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After deciding on March 28 to leave Maryland basketball as a graduate transfer, guard Dion Wiley will spend his final college season at Saint Louis.
Wiley’s intention to transfer was announced March 28, the same night Justin Jackson declared for the NBA Draft and hired an agent. His commitment to the Billikens was first reported by Jon Rothstein Sunday night.
Wiley joined Maryland as the No. 52 overall recruit in the Class of 2014, and as a true freshman was a rotational player on the Terps’ surprise 27-win team. But injuries hindered his development throughout his career in College Park. Wiley was reportedly projected to start on the 2015-16 squad that opened the season No. 3 in the country, but tore his meniscus in the preseason. He continued to battle injuries as well as a lesser role in 2016-17, as his minutes and production dropped.
As a redshirt junior, Wiley made his biggest impact yet. starting 16 games and averaging a career-best 5.8 points per contest. He scored in double figures five times, topping out at 13 twice. His playing time more than doubled, as he averaged 21.7 minutes per game.
Wiley was almost certain to have a role with the Terps next season, but with Anthony Cowan Jr. and Darryl Morsell returning and freshmen Eric Ayala, Serrel Smith and Aaron Wiggins coming in, it was unclear how significant that role would be. Head coach Mark Turgeon said Wiley “expressed a desire to play a prominent role for a program in a different area,” and after graduating this spring with a degree in American Studies, Wiley will be immediately eligible at Saint Louis.
The Billikens finished 17-16 overall and 9-9 in the Atlantic 10 this past season, their best mark since 2014. If healthy, Wiley has a chance to lead them to a second straight winning season.