Will Any Sports Recruits Stay in College Park?
July 16, 2008
Seriously, it was mildly humorous when the Maryland Terrapins basketball program was faced with multiple defections from recruits, but now with a prized quarterback recruit backing out of his commitment, this reeks of something much larger.
Basketball more than football has been plagued by indecisive teens and failures of communication in the recruiting process, but Ralph Friedgen, like Gary Williams, hasn’t landed that kind of recruits that will put him over the hump in the ACC standings.
For both sports, that means another year of lowered expectations and probably less support for the program.
As for the recruits themselves, the changing of addresses before their arrival can be indications of a couple of things. The most obvious is that current players are telling recruits that they should not come to College Park, either in protest of current coaching staff or for selfishly-motivated reasons. More than coaches, boosters and family, current players yield the most sway over impressionable and talented high school athletes.
It could be possible that Maryland just doesn’t have the facilities that widen the pupils of well-traveled athletes. Maryland is not in the poor house by any means, but its rare to hear commentators and experts glowing about the weight rooms, dorms and eating facilities on campus at Maryland.
Finally, and most likely, Maryland just does not have the kind of booster pull that other schools have. As unquiet as it is kept, players need their families and themselves to feel pampered in the recruiting process. The coaches and athletes can talk about the career and sex options, respectively, but only boosters have the money and the leeway to show money to these kids and their loved ones through undetectable channels.
I know. We don’t like to hear that Maryland or any other school should have to resort to the money game to get good players, but the bottom line is that the players are getting everything they need from somewhere else.
After originally thinking that everything they needed was in College Park.
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8 Responses to “Will Any Sports Recruits Stay in College Park?”
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I thought you were going to hit on my pet theory, but you skirted around it. I think my alma mater’s biggest handicap in recruiting in College Park itself. Most of the town is an eyesore. There are no good hangouts, short of D.C. itself which would only be affordable on an Trojans’ player’s salary. The girls are, well, too New Jersey/Long Island. Football players are still second fiddle to basketball players. Basketball players can get everything Maryland offers at a school where they’ll be worshipped, in Georgetown.
Maryland is a great school and a great place to be an athlete, but the town frankly offers nothing that can’t be found elsewhere. With more and more games on television, top athletes don’t need to be in the ACC to get noticed.
The handicaps are piling up (especially with VT, Georgetown and UVA nearby), and there aren’t enough draws to overcome them.
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Having grown up in PG County, I will agree that College Park itself is not alluring, but the county and proximity to D.C. are. To that end, there has to be another reason why kids would rather go to Texas, Syracuse, Memphis and other out of the way places instead of staying home.
I think that in terms of football, so many more programs have a higher profile, even in their local areas. Maryland football has a weak sense of tradition, in addition to other shortcomings.
Also, in terms of current players talkin smack, I once overheard somebody on the teams saying, “Coach Friedgen be picking on brothas on purpose.” Or something like that. I mean, maybe that’s just the one guy’s impression but I know other guys on the team that don’t love playing football for the Fridge (not necessarily because of racism).
I think Fridge probably picks on any athletic player who gives him a chance to win, to try and get the most out of them before they are hurt up or out of eligibility.
I know I’m not as close to campus as you are, but I can say as a native I didn’t go to College Park because of some racial incidents that were unrelated to the football program.
Will Any Sports Recruits Stay in College Park?
Not if Gary Williams’ sweaty armpits and Ralphie Friedgen’s belly has anything to say about it.
C’mon, if a school like Mississippi State can get basketball recruits to play in Starkville, MS, then the Terps should be able to as well.
There’s something about Maryland kids from the area just can’t stand. Look at me. I ran all the way to Baltimore and never looked back.
Except for Thanksgiving, Christmas and fishing trips.
Interesting story….most valuable college basketball teams from Forbes.
Maryland is ranked #17.
http://www.forbes.com/2007/12/27/college-basketball-valuations-biz-sports_cz_js_0102basketball.html