Already loaded, Maryland adds to its basketball arsenal

The Big Ten stretches all the way out to Maryland these days, and that may not be a very good thing for the longer-tenured basketball members of the conference.

Maryland, which already was the popular preseason pick to win the Big Ten's 2015-16 men's basketball championship, added another significant player Monday with the announcement Duke transfer Rasheed Sulaimon was joining the Terrapins.

Since Sulaimon is scheduled to graduate in August, he would be eligible to play for Maryland next season with a bunch of other really good players. In fact, this piece at 247sports.com suggests the Terps could have an all-future-NBA starting lineup.

Certainly, it could be 60 percent or 80 percent of one if not 100.

Sulaimon was kicked off Duke's squad in January with no specific reason given. He was rumored to be the subject of two sexual assault allegations. No charges have been filed against him, and he isn't listed on any reports filed with the Durham (N.C.) Police Department.

'We did our due diligence,” Maryland Coach Mark Turgeon told ESPN. 'We were extremely thorough and talked to a lot of people and vetted the entire situation. I've known Rasheed and his family since he was 13, and I believe in him. There's a trust factor, and we've had a strong relationship.”

Sulaimon is a 6-foot-4 former McDonald's All-American who averaged 11.6 points as a freshman. He wasn't utilized as much the next two seasons. He may be only the fifth- or sixth-best player on a Maryland team that features:

Melo Trimble: A 6-3 guard who averaged 16.3 points and 3 assists as a freshman and shot 41.6 percent from 3-point distance.

Jake Layman: A 6-9 senior who averaged 12.5 points and 5.8 rebounds, and considered turning pro this year.

Robert Carter: A 6-9 junior who transferred from Georgia Tech, where he averaged 11.4 points and 8.4 rebounds as a sophomore.

Jaylen Brantley: A 5-11 sophomore guard coming in from Odessa (Texas) College, where he averaged 15 points and 5 assists.

Diamond Stone: A 6-10 freshman, McDonald's All-American, and a five-star recruit out of Milwaukee.

Iowa played Maryland just once last season, in Iowa City. The Big Ten schedule for next season hasn't been released yet.