Maryland guard Terrell Stoglin declared for the NBA Draft after the school suspended him for one year for violating the university’s student-athlete code of conduct.
A source familiar with the situation said Stoglin’s suspension stemmed from failed drug tests. Maryland’s student-athlete code of conduct prescribes a one-year suspension for a third failed drug test.
Sophomore guard Mychal Parker, who announced April 9 he intended to transfer, also was suspended for one year.
“Being a University of Maryland student-athlete carries a tremendous honor and responsibility,” athletic director Kevin Anderson said in a statement released by the school. “As much as we appreciate the effort these two young men gave to the program this season, they were unable to live up to that responsibility. We’re disappointed but hope they use this as a learning experience.”
It won’t happen in College Park, a particularly stinging development for Stoglin and Maryland in the short term.
Stoglin averaged 21.6 points and often singlehandedly kept the Terrapins competitive during a 17-15 season. He accounted for 31.4 percent of Maryland’s points and 30.5 percent of its shots but was not a first team all-conference selection.
He was the first player to lead the ACC in scoring and not earn first team all-conference honors since 1999 and just the fifth in the league’s 59-year history.
Along the way, the relationship between Stoglin and coach Mark Turgeon was the most curious aspect of Turgeon’s first season. Stoglin twice came off the bench for what were described as minor issues, and he also lashed out on his Twitter page after remaining on the bench for about four minutes late in the second half of a Feb. 11 loss at Duke. Stoglin later apologized.
Nonetheless, Stoglin was a ferocious competitor, and produced 11 games of at least 25 points. The grind of shouldering much of the scoring load eventually wore down Stoglin to some extent, though he scored a combined 55 points in two ACC tournament games.
The Tucson, Ariz., native said after Maryland lost to North Carolina in the ACC tournament he would consider turning pro. However, he said less than two weeks later he would remain at Maryland for his junior season.
The suspension clearly changed that. The deadline to enter the NBA Draft was Sunday night, and Stoglin declared rather than remain in school and not play next season. However, it is uncertain what the prospects are for a 6-foot-1 guard who left school under atypical circumstances.
With Stoglin gone, Turgeon’s second backcourt at Maryland will look substantially different than his first.
The Terps return Nick Faust and Pe’Shon Howard, the latter of whom is coming off February surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament. Maryland also signed guards Seth Allen and Sam Cassell Jr.
Stoglin’s presence would have provided a proven scorer as well as provided point guard depth if Howard’s rehabilitation process was prolonged. Without him, Maryland’s hopes of returning to the NCAA tournament after a two-year hiatus take an obvious hit.
Overall, only five of the nine recruited scholarship players from the just-completed season remain in the program, and just three — Howard and forwards James Padgett and Ashton Pankey — played at all for former coach Gary Williams.
• Patrick Stevens can be reached at pstevens@washingtontimes.com.
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