Will freshman 7-footer be cleared by NCAA? On Maryland basketball’s media day, first-year coach Mark Turgeon’s message was clear: Much depends on 7-foot-1 Russian Alex Len, who is awaiting clearance to play from the NCAA.
That should tell Terrapins fans two things: First, Len has tremendous potential. Second, Turgeon is in for a long season of rebuilding if the Terps are counting so heavily on a freshman project.
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With just eight scholarship players, the odds are against the Terps improving on last year’s 19-14 performance in coach Gary Williams’ final season in College Park, which ended without a postseason tournament bid. But Turgeon is fine with low expectations.
“They weren’t in the tournament last year and I was, so I’m using that to get their attention,” said Turgeon, who coached last year at Texas A&M. “As a coach you always look for ways to motivate your kids.”
With prized 6-foot-6 recruit Nick Faust joining experienced backcourt players in senior Sean Mosley and sophomores Terrell Stoglin and Pe’Shon Howard, Maryland is well-stocked in the backcourt. The opposite is true up front. The Terps do not have a player who has started a college game at center or power forward.
Turgeon, however, doesn’t completely agree with the widely held notion that his team is skilled but small.
“I’m not worried about our size,” Turgeon said. “We have big guards in Nick Faust and Sean Mosley. Pe’Shon’s a pretty big kid. Michael Parker’s a pretty big guard, so we have some pretty good length and good size. I am a little more concerned with our ball handling, which everybody says is our strength. Our decision making, I’m a little bit concerned with that right now.”
Turgeon expects immediate help from 6-9 redshirt freshman Ashton Pankey, a rugged rebounder and defender who was out last year with a leg injury. If Len is cleared, the Terps suddenly wouldn’t seem so diminutive.
Len is wading through the NCAA Clearinghouse process. A decision is expected Friday.
“It could be zero games. It could be four games. It could be a year,” Turgeon said of how long Len will be forced to sit out. “We feel very strong about our case.”
According to Turgeon, Len is skilled with the ball and provides a rare shot-blocking dimension. He has worked out with teammates since informal sessions began Aug.?31. He wowed college coaches at the European championships, averaging 16.0 points, 11.4 rebounds and 4.3 blocks for the under-18 Ukraine national team.
Mosley’s eyes lit up when asked what kind of dimension Len would add.
“He’s unbelievable. I’ve never seen a guy do some of the things he can do,” Mosley said. “He’s a different-type kid all around. If he gets eligible, we’ll definitely be pretty good.”
After Maryland Madness on Friday night and an exhibition game against Northwood on Nov. 4, the Terps will open Nov. 13 against UNC Wilmington.
No matter what happens, Turgeon says it won’t affect the long-term prospects of the program.
“It hasn’t hurt our recruiting because it’s Maryland,” Turgeon said. “It’s Maryland basketball. It’s special. It’s been great for a long time. It’s gonna be great in the future.”
