Virginia and Maryland Battling for Top Basketball Recruits

A new rivalry has developed on the recruiting trail between these former ACC foes

Matt Newton | Jul 24, 2022

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Maryland men's basketball head coach Kevin Willard and Virginia men's basketball head coach Tony Bennett — A new rivalry is brewing between the Virginia and Maryland men's basketball programs on the recruiting trail / Courtesy of Maryland Athletics and USATSI

When Maryland left the ACC for the Big Ten in 2014, the historic rivalry between Virginia and Maryland essentially came to an end. The Cavalier and Terrapin men's basketball teams have met just two times since then, with UVA prevailing both times in College Park. For the most part, the epic hardwood battles between these two archenemies are no more.

That has not prevented these two basketball programs from developing a new rivalry in a different setting: the recruiting trail.

Former Seton Hall head coach Kevin Willard was hired as Maryland's new men's basketball head coach in March and he immediately hit the recruiting trail hard, extending offers to nearly 40 prospects in the class of 2023. While Willard has cast a wide net, Tony Bennett is nearly the opposite, honing in on a smaller number of players and actively pursuing each of them.

Bennett and Willard have overlapped on three key targets in the 2023 recruiting class and reports also indicate that there are several common players in the class of 2024 that both coaches are contacting already.

Most notably, Virginia and Maryland are both finalists for the services of four-star wing Jamie Kaiser, a native of Burke, Virginia. One of the most-coveted prospects in the class of 2023, the 6'6", 200-pound wing from Bishop Ireton (Alexandria, VA) now holds offers from nearly 40 programs. Kaiser is the No. 2-ranked player in Virginia, the No. 14 small forward in the country and the No 75 overall player in the class of 2023 and those rankings could rise as Kaiser continues to impress this summer.

"Maryland, UCLA, Indiana, Virginia and Miami - those are the top five probably," Kaiser told 247Sports' Travis Branham this week. Perhaps the most talented player to come out of the DMV this recruiting cycle, it seems only fitting that Virginia and Maryland are among the leaders to land Kaiser's commitment. The Terrapins appear to be the frontrunners, but Kaiser certainly has a great deal of respect for Tony Bennett, so the Cavaliers have a chance.

"Coach Bennett is a great guy," Kaiser said. "He's a winner, a two-time National Coach of the Year, he's a champion. If he's offering you then you have to respect it and look into it a little bit because he doesn't offer many kids."

With plans to take two official visits to Indiana and UCLA this summer, Kaiser has yet to announce an exact commitment date, but he intends to make his college decision before the school year begins.

Maryland is also considered the favorite to land Elmarko Jackson, a four-star guard from South Kent, Connecticut. The 6'3", 185-pound combo guard is reportedly looking to narrow down his list from nearly 30 offers by the end of the summer and is being recruited the hardest by Maryland, Virginia, Miami, Indiana, UCLA, Ohio State, Michigan, and VCU, per a report from Zags Blog.

"I've been talking with coach Tony Bennett and coach Vandross," Jackson said this week. "They've just been telling me how their program is run, the pillars of their program, how they expect us to be there as basketball players on the court and off the court."

Jackson is rated the No. 3 player from the state of Connecticut, the No. 14 combo guard in the nation, and the No. 71 overall prospect in the class of 2023.

Virginia and Maryland are also recruiting another four-star combo guard, Freddie Dilione from Raleigh, North Carolina. 247Sports rates Dilione as North Carolina's No. 1 prospect, the No. 15 combo guard, and the No. 72 player in the country.

Virginia offered Dilione on May 4th and he immediately scheduled a visit to Charlottesville for the following weekend. He has also taken officials to Tennessee and VCU, an unofficial visit to NC State, and has plans to visit UConn in late July. One of the top scorers on the Adidas 3SSB circuit, Dilione has seen his recruitment ramp up significantly this summer and he now holds offers from more than 20 schools. North Carolina and Kentucky are the latest major programs to show interest.

“I plan to cut my list down after the live period,” Dilione told Sports Illustrated. “I’m not sure if it’ll be five or more than that, but I’ve got to get it down.”

The good news: Virginia got in on Dilione relatively early and he has developed a good relationship with the UVA coaching staff. The bad news? Here's what Dilione told On3 last week: “I like playing in a fast-paced system; whoever gets the ball, they go. I like playing in the pick and roll and making reads." Obviously, there's an incompatibility between the preferred styles of Dilione and Virginia. Unless Dilione changes his mind on that in favor of "embracing the pace", UVA is unlikely to be the place for him.

Tennessee and VCU are reportedly locks to make Dilione's final cut, but UVA and Maryland remain in hot pursuit. So, even though the Cavaliers and Terrapins rarely face each other during the season, the rivalry is alive and well on the recruiting trail.

Stay updated on all the latest Virginia basketball recruiting news, including offers, visits, and commitments here: Latest Virginia Basketball Recruiting News and Updates

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