What's next for Maryland basketball after third portal commit?

The offseason has been far from dull for Maryland basketball after head coach Kevin Willard landed three portal commitments, along with the return of Julian Reese, to infuse optimism back into a fanbase after a discouraging year two. We dive into the latest notes on the trail:

Maryland picked up a much-needed commitment in the backcourt on Tuesday after former Kansas St. and USF guard Selton Miguel announced his transfer to Maryland, giving the staff a potential starter next season. With Gillespie stepping in as the next point guard and Miguel giving Willard an experienced two, the expectation remains that DeShawn Harris-Smith returns for his second season where the former PVI star will slot in as a wing with Derik Queen and Julian Reese manning the frontcourt. As for Miguel, the veteran guard complements new portal guard Ja’Kobi Gillespie where the Terps will look to lean on his smooth shooting outside touch to complement the roster.

With two scholarships remaining, Maryland will look to add one more to the backcourt and they’re working on their latest visitor before he departs: Bryce Pope. The former UC-San Diego guard was on campus through Tuesday where he got a chance to meet with the staff and academic advisors and I’ve heard Maryland wrapped up a productive visit where the Terps remain a realistic landing spot capable of pulling off the cross-country move. Whether the sharpshooting guard will follow through to cancel his remaining visits remains to be seen with Pope currently slated to visit Florida State this weekend, but Willard and company are moving full steam ahead to reel in the cross-country sharpshooter with USC and new head coach Eric Musselman in pursuit.

I wouldn’t expect both Pope and Connor Essegian, the former Wisconsin guard who visited last Friday, to land at Maryland, but the staff has given themselves a chance with both heading into Wednesday. I’m also hearing that Essegian has been in steady contact with Maryland since his visit, including during his official visit to South Carolina. Michigan is expected to host Essegian for a visit next weekend, but I’d put Maryland’s chances above South Carolina’s chances heading into the rest of the week. The Hoosiers are the wildcard in the race as Essegian, an Indiana native, will reportedly head to Bloomington on Wednesday. Maryland remains in the picture and I’ve heard second-year center Braden Pierce has aided the Terps’ efforts since the visit. Pierce was also the host for Pope’s visit.

With two portal guards still in the mix, Maryland will look to finalize the backcourt with one of its two remaining vacant scholarships, and in addition to former Evansville forward Ben Humrichous, the staff has been in contact with another portal forward that rings a bell for Maryland fans: Tafara Gapare.

IBG can confirm that Gapare, a former DePaul pledge who played at UMass then Georgia Tech, is back in touch with Maryland as he analyzes his next steps. In his lone season with the Yellow Jackets, Gapare started 15 of the 29 games he played for the Yellow Jackets and averaged 5.1 points and 3.5 rebounds. Adding a stretch four to the frontcourt still appears to be the preferred route with the second vacant scholarship, and although no visit is set as of Tuesday evening, Maryland is working to get the former top target out of high school back on campus with mutual interest between the two sides. Gapare was a prime target to fill out the 2022 class as assistant David Cox led the initial charge, but Cox has reignited the Terps’ push with a chance to add a stretch four with two years of eligibility left. Expect the frontcourt to be finalized once the dust in the backcourt settles as Willard and the staff put the finishing touches on next season’s roster.

What’s next for Maryland basketball after third portal commit?

Ahmed Ghafir