Maryland Basketball: Breaking down newcomers on 2020-21 roster

By Karl Heiser | Sep 14, 2020

COLLEGE PARK, MD - MARCH 08: Head coach Mark Turgeon of the Maryland Terrapins cheers his players during a college basketball game against the Michigan Wolverines at the Xfinity Center on March 8, 2020 in College Park, Maryland. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /

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CHAPEL HILL, NC – FEBRUARY 1: Jairus Hamilton #1 of Boston College (Photo by Andy Mead/ISI Photos/Getty Images) /

Maryland Basketball 2020 Newcomers: The Transfers

Maryland Basketball adds two transfers to their roster. Galin Smith comes in from Alabama as a graduate transfer. He will be immediately eligible. Jairus Hamilton arrives from Boston College. He will need an NCAA transfer waiver to be eligible for the 2020-2021 season.

Galin Smith

Smith is a 6’9″ forward/center who transferred from the University of Alabama. After averaging 12.8 minutes and 3.2 points per game for the Crimson Tide over three seasons, Smith will look to have a larger role with the Terrapins. He is less of the stretch big that Jalen Smith developed into, and more of a post-centric player.

While it is a projection from a small sample size, he averaged just under three blocks per 100 possessions over his Alabama career. Maryland will benefit greatly from slotting Galin Smith into the forward rotation after seeing it greatly depleted this offseason.

Jairus Hamilton

Hamilton is a 6’8″ forward arriving from Boston College. He is a more proven player than Galin Smith, averaging 25 minutes, nine points, and four rebounds in his sophomore season with the Eagles. Hamilton isn’t a terrific shooter, but he is an athletic runner in transition who pulls in rebounds.

With Aaron Wiggins and Eric Ayala returning, Hamilton won’t be required to be a knockdown shooter, but hopefully, that is an area of his game that develops. Mark Turgeon and Maryland Basketball struck out recruiting the former four-star prospect out of high school, but the relationship they built ended up paying off later down the line as Hamilton joins the Terrapins through the portal.

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