Mark Turgeon and Maryland have landed former Duke guard, Rasheed Sulaimon, to complete a roster that many think will be good enough to bring a National Championship to College Park. After Turgeon lost transfer Damion Lee to Lousiville, he answered by brining in another transfer in Sulaimon who can help the Terps stretch the floor. The shooting guard position was the only real hole for the Terps, but with the pick up of Sulaimon, Jared Nickens and Dion Wiley can be key producers off the bench.
Duke had dismissed Sulaimon from the team back in January. Coach K released a statement at the time that Sulaimon had "been unable to consistently live up to the standards required to be a member of our program."
While Turgeon was coaching at Texas A&M, he recruited Sulaimon hard before eventually loosing him to Coach K at Duke. This situation benefits both parties involved. Sulaimon has one year of eligilibity left, so he wanted to be sure which ever school he chose has a chance to win a National Championship. On the other hand, Turgeon and the Terps are coming off a great year where they finished in the Round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament, while setting the school-record for wins.
Sulaimon will be one of the three new faces college basketball fans will see in a Maryland uniform that will provide huge impact. Robert Carter, a Georgia Tech transfer who redshirted this past season, is eligible to play this upcoming season. Carter has been talked about being a future NBA draft pick. 5-star recruit Diamond Stone will also join the Terps this season to provide an inside presence they have been missing for some time.
The projected starting lineup for Maryland this season includes: Melo Trimble, Rasheed Suliamon, Jake Layman, Robert Carter, and Diamond Stone. Each player has NBA talent, which gives Maryland an argument for a top three, maybe even No.1, presason ranking. All of the weaknesses the Terps displayed last season have been addressed thanks to Mark Turgeon and his staff. The moves that were made will bring Maryland back onto the elite status of college basketball where they have been absent for too long.