In-state guard reacts to Maryland offer, planning visit
- Ahmed Ghafir
- Oct 22, 2023
- 2 min read
Loyola Blakefield (MD) guard Mason Ellison was able to connect with the coaching staff earlier this week after assistant Greg Manning made the trip to Towson to watch the 6-foot-3 junior practice. One day later, Maryland became the first high major offer for Ellison as the local guard was elated for the hometown team to pull the trigger.
“Coach Manning from Maryland. He’s been in contact with a lot of coaches around me. He had come to a workout Monday to come watch me play. He was really impressed. He was very real with me. He was very open with me and then he closed it with an offer,” Ellison told IBG. “Monday, I knew of coach Manning but that was when I first got a chance to meet with him and talk with him. There was nothing but good things I could say about him. He’s a really good guy.”
Shortly after news of the offer trickled out, he saw classmate and football verbal Trevor Szymanski as the two now have a chance to play different sports at the same school. “Big Trevor. That’s my guy,” Ellison added. “We were joking around about it a little bit. He was telling me to commit early but that’s my guy, I’m not going to make any decisions right now.”
Ellison has grown up watching the Terps, but despite being so close, he’s never made his way to College Park. “I’ve actually never even been on campus. I’m very excited to get down there and see what Maryland has to offer.”
Loyola (MD) and Delaware are among the schools who’ve extended offers thus far, while Ellison is planning to visit American this Friday. “All the schools have been doing a good job reaching out to me, reaching out to my parents so everything has been good,” he added.”
“I plan on getting down to Maryland, getting down to a couple more during the weekends. I just came back from Rhode Island this weekend and Iona. We ’ve just got to make sure schedules work.”
Getting a chance to watch a Terps game inside the Xfinity Center is something he’s looking ahead to, but seeing how the sharp shooting guard fits into Willard’s style is the biggest focus.
“Playing in front of fans is great, but I want to see the style of play, see how I can see myself within their system and being able to imagine myself in the system. The fans, if I do end up going there, it’d be a great chance to see how well the players do in front of their fans and how supportive the fanbase is.”
