As first reported by Inside MD Sports, 6-9 forward Ashton Pankey has decided to leave Maryland for family reasons after two seasons in College Park.
Pankey received a redshirt during his first year at Maryland and played 20.3 minutes per game in 2011-12, averaging 4.7 points and 4.9 rebounds per game.
A native of the Bronx, Pankey’s best stretch from a statistical standpoint came in early December, when he posted three straight double-figure scoring outings.
The third game of that stretch, a 17-point, five-rebound outing in Maryland’s 65-60 win over Radford on December 23, would be the last time Pankey reached double figures.
Pankey is expected to transfer to a school closer to home, and he would have been looking at a serious logjam in the Maryland front court had he decided to remain a Terrapin.
In addition to returnees James Padgett and Alex Len, head coach Mark Turgeon is adding 2012 signees Shaquille Cleare and Charles Mitchell to the rotation.
The question now is whether or not Pankey will be granted a hardship waiver, thus allowing him to play immediately.
That would leave him with three years of eligibility remaining, but a denial of a waiver request would drop him to two remaining years of eligibility.
Raphielle is also the assistant editor at CollegeHoops.net and can be followed on Twitter at @raphiellej.