Maryland’s Wahab enters transfer portal after one season

Maryland men’s basketball has a new coach, but they may also need a new big man.

After just one season with the Terrapins, forward Qudus Wahab is looking to transfer for the second time in his career. The 6-foot-11 junior announced his decision to enter the NCAA transfer portal on Thursday, but he left the door open to return to College Park and play for new Terrapins coach Kevin Willard. 

“After speaking with the new coaching staff, I believe it’s of my best interest to enter my name in the portal while keeping my options open for the possibility of returning to the University of Maryland,” Wahab wrote in a statement.

After a standout sophomore campaign at Georgetown last season, Wahab transferred to Maryland and was rated as the No. 3 transfer of the offseason, according to CBS Sports. In 2020-21 with the Hoyas, who won the Big East Tournament to earn an NCAA berth, Wahab averaged 12.7 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. 

But Wahab didn’t see as much success with the Terrapins this winter, averaging just 7.7 points and 5.6 boards a game as he saw his minutes diminish as the season progressed.

He wasn’t the only one to struggle under interim coach Danny Manning, who took over for Mark Turgeon after the longtime coach resigned in early December. Maryland finished the season 15-17 — the program’s first losing season since 1992-93.