Reading the WaPo series on Terps recruiting inspired me to put together a list of every college player of consequence (sorry, no Tyree Evanses) from the past five years or so who are either from the D.C.-Baltimore area or expressed specific interest in playing for Maryland, and who Gary Williams was either unwilling or unable to successfully recruit. Beside each name I’ve listed the college they attended and the years they played there, along with the high point of their college careers. Click on the names to find out where they are now.
Disclaimer: No program signs every single prospect from their area. I’m not saying Gary should have signed, or even should have wanted to sign, every one of these players. This is just a list of names. Make your own determinations. Without further ado:
Players Currently Playing In College:
– Ty Lawson (North Carolina, 2006-present: Reached 2008 Final Four)
– Jack McClinton (Miami, 2006-present: 2008 first-team All ACC, reached 2008 NCAA second round)
– Jerome Dyson (Connecticut, 2006-present: Now averaging 13 ppg/4 apg for #1 Huskies)
– Scottie Reynolds (Villanova, 2006-present: Reached 2008 Sweet 16, now averaging 15 ppg/4 apg)
– Malcolm Delaney (Va. Tech, 2007-present: Reached 2008 NIT q-finals, now averaging 19 ppg/4 apg)
– Austin Freeman (Georgetown, 2007-present: Reached 2008 NCAA second round)
– DaJuan Summers (Georgetown, 2006-present: Reached 2008 NCAA second round)
– Jeff Allen (Va. Tech, 2007-present: Reached 2008 NIT q-finals, now averaging 15 ppg/9 rpg)
Players No Longer In College:
– Kevin Durant (Texas, 2006-2007: First freshman to win National Player of the Year)
– Carmelo Anthony (Syracuse, 2002-2003: Won 2003 national championship)
– Deron Williams (Illinois, 2002-2005: Reached 2005 national championship game)
– Jarrett Jack (Georgia Tech, 2002-2005: Reached 2004 national championship game)
– Michael Beasley (Kansas State, 2007-2008: Reached 2008 NCAA 2nd round, first-team All-America)
– Jeff Green (Georgetown, 2005-2008: Reached 2007 Final Four, 2007 Big East Player of the Year)
– Roy Hibbert (Georgetown, 2004-2008: Reached 2007 Final Four)
– Josh Boone (Connecticut, 2003-2006: Won 2004 national championship)
– Rudy Gay (Connecticut, 2004-2006: Reached 2006 Elite Eight, 2006 second-team All-America)
– Joey Dorsey (Memphis, 2005-2008: Reached 2008 national championship game)
– Jai Lewis (George Mason, 2002-2006: Reached 2006 Final Four)
– Matt Walsh (Florida, 2002-2005: Won 2005 SEC tournament, made tourney all four years)
– Joe Alexander (West Virginia, 2005-2008: Reached 2008 Sweet 16, first-team All Big East)
– Donte Green (Syracuse, 2007-2008: Reached 2008 NIT q-finals, second-team All Big East)
This list depresses me. Getting Malcolm Delaney alone would have saved us a few losses. Every time I see Jack McClinton on TV I turn to my wife and say, “Why can’t we just get ONE guy that can score like that?” Don’t forget that we already had “our guys”. I mean, once you have Hayes and Vasquez in place at the 1 and 2 you might as well hang-up the phone on the other recruits, right?
Maryland is doing a bad job of recruiting. That has now been established as fact. My question is, aside from recruiting is Gary doing a bad job of coaching? Can you rectify the recruiting system and leave him in as the X’s and O’s guy? Or are they inseperable?
I agree that the point has been established…but despite that fact, I couldn’t find a list like this one anywhere. So I made it.
In my opinion, Gary Williams is a great coach. Actual game-planning is not the problem.
The most depressing part of the list is the players no longer in college. Just imagine a 2003 Maryland squad including Carmelo, Deron Williams, Jarrett Jack, Josh Boone, Jai Lewis, and Matt Walsh. Or a 2006 team with Kevin Durant, Jeff Green, and Roy Hibbert. I should probably stop right there, for the sake of my own sanity.