Jackson, Wiley leaving Terps
A few days after nationally respected college basketball prognosticator and provocateur Ken Pomeroy surprisingly picked Maryland as the 11th-best returning team in terms of talent next season, the Terps are losing two players, one who figured prominently in that equation.
Forward Justin Jackson, whose sophomore year ended in late December because of a shoulder injury, will hire an agent with hopes of turning pro, according to a statement released Wednesday night by Maryland coach Mark Turgeon. Players who retain an agent lose their amateur status.
“Justin has progressed well after surgery, and in our discussions with him and his family, he has expressed his desire to pursue a professional basketball career,” Turgeon said. “We’ll continue to support Justin through this transition. Justin is a very talented individual, and we wish him the best moving forward both personally and professionally.”
In the same news release, Jackson said he was appreciative of the opportunities Turgeon gave him after he decommitted from Nevada-Las Vegas as a high school postgraduate player. Jackson signed with the Terps the day after star guard Melo Trimble announced that he would return for his junior season.
“This certainly was not an easy decision for me, as I felt like we had some unfinished business because of my injury.” Jackson said. “After talking with my family and weighing my options, it’s my desire to turn my full attention to preparing for a career in professional basketball.”
Several NBA scouts said during the season that Jackson could still get invited to the scouting combine in Chicago in mid-May so that team doctors could look at his right shoulder to see whether a general manager or two might be interested in drafting him, perhaps late in the second round.
Turgeon also announced Wednesday that redshirt junior guard Dion Wiley, whose playing time increased significantly amid the team’s spate of injuries, will transfer. Wiley is expected to graduate in May and would be eligible to play next season as a graduate transfer.
While Turgeon awaits a decision by freshman center Bruno Fernando on whether to forgo his remaining eligibility, the departures of Jackson and Wiley were not considered a surprise.