Jeff Borzello covers College Basketball, and College Basketball Recruiting for CBS Sports.

You can find his coverage at:
http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball

You can find him on Twitter at:
http://twitter.com/#!/jeffborzello

Baltimore Sports and Life thanks Mr. Borzello for answering a few Terps related questions.

Baltimore Sports and Life: “It has been reported basically everywhere that Coach Turgeon and his staff – Bino Ranson, Scott Spinelli, and Dalonte Hill – have been extremely active in their pursuit of recruits, and building relationships with the local (Baltimore / Washington) AAU Teams. What have been your initial impressions of the staff?”

Jeff Borzello: “I think they’ve done a great job, despite the drama surrounding the release of their three signees and then losing Wally Judge to Rutgers. The best of the three recruits, Nick Faust, ended up as a Terrapin anyway and he was clearly the most important one. Bino will lock up Baltimore and Dalonte Hill has done a tremendous job in the past with DC recruits. If Maryland can take care of business at home and maybe poach a kid or two from Texas, they’ll be just fine.”

Baltimore Sports and Life: “The first player that Coach Turgeon added here at Maryland was the ’12 PG Sean Allen. I know Allen’s stock had been rising prior to his verbal, and he is described as having good athleticism and a decent shot. Where does he need to improve?”

Jeff Borzello: “To be honest, I didn’t think Seth Allen was a lock high-major player when I saw him a few weeks before his commitment. He’s basically an undersized two guard, since he’s barely 6’1 1/2″ and not a point guard. Allen can score with the best of them but I’m interested to see if he holds up in the ACC.”

Baltimore Sports and Life: “There were reports that had Gary Williams not retired, Maryland was on the verge of a commitment from Shaquille Cleare. Since then, we have heard that Maryland continues to lead for Cleare, and that Coach Turgeon has already built a relationship with the Center. Do you expect Cleare to be a Terp? Does he have the t ype of game to make an immediate impact as a Freshman?”

Jeff Borzello: “I spoke to Cleare two weeks ago and he said that Maryland was just one of his favorites, not his clear-cut favorite. With that said, I see him ending up as a member of the Terrapins’ recruiting class. He’s a space-eating big man with good hands who knows how to score around the rim. Cleare hasn’t played basketball for very long, coming to the US only three years ago. He still has growing to do in his game.”

Baltimore Sports and Life: “Philadelphia’s Amile Jefferson is a talented Forward who has been on the Maryland radar from sometime. Is he close to a decision? Do you like Maryland’s prospects here?”

Jeff Borzello: “I don’t think he’s close to a decision; he still has a very long list of suitors. With that said, Villanova has long been thought of as the team to beat here and I think that will hold true. They’re the hometown team and I think Jefferson fits well there.”

Baltimore Sports and Life: “DeMatha’s Jerami Grant is described as a bit of tweener, who might have the skills of an undersized 4, more than a wing. How do you see him at the next level? Who are the schools pushing the hardest for him?”

Jeff Borzello: “Grant is tracking as a very talented face-up four man who can do a lot of things. He’s improved his shooting and ball-handling, and he’s far more confident and aggressive offensively. Grant is extremely long and athletic, and he can impact a game at both ends. He’s another player with a long list, but he said his favorites are NC State, Virginia Tech and Syracuse right now.”

Baltimore Sports and Life: “Prized big-man Mitch McGary recently visited College Park, and has told numerous outlets that Maryland is recruiting him the hardest. Is there an expected time frame for his commitment? How do you compare him to other talented bigs such as Robert Carter (who has also visited Maryland), and Robert Upshaw?”

Jeff Borzello: “Don’t expect McGary to make a decision anytime soon. He is blowing up right now and it seems like he’s still in the process of sorting through the myriad schools who have picked up their pursuit of him in recent months. It does bode well that McGary says Maryland is recruiting him the hardest (by far), but the fact he won’t even release a school list could temper the enthusiasm. McGary, Carter and Upshaw are all different players. McGary is a energetic big man with a nonstop motor who loves to run the floor and score. Carter is a back-to-the-basket big man with some of the best post moves in the country, while Upshaw is still a bit raw offensively during games. He looks great in drills, but I would like to see him improve his touch and use his size better.”

Baltimore Sports and Life: “As of today, the ’12-’13 Roster looks like:
Guards: Stoglin (Jr), Howard (Jr), Faust (Soph), Allen (Freshman)
SF: Palsson (Jr), Parker (Jr)
Bigs: Padgett (Sr), Pankey (Jr)

The Terps would have the ability to add as many as 5 additional players to the Class of ’12, but I’d guess Coach Turgeon and his Staff would like to avoid any class being that top heavy and sign no more than 3 players (in-addition to Allen). What is the best possible, but also most likely class you could see the Terps signing?”

Jeff Borzello: “I think they’re in good shape with Shaq Cleare, and I also think they like Arnaud Adala-Moto. After Justin Anderson decommitted, they needed another wing — and Moto fits that mold. They need frontcourt help badly, based on that depth chart, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see them target another big man. There are numerous options in 2012 for bigs, in addition to Cleare, and McGary could be that guy. With that said, it’s hard to get a read on his recruitment. Ideally, they would get McGary and maybe even another scorer, but I’m not sure how realistic that is.”

Baltimore Sports and Life: “In an interview with ESPN’s Paul Biancardi, Biancardi was extremely enthusiastic about  another DeMatha product – BeeJay Anya. Where do you rank the 6’8, 250 lb Center in the Class of ’13, and what do like best about his game?”

Jeff Borzello: “I have Anya in the top 30 of the class. He’s just such a wide body in the lane and he’s active at both ends. He can block shots despite not having a ton of athleticism, and he knows how to score around the rim. Because Anya isn’t tall or overly explosive, he is going to need to develop a versatile offensive repertoire. Right now, his girth and wingspan is enough to make a major impact.”

Baltimore Sports and Life: “In addition to Anya in the Class of ‘13, we have heard the Terps are involved with Nate Britt, Aquille Carr, and Cleare’s AAU teammates – the Harrison Brothers. Do you have thoughts on these recruits and where they might matriculate? Are there other players in the Class that Maryland fans should be keeping an eye on?”

Jeff Borzello: “I love the Harrison twins, but I think Andrew is the better prospect, without a doubt. He’s a 6-foot-5 point guard who can get to the rim at will and finish in traffic. Aaron is the better long-range shooter, but he’s not as versatile in the backcourt as his brother. Nate Britt is a top-10 guy in the class, not that far behind Andrew Harrison in the point guard rankings, but Maryland isn’t getting him. He’s a heavy Georgetown lean, with Duke (and maybe UNC) as the other team who could seriously threaten for him. Aquille Carr is fun to watch and he’s certainly explosive, but he’s got serious concerns for the college level. It remains to be seen how well he can play in a structured offense, and his 5-foot-6 size is obviously a potential problem. Other potential DMV products to keep an eye on in 2013 include Jairus Lyles and Will Ferguson, while Texas is also loaded in case Turgeon and Spinelli decide to reach back into their old stomping grounds.”

Chris Stoner
Chris Stoner

Owner

Chris Stoner founded Baltimore Sports and Life in 2009. He has appeared as a radio guest with 1090 WBAL, 105.7 The Fan, CBS 1300, Q1370, WOYK 1350, WKAV 1400, and WNST 1570. He has also been interviewed by The Baltimore Sun, Baltimore Business Journal, and PressBox (TV). As Owner, his responsibilities include serving as the Managing Editor, Publicist, & Sales Director.

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