Maryland Basketball: What’s Next for the Terps?

The future of Maryland basketball is uncertain as the Terps face the possibility of losing all five starters from this season.

The Maryland Terrapins entered the year with high expectations because they had a starting five that all had NBA potential. It showed at times during their Sweet Sixteen matchup against Kansas.

The Terps problems down the stretch came back to bite them in the second half against the Jayhawks, as Kansas coasted to a 79-63 win to end Maryland’s season. A scoring drought and the inability to get rebounds in the second half showed once again that this team lacked the toughness to make noise in the tournament.

There are some positives to the season as it was the program’s first time playing in the Sweet 16 since 2003. All five starters averaged double figures in scoring and earned Big Ten honors. Maryland basketball is back on the map after over a decade of mediocre play.

The real question is now that the ride has come to an end, where does Mark Turgeon and the Terps go from here?

We know Jake Layman and Rasheed Sulaimon are gone as seniors, and both played their hearts out in their final collegiate game. Whether or not either is drafted remains to be seen.

Robert Carter is a player that looked like an NBA prospect during the Terps non-conference schedule. He already has the build of a pro ball player, but his diminished numbers down the stretch should keep him in College Park for one more year. He will take on a bigger role as a scorer next season which could elevate his draft stock for next season.

The duo that will hurt the Terps the most is the losses of Diamond Stone and Melo Trimble. Stone is basically a guarantee to head to the NBA as some feel he could be a lottery pick in this year’s draft. He didn’t play well against Kansas, but there is also nothing keeping him at Maryland for another season.

Many expected Trimble to be gone after this year, but we said the same about last season as well. His draft stock has plummeted as Chad Ford of ESPN.com has him ranked No. 48 in his top 100 NBA prospects. That puts him in the range of a mid-second round pick or later. Most players drafted at that point are considered long shots to make the NBA.

Trimble would benefit from another year of college basketball. He came into the 2015-2016 season hoping to improve his draft stock, but instead it has gone the other way. One more season with the Terps might finally cement him into first round consideration as opposed to taking a chance of being another second-round disappointment.

Turgeon has another solid recruiting class arriving in Anthony Cowan, Kevin Huerter and Micah Thomas. However, they are not players that keep the Terps in the national championship hunt.

A huge piece to next season’s success will depend on whatever decision Trimble makes in the upcoming weeks. Maryland would have a solid team that is capable of competing for a Big Ten title if Melo sticks around, but it’s a huge unknown without him.

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Turgeon basically knows four of the five starters for next season. The front court will consist of Robert Carter and Damonte Dodd, who will take over at center for Stone. Jared Nickens and Dion Wiley will likely enter the starting lineup. The uncertainty is who is the point guard next season.

Trimble should be that guy. If not, Jaylen Brantley and Cowen will battle it out for the spot. Melo has an opportunity to not only help his draft stock next season, but win over the hearts of the Maryland faithful and go down in history as one of the greats in program history.

It’s tough to speculate what decision he makes. We all want him to return for one more season, but the NBA might tell Trimble he has nothing left to show in college. He also would have his focus 100 percent on basketball as opposed to needing to attending classes to be eligible to play.

Turgeon has a tough task moving forward whether Trimble comes back or not. It would make his job a lot easier with the sensational point guard, but the Terps have improvements to make before they can take on the likes of a top team such as Kansas and Michigan State.

Next: Terps Must Live Up to Preseason Hype to Beat Kansas

Programs don’t become national contenders overnight. While there are a lot of question marks for next season, Turgeon has Maryland basketball on a path for success.