Maryland men’s basketball offers a flurry of scholarships to class of 2022 prospects

NCAA men’s basketball programs were allowed unlimited contact with class of 2022 recruits Monday.

Maryland head coach Mark Turgeon and his staff had extended a few offers to 2022 kids prior, but at midnight and throughout the day the offers came in for prospects all around the country.

Offering sprees and newly open communication lines allow teams to cast a net on areas and positions of need in that class. For players, this is a time where coaches can show their dedication and start to build relationships as the recruiting cycle begins.

June 15 is simply the uniform beginning for class of 2022 recruitment, and the offers extended by Maryland will provide a baseline for the talent level and possible positions of need for the Terps moving forward.

Top talent

Prior to the June 15 mark, NCAA basketball programs could not have unlimited, direct contact with student-athletes from the 2022 class and beyond, but that did not stop Maryland from extending some early offers to top national talent.

The Terps had offered Jalen Duran (No. 2 overall, No. 1 center), Caleb Houstan (No. 7 overall, No. 2 small forward), Sadraque Nganga (No. 15 overall, No. 3 power forward) and Justice Williams (No. 25 overall, No. 6 small forward) before June 15, but continued to add to the top of their list Monday. Both Duran and Williams played with current Terp Hakim Hart at Roman Catholic in Philadelphia, while Nganga attends Compass Prep, where current Terp Chol Marial attended.

The top offer extended by the staff went out to five-star small forward Jarace Walker (No. 8 overall, No. 3 small forward). The IMG Academy product is coached by former St. John’s College High School head coach Sean McAloon (he coached Anthony Cowan Jr., Reese Mona and several student managers) and holds offers from Florida and Arkansas while receiving other high-major interest.

Five-star shooting guard Dariq Whitehead (No. 14 overall, No. 4 shooting guard) heard from Maryland after midnight, according to multiple reports. He has received other offers from Auburn, Georgia, Texas and more.

Late on Monday, five-star power forward Jalen Washington (No. 17 overall, No. 4 power forward) reported an offer from Maryland. A torn ACL in December 2019 has led to a cautious recruitment that includes other offers from DePaul, Indiana, Iowa and Purdue.

The Terps also took aim Monday at the point guard position, offering four-stars Bruce Thornton (No. 30 overall, No. 7 point guard) and Mason Manning (No. 86 overall, No. 20 point guard).

Four-star Florida power forward Gregg Glenn (No. 37 overall, No. 6 power forward) also received an offer from Maryland, along with Arkansas and Pittsburgh joining the race Monday. He had already reportedly held offers from Alabama, Florida State and Florida.

At the center position, four-star Dereck Lively II (No. 40 overall, No. 4 center) added a Maryland offer to a list that includes LSU, Miami, Ohio State and Providence.

Local prospects

The DMV and other surrounding areas are always places of interest for Maryland teams when recruiting, and the men’s basketball staff got a jump start in the 2022 class.

Four-star small forward Noah Batchelor (No. 52 overall, No. 1 in Maryland) received an offer long before June 15 and now can communicate openly with the Terps. The Glenelg Country School product has shown interest in the hometown program on social media and would be a huge prospect to land.

The Terps also dipped a hand in the local WCAC pool, extending three guard offers on Monday.

Four-star combo guard Rodney Rice (No. 54 overall, No. 3 in Maryland), who recently transferred to DeMatha, was offered by Maryland and holds other offers from Alabama, Georgetown, Louisville and Michigan.

At the point guard position, four-star Judah Mintz (No. 61 overall, No. 1 in D.C.) of Gonzaga added a Maryland offer to a list that includes Florida, Georgetown, LSU and Virginia Tech, while unranked Paul Lewis of Bishop O’Connell added a Maryland offer.

Other local offers of note include 6’6 Archbishop Spalding wing forward Cam Whitmore, four-star small forward Justin Taylor (No. 48 overall, No. 4 in Virginia) of St. Anne’s-Belfield School and unranked King’s Fork point guard Jayden Epps.

Other prospects to know

Prior to June 15, Maryland extended offers to two unranked but talented prospects in West Virginia shooting guard Issac McKneely and Tennessee shooting guard Quante Berry.

Early offers to prospects off the national radar and outside a school’s local area could provide an edge later in the recruiting cycle if Maryland missed out on its first choices.

The Terps also extended an offer to unranked center Kyle Filipowski of Wilbraham, Massachusetts on Monday. He also fielded offers from Boston College, Marquette and Virginia Tech to kick off the cycle.