Rasheed Sulaimon jumped the passing line, sprinted to the other end of the court and rose above the rim to throw down a one-handed slam Friday night. It was a meaningless play in the final minutes of a meaningless exhibition game, and yet, it seemed to hold significant weight.

Not only did it showcase the defensive prowess Sulaimon’s been regarded for since arriving in College Park, but it also marked a scenario that would’ve seemed far-fetched just a few years ago. Sulaimon was showered with boos when he played in then-Comcast Center as a Duke freshman, but the applause he got after the dunk made those times seem a distant memory.

Sulaimon has made the rare transition from blue and white to red and gold. Friday proved the Terps faithful have welcomed Sulaimon — the first player dismissed by Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski in 35 years — and now he’s ready to provide lockdown defense and ball-handling support in the Terps’ backcourt.

“Just seeing that from where I was to where I am now is kind of a funny situation,” Sulaimon said. “But I’m glad and happy where I’m at.”

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The graduate transfer is one of the reasons the No. 3 Terps are considered a national title contender. The former five-star recruit, who started 33 games and averaged 11.6 points as a freshman at Duke, saw a steady decline in his production with the Blue Devils.

But the Terps are hoping for a resurgence and have praised what he brings on the defensive end of the floor.

“Rasheed is an excellent defender,” coach Mark Turgeon said on media day Oct. 20. “Rasheed’s one of those guys — a guy’s going to be coming full speed at him, he’ll stop the ball and then he’ll take up the space when they retreat. That’s really hard to do. Right now, he’s by far our best perimeter defender.”

With shooters surrounding Sulaimon, Turgeon feels defense is the area where he can best help the Terps. During the exhibition against Southern New Hampshire, Sulaimon attempted five shots, sixth-most on the team.

“If I can be a great defender, a perimeter defender primarily, and just set the tone defensively, I think that’s really all this team needs me to do,” Sulaimon said.

He also provides the Terps with another confident ball handler in addition to starting point guard Melo Trimble. While sophomore transfer Jaylen Brantley will spell Trimble, too, Turgeon called Sulaimon “our best facilitator” at times.

Trimble said he prefers to have the ball in his hands, but added that Sulaimon’s handling the ball would give him a chance to rest coming up the court.

“[Sulaimon’s] passing ability has been really impressive so far,” senior forward Jake Layman said.

After the exhibition Friday, Turgeon said the best teams in the country play two point guards, and he feels Sulaimon allows the Terps to fit that mold.

It would’ve been hard to imagine Turgeon saying that three years ago, when Sulaimon dropped 16 points on the Terps in College Park. But the Terps and Sulaimon have come a long way from that night.

And Sulaimon has embraced his role as he’s switched rival teams.

“I feel like the new kid at school again,” Sulaimon said. “But it’s been good. I’ve enjoyed it.”