Maryland All-Big Ten freshman forward Jalen Smith will return to College Park for his sophomore season, head coach Mark Turgeon announced April 8.

Smith saved his best for last during his freshman season, averaging a double-double in Maryland's two NCAA Tournament games. He recorded 17 points and 10 rebounds in the Terps' win over Belmont in the Round of 64. He followed that up with a 15 points, eight rebound performance versus LSU in the Round of 32. He also recorded a career-high five blocks in the Terps' last-second loss to LSU.

"I am proud of Jalen's decision to remain in school and develop his game while continuing his education," Turgeon said in a statement. "Jalen did so many great things for our program this season and his potential was on full display in the NCAA Tournament. He has the opportunity to take his game to another level as he works with our strength and coaching staff this offseason. Jalen is a special individual from a great family and we are excited to have him return to College Park."

The Baltimore native started 33 games for Maryland this past season, averaging 11.7 points and 6.8 rebounds. He was three times named Big Ten Freshman of the Week and his and his five double-doubles are third-most for a freshman in program history.

"I'm excited to return to Maryland for my sophomore year and advance my education as I continue to develop both on and off the court with my teammates and coaching staff," Smith said. "This past season was an amazing experience and I can't wait to see what the future has in store for our team. I'm appreciative of Coach Turgeon, the staff, my teammates and Terp Nation for all of their support."

Smith's announcement means that he will not test the NBA waters this spring, instead remaining in College Park to continue to develop his game and work towards his college degree. With Smith remaining in the fold, the Terps are almost certain to be ranked in the preseason top 25 for the third time under Turgeon and the first since 2017.