RANKINGS: 2019 Rivals150 | 2020 Rivals150 | 2019 Team Rankings

COLUMBIA, S.C. – The value of a multi-positional ballplayer that brings toughness and upside to the floor has never been as valuable which makes Dalen Terry that much better of a college prospect. A top-35 junior with great size in the backcourt, Terry discussed his identity as a defensive stalwart, his recruitment and the number of schools that have already placed a priority upon him.

“Over the summer, playing with Compton Magic, they just told me that I need to play defense. At the beginning of the summer I played defense but towards the end, I shied away from it and tried to score more,” he said about having the desire to play both ends. “I have gotten back to it and my coach has told me I should be able to guard the other teams’ best player and not let anyone score on me. I feel like that is the best thing that I do. If they tell me to guard someone, I won’t let him score.”

While his recruitment remains open, Terry did say that Arizona, Arizona State, Cal, Marquette, Memphis, USC, Utah, and Washington were among the schools heavy in pursuit.

Arizona: “They are telling me that they are getting better and getting more and more players. I have thought about staying home but it is not a necessity.”

Arizona State: “I was at the game against Kansas so it was exciting to see them beat the number one team and I know a lot of guys on the team. They are just saying that I should just join them since there is a lot of in-state guys on the team. All of the commits now are just telling me to go there and I am good friends with Jaelen House.”

Marquette: “Since they recruited Markus (Howard) and to see him in high school and now to see him at Marquette, I watched the game the other day, so it was cool seeing him do all of that with him being from Arizona. Stan (Johnson) tells me all the time to come here and he wants for me to go to Marquette. He would come out to see me a lot earlier in the year and we still talk a lot.”

USC: “They are saying that I have played with them (Isaiah and Evan Mobley) so why not keep playing with them. I would love to do that but I will just see how it all pans out. I like it out there, though. I lived there for a little bit of my life so it is like another home. I am there all the time.”

Utah: “That atmosphere is crazy out there. They have another Arizona guy out there with Timmy Allen. He is like a really big brother to me so whenever I went out there, I was with him the entire time. He is just telling me about it there.”

Washington: “I have never received as much letters from one school in my life. I like the attention from the like that.”

Selecting a favorite remains difficult and while he has already taken an official visit to Utah, Terry is still some time away from taking any others. “I think I am going to take my official visits once my AAU season starts up since I will be traveling more. I just don’t want to force it and let things happen organically,” he said. “I will probably commit during my season next year, either right before it or during it.”

One of the top west coast prospects from the 2020 class, Terry has the chance to become an elite, lockdown defender that can guard more than just one position. He brings a steady approach to the offensive end where he can be used on the ball as a facilitator and playmaker that has no issues creating shot opportunities for his teammates.

Expect for the west coast’s best to continue to prioritize Terry with others getting involved, thus making his recruitment a national affair. Arizona and Arizona State could be difficult to beat due to their proximity to him, though USC should not be discounted.