Maryland's Post Player Options

4/26/2011 8:01:37 AM With the departure of Jordan Williams appearing more certain by the day; it's worth looking at the options Maryland is looking at for next season and beyond.

2011

Plan A - Jordan stays. Likelihood= 10%
Plan B - Marek Soucek.  As discussed in the last thread, Soucek is a 7'0 Czech Power Forward who would come to MD by way of the Canary Islands.  He can shoot the three and it even looks like he has a good first step.  Is he strong enough to hold his own down low in ACC?  Remains to be seen.  Can he play right away?  Remains to be seen.  Likelihood = 50%
Plan C - Go to battle with James Padgett, Berend Weijs, and Ashton Pankey and pray that at least one of them steps forward as a reliable post presence (at least from a rebounding and defensive perspective).  My bet is on Pankey.  We've seen what Padgett is capable of and it is hard to imagine he improves over what we've seen the last 2 years.  Pankey on the other hand has put on 20lbs of muscle since he came to College Park, and as a product of St. Anthony's in NJ; it is safe to say that Pankey understands the game.  Hopefully, he'll emerge from his redshirt season ready to go.  Likelihood = 40%

2012

Plan A - Shaquille Cleare and Wally Judge sign.  Cleare lists MD at the top of his list.  Hopefully, he'll sign in the fall.  He's an elite talent.  He's got post moves and a wide body.  It'd be a coup for the Terp coaching staff to land the young Bahamian.  Judge is making his official visit to MD this weekend.  Zags Blog points to Rutgers as the favorite to land Judge, but MD, Washington and Memphis are also in the mix.  (http://www.zagsblog.com/2011/04/26/judge-visiting-maryland-washington/)  Apologies; but my linking feature doesn't seem to be working on this machine.  Likelihood = 45%

Landing Judge and Cleare would give the Terps the perfect frontcourt tandem.  It's Baxter (Cleare) and Wilcox (Judge) all over again.  Cleare has the wide body and the post-game; while Judge can leap out of the gym and block shots.  Throw in a backcourt of Stoglin, Faust, and Justin Anderson and the Terps could be in the Final Four if the nucleus can stick together through 2013.

Plan B - Robert Upshaw (http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/recruiting/player/_/id/96162/robert-upshaw) has received an offer from Maryland.  He's a California kid and would represent a great "get" for the program, but I'd rate the Cleare/Judge combo above Upshaw.  In addition to Upshaw, the Terps have also offered Mitch McGary )http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/recruiting/player/_/id/66847/mitch-mcgary).  McGary hails from Big 10 country (Indiana), so it's hard to imagine he flips to MD; but the Terps are casting a wide net and that is good thing.  Likelihood 20%

Plan C - If none of the above commit to MD; the Terps are interested in 6'9" PF Zach Auguste (http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/recruiting/player/_/id/103374/zach-auguste).  Auguste is not a wide body but can run the floor and jump.  He's a similar player to Desmond Hubert. Likelihood = 20%

Plan D - If the Terps can't land any of the frontcourt players mentioned above; then we might as well forget about college basketball until the back half of the decade.  Likelihood = 15%

Seriously, the Terps need to land some of these guys.  2011 is going to be tough without Jordan; but I think the Terps have a good shot at their 2012 Plan A (Cleare and Judge).  If that happens, break out the party hats.
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