Jared Nickens isn’t worried about his role for Maryland this season

Guard Jared Nickens takes a shot during Maryland’s 91-55 exhibition win over Southern New Hampshire at Xfinity Center on Nov. 6, 2015.

As the Terrapins men’s basketball team reeled in high-profile transfers and recruits this offseason, guard Jared Nickens remained under the radar.

Fresh off a solid freshman campaign, the sophomore guard watched as five-star center recruit Diamond Stone and transfer guards Rasheed Sulaimon and Jaylen Brantley garnered headlines. But the 6-foot-7 swingman, who played forward at times last season, just kept working.    

READ MORE: Sulaimon brings lockdown defense, ball-handling.

With Sulaimon, Stone and guard Melo Trimble gone for portions of the summer, Nickens assumed a larger offensive role in scrimmages and hoisted more shots.  

Nickens might see a bigger role this season. He was the Terps’ starting shooting guard in this past Friday’s exhibition, and with sophomore guard Dion Wiley likely out for the season, Nickens could be in the starting lineup Friday for the No. 3 Terps season opener.

But Nickens isn’t worried about his role. He only started nine games last campaign, but was fifth in minutes and scored 14 points during the Terps’ second-round NCAA tournament victory. So this season, Nickens is prepared to be a starter or a reserve. 

“I just want to come and contribute when my number’s called,” Nickens said at media day Oct. 20. “Whatever coach [Mark] Turgeon wants me to do I’m going to do because we have that bigger picture in mind.”

Wiley was slated to be the Terps’ starting shooting guard, Turgeon said in a news release Tuesday, but the sophomore suffered a torn meniscus Nov. 5. 

That injury opened the door for Nickens, one of Wiley’s close friends, to start against Southern New Hampshire. In the preseason contest, Nickens poured in 10 points and showcased a more versatile offensive game. 

Last season, Nickens attempted 4.2 3-pointers per game, tied for first on the team. He rarely ventured inside, though, averaging 1.2 shots from two-point range.

But against the Penmen on Friday, Nickens consistently put the ball on the floor and drove toward  the basket. The results were encouraging. He was 4-for-7 from the floor and 3-for-4 on two-pointers. 

And while the Terps compiled 23 turnovers, Nickens didn’t have any. 

“After this first game his confidence will get better, just like everyone else,” Trimble said. “We all had fun out there.”

On Friday, Sulaimon played 26 minutes and scored five points. He’s drawn praise from Turgeon and his teammates for his defense and passing, too.

But for the moment, Nickens appears to be the starting shooting guard. 

Before beginning their Terps careers, Trimble, Wiley and Nickens bonded. They had a group chat and each got the letters “MBK,” which stands for “My Brother’s Keeper,” tattooed on their legs. But last year, Trimble received the most accolades as he led the Terps to their first NCAA tournament appearance in five years. 

This season, Nickens has the opportunity to seize a more prominent role and star alongside Trimble. But after a summer in which the Terps added a couple of solid guards, Nickens still views himself as another piece of the puzzle. 

“We have so many talented players,” Nickens said. “We’re focused on not caring who gets the credit. I’m buying in.”