Darryl Morsell has always kept an eye on Jalen Smith.
Toward the end of his news conference at Mount Saint Joseph two years ago to announce his signing at Maryland to play basketball, Morsell was asked if he was going to start recruiting his tall and talented teammate in the back of the room to play for the Terps.
Gesturing toward Smith, Morsell said with a smile: “Stix [Smith’s nickname] already knows. He’s next.”
Toward the end of their first college season together, Morsell and Smith remain as close as they were back in Baltimore and nearly as important to their team’s success at Maryland as they were in high school.