Mark Turgeon landed a commitment on Monday from Chol Marial, a three-star prospect from the South Sudan and one of the highest risk-reward prospects in this class.
At one point in time, Marial was thought to be arguably the best big man in the Class of 2019, but he has missed most of the last three seasons due to injury. When he’s right, he’s a 7-foot-2, 230 pound shot-blocking presence that can also step out and make a three.
First, I would like to thank God!! Also the people that surrounded me in this journey and my family in the South Sudan and Arizona who has always believed in me. It has been a long journey, and I am blessed . I am proud to say I’ve committed to the University of Maryland. pic.twitter.com/XuMOvygfFE
— Chol Marial (@MarialChol) May 6, 2019
The question is going to be how much his development has been stunted in the time that he’s missed. Those are critical years, especially for a big man, and it is impossible to know at this point just how good he is. This is the kind of risk that you want to take if you are Maryland. You need some size with Bruno Fernando leaving, you already have a pair of really promising sophomores in Jalen Smith and Ricky Lindo, and with the injuries he’s already, there really is no downside beyond a scholarship that might have been left vacant otherwise.