Maryland Basketball: Terps land forward Julian Reese, first class 2021 commit

Maryland basketball landed its first 2021 recruit in St. Frances Academy power forward Julian Reese on Mother’s Day.

Maryland basketball received some good news on the recruiting trail Sunday when they secured the commitment of Julian Reese, the younger brother of Maryland women’s basketball recruit, Angel Reese.

Mark Turgeon strikes again in the Baltimore area and although Terps fans won’t get to see him suit up for another season, the Terps have had two shining examples in Darryl Morsell and Jalen Smith produce at a high level.

Julian Reese is the 104th best player in the nation, 21st best power forward and fifth-best player in Maryland. The 6-foot-9, 205 pound, Owings Mills, Maryland native chose the Terps over LSU, Seton Hall, Virginia Tech, Rutgers and more. After the mass exodus of frontcourt players this offseason, Reese could become a key piece of Maryland’s future.

In 37 games played for the St. Frances Academy Panthers, Reese averaged 10.6 points per game, 6.7 rebounds per game and 3.6 blocks per game. The Panthers finished the 2019-20 season in dominant fashion with a 38-4 (19-1 MIAA A Red) record and beat Mount St. Joseph 81-65 to win the BCL Championship. They finished as a top-five team in Maryland according to MaxPreps.

If Julian Reese can develop a three-point shot as a big man he’ll be as dangerous as Jalen Smith was in his two seasons with the program. Looking at the depth the Terps have in the frontcourt as of now, they only have Boston College transfer Jairus Hamilton and Chol Marial for the 2020-21 season. Jonathan Kuminga put the Terps in his top 10 list recently and they’re also targeting Franck Kepnang and Charles Bediako in the 2021 class.

Now that the Terps have their first commit of the 2021 class, they have three more spots available. Will they use them to secure their frontcourt for the future or will more guards and possibly a wing fill out the class?