The verbal commitment of 6-foot-6 wing Mychal Parker is another bit of good news for the Maryland basketball program. In securing Parker, rated anywhere from No. 30 to No. 70 in the nation, Gary Williams beat out three other ACC schools, an impressive accomplishment considering Parker is from North Carolina and plays at the Miller School in Charlottesville.
Parker joins Terps recruits Terrence Ross (Montrose Christian) and Terrell Stoglin, both guards, from the Class of 2010. The trio will fit well with incoming freshmen 6-10 Jordan Williams and 6-8 James Padgett, both frontcourt power players, and will soften the impact of losing guards Greivis Vasquez and Eric Hayes, whose eligibility will expire at the end of this season. Vasquez was named to the 50-player Wooden Award Watch List for national player of the year honors Wednesday.
Parker, a scorer and slasher with 3-point range, led the Miller School to the Virginia Independent Schools Division 2 title in March.
Parker won’t be Maryland’s final recruit from the Class of 2010. Williams will have room for at least one more player and can now focus his resources on a foursome of 6-8 forwards — Tobias Harris, rated No. 5 in the nation by Rivals, Terrence Jones (No. 13), C.J. Leslie (No. 14), and Roscoe Smith (No. 31).
Signing Harris, a true power forward from New York, would be a lot to ask. Prying Leslie out of North Carolina would also be difficult. The best bet might be the rail-thin Smith, who has ties to the area. He played at National Christian in Fort Washington and Wallbrook (Balt.) before transferring Oak Hill.
Smith is more in the mold of a wing. But as Maryland showed last season, it can thrive with more than two perimeter players on the floor.
