Robert Carter off to NBA Draft, won't return to Terps next season

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Unlike some underclassmen who are testing the NBA Draft waters under new rules that would allow them to return to school with their NCAA eligibility intact, Robert Carter Jr. officially won't be back at Maryland next season.

Carter announced Thursday that he has entered his name in the NBA Draft and will sign with an agent, meaning he will forego his senior season with the Terps.

“I want to thank the University of Maryland community and all of the fans for their support during my two years at Maryland,” Carter said in the school's announcement. “I also want to thank coach (Mark) Turgeon, my teammates and the entire Maryland basketball program for everything they have done for me. The University of Maryland will always be a special place to both me and my family. I will forever be a Terp.”

Carter transferred in from Georgia Tech and sat out the 2014-15 season before playing a critical role for the Terps this past season. Maryland reached the Sweet Sixteen for the first time in 13 years thanks in part to Carter, who ranked third on the team with 12.3 points per game and led the team with 6.9 rebounds per game.

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“I enjoyed the opportunity to coach Robert the past two years,” Turgeon said in the announcement. “During his redshirt year, he worked extremely hard to improve his conditioning and expand his overall game. This past year, Robert was a very productive player and embraced his role as a team leader. I am proud that he achieved his goal and will graduate with a degree in Family Science from Maryland and can now begin to pursue a career in professional basketball.”

New rules allow underclassmen to test the NBA Draft process, to declare without hiring an agent, which allows them to participate in workouts with NBA teams and in the NBA Draft Combine before making a final decision ahead of a May 25 deadline. Carter won't be taking advantage of those rules, which make it easier for players to better gauge their future.

The latest mock draft from DraftExpress.com has Carter projected as the No. 51 pick.

It has been expected that Turgeon would lose at least one player to early entry into the draft. Carter's departure makes it a guaranteed three starters from this year's team that won't be back next season. Jake Layman and Rasheed Sulaimon will be lost to graduation. Maryland is still awaiting the NBA decisions of sophomore point guard Melo Trimble and freshman center Diamond Stone.

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