Mychal Parker will transfer from Maryland after serving as a reserve for the short-handed Terrapins for much of last season.
Parker averaged 4.3 points and 3.0 rebounds in 18.0 minutes as a sophomore. The 6-foot-5 guard played in all 32 games and started three.
He would have been one of six scholarship players returning from a 17-15 team. The Terps also signed three players in the fall and have two non-binding commitments expected to sign later this month.
“We appreciate the effort and commitment Mychal made to our success and our program this season,” coach Mark Turgeon said in a statement released by the school. “We certainly wish him well as he continues his academic and athletic pursuits.”
Parker, who logged only 80 minutes as a freshman, played plenty out of necessity in the early stages of Maryland’s just-concluded season. His minutes declined considerably when guard Pe’Shon Howard returned from a broken foot, then increased after Howard was lost for the season with a torn knee ligament in February.
Parker’s most potent offensive game was a 12-point outing at Duke on Feb. 11, but he believed his defense improved considerably under Turgeon. Parker said before last month’s ACC tournament that Turgeon, who just finished his first season in College Park, frequently prodded him to improve.
“He always gets on my case and tells me I have to get better and have to go harder,” Parker said then. “I’ll be thinking that I’m going hard, but he’ll say ’You have to go harder and have to give me your all.’ And I just want to thank coach for that.”
Nonetheless, it was easy to envision a cluttered backcourt in the second half of Parker’s career. Starters Nick Faust and Terrell Stoglin return, and Howard could reclaim his starting point guard role if he is fully recovered from knee surgery. Maryland also adds freshman Seth Allen.
• Patrick Stevens can be reached at pstevens@washingtontimes.com.
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