Wiggins to forgo senior season, remain in NBA Draft
Aaron Wiggins will forgo his senior season at Maryland and remain in the 2021 NBA Draft, he told ESPN draft analyst Jonathan Givony Monday evening.
An honorable mention All-Big Ten selection a season ago, Wiggins was Maryland's second leading scorer, rebounder and distributor, averaging 14.5 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game.
Wiggins played his best basketball down the home stretch last season, averaging 17.9 points and 6.6 rebounds over the final 12 games of his Terps career. That included a career-best 27-point performance in the 2nd round of the NCAA Tournament versus Alabama in what would be his final game in a Maryland uniform.
A Greensboro, N.C. native, Wiggins was initially invited to the NBA G League Elite Camp, held in Chicago just prior to the NBA Draft Combine. He performed well enough at the G League camp that he was one of just four participants invited to remain in The Windy City for the draft combine. He finished his extended stay in Chicago on a high note, scoring 14 points in 21 minutes while shooting 6-of-7 from the field in his final scrimmage.
Wiggins worked out for numerous NBA teams before making his decision to remain in the draft, including the New Orleans Pelicans, Golden State Warriors, New York Knicks, Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics. The 6-foot-6 wing is currently the No. 64-ranked NBA prospect in the ESPN 100.
With Wiggins opting to remain in the draft, Eric Ayala becomes the Terps' lone returning senior. The Terps added several key pieces through the transfer portal, including former Rhode Island point guard Fatts Russell and former Georgetown center Qudus Wahab, giving Maryland head coach Mark Turgeon what should be one of his most talented teams since arriving in College Park.
The Terps now have one scholarship open for next season with the departure of Wiggins and have reportedly already reached out to a transfer portal prospect in Texas State's Isiah Small, who averaged 10.9 points and 5.8 rebounds per game last season while shooting 42.1 percent from beyond the arc.