When the news broke May 11 that former Duke guard Rasheed Sulaimon would be transferring to the Terrapins men’s basketball team, pundits lauded the senior as a stout on-ball defender who would bring a scoring punch.

Through his first 22 games in College Park, Sulaimon has provided more than that. He prides himself on his leadership, a characteristic his teammates also commend him for. He’s demonstrated strides as a facilitator, too.

The ways Sulaimon impacts a matchup vary game by game. Thursday against Iowa, he was a lethal scorer. Sunday at Ohio State, he was a flashy passer. Sulaimon tries to fill whatever role the No. 4 Terps need him to that night, and whatever that may entail Wednesday at Nebraska (12-10, 4-5 Big Ten), his team expects him to be ready.

“It’s not all about numbers and things with him,” forward Robert Carter Jr. said. “It’s more about the little things he can do to make this be the greatest team it can be.”

In Sulaimon’s three seasons with the Blue Devils, he never averaged more than 2.4 assists per game. Yet even with Terps star point guard Melo Trimble looking to pass more in his sophomore season, Sulaimon has assumed a pass-first mentality many nights.

The Houston native is averaging a career-best 3.8 assists per game and posted a career-high 10 dimes against Maryland-Eastern Shore on Dec. 12. On a team that boasts potential NBA talent at every position, Sulaimon doesn’t feel he needs to look for his shot every game.

“Going out there and playing with the type of guys I play with, it’s fun,” Sulaimon said. “They can just make a lot of acrobatic plays. They are athletic. They can shoot. They can finish. It’s just like I’m a kid out there in a candy store.”

His passing ability was on display at Value City Arena on Sunday against the Buckeyes. It started with 11:30 left in the first half when he knifed through the defense for a wraparound pass to center Diamond Stone for an easy dunk.

Just more than a minute later, he jumped a passing lane to start a two-on-one fast break. With a defender in front of him, Sulaimon threw a behind-the-back pass to guard Melo Trimble for an easy lay-in.

And in a nearly identical two-on-one fast break near the end of the half off another steal, he heaved a one-handed lob to forward Jake Layman.

“Jake always told me, if we are ever in that situation, just throw it up and I’ll go get it,” Sulaimon said. “I thought it was an errant pass, but he just came out of nowhere and saved the day and made me look good.”

Those were a part of his game-high five assists in the 66-61 win. But as Carter said, Sulaimon isn’t concerned about his numbers. His impact extends beyond them.

Sulaimon commands the attention of his teammates during the course of a game. He slaps the floor on defense. He pumps up the crowd. And he’s the voice in many huddles.

“The thing about Rasheed that is making him special for our team is his preparation,” coach Mark Turgeon said. “Just the way he gets everyone to lock into what we are trying to do offensively and defensively.

“He’s had one game where he wasn’t dialed in. Every other game he’s been dialed in. That’s pretty amazing when you play as many games as we play. That’s really what makes him who he is.”

When the Terps (19-3, 8-2) travel to Lincoln, Nebraska, on Wednesday for their third game in seven days, Sulaimon likely will play a key role in slowing the Cornhuskers’ attacking offense.

On the other end, though, his task is unclear. He might play like the team’s point guard. He might have the hot hand. He won’t know which it will be until after tipoff.

“I just try to read the game,” Sulaimon said. “Whatever they need for me to do that night, I take pride in locking in on that and being there for my teammates.”