Qudus Wahab back at Georgetown after one season with Maryland

For Qudus Wahab, there was no place like home.

The 6-foot-11 basketball center is returning to Georgetown one year after leaving the program to join the Maryland Terrapins. The Hoyas announced Wahab’s transfer decision on Monday night.

“It’s good to come home to a fanbase and a system that I am familiar and comfortable with,” Wahab said in a statement. “There will be a lot of new faces on the team and coaching staff that I have built a good relationship with recently, which makes this transition easier. I am excited to play with and work with my new Hoya team. I think coming back to the Hilltop will prepare me even more for my ultimate goal of playing in the NBA.”

Wahab played two seasons at Georgetown before leaving for College Park. As a sophomore with the Hoyas, Wahab averaged 12.7 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. But his production declined last season with the Terrapins, scoring just 7.7 points per game while averaging under 20 minutes a contest.

Wahab’s first season with Maryland wasn’t just an underwhelming one for him, as the Terrapins had their first losing season since 1992-93 under interim coach Danny Manning after Mark Turgeon’s resignation. Wahab entered the portal shortly after Maryland hired Kevin Willard as the program’s new coach.

“I’m happy to see Qudus Wahab back on the Hilltop,” Ewing said in a statement. “I’m looking forward to him helping us get to where we want to be as a team and for our staff to help in his development and his growth.”

Wahab wasn’t the only player to flip-flop between the two D.C.-area programs. Donald Carey, the Hoyas’ captain last season, transferred to Maryland last week as one of Willard’s first additions. Carey, a rising senior, averaged 13.5 points per game last season.

While Wahab is an important addition for the Hoyas, he doesn’t change the fact that most of Ewing’s roster will be new when the season kicks off in the fall. A total of eight Georgetown players, including starters Carey and Collin Holloway, hit the transfer portal during or after the Hoyas’ 6-25 campaign.

Last season was one of the worst in school history, as the Hoyas ended the campaign on a program-worst 21-game losing streak. But Wahab is one of several transfers Ewing has brought in to right the ship. The best addition was former LSU guard Brandon Murray, who was considered one of the nation’s top transfers after scoring 10 points per game as a freshman. Ewing also added Bradley Ezewiro (LSU), Akok Akok (UConn), Jay Heath (Arizona State), Primo Spears (Duquesne), Bryson Mozone (South Carolina Upstate) and Wayne Bristol Jr. (Howard).