Miss. State transfer Herard leaves before playing game

Schnider Herard, a 6-foot-10, 260pound center who transferred to Maryland from Mississippi State last winter, has left school to pursue a professional career, the team announced Wednesday.

A former four-star recruit who saw his playing time drop from 18.6 minutes per game as a freshman to 8.0 last season before transferring, Herard was expected to provide some depth behind sophomore center Bruno Fernando and freshman forward Jalen Smith (Mount Saint Joseph).

Herard was not going to be eligible until late December.

Without Herard, the Terps will have redshirt senior Ivan Bender and redshirt sophomore Joshua Tomaic as frontcourt backups. Bender is expected back after tearing his meniscus Dec. 29 against UMBC and missing the rest of the season. Men’s nonconference schedule: Maryland will take on former longtime rival Virginia in the Big Ten-ACC Challenge and 2018 NCAA tournament Cinderella LoyolaChicago in Baltimore as part of its 2018-19 nonconference schedule. The schedule was released Wednesday. The Terps, coming off a disappointing 19-13 season, will open against Delaware at Xfinity Center on Nov. 6. Three days later, Maryland will play its only true nonconference road game at Navy as part of the Veterans Classic.

Maryland will also play two other local teams, Mount St. Mary’s on Nov. 18 and Loyola Maryland on Dec. 11.

The Nov. 28 game in College Park against the Cavaliers will be a rematch from Maryland’s first season in the Big Ten. That will be a prelude to the start of the Big Ten schedule, which will be announced later this month.

Maryland will make its third trip to Royals Farm Arena in the past four years Dec. 8 when the Terps meet LoyolaChicago, which reached the Final Four last season before losing to Michigan.

After an 11-day break for final exams, the Terps will host Seton Hall on Dec. 22 before finishing their nonconference schedule Dec. 29 against Radford. Maryland will play an exhibition game Oct. 30 against Lynn.

The times of the games will be announced at a later date. Women’s nonconference schedule: The women’s nonconference schedule includes games against Southeastern Conference foes South Carolina and Georgia and Atlantic Coast Conference opponent Georgia Tech.

Maryland will open the season Nov. 9 with a home game against Coppin State. Two days later, the Terps will host 2018 Atlantic 10 champion Dayton, then they’ll play at George Washington on Nov. 14.

Maryland will go to Columbia, S.C., to take on the 2017 NCAA champion Gamecocks on Nov. 18. South Carolina won last year, 94-86, in College Park.

The Terps will travel to San Juan for the Puerto Rico Clasico tournament over Thanksgiving weekend, taking on Georgia, which advanced to the NCAA second round last season, and Morgan State, on Nov. 23 and 24.

Maryland will return home to host Georgia Tech in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge on Nov. 29.

Maryland will continue its homestand vs. UMBCon Dec. 2, James Madison on Dec. 8 and Loyola Maryland on Dec. 10, then play at Delaware on Dec. 20.