On March 4, Melo Trimble hit a game-winning three with 1.1 seconds left against Michigan State in Maryland’s final game of the regular season.
The Terrapins’ home crowd was euphoric. “One more year, one more year,” they chanted, hopeful that their leading scorer three-years running would choose to stay in school for a fourth. Trimble, though, already knew what they didn’t: that that shot would be his last at XFINITY Center.
Later that month, Trimble declared for the NBA draft and quickly signed with an agent, barring any potential return as a senior. Though College Park has lost him to the NBA, it’s possible hometown fans won’t have to travel far to keep up with the 6-3 guard.
On Tuesday, Trimble headlined a group of six players who participated in a pre-draft workout for the Wizards at Verizon Center. Jamel Artis (Pittsburgh), James Blackmon Jr. (Indiana), Daniel Dixon (William & Mary), D.J. Fenner (Nevada) and Kethan Savage (Butler) were the others.
As one of the better players in the group and a local product, Trimble drew by far the most attention. Trimble calls Upper Marlboro, Md. his hometown and went to Bishop O’Connell high school in Arlington. The top player in Maryland and a top-50 recruit nationally, Trimble chose to stay home and play for Mark Turgeon and the Terps. He’ll go wherever he gets the best opportunity, but he’s not eager for a change of scenery by any means.
“I would love to play for the local team, to represent where I’m from,” Trimble said.
The Wizards have pick No. 52, a reasonable time for Trimble to go, and are still searching for a solid backup to John Wall at point guard. A workout is just a workout, but the fit is there.
Trimble has been training with other prospects in Las Vegas since early April. His shot, particularly from behind the NBA three-point line, has been a main focus. He has already worked out for the Brooklyn Nets and Chicago Bulls and has workouts with the Philadelphia 76ers and Houston Rockets scheduled for June 4 and 5. More may follow.
The Wizards workout was the hardest of the three he’s had so far. Water breaks were scarce. Trimble echoed what other prospects said after the workout: that there was a lot of running and that the Wizards coaches wanted to see who would continue to make plays when they started to get tuckered out.
Trimble and Blackmon Jr., the shooting guard from Indiana, are good friends after three years of Big Ten competition. The two found themselves going up against each other again on Tuesday.
“You could tell he’s been working hard on his game, just like everyone else, you know,” Blackmon said. “He was out there competing. He’s definitely one of the best drivers, so I took it as a contest and wanted to stop him every play.”
Trimble, who tallied 16.8 points, 3.7 assists, 3.6 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game his last season at Maryland, considered leaving after his sophomore year. He declared for the draft but didn’t hire an agent, allowing him to take advantage of the 10-day grace period following the NBA Draft Combine where prospects can remove their names from draft consideration.
Trimble announced his return to Maryland hours before the deadline. This year, having already tested the waters, he had more clarity.
“Last year I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do,” Trimble said. “I was still in school, going to these workouts and doing the combine so I had a lot on my mind and I just wasn’t clear on what I wanted to do.”
“Obviously this year I signed with an agent early so I mean I was able to have a clear mind about everything and just wanted to prove myself at this level.”
Trimble has been to plenty of Wizards games in his 22 years. He has fond memories following the franchise. He also thinks the District has unfulfilled potential as a basketball fanbase.
“We’ve got a lot of good basketball players in the area. Unfortunately, a lot of good players don’t stay here, play home. They branch off. But, I mean, I feel like this could be more of a basketball city than a football city. I’m not even a Redskins fan,” he said, chuckling.
It all hinges on what happens on draft night, June 22, but, if the stars align, Trimble wouldn’t mind bucking the trend.
• Nora Princiotti can be reached at nprinciotti@washingtontimes.com.
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