Laron Profit

The Associated Press' 1998-99 preseason All-America team,selected by a 72-member national media panel:Player ............ School .... PosRichard Hamilton .. UConn ...... FMateen Cleaves .... Mich. St. .. GElton Brand ....... Duke ....... CLee Nailon ........ TCU ........ FAndre Miller ...... Utah ....... GOthers receiving votes (in alphabetical order): Ed Cota, N. Carolina; Baron Davis, UCLA; Khalid El-Amin, Connecticut; Obinna Ekezie, Maryland; Evan Eschmeyer, Northwestern; Jumaine Jones, Georgia; Trajan Langdon, Duke; Arthur Lee, Stanford; Todd MacCullough, Washington; Mike Madsen, Stanford; BJ McKie, S. Carolina; Lamar Odom, Rhode Isl.; Scott Padgett, Kentucky; James Posey, Xavier; Laron Profit, Maryland; Omar Sneed, Memphis; Wally Szczerbiak, Miami, Ohio; Jason Terry, Arizona; Jamel Thomas, Providence; Kenny Thomas, N. Mexico; Tim Young, Stanford.

Fourteen professional basketball players will take time away from their vacations to participate in the first Champions for the Community charity basketball game tonight at the Baltimore Arena. The game, hosted by Atlanta Hawks center Theo Ratliff, will be played by two teams of top players from around the NBA and will benefit the Associated Black Charities. At 6 p.m., fans will see a game featuring local amateur and pro players, such as Bootsy Thornton, formerly of Dunbar High, and Shawnta Rogers, formerly of Lake Clifton High, as they take on a comparable squad from the Washington area.

Site: Cole Field HouseTime: 8 tonightTickets: $15 and $10 at the doorParking: FreeOutlook: This high school all-star basketball game between the Capital All-Stars and the U.S. All-Stars will give Maryland fans a first glimpse of the Terrapins' two signees -- 6-foot-6 swingman Laron Profit of Caesar Rodney in Camden, Del., and 6-10, 270-pound center Obinna Ekezie of Worcester (Mass.) Academy, both of whom will play for the U.S. All-Stars. Most of the eyes should be on Ekezie, who could be playing a major role next season if All-American center Joe Smith decides to leave Maryland for the NBA. Two players Maryland is recruiting from Philadelphia -- 6-10 center Lari Ketner (Roman Catholic)

COLLEGE PARK -- Obinna Ekezie, a 6-foot-10, 280-pound basketball center from Nigeria, is expected to sign a national letter of intent today with the University of Maryland, sources said yesterday.Ekezie, who has played the past two seasons at Worcester (Mass.) Academy, apparently chose Maryland over Connecticut, George Washington and Rice.Maryland coach Gary Williams declined to comment yesterday, as did Tom Blackburn, Ekezie's coach at Worcester Academy.Today is the last day a player can sign with a school until the next signing period in April.

COLLEGE PARK -- Exree Hipp hit eight three-point shots and scored 36 points as his Red team outscored the White in both halves of Maryland's intrasquad scrimmage yesterday before 500 fans at Cole Field House.Hipp, who missed 10 days of practice with a sprained ankle, out-dueled LaRon Profit, who led the White team with 23 points and hit three threes.Hipp scored on a variety of shots, but perhaps his best was a delicious spin move in the lane in the second half after taking an outlet pass from Keith Booth (19 points)

The Maryland men's basketball team, which has been ranked No. 5 nationally in many publications' preseason polls, placed a league-best four players on the All-Atlantic Coast Conference preseason first and second teams.The only other school to have more than one player on both teams was Duke, which put leading vote-getters Elton Brand and Trajan Langdon on the first team.Laron Profit, a senior forward who was All-ACC third team last season, was the only Terrapin named to the first team.On the second team, Maryland was represented by center Obinna Ekezie and guards Terrell Stokes and Steve Francis, a transfer from Allegany Community College who has yet to play a Division I game.

The week in reviewResults4 Lost, 103-91, at then-No. 5 Kentucky on SaturdayWho's hotSophomore forward Terence Morris continues to lead the ACC with a .667 field-goal percentage.Who's notSenior wing Laron Profit totaled 11 points against Stanford and Kentucky. He did not score in the second half against the Wildcats.He said it"We can't get away from the fact that we have to play good half-court defense."-- Coach Gary WilliamsThe week aheadScheduleL Princeton at the Baltimore Arena tomorrow (9: 30 p.m., ESPN)

Georgia Tech (4-1) at Maryland (6-0)Site: Cole Field House, College ParkTime: 8TV/Radio: Chs. 54, 9/WBAL (1090 AM), WTOP (1500 AM)Outlook: The Terrapins, in their earliest ACC opener since 1981, want to build off wins over Cal and George Washington; the Yellow Jackets want to rebound from a 76-58 loss to Temple. Georgia Tech had 21 turnovers in that game and Maryland will be looking to exploit freshmen guards Kevin Morris (10 ppg, 5.6 apg, 3.4 turnovers a game) and Jason Floyd (7.8 ppg). But Maryland's sophomore guards, Terrell Stokes and Laron Profit, have shown their erratic tendencies.