Pe’Shon Howard
Terrapins men’s basketball guard Pe’Shon Howard will transfer to another university for his final year of eligibility, coach Mark Turgeon announced yesterday.
Howard plans to return to his native California to be closer to his ill grandmother, according to the team. He averaged 3.3 points and 3.6 assists in 22.8 minutes per game this past season.
“I want to thank coach Turgeon for allowing me to pursue an opportunity to complete my final season of college basketball at a university closer to home,” Howard said in a news release. “It was a very difficult decision because I really enjoyed my three years as a student-athlete at Maryland.”
Turgeon’s announcement came less than a week after Howard ended an up-and-down junior season in an NIT semifinal loss to Iowa. In a five-week stretch spanning January and February, the pass-first guard lost his starting job because of inconsistent play, was stripped of his captaincy and sat out one game for a “violation of team rules.”
But Howard seemed to find his rhythm after returning to the starting rotation in a March 14 win against Wake Forest in the ACC tournament. He played stifling defense on opposing teams’ top offensive options, tallied twice as many assists as turnovers and earned positive reviews from Turgeon during postgame press conferences.
“I really felt like I was letting these guys down,” Howard said in March of his early-season woes. “Whereas now, even if I’m not playing well, I’ll be positive for them, picking them up.”
Howard’s departure leaves the Terps with few options at point guard. Guard Nick Faust, who ran the offense when mounting turnovers forced Howard to the bench, shot 33.3 percent from the field with a 1.2 assist-to-turnover ratio in 13 games as the primary ballhandler this past season.
Guard Seth Allen has proven more valuable when he concentrates on scoring from the wing, and four-star 2013 recruit Roddy Peters may need time before assuming starting point-guard duties.
“We wish Pe’Shon the best and thank him for his contributions as a student-athlete at the University of Maryland,” Turgeon said. “We are disappointed that he is leaving. … We understand this is best for Pe’Shon and his family and will support him through this transition.”
Howard is the final member of former coach Gary Williams’ last Terps recruiting class before leaving the program. Two others — forward Ashton Pankey (Manhattan) and guard Mychal Parker (Georgetown College in Kentucky) — also transferred schools.
“It is best that I be closer to my family,” said Howard, who leaves the Terps with career averages of 4.7 points and 3.5 assists. “I love my teammates and wish them the very best and appreciate all of the support and guidance that I received from my coaches.”
