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On Wednesday, fans of the Maryland Terrapins got some exciting news as head coach Mark Turgeon told members of the media that freshman center Chol Marial might actually be able to return for the team for league play. Many thought he would be sidelined for much of, if not, the entire season.
Maryland coach Mark Turgeon told me that highly touted 7-foot-2 freshman Chol Marial is expected back for league play. Had surgeries in Sept. for stress fractures.
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) October 2, 2019
Marial is widely regarded for his impressive size, standing at 7-foot-2 with a 7-foot-11 wingspan. He was rated as a three-star prospect on 247Sports and the third-best player in the state of Arizona for the 2019 recruiting cycle. He was also targeted by programs including Arizona State, Florida State, and Iowa among others.
While expectations for Marial’s inaugural season were mixed, there’s little debating that this news should be exciting for fans entering this season. With key returners like Anthony Cowan and Jalen Smith, expectations are high for the Terps. And having another potential depth option upfront to help replace Bruno Fernando is pretty big news, especially if he can help during some of the team’s late conference games.