thedcdime

By: Willis

For Terrell Stoglin, it must have been absolute hell. Having to wait in anticipation as one less skilled basketball player after another (60, in total), had their name called before his. Four hours later, Stoglin came to the reality that he was not going to be drafted, thus crushing his dream of starring in the NBA. Fortunately for him, Stoglin has more than enough talent and track record to merit an invite to the NBA Summer League (where stars like Jeremy Lin are born). Even better, it’s for a perennially talent-starved team like the Toronto Raptors.

That’s right, Stoglin has earned the right to play for the Raptors during the nine day Las Vegas Summer League starting July 13th. It’s a chance to not only showcase his talents in hopes of gaining a coveted roster spot in Toronto, but to also be granted so much more opportunity. Take, for example, the fact that this years Summer League is going to have a record number of teams at 24, giving Stoglin a chance to impress over half the teams in the NBA. Stoglin is a gamer, as we all know, and he’s going to have five chances (the number of games the Raptors play) to show that in front of a myriad of scouts, player personnel, GMs, and front office execs. The 6’1 guard is going to need to change the public perception of him from very undersized shooting guard to shoot first point guard/sixth man extraordinaire.

I personally think he can without a doubt thrive in the NBA. His range is amazing, and he seems to have a clutch factor about him that could be very well suited in an NBA setting. In a way, his skill set reminds me of another tiny player named Bobby Jackson, who was an absolutely fantastic sixth man in spite of being way undersized. He can knock it down from deep, and while he wasn’t asked to pass at the college level on Maryland, he has shown the ability to be able to get other players involved. I think his attack the basket mentality and variety of ways to score should land him a spot somewhere in the league. His talent, though, isn’t really the only thing in question.

Once a team sees that Stoglin is a competent three point shooter, very quick, and has a solid ability to finish at the rim, he might garner some more attention to be sure. But he also has a chance to dispel any notions of him not being a consummate professional. It was widely reported that Stoglin was given the axe at Maryland (rather than actually leaving on his own accord) because of failed drug tests. Those character issues can haunt a player throughout their entire career, and may leave teams wary of spending any amount of money on such a person (and rightly so; just as Zach Randolph if people consider him a nice guy yet). I’m not saying Stoglin was a bad person at all, but he faces an uphill battle from here on out. Showing up on time for games, playing his hardest, not complaining, and showing that he is coachable can give Terrell a foot up.

Another advantage Terrell Stoglin has? He happens to be playing in front of the Bryan Colangelo, who happens to be the son of Jerry Colangelo, who happens to be the director of USA Basketball. This is a nascent storyline, and one that probably won’t get too much traction but is still worth being noted. Who knows how much sway Bryan has with his father Jerry, but if anything it gives Stoglin a chance to get some notice by Team USA basketball that he may have otherwise not received. A practice squad invitation isn’t out of the question at this stage in Stoglin’s career, and would likely be a dream come true. He is going to need to be impressive and on his best behavior, but it’s something to take into consideration to be sure. If JaVale McGee can get an invitation then Stoglin, with Team USA’s reported interest in getting younger players to participate long term, should at least get some notice.

Stoglin’s first game is against the Houston Rockets on Friday, July 13th at 3PM Pacific Time in Cox Pavillion, so if you’re in Vegas and a Terps fan, go get tickets. He’ll be facing off against another local player in former Dematha player Jerai Grant, who garnered an invitation from Houston.

We’ll keep you updated on his progress throughout the Summer League, but in the mean time we wish him the best of luck!

Fear The Turtle

 

 

Tags: 2012, basketball, Bryan Colangelo, houston, houston rockets, jeremy lin, Jerry Colangelo, Las Vegas, linning, Maryland, nba, NBA Summer League, sports, Stoglin, Summer League, Team USA, Team USA basketball, Terps, Terrapins, terrell, Terrell Stoglin