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Many have speculated but today we finally know for sure: junior point guard Pe'Shon Howard is transferring from Maryland, citing his desire to be closer to his sick grandmother as the reason for wanting to leave.
Andy Katz from ESPN broke the news, which was confirmed by the University a short time later:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Maryland coach Mark Turgeon said Pe'Shon Howard is transferring back home to be closer to sick grandmother.</p>— Andy Katz (@ESPNAndyKatz) <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNAndyKatz/status/321329209656107008">April 8, 2013</a></blockquote>
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Many people were very disappointed with Howard's play this season, especially in the early going, but he really came on strong towards the end of the season, when he once again became a starter. He helped lead Maryland's end of the season charge and helped the Terps reach the NIT semi-finals in New York.
Howard would have likely been looking at backing up freshman point guard Roddy Peters next season, but his departure is still a costly one for Maryland. Losing an experienced senior point guard is never a good thing, especially for situations like ACC road games. While others are capable of running the point, I'd much rather have an experienced Howard coming off the bench. The question now becomes whether Mark Turgeon and his staff can find an experienced JuCo point guard to fill Howard's spot before next season.
Best of luck to Pe'Shon, who was always an outstanding person to work with during media availability and after games. All the best to him and his grandmother. We'll have more on how this impacts Maryland soon.