Terrapin men’s basketball coach Gary Williams was wrapping up his acceptance speech Thursday night after being inducted into the “Hall of Legends” of the Sports Legends Museum at Camden Yards, during which he mostly reflected on the past. But one of the last things he said dealt with the future of Maryland.
“This year is a challenge,” Williams said. “But it’s a challenge I really like. We have six new players, six veteran players, we have to get those guys together. I think we have the right attitude… and I’m anxious to get this thing started.”
Pretty docile coachspeak. But then he let something slip that got me thinking right away.
“Midnight Madness is the 15th,” Williams said, “and there’ll be a special surprise.”
This surprise could really be nothing in the scheme of things. Maybe Gary will drive another cool car to the event as he has in recent years. Maybe they’re bringing back the black uniforms that Williams has apparently banned, for the season or even just for this event. Who knows, maybe Greivis Vasquez will make a guest appearance.
Any of those things would be pretty cool. But what would be the biggest — albeit most unlikely — surprise?
The announcement of verbal commitments from Baltimore shooting guard Nick Faust and/or Mississippi center Johnny O’Bryant.
Yes, Williams tipping his hand like that would be somewhat farfetched, and possibly a rules violation. But after the official visits for the two recruits went well, there was speculation that a commitment from Faust was on the horizon, and possibly one from O’Bryant as well.
The two players were at the Florida International football game, during which the student section (the few fans that turned out, anyway) led cheers of “we want Johnny,” and “we want Faust” at the end of the first quarter while holding up printed-out flyers. The athletics department also apparently got some students to fill up some seats at Comcast Center and chant “J.O.B” when O’Bryant toured the Terps’ home court.
The student efforts apparently made an impression on O’Bryant, who likley sees the Terrapin faithful more like the passionate fans who can chant profanities loud enough to be audible on national television (as is often the case when the Terps play Duke at Comcast) than the fans who rather do anything on a Saturday than go to a 3-1 team’s football game.
Though no commitment has been announced from either player, there is some belief that the Terrapin coaching staff is sitting on a verbal offer from one or both of the recruits. Assistant coach Robert Ehsan’s optimistic tweet added fuel to that fire.
But like I said before I went on this tangent, chances are Gary wasn’t talking about those recruits as he wrapped up his speech. It’s pretty pie-in-the-sky to think he would do something that drastic, and possibly illegal, especially considering how serious he takes recruiting properly.
But if the Terps were to get one or both of those players — Faust, a top-ten shooting guard, whose local roots make him all the more appealing to a fan base still looking for the next Juan Dixon, and O’Bryant the No. 1 center recruit who could be absoultely deadly teamed with Jordan Williams — it would be a huge get for the program.
That class, combined with the 2010 haul of Mychal Parker, Terrell Stoglin and Pe’Shon Howard could effectively replace the core of Vasquez, Eric Hayes and Landon Milbourne.