On March 6, high school basketball superpower Oak Hill Academy squared off against the D.C. metro area's top program, Montrose Christian. The matchup was the second between the two teams this season, and just like the first, Oak Hill proved to be too much for famed coach Stu Vetter's squad. The Warriors outlasted the Mustangs, 69-63, at Georgetown Prep's Hanley Center, giving Oak Hill it's 43rd consecutive victory dating back to last season, and handing Montrose Christian its second loss of the season.
But even more impressive than the game itself was the collection of talent on the court. The game featured no less than eight players who will be playing Division-I basketball, including all five starters for Oak Hill. The main attraction was the head-to-head battle between the Warriors' 6'9 Keith Gallon and the Mustangs' 6'9 Mouphtaou Yarou. Both seniors are widely recognized as top players in the nation, with Gallon committed to Oklahoma and Yarou headed to Villanova. Both had stellar games, with Gallon going off for 20 points and 12 rebounds, and Yarou tallying 24 and 7.
For Montrose Christian, 6'8 forward Isaiah Armood will also head to Villanova next year, and 6'6 junior Terrance Ross is considering a variety of Pac-10 schools, headed by Washington and Arizona State. Freshman standout Justin Anderson, who is all over scouts' radars, currently has Virginia, Villanova and Texas at the top of his list of potential destinations.
For area hoops fans, you've certainly noticed that none of the Mustangs' highly-touted prospects are staying in-state to play for the Terrapins, continuing a trend of Maryland's inability to keep local products at home. Fan frustration hit an all-time high earlier this season after the Terps' blowout loss at Duke, when the calls for Gary Williams' head were at a fever pitch. The criticism has cooled since then as Maryland has made a courageous run at the NCAA Tournament, but that doesn't change the fact that the area's best players still don't end up in College Park. That Montrose Christian's top players this year didn't even so much as consider playing for the Terps speaks volumes about how far Maryland's ability to recruit, especially in its own backyard, has fallen.
Williams has been outspoken about his disdain for the recruiting process and his unwillingness to "play the game," and therein lies the problem. In the past, he simply didn't have to; he had quality assistants who were primarily responsible for recruiting. Following Maryland's unprecedented success earlier in the decade, culminating with a national championship, those assistants subsequently left to pursue greater, more lucrative coaching opportunities. No surprise there, as that is typically what happens with the nation's top programs. But those voids have yet to be filled as far as recruiting goes, and it has shown. Do the names Carmelo Anthony, Michael Beasley, and Kevin Durant ring a bell? All hailed from the state of Maryland, yet none of them even so much as considered playing for the Terps. Even guys like Scottie Reynolds (Herndon/Villanova) and Brian Johnson (Bishop O'Connell/Mississippi State) didn't give Maryland a chance.
In addition, Williams has also made it clear that he's no longer willing to take on prima donnas simply because they're great basketball players, not after the constant headaches he endured while trying to get ultra-talented but equally temperamental John Gilchrest to keep his head on straight while at Maryland. Fair enough, but in today's world where amateur ballers are coddled and spoiled at such a young age, Williams' stance eliminates a fairly large percentage of players from his recruiting pool.
Look, no one is disputing Williams' coaching ability or greatness. He's hands-down one of the best in the business, and actually, his lack of recruiting prowess has only emphasized that fact. When you're on the verge of an NCAA Tournament appearance with Dave Neal as your starting center, you must be coaching 'em right. That's not a knock on Neal, who has greatly improved in his four years at College Park, but that doesn't change the fact that he's vastly undersized and lacks the athleticism of his ACC counterparts. Likewise for guys like Adrian Bowie, who are consistently matched against superior athletes. But the fact remains that when a program enjoys the type of success that Maryland has, there is the expectation from fans and the school itself that it will sustain that success. In this situation, it hasn't. And in this situation, recruiting is the primary culprit.
How do you feel about Maryland's struggles in recent years? And what about the job Williams has done? Do you think he's worn out his welcome or should get to dictate his own terms after all he's done for the program? And why do you think the area's best recruits don't consider playing for him at Maryland?
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I understand that Gary Williams only recruits players that will stay all four years. But when you see players like Carmelo Anthony go to college for one season and win a national championship, you have to start changing your ways. I think that Gary is forever stuck in his ways and unless another Juan Dixon comes along, all we can hope for are first or second round exits in the big tournament.
ReplyDeleteJuan Dixon did come around...in the form of his little brother. He is now playing very good ball at Pittsburgh, Jermaine Dixon. He is a great player on a great team and if Gary cannot get him to even consider coming to Maryland...that is saying something. The bottom line is that he has to take care of his own back yard. There is no reason he can't find absolute studs in the surrounding counties because Villanova and others have done a great job here.
ReplyDeleteHere is my biggest complaint with Gary Williams. This article was posted this morning on ESPN.com. GRADUATION RATE - 10%????
ReplyDeletehttp://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/ncaatourney09/news/story?id=3987923
Greivis Vasquez, I believe, was a big recruit from Montrose Christian. He played there with Kevin Durant and Adrian Bowie. You are correct that this area has a ton of talent, but you can't get them all.
ReplyDeleteI think Gary is an excellent coach who has done a great job coaching inferior talent with a few great players. Recruiting is a weakness, but his track record should want players to play for him.
Something else to consider is that over the past decade, with the increased popularity of the sport combined with national television broadcasts of teams previously unseen or unknown by most, a prospect's allegiance to his local school(s) has plummeted across the board.
ReplyDeleteTen years ago, would Kevin Durant have even considered attending Texas? Would he have even known who the coach was or seen the team play a single game?
Coaches can no longer rely on a hometown advantage in the recruiting game. Local allegiance is going extinct.