Is Alex Len the Future of Maryland Basketball?

What if I told you that a player who averaged six points per game last season could be a lottery pick in the 2013 NBA Draft?

Well, you would most likely determine that statement illogical and probably untrue. Despite how mind-boggling that realization may be, the aforementioned scenario is actually the case with Alex Len.

If Len ultimately decides to bolt from College Park after his sophomore season, nbadraftnet.com has Len falling in at the sixth overall pick in their 2013 mock. He is only projected to be beaten out by Shabazz Muhammad, Nerlens Noel, Cody Zeller, James Michael McAdoo, and Steven Adams. Again, this is a guy who averaged six points per contest as a freshman.

So who is Alex Len, and why all of the hype?

Len is a 7'1'' center from Ukraine who possesses basketball traits that are extremely unique for someone his size.

Any player listed over seven feet tall is unfairly placed under a stereotype stating that they are clumsy and uncoordinated. That statement is far from applicable to Alex Len. Len runs the floor efficiently and has solid hands.

But, even more uniquely, Len has a proficient jump shot.

He can stretch the floor to about 18 feet and knock down a baseline jumper or step out and nail a shot from the elbow-extended.

So, if Len has all of these positive characteristics, what does this mean for his future at Maryland?

If he stays at Maryland all four years, Alex Len is the future of Maryland basketball, and potentially the face of the Atlantic Coast Conference. His potential to be a star is that promising.

Ever since Bambale "Fear the Fro" Osby graduated from Maryland, the Terps have been lacking a defensive enforcer in the paint. Len's length can make him a terrorizing shot blocker. Contingent on whether or not he can bulk up and gain some muscle, Len can also be a rebounding force.

During his freshman season, Len completed his suspension due to eligibility issues three games before conference play began. In the few non-conference games that he participated in, Len was confident and playing like the monstrous star he can become. But, when ACC opponents appeared on Maryland's schedule, Len struggled to adjust to talents such as Mike Scott, C.J. Leslie, and Tyler Zeller.

He has shown glimpses of dominance in games against Albany, Cornell and Samford. Even against eventual NCAA tournament teams NC State and North Carolina, Len had at least 11 points and nine rebounds in each contest. Despite those instances of success, Len finished the season with eleven straight games having single-digit point and rebound totals.

Len just needs time and development to maintain that level of dominance he inconsistently displayed as a freshman. 

He shot a very respectable 55 percent from the floor last season, and averaged over two blocks per game. Both statistical categories are expected to be that high for Len, due to his massive size, but they showcase his strengths and potential nonetheless.

As he continues growing into his body and adjusting to American basketball, his ceiling continues to grow. By the time he is a senior in College Park, Len can be a consistent 20-point, 10-rebound type of player. The production will come with time. Len simply just isn't at that point yet, which is why he is the future of Maryland basketball and not the present star.

That title belonged to Terrell Stoglin.

Stoglin was suspended for one year by Maryland Athletic Director Kevin Anderson for drug test complications, according to CSN's Chick Hernandez. The drug in question was marijuana.

Stoglin followed the suspension by entering his name into the 2012 NBA Draft. It didn't matter whether Stoglin declared for the pros or not, because he wasn't going to be in a Terp uniform next season anyway.

Although many will expect Len to be the player Maryland is built around in 2012-13, that shouldn't be the case. Nick Faust and James Padgett should strive towards shouldering the load, because Len needs one more year of being a role player before he can truly become Maryland's featured threat.

Get to know the name Alex Len, and start fearing the turtle again. Next year, expect a return to the NCAA Tournament. In three years, when Len is a senior, expect Maryland to be national contenders.

Why? Because Alex Len can be that good.