Maryland Basketball Target’s AAU Updates: Dion Wiley, Kai Locksley, And More
Maryland Terrapins head coach Mark Turgeon in his casual BAMF look. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Shirey-USA TODAY Sports
The summer is upon us, which, for basketball prospects, means the AAU circuit is officially in full swing. The Maryland Terrapins have had a number of players participating in tournaments already, and many of them playing for the same team. I decided to check out their progress so far this summer, so you folks can get your fill on how they’ve fared so far against some of the best ballers in the country.
Nike EYBL U17 Session #1
Team Takeover
Team Takeover, which is littered with Maryland targets on their roster, went a perfect 4-0 last weekend in Los Angeles during the EYBL’s first session. The entire roster is loaded with Division I talent from top to bottom, so it’s no surprise that they dominated. So how did some of the Maryland targets do throughout?
Dion Wiley: If you had any doubts about Wiley as a shooter, his performance during the first session will allay a lot of concerns. Wiley was en fuego overall after struggling during his first game (where he went 4-of-11 from the floor), averaging 15.3 points per game on 45% shooting. Perhaps most impressive was the fact that Wiley connected on 48% of his three point attempts, hitting 13 over four games. Wiley is a supreme talent, and looks poised to shoot up even more in the rankings given how hot his hand can get.
Tre Campbell: Campbell is a new Maryland target, as Mark Turgeon threw him an early offer last week, much to the surprise of just about everyone. Campbell is a talented guard, but he wasn’t without struggles last weekend during the first session. Campbell couldn’t connect on much throughout the tournament, hitting only 36% of his shots. He failed to really light it up in any category, never topping more than three assists (he did that twice) and only scoring in double figures once (he had 13 in the fourth game.) He did only turn it over eight times all weekend, so there’s that.
It’s still really early, so Campbell is going to improve, but this wasn’t his weekend. It’s worth noting that with the amount of scoring options on that team, statistics aren’t indicative of overall play.
Obi Enechionyia: Obi was another Terps target that mildly struggled offensively, but impressed in other ways. The big man who played at St. James this past season didn’t really get a lot of minutes on such a packed roster, but he definitely made his presence known on the defensive end. As is his modus operandi, Obi blocked 11 shots over four games this weekend, three of which came during a game in which he only played nine total minutes and scored 11 points in that same time frame.
Obi is one of those kids who explodes when he’s on, and that was apparent during his outings. He never really got his scoring going, but with his length he will be a factor every game on the defensive end. His opportunities will continue to be scant however, with Geben and Derrickson playing ahead of him.
Martin Geben: Geben is a newer kid on the radar, and while he isn’t currently ranked in the 2014 recruiting class by most outlets, he probably will be by the end of summer. Geben played some impressive basketball last weekend against some good competition, averaging 9.7 points and 7.5 rebounds over four games. Geben played a whole lot, and didn’t disappoint with the minutes he had. His first game might have been the most impressive, a 10 point (4-of-5 shooting), 12 rebound (4 offensive), 4 steal game against the Georgia Stars.
For a guy that a lot of people haven’t heard of, Geben has started of this AAU year the right way. The Terrapins haven’t offered him yet, but given the amount of offers they’ve handed out to Team Takeover players, it wouldn’t shock me if they did at some point.
Therence Mayimba: Therence Mayimba wasn’t spectacular during the first session, but a lot of that has to do with playing only eight minutes over the first two games. During the first two games, he didn’t score any points and racked up three turnovers and 2 blocks total. The next two, however, he was much improved. In his third game, in 16 minutes of play, he dropped 12 points (on 6-of-7 shooting), to go along with five rebounds and three blocks. On the weekend, Mayimba blocked seven total shots (he had two in his fourth game).
Mayimba is a super athletic player, and a very good defender from what I’ve seen. He only missed two shots all weekend (8-of-10 total), and that’s because he really doesn’t score anywhere but underneath the basket. He’s on the Terps radar and for good reason, because he’s a fantastic player and has the potential to get way, way better.
Notes: I excluded Phil Booth simply because of the unlikelihood that he’s going to be coming to Maryland now that the Terps have Romelo Trimble in the fold. Still, Booth was arguably the best player outside of Dion Wiley. During one game, he scored ten points, grabbed nine rebounds, and five assists. Another? He scored 16 points. He has a stacked team, so his assist totals were pretty high, but what he showed off was the versatility that makes him so coveted. With Indiana pressing hard and the roster already loaded with guards, it doesn’t seem like the Terps have a good shot with him.
Baltimore Elite
Kai Locksley: Although the Baltimore Elite went 0-4 on the weekend, they did witness the emergence of Kai Locksley, son of the Loxness Monster himself (Mike Locksley). Kai has received an offer from the Terrapins in football, but he might be able to help them out on the basketball court as well considering what he did this weekend. At 6’4, he’s an undersized forward, but he’s a fantastic rebounder; two of the four outings saw Locksley grab 15 and 10 rebounds. He was a monster on the offensive glass his first game, totaling ten offensive boards alone.
But that’s not all. Locksley also showed off his ability to score the ball too. He scored 17, 14, and 13 points during three separate outings, and did it while shooting the ball relatively well. He also go to the line a bunch of times, which suggests he’s a low post player. I’m not sure what role he plays at the next level, but if he continues with this kid of production there’s no reason why the Terrapins shouldn’t at least consider him for the roster.