UMass appears to be wasting no time identifying and prioritizing shot blockers. They appear to be scouring the northeast and beyond for a long, certifiable rim protection threat.
On Sunday night, UMass head coach Matt McCall heaped a scholarship offer on 6-foot-10 forward/center Chris Maidoh, a late-rising and upside-heavy prospect who spent a post-graduate season at Scotland Campus (Pa.).
Maidoh, who is from Maryland, possesses a 7-foot-3 wingspan, and he registered his shot-blocking acumen throughout Scotland’s 36-2 2018-19 campaign. The Knights culminated the historic season with the school’s first-ever berth in the Prep Circuit prep national title game at Connecticut College last month.
Maidoh, he of the feathery 15-20 foot jumper, has shown he can pop out and hit the outside shot. His coaching staff was quick to cite his vast improvement with both his physicality and athleticism.
The big has proven his hyper-athletic capabilities in gliding to the rim, showcasing augmented hang time, and turning in several pulsating plays this season. Really, his best attribute is his ability to defend the goal.
“We’re very satisfied with the day to day improvement Chris showed this year,” Scotland Campus head coach Chris Chaney said.
“Chris developed his game and his body. He’s a lot more skilled than people realize. He loves the grind of working hard. He’s got a very good IQ. In addition, he became a much better off-the-ball defender using his length. I think that he can guard multiple positions and he can block shots. He’s only going to get better and stronger on an every day basis. This year really allowed Chris to master the ins and outs of what it takes to be a college basketball player at a high level.”
St. Bonaventure and St. Louis have also offered the Class of 2019 prospect.
Tapping into the prep market has been a vital element for UMass, resulting in the prized 2019 recruiting class that has been assembled in Amherst.
They recently earned a commitment from Woodstock Academy’s Tre Mitchell. A skilled 6-foot-9 Center with an array of ambidextrous post moves, Mitchell’s game is bolstered by his knack for hitting the outside shot and simultaneously steering interior defenders away from the rim with his shooting.
UMass also solidified a recent commitment from left-handed 3-point ace T.J. Weeks, who upped his Division-I stock tremendously this past season at Woodstock Academy.
Another Woodstock product, 6-foot-6 forward Preston Santos, a deft left handed scorer with springboard-esque leaping ability, signed with UMass prior to the season. The Connecticut prep power is suddenly becoming a veritable UMass factory.
And, as word around the campfire has it, the guy synonymous with Woodstock’s quick ascension to national heavy hitter could possibly be joining McCall on the sidelines at a date to be determined.
McCall has been cleaning house and ushering in a new culture, it seems. He axed three assistant coaches and appeared hell-bent on bringing in one of the country’s top-tier talents in the transcendent Mitchell.
As for Maidoh, Chaney depicts the late-blooming prospect as an entirely low risk caliber recruit.
“He takes to new concepts very well and is extremely coachable,” said Chaney.
“There’s no button you need to press with a kid like Chris. He just works. He will be head to college with a great understanding of the workload and commitment involved throughout the process that comes with being a student-athlete and an impactful college basketball player.”
