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COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Maryland junior forward Jake Layman earned Big Ten Player of the Week honors, the league announced Monday. This marks the second conference honor for Layman, who garnered co-Big Ten Player of the Week honors on Dec. 22.

Layman, who averaged 17.5 points and 12.5 rebounds, led No. 14 Maryland (17-2, 5-1 B1G) to a pair of wins over Rutgers and Michigan State last week. A junior from Wrentham, Mass., Layman posted a career-best 13 rebounds and added 12 points in the win over the Scarlet Knights and followed with a season-high 23 points and 12 rebounds against the Spartans. For the season, Layman is averaging 14.7 points and 6.9 rebounds per game and has a team-best four double-doubles. He is currently tied for second in the Big Ten with 8.7 rebounds per contest in conference play.

The Terps have won three Big Ten Player of the Week honors (Layman, twice) and freshman guard Melo Trimble, who earned that distinction on Dec. 1. In addition, Trimble earned Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors on Dec. 1 and was co-Big Ten Freshman of the Week on Dec. 15.

Maryland will face Indiana on Thursday, Jan. 22. at 9:00 p.m. EST on ESPNU.

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COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Senior guard/forward Dez Wells sustained a broken bone in his right wrist and is expected to miss four weeks, head coach Mark Turgeon announced Friday.

Wells, who suffered the injury during Maryland’s 72-63 win over No. 13 Iowa State at the CBE Classic, had surgery Friday morning in Baltimore.

“Dez has been playing at a very high level and we will certainly miss our team leader,” Turgeon said. “I am extremely disappointed for Dez because I know how hard he has worked in the offseason to prepare for his senior season.”

Wells has averaged a team-best 16.2 points and added 4.8 rebounds per contest en route to leading the Terps to a 5-0 start. Wells was selected to the CBE Classic All-Tournament team as he averaged 14.0 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists while leading the Terps to wins over Arizona State and the aforementioned 13th-ranked Cyclones.

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COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Former Maryland men’s basketball head coach Gary Williams will be enshrined in the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2014 this Sunday.

Williams, who was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame in August, is the first coach to be inducted in both hall of fames in the same year.

Williams and the Class of 2014 will be inducted into the Hall of Fame at the Arvest Bank Theatre at the Midland in Kansas City as part of a three-day celebration of college basketball.

The enshrinement events will have extra meaning for Terrapin fans, as the Maryland men’s basketball team is scheduled to participate in the CBE Hall of Fame Classic in Kansas City Nov. 24 and 25. Maryland will take on Arizona State Monday, Nov. 24 at 7 p.m. on ESPNU, and will face either Iowa State or Alabama Tuesday on ESPNU or ESPN2.

As head coach of the Terrapins from 1990-2011, Williams led the team to 11 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances (1994-2004), a national championship in 2002, an ACC tournament championship in 2004 and was enshrined into the University of Maryland Sports Hall of Fame and University of Maryland Alumni Hall of Fame.

Williams was also named Coach of the Year from Basketball America, Playboy, CBSsportsline.com, District and the ACC during his career. He compiled an overall coaching record of 668-380 (.637) and led his teams to seven 25-win seasons and 22 appearances in postseason play.

Joining Williams in the Class of 2014 are All-Americans and NCAA champions Grant Hill of Duke and Darrell Griffith of Louisville, along with two-time national player of the year and All-American Shaquille O’Neal of LSU. Former NAIA star Zelmo Beaty of Prairie View A&M, NCAA Final Four coach Dale Brown and contributors Howard Garfinkel and Glenn Wilkes, Sr. also join the class.

The Hall of Fame is located in the College Basketball Experience (CBE), a world-class entertainment facility adjacent to Sprint Center in Kansas City. The CBE Hall of Fame Classic will take place November 24-25 at Sprint Center.

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Returning from their latest bye since the 2001 season, the Ravens hope a week of rest is the perfect tonic to propel them to the postseason for the sixth time in seven years under head coach John Harbaugh.

At 6-4, Baltimore finds itself in the thick of the AFC playoff race, but next Monday’s trip to New Orleans will be a challenge for a team that’s just 2-3 on the road in 2014. Harbaugh hopes the late-season bye will allow the Ravens to finish strong as four of their final six games come against teams with records of .500 or better and that’s not including the 4-6 Saints who possess the NFL’s second-ranked offense.

“We’re going to have our hands full, and we better be ready to go,” Harbaugh said. “I like to believe that our guys understand that, but we’ll find out Monday night. I believe they do understand that.”

Players were off Tuesday through Sunday while Harbaugh gave his assistant coaches Thursday through Sunday to recharge for the final six games of the regular season. The Ravens are 5-1 in games returning from their bye week in the Harbaugh era and have won 10 of their last 12 post-bye games since the 2002 season.

Harbaugh hopes history is on their side as well as the benefit of a later bye as the Ravens are currently chasing first-place Cincinnati, who improved to 6-3-1 with an impressive win over the Saints on Sunday. Baltimore ranked ninth in the AFC playoff chase as a result of Pittsburgh’s Monday night win to conclude Week 11.

“You don’t realize how exhausted you are until you get a chance to take a deep breath and relax,” Harbaugh said. “The next thing you know, you’re like, ‘Wow, this has really been helpful.’ Everybody gets a bye week. We had ours this week, and we hope to make the most of it going forward for the rest of the season.”

Harbaugh doesn’t question penalty for Coffman

Asked about the NFL’s decision to fine Chase Coffman $30,000 for his malicious sideline hit on assistant coach Tony Coaxum in Week 10, Harbaugh chose to take the high road about the league not suspending the Tennessee Titans tight end.

The Ravens coach said he was told the collision wasn’t intentional, but it’s no secret that the organization was very unhappy about what happened late in the fourth quarter of the 21-7 win over Tennessee. Coaxum was not injured, but the FOX Sports video below leaves little debate about Coffman’s conduct.

“It’s really difficult to have a response to the level of punishment,” Harbaugh said. “I know the league has protocols, and they have standards and histories and things like that that they look really hard at. We don’t ever really question that part of it. That’s in their purview.”

Ravens wanted to keep Sunday night star Gray

Former practice squad running back Jonas Gray became the toast of the NFL Sunday night with his 199-yard, four-touchdown performance in the New England Patriots’ 42-20 win over Indianapolis.

Gray spent the 2013 regular season on the Ravens’ practice squad before electing to sign a reserve-futures contract with New England last offseason. Asked about the Michigan native rushing for a single-game high in the NFL this season, Harbaugh mentioned their respective in-state ties as a springboard to a good relationship, even mentioning that Gray’s mom brought food to the team during their Week 15 game in Detroit last December.

“We were disappointed to lose Jonas last year when we lost him. We really thought he had a lot of upside,” Harbaugh said. “He felt like that was an opportunity that he wanted to pursue, and obviously, it’s paid off for him. I wish him nothing but the best, but I was happy for him [Sunday] night to see him do that. That was great to see.”

Of course, no one could have predicted Gray’s breakout performance as even New England stashed him on the practice squad for a large portion of this season, but you do wonder if the Ravens regret not giving him a look last season while they were experiencing such drastic woes with the running game.

Conflicted coach

Harbaugh’s strong ties to the University of Michigan are no secret, making for a fun moment Monday when he was asked to predict the winner of this Saturday’s Maryland-Michigan game in Ann Arbor.

Neither team is exactly fighting for a Big Ten title this year as there has been plenty of debate about the future of Wolverines head coach Brady Hoke. Harbaugh paused and smiled before providing his answer to the question about who would prevail.

“May the best team win,” he said while laughing. “How’s that?”

Practice squad changes (again)

The Ravens made their latest change to their practice squad Monday, signing tight end Allen Reisner and cutting tight end Emmanuel Ogbuehi.

Reisner is in his fourth NFL season and has spent time with Jacksonville, Minnesota, and New England. He has registered seven catches for 58 yards in 15 career games split between the Jaguars and Vikings.

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COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Head coach Mark Turgeon and the Maryland men’s basketball staff welcome guard Jaylen Brantley to the Terps for the class of 2015.

“Jaylen has high character and his personality will fit what we are building here at Maryland,” said Turgeon. “He’s a great facilitator with outstanding vision, and he’s also a very talented shooter. Jaylen wanted to be at Maryland, and we’ve very excited to welcome him to our program.”

A 247sports.com four-star recruit out of high school, Brantley was ranked the 12th JUCO Player in America by Next Up Recruits.

“I’m going to have the opportunity to work with a great coaching staff and attend one of the best universities in the country,” said Brantley. “Coach Turgeon is a great person – very honest and upfront. He wants to put his players in the best position to be successful. Coach Turgeon and the coaching staff made me feel very welcomed. There’s great trust between us and I also really connected with all the guys on the team.”

The 5-foot-11 Springfield, Mass., native comes to Maryland from Odessa (Tex.) Community College. Brantley will have three years of eligibility at Maryland.

“We recognized early on that Coach Turgeon and the University of Maryland would be a great fit for Jaylen,” said Angela Cayode, Brantley’s mother. “I could see that Coach Turgeon would really invest in Jaylen’s future. He believed in Jaylen as a person, a player and a student-athlete. Coach Turgeon is not only a great coach, but he’s a great man. Jaylen felt he could contribute to Maryland immediately and that he would thrive and respond well to playing under Coach Turgeon. Our whole family is very excited that Maryland has welcomed Jaylen with open arms.”

Brantley played AAU basketball for the Boston Amateur Basketball Club alongside current Terp forward Jake Layman. Brantley helped BABC to two AAU national championships, and he was also a member of the 2011 Elite Youth Basketball League championship team.

“I’ve known Jake Layman for a long time and we played together,” said Brantley. “He’s been like family to me. Maryland felt like the perfect place for me.”

JAYLEN BRANTLEY (5-11, 175, PG, Springfield, Mass.)

Leo Papile, Boston Amateur Basketball Club: “Jaylen’s a throwback. He gets the ball in the right people’s hands and he has a high basketball IQ, which leads to winning. He’s a productive point guard and a threat from three-point range. He has a great pace to his game.”

Tra Arnold, Odessa Community College: “Jaylen has great character and is a really hard worker. He will be a great addition to the University of Maryland. Jaylen helps teams win. He’s been a consistent winner throughout his high school career, and he does all the things a leader needs to do to win on and off the floor.”

Jerry Mullen, Mullen’s Roundball Review: “Jaylen’s a great selection for Maryland. He can score if he needs to, but he doesn’t have to score to be effective. He’s got the ability to get others involved and has the ability to make his other teammates better. I envision him as a combo guard who can make the right decisions and is also a talented shooter.”

Already facing the reality of playing Michigan State without the suspended Stefon Diggs, Maryland could be without its star wide receiver for the rest of the season.

According to multiple outlets, Diggs suffered a lacerated kidney in the win over Penn State on Nov. 1 that will likely keep him sidelined for at least the remainder of the regular season. The 6-3 Terps have three regular-season games remaining and already have bowl eligibility for the second straight season.

Diggs was injured in the fourth quarter against Penn State, but the junior returned to the game. The junior wideout had already been suspended one game by the Big Ten for his role in a pre-game scuffle with the Nittany Lions, so head coach Randy Edsall and the Terps were already planning on being without him for Saturday’s game against Michigan State.

In his third year with the Terps, Diggs has made 52 catches for 654 yards and five touchdown catches.

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COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Junior Jake Layman scored a game-high 18 points and added seven rebounds as Maryland defeated Bowie State 89-47 in its final exhibition contest Saturday at XFINITY Center.

The Terps shot 58 percent from the field and limited Bowie State to a 22 percent clip. Maryland posted a stout 45-29 advantage on the boards.

Freshman Dion Wiley scored 13 points and senior Dez Wells added 11, including a tomahawk dunk with 10:16 remaining to give Maryland a commanding 69-32 lead. Senior Jon Graham, who earned a starting nod, was two-points shy of a double-double, recording eight points to go along with a team-best 11 rebounds.

The Terps led from start-to-finish with the signature moment of the first half coming on a Wells’ cross-court pass to a streaking Layman for a transition dunk to give Maryland a 30-7 lead with 8:07 to play in the period.

“I enjoyed the game and I thought our kids played well,” head coach Mark Turgeon said. “Jake got us going early by making some shots and rebounding the ball and I thought Jon got us going defensively. He was terrific defensively. We played a lot of minutes, shared those minutes and played a lot of guys. Dez played well in those limited minutes, but we played the game without Dez really being a part of the rotation. It was a good sign. I thought we were much better today than we were last week on both ends of the court.”

Maryland returns to action for its first regular-season contest Friday at 7:30 p.m. when it welcomes Wagner to the XFINITY Center.

PRESS RELEASE

Trimble Named to Bob Cousy Watch List

Freshman one of 35 candidates tabbed to list, honoring top point guard in college hoops

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Maryland freshman guard Melo Trimble has been named to the watch list of candidates for the 2015 Bob Cousy Collegiate Point Guard of the Year Award, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced Tuesday.

Trimble, a 6-3 guard from Upper Marlboro, Md., was a McDonald’s All-American and the No. 1-ranked player in the state of Maryland before arriving to College Park. Trimble averaged 23.1 points at Bishop O’Connell High School as a senior and was tagged the 2014 Washington Post All-Metro Player of the Year.

The annual honor, named for Hall of Famer and former Boston Celtic Bob Cousy, recognizes the top point guards in men’s college basketball. Over 35 candidates have been nominated for the 2015 Bob Cousy Award.

“The Hall of Fame is honored to work with Mr. Cousy and to recognize some of the nation’s top collegiate point guards,” said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Basketball Hall ofFame. “This year’s list showcases student athletes that have all of the intangibles that would make them great candidates for this prestigious award.”

“The Cousy Award has become one of the top awards in college basketball,” said Ken Kaufman, Chair of the Bob Cousy Award and former president of the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC). “We look forward to another season of watching the best point guards in college basketball compete for this elite award.”

This watch list of candidates will be narrowed down to a final 20 in early February, then final five by early March. A premier Selection Committee has been appointed by the Hall of Fame to review the candidates in contention for the nation’s top collegiate point guard award. This committee is made up of top college basketball personnel including members of the media, head coaches, media relations contacts and Hall of Famers. The Cousy Award winner will be presented the award on Championship Monday in Indianapolis at the Hall of Fame’s Class of 2015 Announcement and Press Conference.

Previous winners of the Bob Cousy Award have included Jameer Nelson (St. Joseph’s), Raymond Felton (North Carolina), Dee Brown (Illinois), Acie Law (Texas A & M), DJ Augustin (Texas), Ty Lawson (North Carolina), Greivis Vasquez (Maryland), Kemba Walker (Connecticut) and last year’s recipient Kendall Marshall (North Carolina), Trey Burke (Michigan) and Shabazz Napier (Connecticut).

For more information on the 2015 Bob Cousy, log onto www.CousyAward.com.

2015 Bob Cousy Award Candidates

Olivier Hanlan – Boston College

Quinn Cook – Duke

Tyus Jones – Duke

D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera – Georgetown

Kevin Pangos – Gonzaga

Siyani Chambers – Harvard

Yogi Ferrell – Indiana

Monte Morris – Iowa State

Kenneth Smith – Louisiana Tech

Cameron Payne Murray State University

Chasson Randle – Stanford

Will Cummings – Temple

Alex Caruso – Texas A&M

T.J. McConnell – Arizona

Ryan Boatright – Connecticut

Kasey Hill – Florida

Andrew Harrison – Kentucky

Tyler Ulis – Kentucky

Terry Rozier – Louisville

Melo Trimble – Maryland

Angel Rodriguez – Miami

Derrick Walton Jr. – Michigan

Jarvis Summers – Mississippi

Marcus Paige – North Carolina

Pierria Henry – North Carolina (Charlotte)

Jordan Woodward – Oklahoma

EC Matthews – Rhode Island

Isaiah Taylor – Texas

Julius Brown – Toledo

Delon Wright – Utah

London Perrantes – Virginia

Keifer Sykes – Wisconsin-Green Bay

Ryan Arcidiacono – Villanova

Briante Weber – Virginia Commonwealth

Juwan Staten – West Virginia

Fred VanVleet – Wichita State

COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Senior forward Evan Smotrycz sustained a fracture of the fifth metatarsal in his left foot and will miss 4-6 weeks, head coach Mark Turgeon announced Sunday.

Smotrycz suffered the injury at the conclusion of Friday night’s practice prior to Maryland Madness. He is scheduled to have surgery later this week.

“We are really disappointed for Evan, but knowing his high character and tireless work ethic, we have full confidence he will return and finish strong in his senior season,” Turgeon said. “We have confidence that our front court players will step up in Evan’s absence.”

The Reading, Mass., native appeared in 31 games (28 starts) in his first season in College Park in 2013-14. He averaged 11 points and six rebounds per game. A transfer from the University of Michigan, Smotrycz has appeared in 100 career games, making 69 starts and posting 8.2 points and 4.3 rebounds per game

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COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Maryland men’s basketball coach Mark Turgeon has announced date and times for the 2014-15 men’s basketball coach, including at least 15 games on the ESPN family of networks and CBS. In addition, up to 19 games will also be available on the Big Ten Network and BTN Plus.

The Terrapins’ schedule features 10 NCAA Tournament teams from last season, with a possible 11th depending on the outcome of the CBE Hall of Fame Classic. Maryland is also scheduled to host perennial powers Michigan State, Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana and Virginia at the XFINITY Center.

“We are excited to begin our inaugural season in the Big Ten Conference,” Turgeon said. “The Big Ten has been one of the best conferences over the past few years. We have a tremendous Big Ten schedule and a great home schedule for our fans. In addition, we’re looking to hosting one of our longtime rivals Virginia in non-conference play.”

For additional ticket information, please click here.

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2014-15 Maryland Men’s Basketball Schedule

Sat., Nov. 1          2 p.m.                    San Francisco State (Exhib.)                                        BTN Plus

Sat., Nov. 8         Noon                     Bowie State (Exhib.)                                                         BTN Plus

Fri., Nov. 14         7:30 p.m.             Wagner                                                                                ESPN3

Mon., Nov. 17      7:30 p.m.              Central Connecticut State                                             ESPN3

Thu., Nov. 20     7:30 p.m.                Fordham                                                                              BTN Plus

Mon., Nov. 24       7 p.m.                     vs. Arizona State (CBE Hall of Fame Classic)               ESPNU

Tue., Nov. 25        TBD                        vs. Iowa State/Alabama (CBE Hall of Fame Classic)   ESPNU/2

Fri., Nov. 28         7 p.m.                    Monmouth                                                                          BTN

Sun., Nov. 30     6 p.m.                    VMI                                                                                         ESPN3

Wed., Dec. 3       9:15 p.m.              Virginia (ACC/Big Ten Challenge)                               ESPN2

Sat., Dec. 6          2 p.m.                     Winthrop                                                                             ESPN3

Wed., Dec. 10      7 p.m.                    NC Central                                                                           BTN

Sat., Dec. 13       11 a.m.                    USC Upstate                                                                       BTN

Sun., Dec. 21        2 p.m.                   at Oklahoma State                                                                ESPN2

Sat., Dec. 27       5 p.m.                   Oakland                                                                                 BTN

Tue., Dec. 30       5 p.m.                   at Michigan State                                                                  ESPN2

Sat., Jan. 3           Noon                     Minnesota                                                                           BTN

Wed., Jan. 7        9 p.m.                      at Illinois                                                                                BTN

Sat., Jan. 10        2:30 p.m.                 at Purdue                                                                              BTN

Wed., Jan. 14     7 p.m.                    Rutgers                                                                                BTN

Sat.,  Jan. 17       4 p.m.                     Michigan State                                                                   CBS

Thu., Jan. 22        9 p.m.                     at Indiana                                                                              ESPNU

Sun., Jan. 25       7:30 p.m.              Northwestern                                                                     BTN

Thu., Jan. 29        7 p.m.                   at Ohio State                                                                           ESPN

Wed., Feb. 4       8:30 p.m.              Penn State                                                                           BTN

Sun., Feb. 8          3:15 p.m.               at Iowa                                                                                   BTN

Wed., Feb. 11      9 p.m.                    Indiana                                                                                 BTN

Sat., Feb. 14        8:30 p.m.                at Penn State                                                                        BTN

Thu., Feb. 19      7 p.m.                     Nebraska                                                                             BTN

Tue., Feb. 24      7 p.m.                     Wisconsin                                                                           ESPN

Sat., Feb. 28       TBD                       Michigan                                                                                ESPN/2

Tue., Mar. 3        7 p.m.                       at Rutgers                                                                             BTN

Sun., Mar. 8       1 /4:30 /7:30 p.m.   at Nebraska                                                                           CBS or BTN