Maryland Gets Commitment Number Four, Finds Ross Replacement?

I would leave the house as soon as Pe'Shon Howard commits. My luck.

Anyway, the combo guard from Los Angeles via Oak Hill Academy has surprisingly quickly picked the Terps ($, but MD was the only ACC school recruiting him) to be his future home. I already discussed his game in full, so maybe you should just check out that link. For the sake of convenience , I'll apply a quick summary:

There's more than a little Greivis Vasquez in him. Maybe not as flamboyant in celebration, but he's certainly flamboyant in his passes - they're very Greivis-esque. He shares freshman/sophomore Vaz's tendency to make questionable decisions and wear his emotions on his sleeve, but he's such a great passer and has such a complete game that you tend to forget about it at times.

If there were any concerns about whether Maryland should or shouldn't offer him, I'd say they've evaporated. Offer now.

As for what this means for Maryland: is Howard a full blown Terrence Ross replacement? Quite possibly. If Maryland doesn't want to wait on Ross, they may just end the class without him. One thing's for sure: the guards are stacked now. Unless someone leaves, I'm not sure Maryland will want to wait on him. Regardless of all that, Maryland is no longer screwed if he doesn't end up a Terp. If he does, great. If not, they still have Pe'Shon.

I don't think anyone in Maryland's current class would be upset by this, either. Both he and Terrell Stoglin can play off the ball at the 2 and at the point, which gives Maryland a lot of flexibility in a way different than Greivis and Eric did. Both are primarily points, but combos at heart. Lots of versatility in the backcourt when you consider Mychal Parker's ability to play between the 2 and 3 as well. Also, it's tough to complain about a guy who can make some really incredible passes and has great court vision.

No, he's not Terrence Ross, but few are, and there's nothing to complain about with Pe'Shon Howard. Actually, I'm pretty happy he'll be a Terp - he's passionate, a great passer, and smart; what's not to like?

Maryland still has between one and two scholarships open. They could go after another wing, like Josh Langford, or another big man. They still have the choice between getting back in with a stud - C.J. Leslie probably, maybe Roscoe Smith or Justin Coleman - or going a more "likely" route (ie, Jon Graham).