Jahmir Young, the Maryland men’s basketball team’s leader in points, assists and steals this past season, will return to College Park for another season.
Young, a 6-foot-1, 185-pound point guard who grew up in nearby Upper Marlboro and played at DeMatha, had one more year of eligibility remaining and could have gone elsewhere. Instead, the graduate student will return to the school for his fifth college season, the school announced Tuesday.
“Maryland is home and it has been a dream and honor to represent my state,” Young said in a statement provided by the team. “I believe in Coach Willard’s vision for the program and in my teammates. I’m thankful for all the support from my family, the staff, and our fans. I can’t wait to get back to work as we build on the foundation set last season.”
After transferring from Charlotte, Young paced the Terps (22-13) in points (15.8 per game), assists (3.1) and steals (1.3) and added 4.6 rebounds en route to being named second-team All-Big Ten. His 553 points this past winter ranked 30th on the program’s single-season scoring list, and he contributed to the team earning the No. 8 seed in the NCAA Tournament and reaching the second round before losing, 73-51, to overall No. 1 seed Alabama on March 18 in Birmingham, Alabama.
Young is one of 10 active NCAA players to amass at least 1,900 points (1,974), 600 rebounds (619) and 350 assists (366) in his career. In 120 career starts at Charlotte and Maryland, he’s averaged 16.5 points.
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Young’s return leaves the team with one open scholarship. That slot could be filled if senior small forward Donta Scott chooses to rejoin the team next winter.
Young’s decision will help offset a pair of decisions last week by senior shooting guard Hakim Hart and redshirt freshman shooting guard Ike Cornish that they are entering the transfer portal. Hart announced Thursday that he will retain his college eligibility while also declaring for the NBA draft.
The 6-8, 206-pound Hart finished this past season ranked second among the Terps in points (11.4 per game), assists (2.6) and steals (1.2). He received All-Big Ten honorable mention.
The 6-6, 190-pound Cornish, a Baltimore native who played his first two high school years at Dulaney before transferring to Legacy Early College in South Carolina, appeared in 20 games and averaged 1.5 points and 0.3 rebounds.