Maryland freshman Diamond Stone was headed to the NBA draft without an agent, allowing him to maintain college eligibility.
Now, he’s set on turning pro.
Stone projects to be a mid first-round pick, so it’s probably wise for him to stay in the draft.
A big center, Stone was a force inside at Maryland. He’ll have to show in workouts that he can continue to excel when regularly facing similarly sized opponents. Stone’s footwork and touch look good, but he doesn’t have the athleticism to reach a higher gear.
Another issue: Stone’s conditioning, which prevented him from always playing hard. But he won’t be playing big minutes in the NBA immediately, anyway. He can work on getting into better shape as he learns the pro game, developing in multiple ways simultaneously.
Trimble is a probable second-rounder. He passes well for a scoring guard, but his 6-foot-3 height dictates he play point guard at the next level. It’s up to him whether he’ll work on his point guard skills at Maryland or in the pros.