With the calendar flipping to May at the end of last week, we’re now approaching the two-month mark since the 2019-20 college basketball season came to a screeching halt. While the status of the upcoming fall sports season — much less any winter sports, including basketball — remains up in the air, programs have continued to work as if next season will get going without any delays. And it makes sense to do this, even with the uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. A coaching staff cannot assume that the upcoming season will be delayed; if it gets to that point, it is much better to be ready to go from a roster standpoint than to not be. But in the case of Maryland, this has proven to be a bit of an issue for Mark Turgeon and his staff, especially when it comes to the frontcourt rotation for next season.
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Jalen Smith moving on to the professional ranks, as he has a shot at hearing his name called in the first round of the NBA Draft (which may be delayed since the Combine and Draft Lottery have already been postponed), came as no surprise to anyone. He and senior point guard Anthony Cowan were expected to free up scholarships with their departures, with guards Aquan Smart and Marcus Dockery having already inked their National Letter of Intent. Unfortunately for Maryland the program also bid farewell to two role-playing frontcourt players this spring, with Ricky Lindo transferring to George Washington and Joshua Tomaic (next stop yet to be determined) entering his name into the transfer portal as well. But to look at this as an issue that just came to light in the spring would be short-sighted.
When twins Makhi and Makhel Mitchell signed, the hope was that after a freshman season in the rotation (to varying degrees) they would be ready to step forward in 2020-21 to help account for the departure of Smith. Well, as we all know things did not go as planned as both were out of the door by the end of the fall semester (and they’ll be at Rhode Island next season). In the short-term those weren’t huge personnel losses. Neither was all that productive while on the floor, with Makhi making five starts and showing more promise. The Terps’ frontcourt numbers took a hit, putting the team in a tough spot should Smith be saddled either by foul trouble or injury. The good news was that Smith averaged just 3.0 fouls committed per 40 minutes and stayed healthy, ensuring that one of the Big Ten’s best post players was available on a nightly basis.
Those exits also freed up more playing time for Donta Scott, who made 21 starts as a freshman playing alongside Smith. He and junior Aaron Wiggins will be Maryland’s most experienced frontcourt players this season, with the latter possibly due to find himself in positions where he’ll have to play some “small ball” four due to the team’s lack of frontcourt depth. The departures and misses on the recruiting trail also places more responsibility upon the shoulders of 7-foot-2 sophomore Chol Marial, who was limited to 12 games last season due to leg injuries that plagued him in high school. This set up to be a huge offseason for Marial, not only from a health standpoint as he’s finally at full strength but skill-wise as well. But how much skill work can a developing player get in when his time to work with the coaching staff has been limited due to the pandemic? That’s something else to consider when it comes to Maryland’s shaky offseason.
Turgeon and his staff didn’t completely strike out on the transfer market, as Jairus Hamilton is headed south after two seasons at Boston College. Last season he started 20 of the 24 games in which he played for the Eagles, posting averages of 9.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, 0.9 assists and 0.5 steals per game while shooting 42.8% from the field, 28.1% from three and 77.5% from the foul line. Had the NCAA acted on legislation that would have made all first-time transfer eligible immediately at their next stops, the 6-foot-8 Hamilton was well-positioned to hop into Maryland’s rotation immediately. But that rule change may not occur until the 2021-22 season, which in turn would leave Hamilton and Maryland with two choices: either appeal for immediate eligibility, or sit out this upcoming season. Given the Terps’ need for frontcourt bodies, it’s obvious that filing an appeal would be the course of action.
The good news for Maryland at this point is that the transfer cupboard isn’t empty by any stretch of the imagination. Romello White, who averaged 10.2 points, 8.8 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 1.2 blocks per game at Arizona State last season, would be eligible immediately at his next stop. He was a fixture in the Sun Devils’ starting lineup during the three seasons in which he was eligible, starting 90 of a possible 95 games, and during his time in Tempe White shot 60.5% from the field and 60.0% from the foul line. White is listed at 6-foot-8 so he isn’t the biggest interior player, but he plays with physicality and doesn’t lack for athleticism, either. And he’s coming from a program that under Bobby Hurley has experienced success, which could be helpful with regard to grooming Maryland’s young big men.
Another transfer to keep in mind is former Wake Forest center Olivier Sarr, a third team all-ACC selection who entered the portal in the aftermath of the school firing head coach Danny Manning. Sarr posted averages of 13.7 points, 9.0 rebounds, 0.9 assists and 1.2 blocks per game, shooting 52.7% from the field and 76.1% from the foul line in 2019-20. Sarr hasn’t completed his undergraduate studies so he would likely need a waiver in order to be eligible immediately. But with the head coaching change, he has a solid argument that he should be allowed to play. Whether or not the waiver request would be granted is another matter. It’s worth noting that Kentucky, which has been active in the pursuit of multiple bigs during the spring, is also involved in the chase for Sarr according to ESPN’s Jeff Borzello. The 7-footer stated that he has no interest in sitting out a season if a waiver request were to be denied, so Sarr won’t be a “sit one, play one” addition to any program’s roster.
Last but not least is 6-foot-9 pivot Adama Sanogo, who in late-April revealed a final six of Maryland, Auburn, UConn, Nebraska, Pittsburgh and Seton Hall. The expectation is that Sanogo will reclassify to 2020, and for that reason (not to mention his talent) this is a huge recruitment for Maryland. At this point in the offseason things don’t look great for Maryland in the frontcourt, but the perimeter lacks for neither depth nor talent. Eric Ayala, Wiggins and Darryl Morsell are all due back, with Serrel Smith Jr. and Hakim Hart looking to earn more minutes and the freshmen Smart and Dockery in the fold as well. However, for as dire as the post situation appears to be right now all it takes is a commitment (or two) to change that. Hopefully Turgeon and his staff are Zoom/FaceTime stalwarts, because how well they utilize those platforms in this strange time will go a long way towards determining just how good the Terps can be in 2020-21.
EDIT: Sanogo has just committed to UCONN.
BSL Analyst
Raphielle’s been writing about college sports for more than a decade, making the move to college basketball alone in 2013. Beginning his work with the former website CollegeHoops.net in 2003, Raphielle spent 3 years writing for NBCSports.com beginning 2013, covering CBB and the Olympics. In 2016, Raphielle joined Heavy.com. If there’s a game on, there’s a strong likelihood that he’s watching it.