WASHINGTON — University of Maryland junior guard Melo Trimble will forego his final year of eligibility and enter the NBA Draft, the university announced Wednesday. He will sign with an agent, which will take away his option to withdraw from the draft and return to school.
The Washington native was a three-time All-Big Ten selection and led the Terrapins in scoring this season. A graduate of Bishop O’Connell High School, he was also an AP Honorable Mention All-American in 2016.
“I am confident and excited to pursue an opportunity to play in the NBA,” Trimble said in a school press release. “I want to thank Coach Turgeon for all of his support. He always believed in me. He challenged me and really helped in the development of my overall game.”
Turgeon — whose recruitment of a high-profile local prospect of Trimble’s stature helped turn the Maryland program into an annual contender — was very complimentary of his departing player.
“Melo Trimble is a winner and helped change the face of our program,” Turgeon said. “We are very excited for Melo as he pursues his dream of playing professional basketball.”
Maryland made the NCAA Tournament all three years with Trimble at point guard. The Terrapins earned a 6 seed for this year’s NCAA Tournament, but were eliminated in the opening round by 11 seed Xavier.
