The hits keep coming in the Big Ten as Maryland finally gets a bite from the grad transfer pool
Despite losing both Jalen Smith and Anthony Cowan Jr., the Terp might only be one quality big man away from staying among the Big Ten's NCAA tournamen teams
The news that Maryland coach Mark Turgeon finally landed a grad transfer earlier this week in Alabama’s Galin Smith was met with a healthy dose of skepticism for good reason: the 6-9, 240-pound forward was a much better student (making the SEC’s all-academic honor roll twice) during his three years in Tuscaloosa than he was an athlete (a career 3.2 scoring average, 2.2 rebounds over 94 games.)
Fact is, Turgeon didn’t sign this Smith with plans of him replacing another - namely sophomore forward Jalen Smith, who announced last month that he would forgo his final two years of eligibility to put his name in the NBA draft, where he is expected to be a mid-to-late first-round pick.
Galin Smith is coming to College Park to give Turgeon a big, experienced body off the bench, a role Joshua Tomaic would likely have played had he not decided to find a new home, and potentially a new opportunity for himself at San Diego State. And, given Tomaic’s even less impressive stats, Aztec fans are probably a tad quizzical themselves.
At worst, Smith’s a five-foul insurance policy in the event that Turgeon doesn’t sign another big to either back up or supplant 7-2 sophomore Chol Marial. At best, he could be one of those guys who becomes a one-year wonder when finally given a chance to play. Do you remember Dave Neal, Maryland fans?
As I wrote last week when Turgeon was taking a lot of heat for missing on a number of grad transfers and previously uncommitted freshmen, the Terps are not bereft of talent going into the 2020-21 season. They have three starters back from a team that shared the Big Ten title, four if you include the league’s sixth man of the year, Aaron Wiggins.
And as more quality players leave the Big Ten either by way of putting their names into the NBA draft or the NCAA transfer portal, Maryland keeps inching its way back to the middle of the pack if not higher.
The latest departure came at Purdue, where junior guard Nojel Eastern announced that he was leaving West Lafayette - something many of us do after experiencing Mackey Arena, one of the most underrated venues in college basketball, since there’s not much else there to speak of - for destinations unknown.
(Note: Within hours after posting this, Eastern announced he was transferring to Michigan. A definite upgrade in college towns, and now with his presence, teams next season.)
There are, in fact, a few teams that, like the Terps, finished in the top half of the Big Ten last season that have already or potentially can lose as much as much if not more, in particular Michigan State and Illinois.
After sharing the regular season title with Maryland and Wisconsin, the Spartans lost Cassius Winston, and could also lose both Xavier Tillman and Aaron Henry if they decide to stay in the NBA draft. Consider how far Michigan State might drop if Rocket Watts doesn’t suddenly make the kind of jump Winston did as a sophomore.
The Fighting Illini, who will lose do-everything sophomore guard Aya Dosunmo and could also lose manchild freshman center Kofi Cockburn, saw Andres Feliz and Kipper Nichols graduate and Alan Griffin transfer. Consider how far Illinois might fall if Cockburn leaves, based on how the team did when he got into foul trouble last season.
Ohio State, which made a strong second-half run to find its way into the top five last season, might be more in transition than any team in the league. While the Buckeyes picked up former Ivy League player of the year Seth Towns as a replacement for Kaleb Wesson, they will also be looking to fill the void left by Wesson’s big brother, Andre.
Penn State, which made a surprising run toward a possible Big Ten championship last season before fading with five losses in its last six games, will now have to find a go-to guy to follow Lamar Stevens, who finished as the school’s second all-time leading scorer, as well as center Mike Watkins.
Even some of the teams that finished in the bottom half of the Big Ten last season, including Michigan, will be rebuilding after sustaining substantial losses.The Wolverines have to find replacements for Zavier Simpson and Jon Teske and possibly Isaiah Livers if he stays in the draft.
So why are the Terps getting picked to finish toward the bottom of the league, suddenly expected to be competing with the likes of Northwestern and Nebraska rather in the top five, where they have been for nearly all of their six years in the Big Ten?
For good reason, Maryland is not being currently mentioned as an NCAA tournament
team after losing Smith, who had 22 double-doubles as a sophomore, and point guard Anthony Cowan Jr., the leading scorer the last three years. It seems a little drastic for the Terps to go from a share for first to being thought among the worst.
While Galin Smith’s stats suggest to Maryland fans that he’ll be another L.G. Gill (3.5 points, 2.1 rebounds in 12.7 minutes a game in 2016-17 after transferring from Duquesne) or Sean Obi (1.4 points, 1.9 points in six minutes a game in 2017-18 after transferring from Duke), he is at least a better athlete and a much-needed big body.
Based on the players Maryland has on its current roster, Turgeon has a solid corps that has had success in the Big Ten.
Turgeon needs Darryl Morsell, who’ll be the only returning senior in the rotation and who’s been a terrific glue guy for most of his career, to be the kind of leader the Terps haven’t had since Dez Wells.
The Terps also need Wiggins to finally become a more consistent shooter that should make him a big-time scorer as a junior. And they need Eric Ayala, also a junior, to take the reins at point in a different way than Cowan, as a facilitator that can also score.
But mostly they have to figure out how to replace ‘Stix’ up front.
Galin Smith is certainly not the answer by himself, but he could be part of the solution as Donta Scott, who was solid and at times dynamic as a freshman, continues to develop and certainly if Marial can stay healthy and start to become a factor.
Turgeon is hopeful that Boston College transfer Jairus Hamilton, a 6-8 forward who averaged nearly 10 points a game as a sophomore, will either get a hardship waiver from the NCAA or be part of a large group of transfers to gain immediate eligibility.
Maryland has been in contact with two four-star prospects in the 2021 class who could reclassify, 6-10, 220-pound forward Franck Kepnang and 6-11, 245-pound center Efton Reid.
The Terps have made some headway with Bino Ranson leading the recruiting effort for both players. Ranson was successful in getting Diamond Stone after the 2014-15 season when most thought he was headed for Wisconsin.
Unlike the grad transfers who recently rejected Turgeon’s offers without stepping onto the campus due to the pandemic, Kepgang and Reid were both at Maryland on senior day when the Terps beat Michigan to clinch their share of the regular season title..
Not getting one of the grad transfers could actually be a blessing in the long run should the Terps sign either Kepnang or Reid, since neither will likely be one-and-dones after reclassifying.
Mark Carter, Kepnang’s AAU coach, said the Kepnang is well aware of the opportunity for immediate playing time and the fact that Turgeon’s two most recent big men, Smith and Bruno Fernando, are going to or already in the NBA.
Apparently he’s also familiar with Marial’s story, too.
“Stix’s leaving leaves a huge hole, Chol is somebody who was once a very dominant high school basketball player,” Carter said in a telephone interview. “Franck would be able to walk right in [and play, if not start.
“For somebody like myself who had a [high school] graduation, went to my senior prom and stuff like that, to be with the people I went through high school with, I wouldn’t be right in my head to take that away from a kid.”
Carter said that a decision is not likely for a few more weeks, coming after Kepnang finishes the school year in early June.
“Everything has to be picture perfect,” Kepnang said. “It’s not a situation where he’s going to be placed into a redshirt year or anything like that. If he can go in and be [a factor], and it makes sense on every level, I’d say ‘Why not?’
“But ultimately it’s totally up to Franck. It’s his high school career, he’s passing up on missing his senior prom, graduation. These are things that are important to him. He’s in no rush.”
Maryland appears to have a lot more competition for Reid than for Kepnang - aside from Virginia, where most expect him to go, Kansas and Kentucky are reportedly now in the hunt as well - but the Terps are trying to stay in consideration.
“I talk to coach Bino pretty much every day,” Reid told 24/7 Sports. “Coach Bino’s been recruiting me forever, so I’m really close to him and we have a good relationship. Coach Turgeon has been calling me more frequently now and I’m starting to form a relationship with him.”
Reid said he has been to Maryland three times, most recently in early March for an unofficial visit.
“It was a great atmosphere and a great game,” he said. “A lot of people came to the game.
Even if Turgeon can close the deal with either Kepnang or Reid, he won’t be done trying to build up his roster for next season and beyond. He got a commitment this week from Julian Reese, a four-star prospect currently ranked outside the top 100
Getting a quality big like Kepnang or Reid, and possibly another scorer, and Turgeon might be able to finally get to enjoy his family a little more during the pandemic lockdown.
It also will help take some of the constant heat - and “the 1000-pound gorilla” as Turgon aptly called the pressure he finally acknowledged feeling after the Michigan game - off of him for at least a little while as he approaches his 10th season.
Whenever that comes, it might not be as bleak as many are predicting.