Maryland to interview Turtle Thomas
I'm not sure there could be a better fit. The guy's name is "Turtle", after all.
FIU baseball coach Turtle Thomas engineered the greatest turnaround in the program's 37-year history.
After a 20-36 record in his first season at FIU in 2008, Thomas led the Golden Panthers to a 34-21 mark in 2009.
Apparently, the University of Maryland thinks Thomas could do the same for the Terrapins.
Obviously, I don't know that much about college baseball, so I'm not going to preach here, but I like him. His name is Turtle, for one. He's a bit more inexperienced than I would like, but he knows how to rebuild, that's for sure. I just hope it wasn't a fluke.
Elliot Williams Update
It appears it's undecided if he's going to Memphis - at least, unannounced, and it's not a guarantee that he'll be able to play immediately, but he will appeal the rule. Interesting.
Duke guard Elliot Williams is leaving the school for family medical reasons, according to the Duke PR folks. (Hat tip: @Corndogg.) Duke's press release says Williams is expected to appeal the NCAA's rule that forces transfers to sit out for a year; he is hoping to play right away in 2009-10 for a "school closer to his home." Where's Williams's home? Memphis. And so the plot thickens.
This could possibly have two very big recruiting blowbacks for Maryland. First, it could drive Lance Stephenson away. Ultimately, I doubt that - if Memphis has the scholarship, they can find the PT. I also believe the decision to drop Lance was dictated by Gary, not Lance/Lance Sr., so even if he wanted to be a Terp, it doesn't matter. Second, someone needs to tell Will Barton he won't be a day one starter at Memphis anymore...so he can decommit and go to Kentucky.
Nermin Delic talks about committment
Matt Bracken sat down with - or called, whatever - Nermin Delic, of square jaw fame (and I guess Maryland football commit fame, too). I really, really like some of things said.
I knew Coach Friedgen had a good reputation of being a man of integrity, so I pretty much knew about the school [before visiting]. But when I went there [last weekend] I was blown away. It was amazing. There wasn’t one thing I didn’t like. Everything was awesome.
Don’t think because he didn’t have the big ones offer [that he‘s not a great player], because he can play. I think Clemson was fixin’ to pull the trigger, I think NC State was fixin’ to pull the trigger, and Vanderbilt and Kentucky were right there, too. But when he went up [to Maryland] he said he loved it. ... I’d say [Maryland fans] are going to be very excited when he lines up.
"Georgia had him up [earlier this month] and they loved him, but they’re in the race for two of the best [defensive ends] in the country," Falleur said. "But they told me on the phone Monday, ‘Coach, he can play in the SEC.’ There’s guys out there right now that weigh 250, 260. If he weighed that right now, he’d have offers from [the biggest programs in the country]."
Wow. Coaches always love their players, but I really like Delic right now, probably for the same reason I liked Stoglin after his coach called him a top 5 PG.
Sounds like a guy who, if he puts on some weight, could sneak into four star territory.
Want to learn more about new Lady Terp Laurin Mincy?
Terrapins Insider at the WaPo has you covered. They're three comments: she's compared to Marissa Coleman (yes please), he's a tenacious defender, and her jersey was retired by her elementary school. Yes, elementary school.
SLAM: ACC Recruiting Breakdown
First, big ups to Joey Whelan for writing for Slam - he's a Terp who's done quality work in the past. Anyway, I expected some positive things - after all, he is a Terp. Whelan didn't disappoint.
At 6-10 245 pounds, Williams will take up plenty of space in the paint and should be able to establish position fairly well from the early part of the season. He has a fairly polished post game, has a soft touch and rebounds the ball effectively. There is lots of potential for Williams to be a quality player in the ACC, but there have been a few question marks surrounding his conditioning. The other addition to the Terrapins roster next season will be New York product James Padgett. A graduate of Lincoln HS (of Lance Stephenson fame), Padgett is a bruising 6-8 245-pound power forward who will take care of the dirty work inside. Nothing about his game is pretty, but he is a rebounding force and does a good job of powering through defenders on offensive put backs. This is the type of hardnosed player that college teams need in order to be successful.
No, not overwhelmingly homerish, but Maryland's class is rankings-wise, the worst in the conference, and pretty easily. Take what you can get. In other news, North Carolina unsurprisingly finishes first.
Tobias Harris Visits Georgia Tech
I didn't really know Tobias Harris was open to Georgia Tech. It's only a teaser, but it's pretty obvious. He did list them, but I've never heard any legitimate interest. Anyway, I don't think he's going to GT. He seems very Big East-y, and if he goes ACC, Maryland probably has a better shot than GT.