Men's basketball adds 7-1 Ukrainian center

With a frontcourt largely devoid of experience and bodies, first-year Terrapins men's basketball coach Mark Turgeon took an unusual route in landing a big man just in time for the 2011-12 season.

After scouring the country for a prospect worth signing, Turgeon turned his attention overseas, where he found 7-foot-1, 225-pound center Olexiy Len. The 18-year-old Ukrainian officially joined the team Monday, only two days before the start of classes, according to a release.

"We are very excited about the addition of Alex to our basketball team," Turgeon said in a statement. "To be able to add a player with his ability so late in the recruiting calendar is good for us."

With the loss of forward Jordan Williams to the NBA, the graduation of forward Dino Gregory and the departure of forward Haukur Palsson to Europe, the Terps were set to enter this year desperately lacking in frontcourt depth.

The addition of Len, which should provide Turgeon a decent option in the paint for his first season in College Park, comes as a surprise given the former Texas A&M coach's late arrival.

By the time Turgeon had been hired to succeed former coach Gary Williams, most high-school and junior-college recruits had made college decisions, leaving him to look elsewhere.

In Len, he found a promising talent who averaged 16 points, 11.4 rebounds and 4.3 blocks during the U-18 European Championships last year for the Ukrainian national team.

Turgeon said in the release that the former Terps coaching staff had pursued Len, making it easier for the new coach to land the late signee.

"It's been a dream of mine to come to the United States to play college basketball," Len said in a statement. "In Ukraine we do not get to watch much NCAA basketball, but the first time I saw Maryland was a memorable one. ... I could not believe the atmosphere."

Len joins another foreign-born player, senior center Berend Weijs, as well as junior forward James Padgett and redshirt freshman forward Ashton Pankey in the Terps' frontcourt this season. Team officials did not immediately know how many years of eligibility Len would have in college.

"I can see myself coming in and contributing right away and helping our team compete in a great league," Len said. "I'm extremely excited to be a Terp."

ceckard@umdbk.com