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Maryland Basketball: No Reason for Diamond Stone to Return

By Joe Serpico

Mar 23, 2016; Louisville, KY, USA; Maryland Terrapins center Diamond Stone (33) dunks the ball during practice the day before the semifinals of the South regional of the NCAA Tournament at KFC YUM!. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 23, 2016; Louisville, KY, USA; Maryland Terrapins center Diamond Stone (33) dunks the ball during practice the day before the semifinals of the South regional of the NCAA Tournament at KFC YUM!. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports /
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It comes as no surprise that Maryland basketball is expected to lose Diamond Stone to the 2016 NBA Draft.

Ever since Diamond Stone was rumored to come to the Maryland Terrapins, many knew he would be a one-and-done player. If you are a follower of him on his Twitter account, he looks as though he has made up his mind to enter the NBA Draft.

Diamond’s father, Robert Stone, told The Baltimore Sun that there has been no decision made as to whether his son will enter the draft. And while that may be true, there is no reason for Diamond to stick around in College Park this season.

The 6-foot-11, 255-pound center is a potential top-10 pick in many NBA mock drafts. ESPN currently has him as the No. 18 pick, and some draft experts have said he could go as high as the fifth pick. Stone showed flashes of being a force inside the paint, and a transition into the NBA game sooner rather than later will help him with his development.

Stone was dominant in his first Big Ten game, scoring a freshman-record 39 points against Penn State. It was in that game that we thought the Terps could really make a run at a National Championship. Stone had some strong games down the stretch, but also left more to be desired at times.

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He finished second in scoring and rebounds (12.5 points and 5.4 boards per game), and first in blocked shots (1.6). While the numbers look solid to most, not many teams feature a near 7-foot center in college basketball. The rebound totals should have been much better, and he does have some work to do in his offensive game.

Some will ask why an unfinished product would go so high in the draft. The NBA drafts on potential, and Stone has all the physical attributes to make it. For Stone, it makes sense to take advantage of the process and turn pro.

Entering the draft will allow him to put his focus solely on the game of basketball. He will not be required to sit in classes and also get a few bucks in his pocket in the process. It will be basketball from here on out, and everyday will be a day he learns about the game.

It is possible that the Terps could be without their entire starting five to the draft. Maryland is still waiting to hear about the decisions of Melo Trimble and Robert Carter, and Rasheed Sulaimon and Jake Layman are seniors who will garner some attention in the NBA.

Players have until May 25 to enter the draft and can withdraw their names by June 13, which is 10 days before the draft. They can return to school if they do not sign an agent.

Mark Turgeon has done a fantastic job of recruiting since taking over the coaching duties at Maryland. The knock on Turgeon is that he doesn’t seem to develop his players well. It’s just another reason for Stone to get professional coaching rather than stay in College Park for another season.

Next: What's Next for the Terps?

While no official announcement has been made, Stone is as good as gone, and we wish him a successful career in the NBA.

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