Terps 'Big' Move leading to success in unlikely area

Maryland’s recruiting footprint was expected to change when it switched conferences in 2014, but there’s been an uptick in action in one area that was unforeseen at the time. While the Terps’ staff began pouring more time and resources into states like Wisconsin, Indiana, Ohio and Michigan upon the move, their recent success in a nearby city to the North has represented the biggest change. Donta Scott’s decision to commit to Maryland in 2017 ended the longtime ACC program’s decades-long drought in Philadelphia, and his AAU teammate Hakim Hart -- another Philly native -- followed suit and joined him as a freshman on last year’s team.

The Terps’ newfound success in the area has a lot to do with assistant coach Matt Brady, who joined Mark Turgeon’s staff in 2017, but also conference realignment, as suddenly the City of Brotherly of Love is surrounded by three Big Ten programs: Maryland, Rutgers and Penn State. It also comes at a time where Syracuse, which has had as much success recruiting the area as any program, has been on a bit of a downward trajectory with Jim Boeheim’s Hall of Fame career winding down.

“I’ve always liked Philly players. I think about Fran [Dunphy] and his teams at Temple, and even before that. The Aaron McKies and those guys, I’ve always been enamored with Philadelphia players and what they’re about, just their toughness and knowledge of the game,” Turgeon said in a video interview with Scott's mentor and Philadelphia basketball guru Delgreco Wilson last month. “And to be quite honest with you, they’re really humble. That’s nice to have in today’s world when you can get kids that are humble and they come in and they just want to work and do what you say.”

Turgeon, who spent a season as an assistant with the 76ers under Larry Brown before landing his first head coaching gig at Jacksonville State in 1998, made an effort to recruit Philadelphia as soon as he took over at Maryland for Gary Williams in 2011, making a run at five-star point guard Rysheed Jordan, dubbed the “The Prince of North Philly” by admiring locals. Jordan chose St. John’s instead, lasting two seasons there before failing out of school. Now 25, he was recently released from a jail following a three-and-a-half year prison sentence after pleading guilty to aggravated assault, robbery and possession of a firearm. Maryland also made a run at DeAndre Hunter, a product of the same Philly Pride AAU team as Scott and Hart who had a stellar career at Virginia before the Atlanta Hawks selected him fourth overall in the 2019 NBA Draft. The last big-time recruit the Terps landed from Philadelphia prior to Scott was Parade All-American Reggie Jackson, whose career in College Park was a disappointment, averaging less than three points and 15 minutes per game as a senior during the 1981-82 season. Missing out Jordan might’ve been a blessing in disguise for his program’s current ability to recruit Philadelphia, according to Turgeon.

“We missed on a few when we first got here and it might’ve worked out for us a little bit on that,” he said.

Maryland could need to go into Philadelphia more down the road as the ‘DMV’ area remains “decidedly ACC territory”, according to the area’s top AAU program director Keith Stevens, whose Team Takeover program produces a handful of high-major prospects who head out of state every year. Still, the Terps continue to have noteworthy success at keeping top players at home with Anthony Cowan and Jalen Smith serving as obvious examples. Incoming freshman Marcus Dockery is another player from the area, as well as recent commit Julian Reese, a Baltimore commit who is slated to join the team in 2021.

“I do think [the DMV] is more of an ACC area to recruit, but also you’ve got Villanova and Georgetown from the Big East that do a good job here,” Turgeon said. “What we’ve tried to do is really step up in the North. Matt Brady obviously is a Philly guy, and he’s done a good job of getting us involved with good young players in Philly, Jersey and New York. So that’s an area where we’re really trying to do a better job in, but we always try to protect our home turf. I think us and Penn State in the Big Ten do a great job here in this area getting players, and I hope it stays that way just us two in the Big Ten to be quite honest with you.”

With Cowan graduating and Smith turning pro, Scott and Hart, as well as Eric Ayala, a Delaware native, are all expected to see increased roles next year. Scott is the team’s top returning frontcourt player, while Ayala could take over as the team’s main ball handler with Cowan gone. Hart, a lanky 6-foot-7 guard who played limited minutes as a freshman, meanwhile, could be the player who makes the biggest jump this offseason, Turgeon said. He told Hart as much in the locker room right after the season abruptly ended due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“We said it in our last team meeting when the season ended and we were all crying, crushed that the season ended, I said in front of the whole team, I said, ‘Hakim, man, you’ve got to make that jump. We’re all counting on you to make that jump. If you make that jump and learn how to practice hard and play hard, compete and get a little more physical and don’t be afraid of contact, we can stay where we are.’ So he’s a significant piece for us next year and I’m just praying that he’s home somehow figuring out how to workout and get better.”

Turgeon is doing more praying than coaching these days with spring workouts canceled and summer workouts postponed. Despite his best efforts, he’s been unable to boost his backcourt with a graduate transfer so far, meaning Hart could be forced into a bigger role whether he’s ready for it or not. He appeared in just 18 games as a freshman, but played at least nine minutes in three of the team’s final four games. Turgeon hopes he’s carried that momentum into the offseason without the coaching staff’s supervision.

“Hakim’s got to learn how to work harder. I think you know what and I know that,” Turgeon told Wilson. “He finally figured that out towards the end of the year and that’s why his minutes went up. He’s a terrific player, man. He has a feel that you can’t teach and that’s what I love about Philadelphia players -- all of them have a great feel for the game.

“Hak’s going to, I think, make the biggest jump [on the team]. I’m disappointed right now because, man I’ll tell you what, we’re missing valuable time making him better in the weight room and with us on the court, just the extra time he would put in with the upperclassmen. And then we’re probably going to miss most of the summer, if not all of it. So hopefully he’s working at the level -- he knows there’s a different level he has to work at now, but what a terrific player.”

Turgeon doesn’t have the same work ethic concerns about Scott, who moved into the starting lineup a month into the season and gave the team toughness in the post next to Smith. He practiced harder than anyone on the team, Turgeon said, and has the potential to become a “big-time” player down the road as opportunities open up for him to showcase his full arsenal. He was an afterthought on the offensive end at times as a freshman, but he played point guard in high school and should move up the offensive pecking order as a sophomore. His numbers improving across the board appear to be the biggest slam dunk on the team heading into next year.

“He’s a smart player. He has a great feel on both ends. I had a really smart team this year. I had six guys whose intelligent level was through the roof. They’d make adjustments in the game, I’d make adjustments and then they’d make adjustments, and Donta was smart enough to do that, so that’s why he was out there. He just had a terrific year,” Turgeon said of Scott, who averaged 5.9 points and 3.6 rebounds in 21.6 minutes per game.

“I do think there’s so much room for improvement with him. He’s still raw. He still plays in fifth gear a little bit too much. His shot can really improve. It got better but it can really improve. I think he’s more of a playmaker than he showed this year. He started to get a little bit more comfortable in that role as the year went on, but I think he’s going to be a big playmaker for us whether he’s at the four or at the three because he can get into the paint and make plays. I don’t think he was comfortable [doing that this year]. I think he was like, ‘Oh man, we’ve got Anthony Cowan and Stix and Aaron Wiggins.’ I think each day he just got a little bit more comfortable, but it’s just slowing down and recognizing situations and he’ll become a big-time playmaker and a big-time player for us. And hopefully this year his stats and everything jumps significantly for us.”

If Scott and Hart continue to improve and succeed at Maryland, Turgeon should have plenty to sell future Philadelphia recruits. The staff has scholarship offers out to the three highest-ranked players in the area in the 2021 class, and just made the top-10 for rising senior Trey Patterson this week, a top-50 wing who hails from New Jersey. 2022 five-star big man Jalen Duren, who was high school teammates with Hart at Philadelphia prep powerhouse Roman Catholic, is another name to look out for. Brady, a New Jersey native who spent close to 15 years as an D-I assistant in Philadelphia -- including a long stint at Saint Joseph’s where he coached future NBA players Jameer Nelson and Delonte West -- is the lead recruiter for each.

“Matt Brady obviously is a Philly guy, and he’s done a good job of getting us involved with good young players in Philly, Jersey and New York,” Turgeon said. “So with Coach Brady, a guy who doesn’t mind getting in the car and driving up there, he’s a grinder and he’s up there. We know there’s a lot of competition in that area, but if Donta and Hakim and Eric Ayala continue to have great careers for us, that only helps us in the future.”