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Dion Wiley’s weekend at Peach Jam a good sign for Maryland

wiley

Gazette.net

Despite winning 25 games last season, perimeter play was an issue for the Maryland Terrapins in 2012-13. Of course there’s the highly discussed point guard situation, with Seth Allen, Nick Faust and the now departed Pe’Shon Howard all getting a shot at running the show.

In addition to the inconsistency at the point, Maryland also had to deal with spotty perimeter shooting. As a team the Terrapins shot 33.9% from beyond the arc, ranking ninth in the ACC in that category. It’s safe to say that improving their production in the backcourt has been a priority of sorts for head coach Mark Turgeon and his staff.

There’s hope that the three-member 2014 class that Maryland’s already received verbal commitments from, Jared Nickens, Romelo Trimble and Dion Wiley, will help address these issues as the Terps make their move into the Big Ten.

And from a shooting standpoint, Wiley’s skills were on full display at the EYBL Finals at the Nike Peach Jam in N. Augusta, S.C. this weekend.

Wiley, a native Oxon Hill, Md., knocked down 18 of his 35 attempts from beyond the arc for Team Takeover this weekend. Wiley finished tied with Boo Williams (Va.) guard Robert Johnson for most made three-pointers at Peach Jam, and his 51.4% shooting for deep ranked third in the event.

As for what he believes Maryland needs to add to its 2014 recruiting haul, Wiley’s response to
CSN Washington’s Daniel Martin reveals that he’s on the same page with much of the Terrapin fan base.

“Now we need a big,” Wiley says, looking ahead to what Maryland could do for the remainder of 2014. “We know that we can do our job outside, but we need a guy inside.”

For the Terrapins, that means one of three major targets: Trayvon Reed of Georgia, Chinanu Onuaku of Maryland, or Goodluck Okonoboh of Massachusetts.


Maryland has four expected contributors in its front court who will have eligibility remaining come 2014: Evan Smotrycz, Shaquille Cleare, Charles Mitchell and Damontre Dodd, but there’s still a basic need for depth.

Who else Turgeon and his staff are able to add to the program remains to be seen, but the three verbal commits already on board are a very good start for Maryland as they prepare for their new surroundings.

Raphielle can be followed on Twitter at @raphiellej.