Former Terrapins Ayala, Morsell among players invited to Wizards’ first pre-draft workout

The Washington Wizards are hosting their first pre-draft workout on Wednesday, and two former Terrapins are on the list of invites. 

Guards Eric Ayala and Darryl Morsell are two of the six players who will be at the workout Wednesday. The other players are Richmond’s Grant Golden, George Mason’s D’Shawn Schwartz, Florida’s Anthony Duruji and Utah State’s Brandon Horvath. 

All six players have local ties. None of them are likely on the team’s radar at No. 10 overall, but they could be when the Wizards are up in the second round with the 54th pick. 

Ayala was one of the best players in the Big Ten the past two seasons, earning all-conference honorable mention selections in both campaigns. A four-year starter, Ayala scored 1,449 points at Maryland. The 6-foot-5 shooting guard finished second on the team in scoring last season with 14.7 points per game.

Morsell, a Baltimore native, played four years at Maryland before transferring to Marquette for his final season in 2021-22. The 6-foot-5 guard totaled 1,090 points as a regular starter with the Terrapins. He then averaged 13.4 points with the Golden Eagles this past season. 

The other two players from D.C. area schools who will participate in the workout are Golden and Schwartz. Golden, a 6-foot-10 forward, averaged 13.7 points and 6.0 rebounds for Richmond last season, while Schwartz, a 6-foot-7 guard, scored 15.5 points per game for George Mason.

Duruji, a Germantown, Maryland, native, played his high school ball at St. Andrew’s Episcopal in Potomac before spending his college career at Louisiana Tech and Florida. The 6-foot-7 forward averaged 8.6 points as a starter for the Gators last season.

Horvath, a 6-foot-10 forward, scored 13.9 points per game for Utah State this past season after playing four years at UMBC.