After missing last season, Dion Wiley is back for Maryland basketball

Maryland basketball kicks off its season against American on Nov. 11. Until then, we’re profiling every member of the team.

Dion Wiley, shooting guard

Height: 6’4

Weight: 210 pounds

Year: Redshirt sophomore

High school: Potomac (Md.)

Jersey No.: 5

How Wiley got to College Park

As the second-best prospect in Maryland at the time after some guy named Melo Trimble, Wiley was recruited heavily by Terps’ assistant Dustin Clark and then-assistant Dalonte Hill. Wiley was selected to the Under Armour Elite 24 All-Star game and played AAU for Team Takeover before his time at Maryland. He also averaged 17.6 points per game as a senior in high school.

Career highlight

Wiley saw inconsistent minutes during his freshman campaign, but his best game came during non-conference play in the Terps’ victory over VMI. Wiley played the second-most minutes in his career (27) and dropped a career-high 19 points on an efficient 8-of-12 shooting from the field. Wiley added six rebounds and a block in the effort.

2016 prospectus

Before his season-ending knee injury before last year, Mark Turgeon hinted that the Oxon Hill native might start ahead of Rasheed Sulaimon at shooting guard. That’s encouraging for a player who seemed to be in Turgeon’s doghouse at times during his freshman season.

Wiley will get pushed for minutes by freshman Kevin Huerter, but should be the starting shooting guard when the Terps take the court on Friday. He could get 20 minutes a game and pour in double-digit scoring on a typical night.

What a dream season might look like

Wiley lives up to the hype Turgeon has talked up since the beginning of last season and is the X-factor in a deep Maryland tournament run.

Next player in the series

He’ll have to compete with a feisty new freshman to get minutes.

Standings

kirby.oconnell.3 - 2

HughGR - 2

Jtkohout 2

PeachesTerp - 1

tnterp - 1

HT97 -1