Before his sophomore season came to a screeching halt due to the coronavirus outbreak, Jalen Smith’s play provided him the perfect launching pad leading up to the 2020 NBA Draft.
The 20-year-old declared for the draft earlier this week and didn’t leave the door open to return back to school or retain his college eligibility as he hired an agent in the process.
Smith emerged as Maryland’s best all-around player this season as he helped lead the Terrapins to a 24-7 record, all doing so while playing out of position and forced to play as their starting center as head coach Mark Turgeon explained to The Athletic’s Patrick Stevens midway through the year:
“It’s amazing what he’s doing,” coach Mark Turgeon said.