| | Maryland junior forward Terence Morris announced Wednesday that he will return to the school for his senior season. Morris issued a statement saying he looks forward to returning to Maryland to lead the Terps.
Meanwhile, Cincinnati freshman DerMarr Johnson is leaving the Bearcats to enter the NBA draft, ESPN.com's Andy Katz reported.
Morris led Maryland to a berth in the Midwest Region before losing to UCLA in the second round. Morris was second behind Juan Dixon in scoring, averaging 15.8 points a game this season.
Johnson, a 6-9 shooting guard, was the Bearcats' third-leading scorer, averaging 12.6 points. He was voted Conference USA Freshman of the Year and was a third-team all-conference selection.
"I had a long talk with D.J. in which we discussed his options,
and I understand and support his decision," coach Bob Huggins said
in a statement obtained by The Cincinnati Post. "It was great to have DerMarr
in our program, both as a player and as a person, if only for one
year. I am sure he will remain part of the family and, like our
other guys, return often."
Johnson sat out a 95-69 rout of Southern Mississippi on Feb. 3 after he was suspended one game for violating NCAA rules. An
investigation revealed he received assistance in paying for
educational expenses before he was recruited by Cincinnati.
The deadline for NCAA underclassmen to declare for the draft is May 14, but have until June 21 to withdraw and return to school. High school seniors and junior college players lose their eligibility once they declare.
The NBA draft is June 28.
"This was really a hard decision because the people at
Cincinnati have been so good to me," Johnson said. "In talking
things over with my family, I realized that this was something I
needed to do for them. Playing in the NBA is something I've wanted
to do for the last three years. My year at Cincinnati has prepared
me to take this step."
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
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