Maryland makes top six for top target
One of Maryland’s top recruiting targets has trimmed his list of schools and set a decision date.
Ike Cornish, a top-75 wing in the 2021 class that originally attended high school locally at Dulaney (Md.) before transferring to Legacy Charter in South Carolina last year, will choose between the Terps, Xavier, Virginia Tech, Clemson, Georgetown and VCU on August 21, his 17th birthday, he announced via Twitter Saturday night. He’s no longer considering DePaul and George Washington.
Cornish released a top-eight that included Maryland in March, a month before the hometown program offered him a scholarship. He has visited campus countless times and has a close relationship with fellow Baltimore natives Darryl Morsell and Jalen Smith. Those factors are among the top reasons many pundits believe the Terps are in the driver’s seat to land the skilled 6-foot-6 wing this fall.
Maryland already struck in Baltimore once in the 2021 cycle, landing 6-foot-9 forward Julian Reese last week. Reese and Cornish were teammates on the same AAU team last summer, and attended the Terps’ double digit win over Iowa in January together. Maryland has multiple scholarships available next year, and Cornish is one of a number of wings they’re recruiting to replace Morsell, who has one more season of eligibility remaining. Aaron Wiggins, a rising junior, could also potentially leave after next season for the NBA Draft if he has a breakout year. Unproven guards Serrel Smith and Hakim Hart are the only other wings on the roster.
Assistant coach Bino Ranson, a Baltimore native, is leading the charge in Cornish’s recruitment. Cornish is rated as the nation’s No. 16 shooting guard and 78th player overall according to the 247Sports Composite rankings.
