Aleks Alston becomes third portal departure for Maryland men's basketball

Ahmed Ghafir
6 minutes ago
2 min read

With the transfer portal one day old, a third player has departed the Maryland men’s basketball program after Aleks Alston entered the transfer portal on Wednesday morning.

The news comes one day after both Nick Blake, son of program legend and NBA guard Steve Blake, and Jaziah Harper entered the transfer portal.

The departure now gives Maryland potentially five vacant scholarships with all eyes on Myles Rice and Isaiah Watts the rest of the season. The news for Alston comes after he stepped into a rotational role as a true freshman.

Alston is one of three high school commits in a quick recruiting cycle for head coach Buzz Williams, giving the frontcourt a high-upside player as a 6-foot-10 forward out of Kenwood Academy (IL). Initially a redshirt candidate, Alston capitalized on injuries across the roster where he appeared in 25 games, averaging 1.4 points and 1.7 rebounds in 8.6 minutes per game. His biggest performance of the season came during the Players Era Festival.

Against Gonzaga, Alston finished with two points and a season-high eight rebounds in 22 minutes. The next night against Alabama, he registered eight points behind two threes in 25 minutes - all season-highs.

Alston’s departure signals another chance for Buzz Williams and his staff to upgrade the frontcourt while also filling the roles left by Elijah Saunders, Solomon Washington and Collin Metcalf following their graduation. Maryland is expected to return Pharrel Payne with a medical waiver still awaiting approval by the conference, while both Andre Mills and George Turkson have finalized their return for a second season.

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