Having been around the Maryland men's basketball program for nearly three decades, I have seen only a couple players make as swift an impact as freshman point guard Melo Trimble.
It happened in 1993, when a relatively unknown stringbean center with an equally nondescript name took over the ACC. When he left as a sophomore, Joe Smith became the No. 1 player taken in the NBA draft.
It happened in 1998, when a local playground star who had spent two years in junior college anonymity electrified Cole Field House. When he left after one memorable season, Steve Francis became the No. 2 player taken in the NBA draft.
It is happening again for the Terps this season. Though Trimble came in with the hype of being Maryland's first McDonald's All-American in more than a decade, he has been better than advertised.
Things can change over the next couple months, but I think Trimble will be around College Park longer than Francis and, perhaps, even longer than Smith. If Trimble stays long enough, a deep NCAA tournament run is not out of the question. Considering what he has already done as a freshman, being a top NBA draft pick down the road also seems part of the equation.
In the immediate future, it appears Trimble will help lead Maryland back to the tournament after a five-year absence. It's quite an accomplishment considering the way the underachieving, dysfunctional Terps finished last season.
(Markus' pick for 2014: Keenan Reynolds)