Romelo Trimble Commits: My Interview With The Newest Terp

The words “dream school” get thrown around a lot nowadays when it comes to the college commitments of high profile recruits.

However, in the case of Bishop O’Connell (VA) guard Romelo Trimble, who made his verbal commitment to the Maryland Terrapins on Thursday, the statement couldn’t be more true. I had the opportunity to speak with the star junior guard for the Knights the evening he made his decision public and Trimble was quite candid with his feelings about the university.

“Maryland is my dream school,” Trimble said when asked how he knew that Maryland was the right decision. “When I went on my first visit and (Coach Turgeon) offered me he told me we’re going to need two guards…and I knew when he told me I’m the point guard that he wanted.”

Trimble joins 2013 signees Roddy Peters and Damonte Dodd as former, and in Trimble’s case current, DC Assault members who have decided to take their talents north on I-95 to College Park. The fact that two members of the same AAU program had decided to commit to Maryland wasn’t lost on Trimble and helped play a role in making his decision easier.

“It actually made me want to go there even more,” Trimble said. “I’ve known Roddy almost my whole life, ever since I started playing AAU ball. Damonte, he’s a good friend and a good person to be around.”

The majority of high school basketball recruits wait until their senior year to even begin thinking about their college decision. The recruiting process, which many people describe as extremely stressful, was intense as Melo was a highly coveted recruit. Trimble, a junior, believed it was important that he got this decision behind him early on in the process.

“I was recruited heavily by Xavier, Cincinnati, Rutgers, Virginia Tech and Miami,” Trimble said. “It kind of got out of control, they would ask me when are we going to make this happen? And in the back of my mind I am thinking I don’t want to go to your school because I really want to be at Maryland, but I just didn’t know if it was a good time to make that decision.”

Trimble proceeded to do what so many of us do when faced with a tough decision; he sought the guidance of his parents, family members and coaches.

“I talked to my family and coaches and they told me if Maryland is where you know you want to go then why not just make that decision now?”

This is exactly what Trimble chose to do as he released a video Thursday morning on DCSportsFan.com revealing he had committed to the University of Maryland. Trimble made his decision public on his mother’s birthday giving her what I could only imagine was a birthday present she will never forget.

Since Trimble is the first commitment for the Terrapins in the talent-rich class of 2014 it sets the tone for what should end up being another strong Mark Turgeon recruiting class. Trimble will not be shy about trying to attract other high level prospects to come join him in College Park, and has already started forging a relationship with another major backcourt target for the Terrapins.

“I have been talking to Dion Wiley a bit,” said Trimble. “We are friends now and are building a relationship, I can see him coming to Maryland and being my best friend.”

It always seems to be easier to bring in highly rated recruiting classes when you receive an early commitment from a player with the reputation of a Romelo Trimble. Having some of these targets still on the board for Maryland, like a Dion Wiley, not only hearing from the coaching staff but, also, one of their peers in Trimble as to why Maryland is the place they need to be could go a long way.

A major topic of late in collegiate sports, not only at Maryland but across the country, has been the reemergence of the conference realignment discussion. We all know by now that the Terrapins will be heading to the Big 10 in 2014 and there has been a question as to how basketball recruits would react to Maryland leaving its longtime home in the ACC for greener pastures.

“Everybody wants to play in the ACC, it’s the best conference in the NCAA but (Maryland) going to the Big 10 has no affect on me,” said Trimble. “I believe they are just as good as the ACC. They have some tough teams and Indiana is ranked #1 so that’s not a bad conference. The Big 10 has some tough guards and I am a tough guard so I kind of fit in well with that whole conference. But, like I said, Maryland has always been my dream school so the move didn’t change my mind at all.”

By announcing his commitment to Maryland this morning Trimble has continued the trend, started by Roddy Peters and Damonte Dodd, of high level talent from the area deciding to stay home and play for their in-state university rather than leave the area altogether. Trimble is the first recruit from the much heralded Washington Catholic Athletic Conference (WCAC) to commit to the University of Maryland since another O’Connell alum – Dave Neal – pledged for the Terrapins in 2005.