Aaron Wiggins, 6’6″ Wingman Becomes 1st 2018 Terps Bball Commit

from terrapitimes.com

The Terps landed their first 2018 commitment from wing Aaron Wiggins (Wesleyan Christian/High Point, N.C.) June 3. The 6-foot-6, 185-pound four-star broke down his pledge in the interview above. Full story on his commitment below:

Aaron Wiggins

Wesleyan Christian AcademyHigh Point, NC

6’6″ / 185 lbs

When Aaron Wiggins (Wesleyan Christian/High Point, N.C.) first received an offer from Maryland and visited College Park, Md., shortly thereafter, he wasn’t sure exactly where he stood with the program. The Terps, who extended the offer after assistant Dustin Clark saw Wiggins in action last October, had just started to recruit the 6-foot-6, 185-pound wing, so the two sides were just getting to know one another. Moreover, the Maryland staff had numerous wing and guard targets on its board, and it was unclear exactly where the developing Wiggins would fit in.

Some seven months, 20-plus offers, several standout AAU sessions, and two more treks to College Park later, Wiggins and UMD knew exactly where each other sat. And on June 3, following an official visit, the four-star and soon-to-be Scout 100 recruit committed to the Terps.

“I just felt like Maryland was the right place for me — just knowing [the coaches] recruited me really hard and made me a priority… It’s been an amazing experience the last two days [on the official], and I knew it was the best fit,” said Wiggins, who also considered UVA, Va Tech, NC State, Wake Forest, Cal and USC. “Coming up, they were one of my top choices, and everything there just fit. The style of play was the first thing I looked at when they first started recruiting me. I looked at how they get up and down the court, and whether I could fit that. I know it’s a team that likes to shoot and I consider myself a shooter. But I’m also a guy that can get to the basket.

“And Maryland, with Melo Trimble leaving, they need someone to step into that role as a scorer and a leader. They may need some players to step up in the shooting guard position. I knew Maryland was the best place for me, just seeing what Melo Trimble did there and the role he played.”

Terps snag talented wing in Wiggins

Maryland added a big piece to its future on Saturday as Aaron Wiggins committed to the Terrapins.

Wiggins, as aforementioned, was first at Maryland in October, along with his head coach, UMD alum Keith Gatlin, and Terps’ 2018 forward target Jaylen Hoard. Wiggins and Hoard then returned in March to take in a Terps’ game in Xfinity Center. The official in early June only confirmed what Wiggins had learned, and loved, about the school during his previous stays.

“The fist time I was definitely impressed. I wasn’t really as involved or as high a priority with the coaches the first time, but the visit was really interesting and I learned a lot of new stuff. And then just visiting so many more times, I became more comfortable there,” Wiggins said. “And going to the basketball and football games, the atmosphere is amazing there. It’s just really grown on me.”

The trips allowed Wiggins a chance to gauge the Terps’ system, see how the basketball players fit on campus, see the various facilities, and delve into the academic aspects. But more than anything else, it was Wiggins’ relationship with head coach Mark Turgeon and Clark that sold him on the program.

Clark ventured down to Wesleyan Christian several times the last couple months, while Turgeon had an in-home visit with the Wiggins family in May. Furthermore, the staff intently watched Wiggins during his high school season and on the AAU circuit with Team Charlotte.

It was on that latter Under Armour circuit that Wiggins began to attract even more suitors, giving the Terps some stiff competition to fend off. He ended up averaging 15 points on close to 50 percent shooting and 46 percent from range. Wiggins chipped in 3.1 rebounds and a couple assists each game as well.

Offers came pouring in from schools on the West Coast (USC, Cal), closer to home (Wake, UVA, NC State, Va Tech) and further south. Wiggins did end up entertaining some of those programs, taking unofficial visits to see the Deacons, Bears, Trojans, Wolfpack, Hokies and Wahoos. But every time he pondered those trips, he ended up comparing them to Maryland and recalling the relationship he had with the Terps’ staff.

“It was a lot with Coach Clark, but Coach Turgeon called and texted every day as well. Just the way they recruited me, they showed me they’d have my back and would be there for me regardless of the situation. The relationships they built with me and family just showed there’s nowhere else I belong. They’re proven themselves to me,” said Wiggins, who admitted he had a feeling he’d be a Terp about two weeks before he committed. “And they were just saying how I fit in their system. They said with my ability to shoot the ball, but also with my length and skill-set able to get to the basket with my long arms, and I can guard anybody and get blocks. They were telling me I had the potential to be really good. Every high school player’s dream is to go pro, and I just know with the system there and with the strength coach [Kyle Tarp], I know he can develop players and transform bodies to be physically capable of playing with pros. Just knowing all that, I felt like my best fit would be up there. I know if I really wanted a shot to play at the next level, Maryland was the place to be.”

Turgeon, Clark and, to an extent, Kyle Tarp, did their part to convince Wiggins, but the four-star said the person closest to him, his head coach, did not.

Coach Speak: Keith Gatlin On Aaron Wiggins

Maryland landed a commitment from Wesleyan Christian (High Point, N.C.) wing Aaron Wiggins June 3. Afterwards, we spoke to his head coach, Maryland alum Keith Gatlin, to gauge his…


by Dave Lomonico

TerrapinTimes

Yesterday at 6:31 PM

“Coach Gatlin went to Maryland, but he never said much to me about it at all,” Wiggins said. “I went on a visit up here with him before the basketball season, and he just showed me around. He didn’t try to influence me or encourage me to come to Maryland. He didn’t push me towards any college. He just told me to talk to my parents and take the process slowly. He didn’t push me or pressure me at all.”

Maybe not, but don’t expect Wiggins to extend the same courtesy to his two teammates. Maryland has offers out to 2018 forward Jaylen Hoard and 2018 big Ian Steere, and Wiggins said he’d be actively recruiting both to College Park.

“Definitely. They’ll be a work in progress and I’ll be trying to recruit them. We have good chemistry, and we’d be great on the same team,” Wiggins said.

But first thing’s first: continuing to develop his own game. Wiggins said he’ll be in the weight room adding strength, in addition to improving his ball-handling and refining his fundamentals.

“You can always improved every single aspect of your game,” said Steere, who mentioned he plays three instruments (trombone, trumpet and piano) and is a baritone in the choir when he’s not playing basketball. “But as far as what I do well, I can shoot the ball well, I can get to the basket with my length, and defensively I can rebound; block shots; get steals; and I have quick feet. I can move and stay in front of everybody. And with my speed, I can get up and down the court pretty fast. I feel like I’m a very versatile player.”

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