Melo Trimble returned to College Park in dramatic fashion at the Michigan game

Since its days in the ACC, Maryland basketball has developed what some might call an obsession with flash mobs. There’s been one at Xfinity Center in each of the past six seasons.

On Sunday against No. 9 Michigan, that trend continued and the student section broke out into a dance through time during a timeout in the first half. But the real surprise was when former Terps star Melo Trimble popped out of a cardboard time machine.

Trimble was one of many program alums to come back to celebrate the Terps’ 100th season, but he didn’t show up to the team’s celebration the night before and also wasn’t in attendance for a brunch before the game, so his appearance was a shock to many.

“I haven’t been here in so long,” Trimble told Testudo Times. “It feels good to come out here and see the team play.”

When he made his last appearance at Xfinity Center in February 2018, Trimble was playing in the G-League, despite being regarded as an NBA prospect for much of his time at Maryland. During the 2017-18 season, he averaged 16.2 points and 5.3 assists for the Iowa Wolves, while shooting 43.8 percent from the floor. Still, his path to the NBA seemed to be dwindling.

This time, he returned to College Park following a record-setting season in the National Basketball League in Australia. Since joining Cairns Taipans in 2018, the former Maryland standout has taken his game to the next level. He had a record debut in his first appearance, setting a club record with 32 points, seven rebounds and three assists. Trimble ended the season tied for the most points per game in the league (22.5), while shooting 45 percent and also averaging 4.6 assists and 1.2 steals per game. He was named the MVP for his team and also made the ALL NBL Second Team after being in the discussion for league MVP for much of the season.

“[I’ve enjoyed] just being out there and being able to be myself,” Trimble said on Sunday of his experience in Australia so far. “It felt good to be able to play my game and play against competition.”

The most recent player drafted to the NBA from the NBL is Terrance Ferguson, who elected to play in Australia instead of going to college and was selected as the 21st overall pick in 2017. Trimble is making a case that he should be next up.

In the meantime, he is using the NBL offseason to play in the Baloncesto Superior Nacional league in Puerto Rico. He’s listed on the Quebradillas Piratas’ roster, but did not suit up for the team’s first game on Saturday.

On Sunday, though, Trimble’s sole focus was on watching then No. 17 Maryland take on Michigan. He even missed his new team’s first game of the season on Saturday to attend. The Terps kept the game close for much of the contest, but fell apart defensively towards the end of the second half and suffered a 69-62 defeat in front of its former stars.

“It was good to have all the former players back,” coach Mark Turgeon said after the game. “Obviously we wish we could have won for them. It would have meant a lot to us if we would have beat them.”