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Jonathan Graham
Power forward, 6'8", 220lbs, #25
When Jonathan Graham came to Maryland, the expectation was that he would be a body that would only be needed when others were in foul trouble or injury struck. Those expectations were quickly shifted once Graham made an impact early in the season, as the Penn State transfer exceeded expectations early on. Graham didn't see a lot of time in the early portion of the season, but began to see 20+ minutes in games when the team played Boston College on December 12, and would see double-digit minutes for most of the games from then on. Graham was never the flashiest player on the court, but he did the small things that helped keep things afloat for the Terps when the big men were struggling.
Stats
Graham wasn't much of a scorer for the team. but he did contribute on a few buckets here and there, scoring a season-high six points against North Carolina Central on December 31. Graham only averaged 1.6 points per contest through the season as well as 2.4 rebounds per game. Graham held a block percentage of 5.2% and had an offensive rating of 98.5. The stats are not pretty for Graham, but that doesn't tell the whole story of his season. He did the dirty work while players like Charles Mitchell and Evan Smotrycz got the glory of scoring the basketball. Graham will not be mistaken for an All-American forward, but he does his job.
High Point
Related
The high point of the season for Graham came when he scored six points against Boston College, tying his season-high. Graham also saw a lot of time off of the bench throughout the middle portion of the season when Shaq Cleare was dealing with a shoulder injury, giving him a chance to show what he could do when the expectation before the season was that he wouldn't play much, if at all. Graham was a key contributor to spell Mitchell during games and grab rebounds when the big men weren't getting it done.
Low Point
Graham saw his time diminish towards the end of the season when Damonte Dodd began to get more comfortable on the court. In his last five games, Graham didn't get into the game against Syracuse, played 11 minutes against Clemson, and only saw 20 minutes combined in his final three games. After plugging away and battling all season, Graham was left on the bench in key moments down the stretch when wins were needed. Graham seemed to have earned the time, but with Cleare getting healthy and Dodd developing, there wasn't much room for him on the court.
Future
Graham wasn't expected to be on scholarship next season, but with the transfers of Nick Faust, Shaq Cleare and Roddy Peters, it looks like he'll have one for his final year. It isn't likely that he will receive much time, if any, but he provides some needed frontcourt depth and a senior presence on the inside.