WASHINGTON – Terrell Stoglin was touring the campus with Terrapin men’s basketball assistant coach Rob Ehsan when he first understood the importance of the team to members of the university community.
Stoglin, then an unsigned recruit, remembers drivers honking their horns and yelling “Go Terps” as passers-by urged him to commit to the team.
“People love the Terps,” said Stoglin, an Arizona native, who played in yesterday’s 37th annual Capital Classic at American University along with commits Pe’Shon Howard and Haukur Palsson. “I definitely got a feel for the ACC.”
The trio of new faces made it clear they’re excited to start their careers. Forward Mychal Parker and forward Ashton Pankey will join them this fall to form the Terps’ class of 2010.
But they understand they serve a vital role in sustaining the Terps’ upward momentum from last season.
Those same fans who welcomed Stoglin to the campus during his official visit last year will look to the class of 2010 to help replace the production lost from this year’s senior class — at least in the immediate future. Many hope that by the time they are upperclassmen, the five-man group can duplicate or even exceed the success of Greivis Vasquez, Eric Hayes and Landon Milbourne, who helped the Terps to 89 wins and three NCAA Tournament appearances over the past four seasons.
“There is pressure, but there is wherever you go,” said Howard, who finished with 14 points. “Our freshman class, we’ll just go out there and have fun.”
Parker, who Palsson replaced in the U.S. All-Stars’ lineup for yesterday’s game, is the highest-rated player of the class. Rivals.com rated Parker the No. 53 player in the class of 2010. Stoglin was ranked No. 122.
Guard Terrence Ross, who backed out of a pledge to the Terps last year and has yet to choose a school, was generally considered the team’s best incoming recruit before his decommitment.
Stoglin and Howard, both combo guards, will look to make up for the loss of Ross in the backcourt. Stoglin started at point guard for the U.S. team and finished with 11 points, showing a smooth left-handed dribble and a willingness to push the tempo.
“I wanted to give the fans a little preview of how I play,” Stoglin said. “Being out west, a lot of people haven’t seen me.”
Perhaps even fewer Terp fans have seen Palsson, the 6-foot-6 small forward who committed to the team in March. The Iceland native arrived in the United States in August and played at Monteverde Academy in Florida last season. He finished with three points.
“There’s always some pressure on every recruit, but I think it’s good pressure,” Palsson said. “It makes you work hard. We want to make a name for us.”
A number of Terp fans attended the game at Bender Arena, located on American University’s Washington campus. The future Terps received a fair amount of media attention afterward, even with highly rated recruits such as Josh Hairston (Duke) and Travis McKie (Wake Forest) on the floor.
It’s all a part of the inevitable spotlight the three players will face. It’s also a scenario they hope to take advantage of.
“I don’t feel any pressure because I can’t be nobody else but Terrell,” Stoglin said. “I’ll do whatever I have to do to win.”
akraut@umdbk.com
