Can Maryland Really Land the Harrison Twins?

Two of, if not THE two biggest recruits in the country will be revealing the school of their choice on Thursday, October 4th. Surprisingly they may be choosing Maryland over Kentucky!

Yep, you read that right. Mark Turgeon has Maryland in the thick of things to land Aaron and Andrew Harrison out of Travis High School (TX).

The Harrison twins, who are believed to be one of the best package duos ever to be recruited, have narrowed their list down to three schools: Maryland, Kentucky and Larry Brown’s SMU. While most probably think Kentucky is the favorite given John Calipari’s knack for turning guards – Aaron is the top-ranked shooting guard in the country, while Andrew is the top-ranked point guard – into prolific pros, the brothers seem to be giving heavy consideration to revamping a program that’s been in the dumps of the ACC for the past several years.

According to a USA Today article published earlier this afternoon, Aaron Harrison Sr., the father of the dynamic duo, said “Maryland is coming on strong.”  Harrison Sr. plead his affinity for Turgeon, to the point that he referred to him as “the most upright citizen I have met in basketball,” over most of the other coaches that his family have spoken to since this recruiting trip began (likely years ago). The Harrison family is also said to have roots in Maryland, which could strongly influence the brothers’ decision.

Another key factor being spoken about in their decision is Under Armor’s sponsorship of Maryland athletics. Chris Hightower, the man in charge of basketball marketing at Under Armor, has been referred to as Harrison Sr.’s “saving grace,” and is the one person in the recruiting process who has been personally allowed to send text messages to both Aaron and Andrew.

Considering that the Harrison twins are expected to jump to the NBA as soon as they possibly can, it wouldn’t be surprising to see them stay close to their Under Armor connection(s), whom they feasibly will sign with the second they leave the world of amateur sports. Granted, Maryland is less known for their devotion to one-and-done athletes than say Kentucky, but the Under Armor connection makes a lot of sense as to why the Harrison’s could make College Park their new home.

We’ll know one way or the other by Thursday evening.

For hoops, hip-hop and other random sports and pop culture commentary, follow Jared Mintz on Twitter @JaredMintzTruth