Maryland Basketball: Terrapins nearing a sudden downturn after FBI news

Maryland Basketball has been thrown for a loop after being the epicenter of the latest activity in the FBI probe into the sport.

Maryland was going to have their share of problems on the court next season before the events of this past week transpired.

Many of their top players, from Justin Jackson to Kevin Huerter, defected to the NBA. The Terrapins need time to gel and reload.

They didn’t need the FBI to come knocking.

Last Friday, the school announced a response to two grand jury subpoenas from the Southern Disctrict of New York – the headquarters of the FBI’s probe into college basketball.

The only figure named in those subpoenas is assistant coach Bino Ranson. It’s not clear what the subpoenas are in regards to, but it’s widely believed the recruitment of eventual Kansas commit Silvio De Sousa and former Maryland star Diamond Stone are connected to the probe.

What any of this means at the moment is unclear. The FBI probe has been slow; consequences aren’t likely to befall the program this year, if ever.

It’s just another problem for a program bleeding out this offseason.

A stacked recruiting class last year didn’t bring the expected results to College Park. They finished just 19-13, missing the postseason altogether for the first time since 2014.

In addition to Hurter and Jackson, the team also lost a valuable senior in graduating Jared Nickens. Power forward Jalen Smith is a five-star recruit, but the rest of the incoming class doesn’t assuage fears of decline.

Sanctions of any kind would further deter the program.

There’s also no telling how high any problem could go. Maryland recently introduced a new AD,  now faced scandal, as well as the death of a football player. Any change in leadership would create more turmoil.

Maryland joined the Big Ten four years ago. They did so to improve their football program’s standing, taking a perceived step back from the ACC in basketball, at least in terms of prestige.

They’ve been competitive since joining the conference, finishing in the top three of the conference in each of their first three seasons. But they’ve started a slide, one that befalls every program cyclically.

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If recent news is any indication, that decline will come swiftly.