Rasheed Sulaimon Transfers to Maryland: Latest Details, Comments, Reaction

Former Duke guard Rasheed Sulaimon announced Monday that he'll be transferring to Maryland for his senior season.  

ESPN.com's Jeff Goodman reported the news on Sulaimon's plans to cap off his college basketball career, featuring what Sulaimon had to say about his decision:

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For everything I've been through, my family and I wanted me to be at a place where I trusted everyone. I've known Coach [Mark] Turgeon and [assistant coach Dustin] Clark since I was 13. I trust them. [...] They have a chance to be a special team. They are great guys off the court, and they embraced me. At the end of the day, I wanted to go somewhere to have the opportunity to be part of something bigger than myself.

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Sulaimon took to Twitter to express his excitement at the chance for a fresh start:

The school issued a release on its website confirming the move.

The Blue Devils dismissed Sulaimon in late January amid sexual assault allegations, originally reported by the school's student newspaper, the Chronicle.

Seth Wenig/Associated Press

Goodman reported on April 29 what Sulaimon had to say about the allegations, which he denied.

Per Monday's report, Terrapins coach Mark Turgeon emphasized that he felt comfortable welcoming Sulaimon to College Park: "We did our due diligence. We were extremely thorough and talked to a lot of people and vetted the entire situation. I've known Rasheed and his family since he was 13, and I believe in him. There's a trust factor, and we've had a strong relationship."

Sam Vecenie of CBSSports.com weighed in on what Sulaimon's arrival means for Maryland:

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I think Maryland was a title contender before this anyway. Sulaimon gives them more leeway with backcourt injuries, which is really nice.

— Sam Vecenie (@Sam_Vecenie) May 11, 2015"

Sulaimon put up 11.6 points per contest in his first year with the Blue Devils but saw his minutes diminish in the two seasons thereafter. He denies that the sexual assault allegations were what led him to being kicked off the team, per Goodman's report from April.

Maryland star point guard Melo Trimble is returning for his sophomore season. If Sulaimon can emulate the impact he had at Duke as a freshman, the two could headline one of the better perimeter rotations in the country.

If Trimble hadn't suffered a concussion in a third-round loss to West Virginia during the NCAA tournament, the Terrapins may have made it even further into March Madness.

A talent like Sulaimon should add some firepower to Maryland's offense—which leaned heavily on Trimble last season—and help compensate for the departure of senior swingman Dez Wells.