#35 DAMONTE DODD - F/C, Jr., Massanutten Military Academy


Position: Forward
Height: 6'11"
Weight: 250
Year: Junior
Hometown: Centreville, Md.
High School: Massanutten Military Academy
Experience: 1 Letter

AS A SOPHOMORE (2014-15): 
Appeared in 35 games, registering starts in 31…led team in blocks (51)…averaged 4.0 points and 3.8 rebounds per game…recorded six points, four rebounds and two blocks at Rutgers (3/3)…matched career-high with four blocks against Indiana (2/11)…notched a career-high 12 rebounds and nine points and added two assists and three blocks against Minnesota (1/3)…posted six rebounds, four points and two blocks at Michigan State (12/30)…ranked 10th in the Big Ten in blocks per game (1.5)…notched six points, one assist, two steals and a block at Oklahoma State (12/21)…recorded career-highs in points (9), rebounds (10) and assists (2) vs. Winthrop (12/6)…also added three blocks against Winthrop, hit career-best five free throws and played career-high 29 minutes…posted five points, two blocks and added a team-high six rebounds vs. NC Central (12/10)…racked up four points and five rebounds in win vs. #13 Iowa State (11/24)…recorded three blocks in eight minutes vs. VMI (11/30)…played 26 minutes and tied a career-high with four blocks in win vs. Arizona State (11/24)…posted eight boards vs. Wagner (11/14)…scored seven points and added a career-best four blocks against Central Connecticut State (11/17).

AS A FRESHMAN (2013-14):
Appeared in 22 games, making one start...averaged 0.7 points/g and 1.5 rebounds/g in 7.5 minutes/g...posted a career-high six points (all in first half) and added four rebounds at NC State (1/20)...made first career start against Tulsa (12/29), notching a career-high 15 minutes...grabbed career-high five rebounds at #5 Ohio State (12/4)...made first career field goal vs. Morgan State (11/29)...scored first collegiate point against Oregon State (11/17)...posted team season-high three blocks versus Abilene Christian (11/13)...made collegiate debut in first half against #19 UConn (11/8).

Before Maryland:
A three-star prospect and the 12th-ranked center nationally by 247sports.com ... a four-star prospect, the No. 99-ranked player overall and the No. 13 center by Scout.com ... ranked as the best shot blocker to sign in the ACC by Scout.com ... attended Massanutten Military Academy in 2012-13... averaged 24 points, 16 rebounds and seven blocks as a senior (2011-12) at Queen Anne's County High ... tallied 41 points, 21 rebounds and seven blocks in an overtime victory over Kent County during his senior year ... played AAU for the DC Assault under former Washington Wizards head coach Eddie Jordan...major is African American studies.

Coach Mark Turgeon on Dodd: 
"Damonte will be fun to coach and he really has big upside. He plays extremely hard and he strives to get better every day. He's almost 6-foot-10 and still growing. He runs, rebounds, and blocks shots, and his best years on the basketball court are ahead of him. He fits the mold of who we recruit as an unselfish and good kid."


Damonte Dodd, junior, frontcourt, No. 35
Height: 6'11
Weight: 250
Twitter: @TheRturnOf35
Recruiting Ratings: 3 stars, No. 12 center, No. 124 player overall (following prep school in class of 2013)
High School: Queen Anne's County High School/Massanutten Military Academy
Hometown: Centreville, Md.

Who did Maryland beat out?
Dayton, Houston, Georgetown

How'd He Get to College Park?
Former Maryland assistant Scott Spinelli found Dodd near Maryland's Eastern Shore in high school. Dodd was initially supposed to join Maryland in the class of 2012, alongside Jake Layman, Seth Allen, Shaquille Cleare and Charles Mitchell. But he reclassified to the next year and spent a developmental season at prep school.

Career Highlight:
Dodd had 9 points and 12 rebounds in a conference win against Minnesota last season. He was a savvy 3 of 3 from the field and 3 of 4 from the foul line that day, providing a decent counterweight to Minnesota center Antoine Walker, who had 20 points but needed 15 shot attempts to get them.


Dream Season:
Mark Turgeon recently said Dodd had the chops to be the national defensive player of the year. It's hard to imagine Dodd (or anyone) doing more than that.


2015-16 Prospectus
Here's where Dodd's a really interesting case. He improved a ton last season. His minutes per game more than doubled, his free throw percentage quintupled and his rebounding and block rates were quite good. He swatted away 10 percent of all opposing field goal attempts while he was on the floor, and his offensive rating jumped from a putrid 70.3 as a freshman to 108.6 as a sophomore. That's amazing progress.

But circumstances, as they are, might make it tough for Dodd to show the same growth in 2015-16. 
Last year, he was one of just two centers on Maryland's roster, along with Michal Cekovsky. This year, five-star freshman Diamond Stone makes three, and talented transfer Robert Carter makes Maryland's frontcourt a full quartet. 
 That doesn't even account for redshirt freshman Ivan Bender, also a power forward, or sometimes-power forward Jake Layman. So there aren't a ton of minutes to go around.
Dodd also had serious foul trouble last year, which limited him to just 16 minutes per game despite his strong growth. He averaged 6.7 fouls taken per 40 minutes last season, and that kind of rate is highly limiting.

Still, Turgeon's going to find space for Dodd. If he can develop into a true defensive ace, Maryland will have no choice but to play him. It's been whispered for months that Dodd, not Stone, might begin the season as the starting center.


Up next:
Our next player will be more important to Maryland next season than this one, but he's still got a role to play.

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