2013 Maryland Recruiting Class: How Did It Pan Out?

As college basketball works through its offseason it is interesting to take a step back and look how things have progressed for the various Big Ten schools. In our latest series, BTPowerhouse will look at the impact the 2013 recruiting classes had on each Big Ten program.

Today we look at the Maryland Terrapins and their recruiting class five years ago.

Background

The 2013-14 Maryland Terrapins entered their last season in the ACC coming off a 25-13 NIT semifinal season the year before. Head coach Mark Turgeon was in his third season and was looking to continue his momentum in rebuilding the Terrapin program.

This would be difficult due to some key departures. Sophomore Alex Len (11.9 points per game) declared for the NBA draft and seniors Logan Aronhalt and James Padgett graduated. A top-15 five-man 2012 class (led by Jake Layman) would take the reigns for the Maryland program. Head coach Turgeon hoped his 2013 class could come in and offer immediate impact and support to the new look Terrapins in 2013-14.

Let’s take a look at their class and how they did.

Roddy Peters - Point Guard (No. 48 on Rivals)

The foundational piece to the Terrapins’ 2013 class was this top-50 point guard from Maryland. The 6’4” Peters chose Maryland over offers from schools such as UCLA, Kansas, UConn, Rutgers and Illinois amongst others.

Unfortunately, things never materialized for Peters in his freshman season with the Terrapins. He averaged just four points in 15 minutes of action a game. His turnovers (56) were nearly as high as his assists (67). After just one season, Peters transferred to South Florida. He played the 2015-16 season there, but was out for the season after just ten games. At the end of the season, USF dismissed him for “repeated violations of school policy.”

He currently is with Nicholls State and will be eligible to play this season for the Colonels this season.

Damonte Dodd - Center (No. 149 on 247Sports)

The Terrapins’ second member of the 2013 class had more luck in sticking around College Park.

The 6’9” 240 lb. Maryland native committed to the Terrapins in late 2012. The Terrapins were his only offer.

Dodd completed a successful four-year career with the Terrapins last season. Never a standout player, Dodd was content in contributing in a secondary role. He often played alongside players such as Jake Layman and Diamond Stone to do the dirty work needed in the low post. He registered over 60 starts in his Terrapin career and ranks in the top 10 in program history for career blocks. His best season was probably this past one. He averaged 6.2 points with 4.4 rebounds in over 20 minutes of action per game. As coach Turgeon reflected on Dodd’s career in an interview with Washington DC’s ESPN980 he said, “...he’s just a great kid that’s done everything right for me for four years.”

Overall

The Terrapins struggled in 2013-14 recording a 17-15 overall record. At the end of the season, Peters and seven other players would move on from the team either through graduation or transfers. Questions swirled about the direction of the program under Turgeon.

The 2014-15 campaign calmed those fears with an excellent freshman class (led by Melo Trimble) and a 2012 recruiting class that was ready for the moment. The Terrapins posted a 28-7 mark and returned to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2009-10.

Was the 2013 a success? Yes and no. Peters was a major bust, but do the Terrapins get Trimble with Peters still on the team? Dodd, while not overly productive, was instrumental in helping create a culture of hard work and a willingness to fit a role. This came a critical time for Turgeon as he looked to re-establish Maryland. When you put that next to other talented recruiting classes, things will often fall into place. Things over the next three years would do that for Maryland.