One of the reasons that the national pandemic was so devastating for sports fans is that it ramped up just days before the start of March Madness. The NCAA Basketball Tournament is one of the finest exhibitions of collegiate athletics and postseason sporting in the entire country, and its absence in 2020 leaves a bizarre hole in history and lore. Legends are made each and every postseason and the Big Dance always delivers.
But it’s the players who truly make those moments happen, and it’s not always the players we expect that stand out. Today, we’ll be continuing our long-running series that focuses on the best college basketball players from each individual state over the last ten years. We’ve been through a decent chunk of these states already and seen some outstanding figures from the college game in recent years. Today’s look at Maryland will provide us with a few more of those moments.
The state of Maryland is something of a basketball hotbed, with a considerable amount of basketball talent outside Washington DC and the rest of the state. While this state may not stand out in size or population against a handful of others, the basketball talent really does stand out. Narrowing this down to ten was a task just as difficult as it was for bigger more prestigious states like New York or Florida.
This is a reminder that we are not looking solely at Terrapins today, though the University of Maryland will feature more than once in the slides that follow. The focus is on players whose hometowns are listed as being from Maryland. These are not the best high school players from Maryland, nor does it matter if a different city or state is listed as their place of birth. We’ve got the considerable talent to look at, so let’s get right into our deep dive, ironically starting with one of those Terrapins.
10. Jalen Smith – Maryland
A five-star recruit from Baltimore, Smith was the rare elite prospect from Maryland who chose to stay home and play for the Terrapins. A 6’10 forward with athleticism, Smith spent two seasons as a full-time starter at Maryland and was a very important piece in the Terrapins’ frontcourt.
His freshman season was solid, averaging 11.7 points and 6.8 rebounds per game, with a 19-point, 13-rebound effort in his first career game. He helped lead the Terrapins to the second round of his only NCAA Tournament, but it’s his sophomore season that really stood out. During that year, Smith averaged 15.5 points and 10.5 rebounds per game, becoming a walking double-double. He helped lead the Terrapins to a Big Ten regular season title with numerous performances, like his 29-point, 11-rebound effort at Indiana.
After being named All-Freshman by the Big Ten, Smith was on the All-Big Ten First Team and All-Defense team as a sophomore. He was a candidate for numerous major awards and was a Third Team All-American. He was one of the nation’s best bigs, leading the conference in effective field goal percentage and standing out on both sides of the ball. Smith was taken with the 10th pick of the 2020 NBA Draft by the Phoenix Suns and continues his NBA career with the Indiana Pacers.
9. Melo Trimble – Maryland
Mark Turgeon may not have landed all of these players, but Maryland fans were certainly glad to have Trimble on the squad. A 6’3 guard from Upper Marlboro, Trimble was a top 40 recruit who found his way to College Park back in 2014. He played three seasons, starting all 104 games for the Terrapins and being a major impact player for this program.
As a freshman, Trimble averaged 16.2 points per game and made an immediate impact on this program. He had a 31-point outing in his fourth career game in a win over Arizona State, while his sophomore season saw a 24-point effort in an NCAA Tournament win over Hawaii. By his third and final collegiate season, he was averaging 16.8 points per game, with solid assist numbers throughout his career. He also helped lead the program to the Sweet Sixteen as a sophomore.
Trimble earned the rare honor of being named All-Big Ten First Team in all three of his collegiate seasons, starting as one of the conference’s best freshmen and establishing himself as a backcourt presence. He led the conference in free throws made and percentage as a freshman and found himself on a number of program and conference leaderboards by career’s end. Trimble has played basketball overseas ever since, most recently suiting up in China.
8. Jairus Lyles – VCU / UMBC
Lyles is a name that few knew early in his career, but he took advantage of his chance in the Big Dance and made quite the moment. A 6’2 guard from Silver Spring, this 3-star recruit originally played one season at VCU before transferring to UMBC for the rest of his career. If you realize that his senior season ended in 2018, then you can probably deduce the amazing moment that ended a productive playing career.
After barely playing at VCU and sitting out a year, Lyles was an important piece across three seasons with the Retrievers. He averaged 23.0 points per game as a sophomore, shooting nearly 48% from the field. His rebounding numbers were impressive as a junior, but it’s his senior year that we’re focusing on. After averaging 20.2 points per game and helping lead the Retrievers to an America East Tournament title, he scored 28 points to lead UMBC to an otherworldly upset over top-seeded Virginia.
Lyles was All-AEC three times, being named First Team as a senior as well as winning AEC Tournament MVP. He led the conference in points, field goals, and steals as a senior and had an all-around impact on this program. His performance in the NCAA Tournament was a legendary effort and his Retrievers will never be forgotten. He played professionally overseas after his college days, though it’s clear where his greatest impact was made.
7. C. J. Fair – Syracuse
A 6’8 forward originally from Baltimore, Fair spent his final high school season starring in New Hampshire before making his way to Syracuse. Fair arrived in 2010 and played under Jim Boeheim for the next four seasons. A fringe top 100 prospect in the 2010 class, Fair was mostly a bench player at the beginning of his career but developed into one of the best frontcourt pieces in the entire nation.
He made decent contributions in his first two seasons, not becoming a starter until late in his sophomore season. He did score 15 points in a Sweet Sixteen win over Wisconsin as a sophomore, and was important in Syracuse’s run to the Final Four in 2013, scoring 22 points in their loss to Michigan. He then averaged 16.5 points and 6.4 rebounds per game as a senior in the Orange’s first season in the ACC.
He had a pretty successful run of NCAA Tournament performances with the Orange and was named All-ACC First Team in that senior campaign. He was also a Second Team All-American who landed on conference leaderboards in both the Big East and ACC. After an impressive end to his collegiate career, Fair has found himself playing professionally, with a few seasons in the G-League and a few overseas.
6. Anthony Cowan Jr. – Maryland
Another really talented guard from the state, Cowan was another stellar high school player who stayed close to home and played for Mark Turgeon at Maryland. A 6’0 guard from Bowie, he was a borderline top 50 recruit who certainly made himself a home with the Terrapins. Across his four-year collegiate career, Cowan started all 130 games and made a huge impact on the backcourt for this team.
He had a stellar freshman campaign and was even better as his career continued, averaging at least 15 points a game in each of his final three seasons. He had a handful of nice performances, including a career-high 31 points in a win over Iowa as a senior. A decent long-range shooter, Cowan established himself as an offensive presence in the Big Ten, helping the Terrapins to a regular season conference title in that senior season.
He received honors nearly every season, including Big Ten All-Defense as a sophomore and All-Big Ten First Team as a senior, playing a critical role on the program’s success near the end of his career. He ranks among the all-time leaders in conference history in free throws and assists, and his presence on the court has certainly been missed the last two seasons. Since then, Cowan has resumed his playing career overseas, most recently playing in Greece.
5. Markelle Fultz – Washington
An elite five-star prospect from Upper Marlboro, Fultz opted to head west, playing his lone collegiate season in the Pac-12 with Washington. A highly-touted 6’4 guard, Fultz would spend just a single season in the college game before heading to the next level, but he certainly showed off his abilities across that singular season. Unfortunately, his Huskies team was not so fortunate, really struggling in that season.
Arriving in 2016, Fultz averaged 23.2 points, 5.9 assists, and 5.7 rebounds per game for a Washington team that went just 9-22 during the season. Fultz clearly did all he could, even flirting with a triple-double on multiple occasions. He scored at least 30 points in his first two collegiate games and had a career-high 37 points in a win over Colorado later that January.
Fultz was named to the All-Pac-12 First Team and was clearly one of the most impactful freshmen in the nation. He led the conference in points per game and ranked near the top in assists, field goals, and blocks as well. Fultz had a fantastic freshman season, even being named a Third Team All-American, and parlayed that success to the next level, becoming the first pic of the 2017 NBA Draft. He’s spent these last five years in the NBA, though it hasn’t quite been as productive as he may have hoped.
4. Kris Jenkins – Villanova
Some may argue that Jenkins should be lower and some could argue that he should be higher since he holds quite the place in college basketball lore. A 6’6 forward from Upper Marlboro, he was a top 100 recruit who found his way to Villanova, playing four seasons with the Wildcats under Jay Wright at the beginning of the newly formed Big East.
His first two years saw him as a decent contributor off the bench, but he really made his mark in that junior season. He averaged 13.6 points per game, becoming a starter for the Wildcats, and making nearly 39% of his long-range attempts. He had a 31-point game against DePaul and a 21-point effort in the Big Dance against Miami, but Jenkins will forever be known for hitting the buzzer-beating shot to win the national championship for Villanova in 2016.
Jenkins had a solid senior season, but it’s that moment in the title game that will live in infamy forever. He actually led the Big East in three-pointers that year, though clearly none was as momentous as his final attempt. He wasn’t the only star of the team, but he was a fantastic offensive player who clearly served an important purpose at Villanova. After a brief international playing career, Jenkins returned to the campus working in the athletics department.
3. Jerian Grant – Notre Dame
Things aren’t always easy, and they certainly weren’t along the journey for Grant. A 6’5 guard from Bowie, he arrived on campus at Notre Dame in 2010, leaving five years later as one of the best guards in the nation. He played four impressive seasons under Mike Brey, redshirting his first year on campus before dealing with some academic issues as a junior.
Grant was a solid scorer and ball distributor across his entire career, averaging at least 12 points and 5 assists per game in each of his four seasons. Those academic issues forced him to miss most of his junior year, but he really made up for it as a senior. During that season, he had a 23-point, 12-assist effort in a win over Duke, while also having very solid games in leading the Fighting Irish to the Elite Eight in 2015.
Honored by multiple conferences, he excelled in the Big East, but had his finest season as a senior in the ACC, being named not only First Team All-ACC but First Team All-American. Grant led the conference in free throws and assists and led the entire nation in minutes played during that impressive senior season. A first-round draft pick, he spent parts of five seasons in the NBA but has played overseas in recent years. He was certainly a very talented collegiate point guards, and one of the very best Fighting Irish in recent memory.
2. Josh Hart – Villanova
It’s clear that Maryland has produced some really talented basketball players in recent years, and Hart is another clear example. A 6’5 guard from Silver Spring, he was a top 100 prospect who committed to Villanova and played his collegiate career under the great Jay Wright. Hart arrived on campus in 2013 and didn’t leave school until he was a national champion and one of the best players in the nation.
Hart’s first two seasons saw him as a bench player who got a lot of run, actually averaging 10.1 points per game as a sophomore. Junior season saw him starting in the backcourt, where he racked up some impressive numbers. He had a 23-point performance against Oklahoma in the Final Four, two days before he helped the Wildcats win the national championship. As a senior, he averaged 18.7 points and 6.4 rebounds per game, developing into one of the country’s best players.
Having already won Big East Sixth Man of the Year as a sophomore and being named NCAA All-Tournament as a junior, Hart really needed a trophy case for his senior season. He was Big East Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Tournament MVP, a First Team All-American, and winner of the Julius Erving Award. Hart became a late first-round draft pick in 2017 and has played the last five years in the NBA, having certainly established himself as one of the most efficient and proficient basketball players in recent memory and with a title ring as well.
1. Victor Oladipo – Indiana
There was something really special about what Oladipo brought to Indiana and it translated far behind any statistics or accolades. The 6’5 guard from Upper Marlboro was a 3-star prospect who committed to join an Indiana program rebuilding after recruiting scandal had sent the Hoosiers into ruin. By the time Oladipo’s career was over, he had more than assisted in rebuilding success.
In his freshman campaign, the Hoosiers were just 12-20, while Oladipo played mostly a supporting role. He really started to come into his own the following season, helping the Hoosiers win their first 12 games. He had 23 points in a win at Purdue and helped the program to the Sweet Sixteen. In his third and final collegiate season, Oladipo was even more impressive, helping lead the Hoosiers again to the second weekend of the Big Dance while averaging 13.6 points per game.
Twice named to the Big Ten All-Defense team, Oladipo’s impressive junior season saw him named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and a First Team All-American. He led the Big Ten in field goal percentage, steals, and defensive rating, and also won a few other player and defender awards. After helping to turn the tides at Indiana, Oladipo was taken with the 2nd pick of the 2013 NBA Draft and remains a solid player in the league nearly a decade later.
We’re done with our deep dive into the best college basketball players from the state of Maryland across the last decade; how would you change our list of impact players?