Breakers Head Coach Dan Shamir Analyzes Maryland Target Taine Murray

Head coach Mark Turgeon wants to close the 2021 class with a guard as international guard prospect Taine Murray has the Terps on his shortlist.

Maryland’s search for a point guard has gone international to close the 2021 cycle as head coach Mark Turgeon spearheads the recruiting efforts for guard Taine Murray. The 6-foot-5, 190-pound rising senior brings a strong frame with ideal size that can make an impact in a number of different ways, but before he gets to college, Murray will suit up for the New Zealand Breakers as head coach Dan Shamir is excited for the 18 year old point guard to join the team.

“He’s a young guy who’s about to graduate from high school, so this is how I know him and why I recruited him. He’s actually going to play, signed a contract with us as a development player in this league so he’s going to be one of our young guys on the team,” Shamir told All Terrapins. “We didn’t have him until now, aside of maybe ten days here and there when he was on a break from school. He was not actually day-in, day-out with us and that will happen this year.”

The young guard has room to grow but the early signs that Murray showed on tape makes Shamir excited for the potential of his newest guard.

“For this league, he’s a future guard for sure and I think he will be a future starter in this league. At this age, about to be 19, he’s not as polished but he has a pretty good body, plays hard, quite versatile as a scorer for his age and he can both get to the rim, play pick-and-roll and make shots. He’s not elite in any of those, he has more learning to do, but he’s pretty good at everything so that’s probably his biggest asset. He’s 6’5”, big body guard that can do it all so right now, I wouldn’t say he’s a primary target for anybody that’s recruiting him but he’s a very good secondary guy for any team. Can defend, knock down the shot if needed, can also be a top guy—pick and roll, handles, whatever it is.”

Head coach Mark Turgeon is looking to replenish the guard room as junior Eric Ayala assumes starting duties for the upcoming season. While Murray has noted the academic value of playing college basketball, the time spent with Breakers this season can round out his game ahead of an impact role at the next level.

“The way I see it, guys like him, the main thing that separates players at the higher level is knowledge of the game, learning all the reads and where to pass, what to look for, what is the way to play at this level in the international game. It’s a great opportunity for him to be in an organization, he’ll graduate from school and he’ll have a few months before he goes to the US. it’s a perfect environment for him so it was an easy sell, it will be a good situation for him. He wants to go to school, wants to get an education, also a very good student so he’s also interested in that quality education but this guy, I believe he will have a nice career especially here in the NBL then it’s going to be a very good starting point to be around good players and be coached and develop.”

Murray was drafted by the Auckland Huskies in the fourth round of the NZNBL Draft but agreed to remain an amateur in order to retain eligibility for college. "I'm going to keep my amateur status, so I won't receive any money, keeping the amateur status to keep the college pathways open at this stage," Murray told 1 NEWS back in June. The chance to play in the 2020-21 Australian season halts the potential for Murray to reclassify to 2020 as Maryland, Stanford and Virginia vie for his services. Shamir has let Murray and his camp handle his recruiting process ahead of Murray’s permanent arrival with the club. “He needs to finish everything before he gets to us then he’ll be with us 100% and in terms of the process, some coaches and friends have reached out, but I try and stay out of it.” While he has let Murray make the independent decision, his versatility and defensive toughness has Shamir confident he can fit anywhere at the next level.

“He can be a very good solid, secondary target guy so playing in any backcourt, I believe, at the college level because of his versatility. He’s really solid in everything, he’s got the ability to defend 1,2 and 3s and can compete with anybody. Offensively he has versatility to play in any system and, like I said, maybe not the guy you see the ball in his hands all the time but a guy in a backcourt with a guy like that.”

The National Basketball League is expected to start in the beginning of December as a formal decision is expected this week.