Melo Trimble returning to Maryland for junior season

Marylandsophomore point guardMelo Trimbleannounced Wednesday night that he has withdrawn his name from the NBA draft and willreturn to College Park for his junior season.

"I am really excited to return for my junior season at Maryland," Trimble said in a statement. "It's truly special that I get to continue to play in front of my family, friends and our amazing fans. I'm looking forward to working out with my teammates this summer, and I am excited for what we can accomplish. I learned a great deal through this experience, and I am committed to working hard in getting better each day.

"I'm appreciative of all the support that I have received from Coach [Mark] Turgeon, my family and my teammates throughout this process. I look forward to continuing my education and building upon the success that we have had at Maryland."

Trimble, who is 6-foot-3, averaged 14.8 points, 4.9 assists and 3.6 rebounds per game this past season in helping the Terps reach the Sweet 16. He had been considered a lock to leave the program for the NBA before he struggled in the second half of the season.

Multiple NBA executives told ESPN that Trimble was expected to be selected in the latter half of the second round if he remained in the draft.

Turgeon will lose his four other starters. Jake Layman and Rasheed Sulaimon graduated, and Diamond Stone and Robert Carter Jr.are both leaving early for the NBA.

"Melo informed me tonight that he has decided to return to Maryland for his junior season," Turgeon said. "After gathering information throughout this process, I agree that this is the best decision for him. Melo is a very special person. He is a winner, and his impact on our program has been immeasurable. Melo has an extremely bright future ahead of him both on and off the basketball court. We are excited that he will continue to pursue his degree and build upon his legacy in College Park."

The deadline for underclassmen to withdraw was 11:59 p.m. ET Wednesday.

The only other player who declared and has yet to make public his decision isValparaiso's Alec Peters.