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Terrell Stoglin led the ACC in scoring as a Sophomore this year, and at many times was the only player on the Terps who could create anything offensively. He had originally stated that he would come back to Maryland for his junior season, but now it seems like the Terps might be losing their best player after their sophomore season for the second year in a row. According to Inside Maryland Sports, Stoglin declared for the NBA Draft on Sunday, and will not return to Maryland.
Stoglin, the ACC's leading scorer, declared for the draft yesterday, the final day for underclassmen to enter, ending his #Terps career.
— Jeff Ermann (@insidemdsports) April 30, 2012
They also state that Stoglin intends to hire an agent, meaning that he will not be able to come back to Maryland even if he ends up changing his mind. The most interesting note, however, is a tweet that suggests that the decision wasn't entirely Stoglin's and might have been mutual between he and the Athletic department. It's an awful lot to take in, and a pretty surprising result.
There are, of course, two sides to this story. How it will affect the Terps, and what it means for Stoglin's future. The more immediate will be Stoglin's attempt to make it into the back half of the NBA Draft. Stoglin has demonstrated that he can score the ball with the best of them. But he doesn't make his teammates better and he might not be tall enough to stick as a guy with one singular strength. He will have to work on his game, and impress scouts during workouts if he wants to be picked at all.
As for the Terps, this is a significant blow to a team that had some raised expectations for next year. Nick Faust will likely slide into the starting shooting guard, and best player, role for the Terps, while the learning curve of freshmen Seth Allen and Sm Cassell junior will be steepened considerably. If Pe'Shon Howard doesn't make it back in time to start the season, one of those guys will have to be the starting point guard.
For more on this decision and how it will affect the Maryland basketball team, please head over to Testudo Times.