Buzz Williams, Maryland men's basketball final group for top-ten prospect

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Head coach Buzz Williams has Maryland men's basketball in the top group for one of the nation's top prospects.

Oak Cliff Faith Family Academy (TX) top-ten prospect Xavier Young included Maryland in his final five alongside LSU, Michigan, TCU and Tennessee. Young previously visited College Park for an official visit the weekend of Sept. 19, marking his first visit to campus as head coach Buzz Williams has remained a key part of the pursuit. Maryland is one of three visits already completed with Tennessee set to host him this upcoming weekend while in-state TCU looks to get him on campus prior to a decision.

Whether Young remains in the 2028 class or reclassifies into the 2027 class is a question for the 6-foot-10 center to answer heading into the rest of the fall. Maryland has one commitment already in the fold in top-50 prospect Peyton Jones, though the focus is on the frontcourt with Pharrel Payne one of multiple contributors set to exhaust their eligibility following the upcoming 2026-27 season.

Young previously suited up for Team USA in the FIBA U-17 World Cup this summer where he averaged 7.6 points. 3.7 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 14.5 minutes while shooting 77.8% from the floor and 55% from the free-throw line across seven games.

"Xavier Young plays with a quality motor and when that couples within his size and athletic fluidity, there is a good bit of intrigue with his game," Jamie Shaw of On3 wrote about Young. "His team runs a lot of stuff, and he didn’t get the ball much on the block or in his spots when we watched but he went to go get some buckets and displayed intriguing defensive upside."

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