When Gary Williams first met with storied St. Anthony (N.J.) coach Bob Hurley about Ashton Pankey, they talked about Williams’ success with turning unheralded big men into excellent college players. Hurley was thrilled when Pankey committed to Maryland in mid-November and shortly thereafter, the coach began to see huge strides in Pankey’s game.

“No one could keep him off of the boards. He was a real force,” said Hurley, who has won 23 state championships and has more than 900 wins in 35 years, producing countless Division college players along the way. “And the strength numbers, he had made huge gains working with our strength coach in the fall.”

But barely a month into the season, Pankey was complaining regularly of shin pain. He continued to play under the assumption that he was suffering from common shin splints, but a visit to the doctor would reveal that there was actually a stress fracture. So he stopped playing, the expectation being that a few weeks of rest would allow the injury to heal.

But it didn’t heal, and nearly two months later, Pankey seems likely to miss the remainder of what has been an abbreviated senior campaign for a 6-foot-9, 220-pound senior who was just beginning to blossom.

“What happened was, the bone was not healing. He went to a second doctor, and I think the decision was, it would be prudent to drill a hole in the leg and allow for the marrow to seep out. That will help the healing process. It’s a shame because he was coming a long way and it looks like he’ll miss the rest of the season,” Hurley said. “I just wish we’d been able to find out about it in September rather than Thanksgiving, and then he could be playing most of his senior year.”

There remains an chance Pankey could play again this year for St. Anthony, which is  loaded with talent as usual, but it’s not likely.

“Selfishly, it’s frustrating because he could do a lot for us. We have some very good players but when you have a kid that rebounds like that, you play him. We still have five weeks left before the playoffs, so it’s possible, but the one thing we want to do at the high school level is be prudent. I’m sure he’d love to play,” he said. [Maryland's coaching staff] has been with us through the entire [injury] process."

Hurley said the doctors don’t expect this to be a lingering problem, especially with all of the rest and rehabilitation Pankey’s been getting. He also could come to College Park next fall stronger than ever, having spent much of his layoff doing upper body workouts in addition to stationary bike work for conditioning.

Hurley has enjoyed a good relationship Williams -- a fellow New Jersey native -- for years, but Maryland hasn’t made much of a mark at St. Anthony’s recruiting-wise primarily because of location, Hurley said,.

“It’s hard because up here there’s a Big East [infatuation]. People talk all of the time about the Big East. And the ACC doesn’t really run through here,” he said.

That’s not to say he hasn’t take note of what Williams’ accomplishments in terms not only of wins and losses, but also player development.

“The first time we talked [about Pankey], I was thrilled. We talked about what he had done with [Lonnie Baxter] and his improvement over the years. Not that he’s the same sort of player, but in their system, they’re going to get the ball down to the big guys,” he said. “Gary has done such a great job over the years of taking under-recruited big guys and doing a great job with them.”

Maryland pursued Pankey vigorously after a personal viewing by Williams this fall. The New York City native has the potential to make an immediate impact in the ACC as a rebounder and shot-blocker.

“He really rebounds the ball, he can block shots, and the next step would be expanding some of his moves on offense,” Hurley said. “He’s a quick jumper. He gets off of the floor very well and he’s very agile. He’s not a plodding player at all. He gets above the rim.”

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ESPN Scouts Inc Evaluation (October, 2009): Pankey has traditionally been a player who impacted the game by rebounding, defending, and being active around the basket. He's an impressive athlete with long arms, good hands, and a strong frame who finishes very well around the basket, runs the court, defends multiple positions, blocks shots, and is especially effective on the offensive glass. While his offensive skill set hasn't shown any notable progression, his biggest development is playing with a much more consistent motor, which is crucial given his type of game. While he would need to develop an offensive weapon to take his game to the next level, there is plenty of value in a big man who doesn't need to have plays called for him to impact the game and does all of the "little things" inside the paint.