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Slow, slow day on the recruiting scene. Hopefully today will have a tad more action.
I suppose the big news is that Seth Allen is finally getting some looks from national scout-types at the Reebok Breakout Challenge. Like Rivals' Eric Bossi and ESPN's Dave Telep:
Combo guard Seth Allen was the new Maryland staff's first commitment. After a bit of a slow start, the 6-foot-2 rising senior got things rolling a bit on Thursday. He can shoot from outside, creates offense for himself and is a sneaky athlete. He looks to be one of those guys who will serve the role of designated jump shooter in college.
Seth Allen (Frederickburg, Va./Christian) is coming off an injury. In him, the Terps have a lefty guard who will add depth to their backcourt.
Not flowing praise there, particularly from Telep, but Maryland has been sorely lacking a "designated jump shooter" in the absence of Eric Hayes. Initially I thought Nick Faust would fill that role, but he's developed a more varied offensive game. Either way, I don't think you can ever have too many dead-eye shooters on the outside (so long as other needs are filled). In fact, one of them can transform a game or team in entirety; if he's an elite shooter, he only needs to get hot at the right time to have a giant impact on a game.
One of the reasons he's flying under the radar as much as he is, as Telep alluded to, is his ankle injury. The WaPo talked to him about that, and he said he's about 90%. He also said he's staying hungry, playing like he doesn't have a scholarship, which I suppose is a good sign.
Elsewhere, the LeBron James Skills Academy just morphed into the King James Classic, and coaches are now allowed to attend. It sounds like Mark Turgeon skipped the first day to stay in Indianapolis for the Adidas Invitational, but is in Akron now, so he'll get a good look at a different set of guys. Two of ESPN's standouts from the third day of proceedings were Maryland targets. Leading off is Amile Jefferson:
It has probably been a few weeks since Jefferson attempted a jump shot, and that's because what he's doing now is working. Not the biggest and definitely not the most powerful, he's among the craftiest forwards in the class. Jefferson works the baseline, slinks his way into the lane, then by using his smarts and extra long arms, he finishes. He knows the angles, reads defenders then drops it in the net. There's nothing complicated about his approach. Basically, he defies the odds, but he has finished so many tough plays it's just in his DNA. It began at the NBPA Top 100 Camp, and his stellar play followed him to the LeBron James Skills Academy.
He has to be one of the most intriguing players in the class. That's just a very funky skillset, and I have no idea how it'll translate or what it means for him positionally. I still see him as a 3, but really, does it matter? So long as Maryland has other shooters - and between Faust, Allen, and Terrell Stoglin, they do - his outside game won't be missed, and he offers a very different offensive game, one that I imagine would be useful if the others can stretch the floor.
Mitch McGary got a mention too, and it sounds like he's been doing what he always does:
Mitch McGary (Chesterton, Ind./Brewster Academy) draws comparisons to Tyler Hansbrough because of his intensity. Despite Hansbrough being the all-time leading scorer at UNC, McGary has much more offense than Hansbrough did even as a collegian. Hansbrough was the better rebounder; McGary is a more skilled offensive prospect.
Mitch > Psycho T, for sure. Psycho M? Anyway, speaking of McGary, here's a new video interview, in which he says the same things he's been saying for weeks now:
Yep, he said Maryland was recruiting him the hardest. Again. And once again, he said that he "really likes the assistant coach, Bino Ranson." Some were worrying about that "car salesman" comment, but it appears there's no reason to.
And ... that's about it. Told you: slow day in the recruiting world.