Maryland basketball assistant Greg Manning Jr. made the short trip to Towson to watch ’25 Loyola Blakefield (MD) guard Mason Ellison practice last week. One day later, the 6-foot-4 guard had picked up his first high major offer after reconnecting with Manning Jr. The junior guard returned the favor by making the drive down to College Park with his parents on Thursday, not only marking his first time inside the Xfinity Center, but his first time stepping foot on campus.
“Campus is beautiful. It’s a lot bigger, TV doesn’t do it justice. It was pretty big,” Ellison told IBG. “Glad I got to see the campus life and the culture around campus, so it was pretty cool.”
Following his campus tour, Mason Ellison and his parents made the trip inside the arena where he got a chance to watch the Terps practice before connecting with one local player. “I got to shoot a little bit with Noah [Batchelor] so that was a good experience. We used to play for the AAU team I played with last summer so we know each other through coaches. We were talking about how the coaches were doing. He used to go to Glenelg (MD) so we were just talking about the MIAA a little too.”
Ahead of practice, Ellison got a chance to meet each assistant one-on-one as Manning Jr., David Cox and Mike Jones introduced themselves to the new local target and his parents.
“The coaching staff was great. They showed great hospitality. I love coach [Kevin] Willard’s intensity and his love for the game. How he keeps practice interesting and going the whole time. It was a great experience. The rest of the coaching staff, they’re all great people as well,” Ellison added. “I liked practice a lot. Every second, every minute of the two hours was intense, high energy, lots of talking on the floor. They’re looking like a well-oiled machine already. The practice environment was even better so I loved it a lot.”
What’s one thing that stuck out about the Terps’ practice?
“They’re high-paced. They trust their guards. I feel like I can be a great fit for them.”
Prior to his visit to Maryland, Ellison ventured out to American, Iona, Howard and Rhode Island as he puts a pause on further visits. UMBC, Delaware and Mount St. Mary’s are among the other schools who’ve extended the fast-rising prospect an offer, but Manning Jr.’s early efforts could be the first of another fast-rising local prospect. With Loyola Blakefield set to kick off the 2023-24 next season, Ellison is set to prove that.
Mason Ellison does not yet have an On3 profile.
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