Duquesne Grad Transfer L.G. Gill Commits to Maryland Terrapins

Today the Maryland Terrapins got some good news with the announcement that Duquesne grad transfer L.G. Gill had committed to Maryland over Marquette, adding some much needed experience to the team's rapidly depleted frontcourt. The 6'7" forward spent his first three seasons with the Dukes and will be immediately eligible for Maryland in 2016-17.

It seems like just yesterday that Maryland was yielding one of the deepest and most talented teams in the Big Ten, but things have a tendency to change in a hurry. While senior forward Jake Layman was set to graduate at the end of this past season, Maryland saw both center Diamond Stone and forward Robert Carter Jr. declare early for the draft (signing agents and eliminating the possibility of returning). Not only does this leave a colossal void down low, but the team will also have to deal with the graduation of Rasheed Sulaimon and the possibility that Melo Trimble doesn't return after also declaring early (it does look like Trimble should be back, though).

The addition of transfer L.G. Gill immediately helps with some of the experience concerns inside, especially as Gill has been heavily involved in the Dukes rotation the last two seasons and averaged 10.1 points, 6.5 rebounds and 0.6 blocks per game as a starter this past season. Gill should add some much needed size, has proven to be a capable rebounder and is a decent three point shooter, hitting on 34.4% of his 154 attempts this past season. Gill will hope to follow in the footsteps of several grad transfers that have seen success at Maryland, with the most notable being former Duke guard Rasheed Sulaimon. His versatility should allow him to play several positions, while he should be capable of making his presence felt both down low and out on the perimeter.

"I chose Maryland because I believe it's the best fit for me from a basketball standpoint. There was an instant connection between me and my future teammates. I could just tell that they were close like brothers and that is something that I would love to be a part of," mentioned Gill.

Of course that does makes a lot of sense, with the team set to see heavy roster turnover and head coach Mark Turgeon needing to fill out the lineup with fresh faces. Considering Gill's three years of experience with the Dukes and that should give him a leg up to land a starting role for one of the more successful teams in the nation as of late.

Turgeon seemed high on the recent addition as well, mentioning that Gill "is a good shooter and rebounder and is extremely athletic" and noted the fact that he would be "able to make immediate contributions" for Maryland heading forward.

While Maryland still has plenty of questions heading forward, the addition of Gill adds an experienced and versatile senior that should have an immediate impact next season.