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Last year, we learned that D.C. Assault, D.C.'s premier AAU basketball team, was rebranding itself to try to separate their image from that of founder Curtis Malone, who has been going through some legal troubles. Now it appears that former Maryland assistant basketball coach, Dalonte Hill, might be taking over the new incarnation of D.C. Assault, according to Jeff Ermnann of InsideMarylandSports:
Some buzz that former #Terps asst Dalonte Hill could relaunch DC Assault. Was one of main DCA guys years ago. Not sure whether that happens.
— Jeff Ermann (@insidemdsports) February 7, 2014
Based on Ermann's tweet, this isn't a definite. But if Hill did end up leading the new D.C. Assault program, it would probably mean good things for Maryland, who hired Hill initially as a way to rebuild the non-existant relationship Maryland had with DCA under Gary Williams.
Hill, who took a leave of absence and then resigned in November following some personal issues, would presumably give Maryland an advantage in recruiting the new AAU team, should he take over. The way Mark Turgeon and the school handled his alleged DUI arrest, keeping him on and allowing him to take a leave of absence, should mean that he would think highly of Turgeon and the Maryland program moving forward.
D.C. is a hotbed for basketball talent and if DC Assault reemerges at the same powerful AAU team that they were in the past, having a former assistant coach heading it should provide a great benefit to the Terps, especially if they secure the same level of talent that they did in the past.
Some of the bigger names among the DC Assault alumni:
- Michael Beasley (Kansas State)
- Nolan Smith (Duke)
- Jeff Green (Georgetown)
- Dante Cunningham (Villanova)
- Spencer Barks (Maryland)
We'll continue to monitor this to see how it plays out.
