Melo Trimble and Diamond Stone will enter their name in the NBA draft, just over two weeks after they helped Maryland advance to the regional semifinals of the NCAA tournament for the first time in 2003.
Trimble, a sophomore, will not immediately hire an agent, meaning he can withdraw his name from draft consideration and return to the team at any point before the June 13 deadline. Stone, a freshman, will hire an agent, meaning that he will forgo his final three years of eligibility once he does.
The two players’ decisions follow that of Robert Carter Jr., the junior forward who announced last week that he would hire an agent and leave Maryland. The deadline for players to declare for the NBA draft is April 24.
Trimble, the Terrapins’ starting point guard, led his team with 14.8 points and 4.9 assists per game this past season. He scored 20 or more points nine times, including 25 points in a victory over UConn on Dec. 8, and was named to the Big Ten second team this past season.
Trimble, born in Washington and raised in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, graduated from Bishop O’Connell High School in Arlington in 2014. He ended up as one of only two players to surpass 500 points in each of their first two seasons at Maryland, joining Joe Smith, who achieved that distinction in 1995.
“Melo will go through the draft process, which will provide him a stronger understanding of where he could potentially be selected,” Maryland coach Mark Turgeon said in a statement announcing the players’ intentions. “Melo has worked very hard and we will continue to support and guide him throughout this process.”
Stone was one of the top high school players in the country when he committed to Maryland in Oct. 2014. The 6-foot-11, 255-pound center from Milwaukee faced a steep learning curve during his lone season, starting only 22 of 35 games, but still averaged 12.5 points and 5.4 rebounds a game, each of which ranked second on the team.
He scored a season-high 39 points in a victory over Penn State on Dec. 30, but scored just four points in a first-round NCAA tournament win over South Dakota State and five points in the Sweet 16 loss to Kansas.
Turgeon said that Stone “has vastly improved his strength and conditioning and has made strides defensively,” which “will be beneficial as Diamond pursues a career in professional basketball.”
“My family and I spent a great deal of time discussing my future and we felt this was the best decision as I pursue my dream of playing professional basketball,” Stone said in that statement. “I want to also thank all of the [Terrapins’] fans and the students on campus who have been very supportive since the day I arrived to College Park. It means a great deal to me.”
Stone is projected by some online evaluations to be taken in the mid- to late first round, while Trimble stands to be taken at any point after the mid-first round.
A number of prospects have entered the NBA draft after the NCAA changed rules that will allow them to go through pre-draft workouts in front of professional scouts. Previously, players had to remove their name from draft consideration by late April.
“I am looking forward to taking advantage of this opportunity and entering my name in the NBA draft,” Trimble said in the statement. “I am excited that the new rules allow me the chance to go through this process.”
• Zac Boyer can be reached at zboyer@washingtontimes.com.
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