This is kind of old, but I never noticed it until now - ESPN graded every major school on their 2009 recruiting. The Worldwide Leader gave Maryland a B-, with this to say:
The Terps needed size to bang and score inside and they got it. Bruising power forward James Padgett (New York/Lincoln) is an active inside force who will rebound and is adept at finishing the dump-off pass from penetration around the basket. He is battled tested, having played a tough schedule for Lincoln with Lance Stephenson by his side. Padgett will be joined by another rugged big guy in 6-10 Jordan Williams (Torrington, Conn.). Williams is a wide-bodied post whose offensive game is improving every day. He possesses strong hands with a soft touch in the paint. Down low, he rebounds below the rim but takes up a good deal of space and positions himself well for the board. He must really work at keeping himself in top physical condition.
Unfortunately, B- was tied for the worst grade in the conference with Virginia Tech. Of course, if the Terps snag Lance Stephenson, which looks almost like a probability at this point, that grade would likely be a full letter higher.
On to more timely things: ESPN also recently came out with their early 2010 class rankings, and Maryland is placed at #13.
Maryland coach Gary Williams has recently come under fire for recruiting issues, but people should not look to jump off the bandwagon just yet. Williams has a very good group coming in for 2010. Terrence Ross (Portland, Ore./Montrose Christian), a 6-6 small forward, has range that extends out to the 3-point line. He can also get to the rim off the dribble using his quickness and good leaping ability. Terrell Stoglin (Tucson, Ariz./Santa Rita) plays as a scoring point guard and can get to the hoop almost at will.
The picture they use of Terrence Ross is pretty much my new favorite photo, as well.
Even though it's very early and lot of things could change, being at #13 already is definitely exciting when you consider we're in good shape with a ton of top 100 prospects and Will Barton is actually seeming like a legit possibility again. On the topic of Barton, he's apparently doing pretty well at the Pangos All-American Camp. It'll be so nice to have top 25 talent again.