Dino Gregory's Situation, And What It Means for Maryland

Wondering what's up with Dino Gregory? So are the rest of us.

Here's what we know so far: there was a question on academic dishonesty (read: cheating, in some sense) over the summer, which may or may not be related to this. Gun to my head, I say it is related, but that's just speculation. I simply find it difficult to believe Dino would have two infractions in such a short time period.

Moving on, until Dino tells us, we won't know. Maryland is keeping the entire thing under wraps, as they are legally obligated, and won't reveal any information, whether it be the infraction or the time he's due back.

Right now, the general consensus is that he'll be out one semester, which would mean he'd be back on the team, assuming he's in good standing, Dec. 20. A few people have said this, and it's also the same amount of time Josh Portis was ineligible when he got caught with the same charge.

That means he'd miss Maryland's first nine games, including important matchups with Villanova and Indiana, as well as the Maui Invitational. I'm sure Gary and Dino are doing everything they can to get back earlier, but I'd be surprised if the punishment was less than a semester. That said, I think it being more than a semester would be even more shocking.

This is a really sad thing for both parties, because by all accounts, Dino was the most improved player on the team, and he was already a pretty important part of the team toward the end of last year. Most signs pointed to him being the fifth starter and a major contributor on a team that needed guys who could play inside.

Instead, Maryland's already thin and weak frontcourt gets a man thinner and weaker. Steve Goins, James Padgett, and Jordan Williams should all see increased roles in his absence - yes, that is meant to scare you. Padgett, Williams, and Goins all seem pretty talented and competent, but they've to prove it against big time competition. Going into games with two freshmen big men and one who might as well be a freshman isn't comforting at all.

There is, however, a silver lining. While this will probably contribute to an unexpected loss and make it more difficult to stand up to Nova, those three guys will see plenty of playing time. That playing time equates to increased development, which means they'll be more helpful come ACC games, which is even more important than the OOC games. Hopefully they'll be able to make an impact against some of the more developed ACC bigs, like Trevor Booker and Dwayne Collins.

Right now, though, nothing's in stone with Gregory, nor would I expect it to become that way in the next few days. When we know more, you'll know more.