Maryland basketball's Melo Trimble will return for junior season, withdraw from NBA Draft

Melo Trimble will return to the Maryland basketball program for his junior season, the university announced on Wednesday night. CBS Sports' Jon Rothstein was the first to report the news. Trimble is withdrawing from the NBA Draft, after he declared on April 11 that he would enter the draft pool without hiring an agent.

Trimble received an invitation to the league's scouting combine, but his performance there didn't draw good reviews. The onetime projected first-round pick fell all the way out of DraftExpress' mock draft, and Trimble – who has seriously flirted with the NBA for two consecutive offseasons now – ultimately moved to return to College Park.

"I am really excited to return for my junior season at Maryland," Trimble said in a press release. "It's truly special that I get to continue to play in front of my family, friends and our amazing fans.  I'm looking forward to working out with my teammates this summer and I am excited for what we can accomplish. I learned a great deal through this experience and I am committed to working hard in getting better each day.  I'm appreciative of all the support that I have received from Coach Turgeon, my family and my teammates throughout this process. I look forward to continuing my education and building upon the success that we have had at Maryland."

"Melo informed me tonight that he has decided to return to Maryland for his junior season," Maryland coach Mark Turgeon added in the release. "After gathering information throughout this process, I agree that this is the best decision for him. Melo is a very special person.  He is a winner and his impact on our program has been immeasurable. Melo has an extremely bright future ahead of him both on and off the basketball court. We are excited that he will continue to pursue his degree and build upon his legacy in College Park."

For Trimble's many fans, this should be bittersweet. It'll be a pleasure to watch Trimble again at Maryland, and he'll definitely make the Terrapins infinitely better. He should team with freshman guard Anthony Cowan to form a dynamic backcourt, and Maryland should be an NCAA Tournament team for a third consecutive season.

On another hand, the NBA is clearly a dream of Trimble's, and it's unfortunate to see him fall short of getting there – for now. He'll be the lone Maryland starter from this past season to return, and he'll surely take another hard look at the NBA after next year. But for now, the Terps have their man, even if they aren't getting him in exactly the fashion they wanted.

After he wowed fans in his freshman year, Trimble's sophomore season was a mixed bag. His efficiency numbers dipped, though Trimble's 14.8 points per game were a team best. How he builds upon that will go a long way toward determining whether the 2016-17 season is his last in college or not.