7/30 Maryland Recruiting Update: July Evaluation Period

While the college basketball offseason might seem to be in a bit of a lull, college coaching staffs have traveled across the country this July to try and scout and assemble their 2018 recruiting classes.

The start to the 2018 class has been fantastic for the Maryland Terrapins. The Terrapins can fill up to five scholarships in this class and started with a commitment from four-star small forward Aaron Wiggins. Wiggins chose Maryland over schools such as Kansas, Arizona, California and Florida amongst others.

The Terps then added a commitment of Jalen Smith, a five-star power forward, a few weeks later. Smith chose Mark Turgeon’s squad over standout offers from schools such as: Arizona, Florida, Syracuse, Villanova and Virginia.

Three more spots remain and Maryland remains involved with some of the best players the 2018 class has to offer. Let’s take a look at who they have been targeting this July.

-Immanuel Quickley - Point Guard (No. 10 - Rivals)

Maryland could use a point guard and they basically could not be in on a better one.

Quickley, Rivals’ second highest rated point guard in 2018, is from Maryland and the in-state recruiting pitch has appeared to make dividends. Here is a recent quote courtesy of KentuckySportsRadio on why Maryland is in the running.

“(It’s) close to home and so my family being able to see me play, and I think that’s a big thing too, my family being able to see me play. It’s right near home, right around the corner, so I would have my whole community’s support.” Recently, Quickley released his top four which are Maryland, Kansas, Kentucky and Miami.

Earning a commitment from Quickley will obviously be a challenge, but Maryland has put itself in great position for the five-star prospect. Check out some of his highlights below, courtesy of MakePlayz.

-Moses Brown - Center (No. 7 Rivals)

Maryland also needs some big men in its 2018 class, and they are swinging for the fences with the recruitment of five-star center Moses Brown.

The 7’1” Queens-native has a diverse set of post moves, elite rebounding skills, shot blocking capabilities and can even handle the ball. A commitment from Brown would vault Maryland into having one of the best front court’s in the Big Ten.

As you can imagine, every blue blood program has been on Brown for a commitment. He spoke to Rivals in June about his recruitment and said he was very receptive of Maryland’s recruiting pitch. Check out that article here.

Also check out some highlights of Brown below, courtesy of Rivals as well.

-Keldon Johnson - Shooting Guard (No. 24 - Rivals)

The Terps remain in strong shape for the five-star (Rivals) shooting guard from prestigious Oak Hill Academy. Johnson recently visited Maryland in June as his recruitment continues towards a possible commitment in the late fall.

Johnson can really fill it up. His 6’5” frame is perfect for shooting over smaller opponents, but he can also score in a variety of ways off the dribble. He will need to work on using his left hand more, but all of the signs indicate that he could be a talented scorer on the collegiate level.

So far some of the standard blue bloods (Duke, North Carolina, Kentucky and Kansas) has focused their efforts away from Johnson, but Kentucky has started to increase its interest level based on a May article from Rivals writer T.J. Walker.

This should be another recruitment that takes Maryland to the very end. Johnson seems to be legitimately interested in the Terrapins and receptive to their recruiting message. If the blue bloods don’t extend offers, Maryland stands to have a great shot.

Check out some of his highlights below, courtesy of Rivals.

Overall

Maryland is well on their way to a class that could be one of the best in the country. Coach Turgeon has landed a great start to the class, and the Terps remain in the thick of it for a host of other top talent. Should Maryland be able to reign in some of their other top targets, they stand to reel in one of the best classes in the country. Stay tuned to what’s happening in College Park.