2012 Four Star Small Forward Jake Layman Commits To Maryland

What was already a very good night for the University of Maryland Athletic Department got even better after their win over Miami when Jake Layman committed to play basketball for Mark Turgeon and the Terps.

Layman is a very versatile small forward who is a four star recruit on all the major recruiting services. He ranges from the No. 41 prospect on Scout to the No. 53 prospect on ESPN. Layman is considered a defensive specialist, and has very good length and athleticism. But he has surprising handle with the basketball and a pretty nice stroke on his jumpshot. He is versatile enough to defend 2-4, and might be able to play all those positions if he develops his skill a little bit more. Testudo Times was delirious after the Miami win last night, but they were still pretty excited about Layman's commitment, particularly what it could mean for the Terps defensively.

He's really exciting defensively. His length and athleticism mean he can cover anywhere between the 2 and the 4, assuming it's not a particularly quick 2. He's not particularly quick, but his long strides make up for that somewhat. His defensive instincts are very good, and he disrupts passing lanes well. If Mark Turgeon wants to press, he has a great player to head it up in Layman.

Layman is now the third recruit in the class of 2012 fr Mark Turgeon, and the second top 50 player in that class. It is really shaping up to be a fantastic first class for new coach Mark Turgeon. Here is some video of Layman to wet your whistle.