Nov. 12, 2003

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The Maryland men's basketball team and head coach Gary Williams announced the signing of top 40 power forward James Gist to a National Letter of Intent to enroll at the University. Gist, a senior at Good Counsel High School in Wheaton, Md., will join the Terps on the court for the 2004-05 season.

"James at 6-8 has the potential to become a great player for us," said Williams. "He adds great quickness to our team for a player his size. He is starting to gain strength as a basketball player."

Gist signed his National Letter of Intent among family, friends, high school administrators and his prep coach, Tim McKenna, at a gathering at Good Counsel on Wednesday.

A long, lean, versatile athlete with a tremendous wingspan, Gist earned second team All-Washington Catholic Athletic Conference (WCAC) honors as a junior last season. He averaged 14.0 points per game, 8.5 rebounds and 3.5 blocks for the Falcons in 2002-03, and was an all-tournament team member of the Kreul (Fla.) Classic Tournament.

Gist will serve as one of the Good Counsel team captains as a senior this season. A national top 40 prospect by many recruiting services headed into his senior year, Gist is dynamic athlete and an outstanding shot blocker and finisher with the quickness and ability to run the floor.

A resident of Silver Spring, Gist will be one of five players on the Terps' 2004-05 roster from the state of Maryland. What is now a young Maryland squad will be a year more experienced when Gist joins the Terps, with three seniors, four juniors and five sophomores on the roster.

Pronunciation Guide: Gist - hard "G"; rhymes with "fist"

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