Maryland Basketball: 2021-22 season preview and outlook for Terrapins

Bench players for Maryland Basketball

PF – Julian Reece

The Terp’s continue the area pipeline for big men going strong as the 6-10 Freshmen from Baltimore come to College Park as the crown jewel of the incoming freshman class. He was a four-star recruit and was rated as the #1 prospect in the state of Maryland and 10th nationally at his position. Reece led St. Frances High School to a 15-1 record and a berth in the Baltimore Catholic League Championship game.

"“He’s a hybrid inside-out. He’s Baltimore tough. He has great hands . He is a little bit nasty, scores around the basket with either hand. As a stretch five, he is going to be a problem”."

I cant wait to see what he can do this season and putting Reece and Wahab on the court at the same time, will be a nightmare for opponents. There have been some comparisons to another recent Maryland great Jalen “Stix” Smith, as he will be asked to play a similar role that Stix played.  Reece also has a sister Angel who is a star guard for the Lady Terps. Both Reece’s will be hard to handle this year.

SG/SF – Xavier Green

Another player that comes to College Park from the transfer portal as the 6-6 graduate transferred from local area school Old Dominion. Last year he led ODU in minutes played, ranked second in assists, and also surpassed the 1,000 point mark for this career. Green played in 121 of 122 possible games and started 90 games during his four years in Norfolk. Green will bring hard-nosed defense and experienced leadership to the Terps.

"“I think he is 24 or turns 24 this year. So, he has a ton of experience. He was an all-league defender in 14 team league CUSA. We lost Darryl (Morsell) and we just felt like we needed perimeter defense”."

SG/SF – James Graham III

If his name sounds familiar, it is because it is a familiar name as the 6-8 Freshmen from Milwaukee, WI joined the Terp’s late last December, as Graham could not pass up an opportunity to come to College Park early to get a jump start on things. There was an open scholarship, so it was an easy decision for Graham to enroll early, as well as not losing any eligibility because of the pandemic.

"“James came early, which was smart, changed his body and has gotten better defensively. He can really make open shots, can really shoot it. Turgeon also said “He is the type of shooter who can make bad shots like Melo (Trimble) and Anthony (Cowan) used to do”."

PF – Pavlo Dziuba

The 6-8 Sophomore from Ukraine is a transfer from Arizona State, who last year one of the youngest players in division one college basketball as he was only 17 years old. Dziuba made a name for himself at the FIBA U16 Division B European Championships in 2020 as he averaged 13.8 ppg and 9.3 rpg. He figures to be a major reserve as a PF or number three center in some cases. Turgeon is also telling people not to sleep on this somewhat under the radar addition to the Terps.

"“He is just a freak athlete. He is not as skilled as needs to be yet, but I think he is going to be an elite defender, He has great feet. He is going to be an elite rebounder as well”."

PG – Ian Martinez

Martinez is another interesting and below-the-radar signing by the Terps. The 6-3 Sophomore is a transfer from Utah, where in College Park he could very well be the backup point guard to Fatts Russell. He was a four-star recruit out of California, who as a freshman played his best basketball as the season went on as he averaged 9.7 ppg over the final six games. So upon his first day on the court, he tore his meniscus and underwent surgery in June, but is currently back and practicing with the team.

"“Ian is a combo guard who can score at all levels and still has tremendous room for growth. He brings a passion and flair to the game that I think will remind a lot of fans of Grevis Vasquez”."

PG/SG – Marcus Dockery

The 6-2 Sophomore Guard was a late bloomer in high school and was known for his reputation as a shooter, but so far Dockery has just not been able to showcase his talent in College Park. This year he will have the opportunity to earn the backup PG job as he will be in competition for that spot against newcomer Ian Martinez.

SG/SF – Ike Cornish

He is another one of the outstanding incoming freshmen coming to College Park this season. The 6-6 Guard from Baltimore was the third-best prospect in the state of Maryland, the number sixteen shooting guard by position, and the 92nd player overall.

"“We think he can be an elite defender and a good shooter for us, but he has some work to do”."