News of the Maryland men’s basketball team broke Wednesday, including major scheduling news, an unusual decision by a recruit and several former players chasing their NBA dreams locally.
Washington State Transfer Effie Abogidi Withdrew from the 2022 NBA draft. But instead of returning to college, he is expected to sign with G-League Ignite, according to InsideMD Sports Jeff Ermann. Abogidi is Maryland’s No. 1 target at center. Maryland, who was more persistent in recruiting than Arizona and Florida, came close to committing but changed his mind and opted to show his stuff in the NBA’s feeder leagues, according to Elman.
Maryland head coach Kevin Willard While the talent pool continues to shrink and his team will continue to find frontcourt depth, the Tepps could soon add a highly regarded big man.sophomore forward Julian Rees Still the only post player with experience returning to the roster at the moment.
Terps continue to upgrade their non-conference schedule compared to previous years, Back at the Hall of Fame Invitational to take on Tennessee at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, according to Jeff Goodman of The Stadium. Oklahoma State faces Virginia Tech as part of a four-game series scheduled for Dec. 11 in another big game.
[Maryland Basketball Recruiting Scoop: A new key visit and a big decision]
The Volunteers, who finished last season with a 27-8 record and a third seed in the NCAA Tournament, were listed as the No. 13 team in ESPN’s premature rankings updated on May 31. This will be a year-end test of the big Terps. Maryland faces Florida State in the same game in 2021-22, winning 70-68.The win marks the first for the new interim head coach Danny Manning.
former teps Eric Ayala and Daryl Moser Attended the first day of the Washington Wizards’ pre-draft workout on Wednesday.
Ayala, who declared for the NBA draft in early May and hired an agent, is averaging 14.7 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists as a senior in the 2021-22 season. Before the pre-draft workout, he was projected as a late second-round undrafted pick. He has the size and has proven he can score, but athleticism and defense will be questions he needs to answer.
Moser, who played four seasons at College Park before moving to Marquette to qualify for COVID, averaged a career-high 13.4 points, along with 3.1 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.2 steals. He’s an NBA athlete whose defense could get him a place somewhere, but he’ll need to prove he can shoot consistently after hitting 30 percent from 3-point range in his college career.
Wizards Insider Quinton Mayo reported that sources told He Mosel was the best player in the six-man group and Ayala “did some good things”.