too many guards in 2013 and beyond, especially locally.
How silly is it to add another PG
i mean unless the starter breaks a foot or something you really dont need him… We should Def. get him, especially since Harrisons arent a guarantee and this incoming class has no depth at all
according to IMS (i think, maybe it was someone else)
he wouldnt have to sit out a year. anyone know anything about that?
Assuming he couldn't get a waiver - and I'd be shocked if he could - he wouldn't be eligible until 2013.
Which would be the Harrisons’ first year.
So no thanks.
+1
if you take him say goodbye to a possibility of adding the twins imo
no you wouldnt. If we got him and the Harrisons came along,
he;d be transferring again pretty quickly
If we take him, the Harrisons might look to UK even harder
I’d use Branch as a decoy to lure the Harrisons to commit earlier to us. When was the last time we had a chance to sign a 5 star PG? I think Britt was a 4 star.
When was the last time we had a top 10 PG play for us? Nothing against Pe’ , but a top PG runs the team.
The Harrisons
Wherever they go, they get immediate playing time. I don’t see how Branch or anyone else for that matter (hypothetically) effects what the Twins do. Great players don’t sweat who is perceived to be in front of them on the depth chart, they compete and earn their own minutes. If the Twins are considering us, Zona, Kentucky, Baylor etc, those schools back court situations are going to be better (on paper at least) then ours. In addition, they can both play multiple positions and with the way Turge is running guys in and out of the game, no one is going to get more then 30-minutes anyway.
Pe’shon would a SR by the time Branch would even be eligible, if Stoglin left after his JR year, it seems it would all fit together pretty nicely?
If Jamal Branch scares off the Harrison Twins, what’s that saying about them?
BTW, the A&M board has a few comments that infer Branch is going to end up at UMD (but there more in the “let Turgeon baby him,” good luck in College Park" sentiments).
by Shellshocked on Jan 2, 2012 10:37 PM EST up reply actions
They get immediate playing time, but how much?
Would they even start over Branch? Even if they did, Branch would command 20 mins a game in his own right. Those minutes have to come from somewhere.
It’s not about Branch “scaring them off”, it’s about roster fit – for both them and us. Two years is a long ways off, but taking Branch is like taking a top-40 PG in 2013. That’s a crowded backcourt for the Harrisons, and for us that’s piss-poor roster planning. (I wouldn’t be opposed to taking, say, a project in the same class, given that the Harrisons have likely two years at best – but two starters in the same class? Uh uh.) Doesn’t make sense for us, doesn’t make sense for them.
Turgeon might try it. And it might work out. But if I had to guess, taking Branch would be akin to waving the white flag on the Harrisons. I personally wouldn’t do it yet, especially with a backlog of quality guards waiting behind them.
Valid Points
Ben, as always, very valid points, there are certainly lots of variables and at least at this point all hypothetical (though I do believe Mr. Branch is going to be very interested in attending UMD). I’m just more in line with Charlotte on this. I want us to hit the home run with the Harrison’s, everyone does, I just don’t think UMD is in a position to be turning down top 50 players (regardless of position). While it may create a logjam (a very good one at that), I’m still of the belief that Branch and the Harrison’s are feasible and could co-exist and would not cancel each other out. I think Branch would be more concerned about transferring here with the Harrison’s on the radar then vice versa.
by Shellshocked on Jan 3, 2012 12:02 AM EST up reply actions
Pass
Normally I would be in the “bird in hand” camp, but losing a year of eligibility and interfering with our chances of getting the twins and a big in 2013 adds up to too many negatives. I’m confident we’ll land an excellent point guard in the 2012 class even if we whiff on the twins. We’re in on a lot of them.
by LeftCoastTerp on Jan 3, 2012 12:58 AM EST via iPhone app up reply actions
We just need to make sure we have room for either Meeks or ANA. We'll need a bigt in this class as well as the Harrisons or Branch or Morgan.
by Snappin Terp on Jan 3, 2012 12:59 AM EST up reply actions
Let's assume we're able to string Branch along,
and the twins choose UK (or somewhere aside from UMD). I’d be willing to take Branch over the other possibilities in the 2013 class (Rysheed Jordan #5 pg, Tyler Ennis #8 pg).
Here is why you take Branch
Branch was the #9 PG in this years class, which is a strong class, considering the players who are in front of him. I just WOWED myself when I looked up the 8 PGs in front of him:
Here is an eval on Branch:
http://espn.go.com/college-sports/basketball/recruiting/player/_/id/54157/jamal-branch
All indications point to him being a true PG. He averaged 4 pts, 2 assists, and 2 rebounds through his first 10 games.
Here is why he would be better than an incoming freshman PG in 2013. Branch would enroll in MD and have the rest of this season and all of next years season to practice with the team prior to EVER playing a game. There is a chance that he could suit up next spring semester if they hurry up with this process. Either way you look at it he gets 1-1.5 years of practice with the team. He will know everything about the offense prior to ever playing a minute. While the twins have more athletic ability and would be the better choice… IM NOT ARGUING THAT THEY WOULDNT, you take Branch because MD isnt going to land the twins. Taking the twins out of the occasion, Branch is better than any of the other options. His athletic ability is comprable to all the other PG options, but what sets him apart is the readyness that he will bring to MD in 2013.
by Charlotte NC Terp on Jan 3, 2012 10:44 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
I don't think anyone on this board will disagree
that PG is the most important position on the team. According to Scout, the highest-ranked PG we’ve recruited since 2002 is John Gilchrist (a flake, yes, but a good player). He was ranked #11 in that class.
Scout’s eval suggested 3-point shooting was a weakness, but he hit 3 of 9 @ TA&M. The bad news: He was only 3 of 7 from the line.
I was on the fence, but after more thorough research, I’m w/ Charlotte: If he wants to play for Turge, I think we should take him. Add Cassell in 2012, and focus on bigs in 2013.
Highest Rated PG Recruit
Where was Steve Blake on that list? Just curious?
Spot On Charlotte & Curterp
Watching this years team, its utterly apparent they need another true PG/secondary ball handler, which is what makes Pe’shon so valuable as when he returned he took the reigns and the offense immediately flowed better, he got us into sets quicker and thru the 2-3 games that he has been back, he’s drastically reduced the turnovers that ailed us while he was gone. Its also apparent that Stogs (while capable) is much more comfortable and effective off the ball. Before Pe’shon returned, it was painful watching Faust (not what he was brought here to do anyway) forced into ball-handling duties and when Stogs handled the point, he looked for his shot to the point that everyone was watching him and things stagnated. Aside from Pe’shon, they don’t have anyone who can handle pressure and run the offense (aside from Stogs and again, that is taking him away from what he does best for us right now) and Branch is more then capable of doing that—and he has a great deal of upside potential. Turge obviously liked Branch at A&M and there is no reason to think that has changed in the last 4-6 months (on both sides). I’d also argue that in College hoops, PG is the most important position on the floor.
Granted, Branch’s potential transfer does not alleviate the aforementioned issues now, but it removes one need moving forward and it allows the staff to solely focus on adding another big and another dynamic wing player.
We cannot put all of our eggs in the Twins basket with Kentucky, Arizona, Nova and Baylor in the game as well. Everyone would love to have the Harrison’s (what program wouldn’t and I still say that adding Branch does not by any means effect their decision, as if they are considering Kentucky and Arizona there not going to be scared off by what our current back-court players consist of), but I’ll say again, UMD is not in the position of turning down top-50 players at any position (at least not at this stage) especially when its at a position of dire need.
The one caveat to all of this is, if Branch was added, would Cassell be overkill? I know the cache of adding local talent, but Pe’shon, Stogs, Allen, and Branch seems more then enough (not even factoring in the Twins, or the other PG’s the staff is recruiting). It seems likely that adding Branch would by no means scare off the Twins, but it would probably scare off Cassell?
by Shellshocked on Jan 3, 2012 12:28 PM EST up reply actions
I take
Branch over Cassell for sure. I think you are right in assuming Cassell would look elsewhere if Branch transferred to MD.
by Charlotte NC Terp on Jan 3, 2012 12:33 PM EST up reply actions
I would agree that Branch > Jordan/Ennis/****, but I'm not nearly ready to wave the white flag on the twins
They just visited Baylor so that’s a bit worrisome, but all indications still point to it being a race between us and UK. What indication is there that they’ll go to Kentucky besides “it’s Kentucky”? Is it just regular Maryland cynicism? I understand it if true, but everyone was saying the same thing about Shaq Cleare in 2011 (“we’ll never land a legit big man from Texas”) and look what happened there.
It’s time for the fanbase to man up a little bit – there’s only one school that has a significant hometown factor (grandma!), only one school with Bino Ranson, and only one school has their dad on a booster’s payroll. (I realize that sounds dirty as hell, but it’s true.) There’s a lot pointing our way in this.
I would hope that Bino & Turge have a good enough relationship with Papa Harrison by now
that they could cut through the bullshit and be clear if we are the legitimate favorite or not. Given that Harrison has already sent us a great player(Shaq), I would assume he wouldn’t want to jerk us around on this. If he thinks his sons are really leaning UK, I would hope he would tell our staff that’s the case, given the fact that we have other options we could be pursuing, like Branch. If we do land Branch, I think Papa Harrison would have hinted that UK is the one. I’m still optimistic on the Twins though, really hoping that dirty Calipari gets caught soon being same old Cal. What ever happened to the Pat Forde expose’ rumors anyway? Did UK pay off Yahoo as well???
Britt
5 star #2 pg behind Andrew Harrison. Just to throw this out there…. There are only about 4 teams every year in the country that land a 5 star pg so it’s not like Md should expect to have a 5 star pg on its roster.
by Charlotte NC Terp on Jan 2, 2012 11:00 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Pe' does run the team and is only a soph. Only other argument you could make would be Mosley
but thats just the type of player Mosley is
by Maryland1206 on Jan 3, 2012 11:43 AM EST up reply actions
I'm indifferent as to this one
I would be okay with the swing for the fences approach, by holding out for the Twins. If we strike out, we strike out. If the staff thinks we have a good chance, I might lean this direction.
I’d also be okay with going after Branch, even at the risk of losing our chance at the Twins. If we land Branch, we’d have a future lineup of Branch, Faust, Layman, Len, Shaq—and that doesn’t include Allen, or any other 2012/13 pickups.
For the record, those are all top 50 recruits (based on our unofficial Len poll, I’m counting him). A starting lineup of all top 50 players is pretty beastly. The Harrisons might get us to the Final Four a bit quicker, but the above lineup would probably have us in the discussion, and allow us to keep picking up steam on the recruiting trail (by pointing to the ever-improving on-the-court performance).
Ranked #8 in that class was Quinn Cook...
…if that helps provide some perspective for Branch’s talent. Based on Scout’s evaluation (below – emphasis mine), he REALLY seems to be the kind of PG Turge prefers:
STRENGTHS
Decision Making
Passing
Size for Position
AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT
3-Point Range
Perimeter Shot
A Texas A&M commit, Branch is a guy that is known for his decision making and passing ability. As his high school career has developed he’s continued to make improvements and he’s sporting a much stronger frame than when he was a sophomore. Branch is an impressive defender and a guy that is steady in all facets. Going forward he’ll need to develop consistency with his outside shot, but he’s a terrific get for the Aggies.
Sometimes you can't wait around to see if you can do better -
thereby risking getting nothing at all. It’s time MT level with the twins – commit now or Terps make other plans.
THAT
would be a difficult discussion and situation by anybody’s measure – wow….gut check time
"A new era has dawned in Maryland Athletics..."
by bball purist on Jan 3, 2012 12:50 PM EST up reply actions
It's time to verify just how serious the twins are about
coming to MD. If they’re playing games (mind) it’s time to move on to more realistic candidates who want to be Terps. Kicking the can down the road isn’t the way to end
up with the best committed prospects.
Branch.
I think Turge respects the A&M program too much to poach, unless he was given their blessing and Turge thinks Branch could handle his non-coddling, bluntly honest coaching style.
Hmm
First, I don’t think it is poaching if it is passive. Anybody’s guess here, but (because I agree that Turge wouldn’t “poach” from A&M), it seems more likely that Branch, if he ended up here, would have been the first to express interest in a potential transfer.
Second, I’d imagine Turge does think that Branch can handle his style—Turgeon was the coach when Branch signed with A&M.
Maybe the word "poach" isn't the right term.
I was just saying that Turge wouldn’t step on the toes of the A&M staff, if he knew taking Branch would do so. I think he respects them too much to do it. I think part of his heart is still in College Station, he did say that they would be the second box score he’d look for each morning(behind Terps). If their staff is cool with it, Turge shouldn’t have any qualms about it.
To your second point, you’re right, Turge did think he could handle his style. Perhaps he has a new opinion based on Branch’s bailing on the program, and from talks with the A&M people. I used the word ‘perhaps’ as a qualifier because I have absolutely no idea what went down with Branch and A&M, pure speculation on my part.
Per Jeff Goodman at CBS
@GoodmanCBS: Texas A&M transfer Jamal Branch’s father said his son wants to play in Big East & that Marquette is near top of his list.
I Guess The Thread
dies here… It definitely appears as if location was not a factor in Branch’s decision (Big East/ACC is relatively the same thing in regards to locale).
I really thought this was going to be a slam dunk for Turge, who knows what went on behind the scenes? Maybe it was a poaching issue for Turge?
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