Former Rhode Island guard, Georgetown center joining the Terps
Former Rhode Island senior guard Daron “Fatts” Russell is transferring to the Maryland men’s basketball team, he announced Saturday, giving the Terps a proven playmaker at the point guard position for the 202122 season.
It’s the second high-profile get in the transfer portal for coach Mark Turgeon and his staff after former Georgetown center Qudus Wahab announced Saturday morning that he was joining the Terps.
Russell, who has twice been selected to the All-Atlantic 10 team and conference all-defensive team, will have one year of eligibility remaining as the NCAA extended an extra year for winter sports athletes as a response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Russell, a Philadelphia native who played high school basketball at Imhotep Charter with Maryland sophomore forward Donta Scott, averaged 14.7 points and 4.5 assists this past season as he was named third-team All-Atlantic 10.
Russell’s arrival should allow sophomore guard Hakim Hart, who played out of position and split point-guard duties with junior guard Eric Ayala in 2020, to move off-ball while also taking pressure off Ayala to facilitate the offense. He cited his relationship with players such as Scott, Ayala and Hart, the latter of whom is also from Philadelphia, as playing a pivotal role in his decision to come to College Park, as well as the ability to contribute immediately as a lead guard.
“What really sold me on joining Maryland is, obviously, coach Turgeon is a great coach,” Russell told The Baltimore Sun in a phone interview. “I feel like he does a great job with his players and everything like that, and I feel like I can trust him . ... He emphasized that to me, that they didn’t have a point guard last year, that I would be coming in and trying to fill in that role. That played a big part but I’m just trying to be a part of something special. That’s the main thing.”
Wahab, 6-foot-11 and 237 pounds, appeared in 26 games as a sophomore this past season, averaging 12.7 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. He was also named to the Big East All-Tournament Team, helping the Hoyas win their conference tournament and make an appearance in the NCAA tournament for the first time since the 2014-15 season.
Wahab, a three-star recruit from the Class of 2019, is originally from Lagos, Nigeria, but has ties to the DMV region, playing high school basketball at Flint Hill in Virginia. He will have three years of eligibility remaining, as the NCAA extended an extra year of eligibility for all winter sports athletes as a response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Wahab is poised to start at center for a Maryland team that lacked a true post presence during the 2020 season.
Maryland, which will also welcome four-star Class of 2021 Baltimore signees Julian Reese and Ike Cornish next season, has no remaining open scholarships for the upcoming season but more could become available as a result of transfers or players leaving early for the NBA draft.
Baylor heads to title game: Nearly two decades ago, Scott Drew decided to leave his comfort zone at tiny Valparaiso for the scandal-plagued basketball program at Baylor, explaining to his father that there was nowhere for the Bears to go but up.
Now, they’re one win away from the top.
Led by Jared Butler and the rest of their brilliant backcourt, a defense that refused to give Houston an inch, and a coach intent on making the most of his first trip to the Final Four, the Bears roared to a 78-59 victory Saturday night in their first appearance in the NCAA Tournament semifinals in 71 long years.
Butler scored 17 points, but just about everyone from Baylor (27-2) got in on the act. The Bears had five players score in double figures. They built a 45-20 lead by halftime and coasted the rest of the way to their second title game.