Terrapins basketball center Diamond Stone has earned Associated Press Big Ten Newcomer of the Year honors.
The freshman is averaging 13.7 points per game in conference play, while scoring in double digits in 14 of 17 Big Ten contests. His 50 blocks rank third in a single season in program history for a rookie.
Stone’s highlight moment as a Terp came Dec. 30, when he scored 39 points — a program freshman record — off the bench to will the Terps back from a significant deficit against Penn State. He also grabbed 12 rebounds in the 70-64 win.
After coming off the bench for the early portion of conference play, Stone became a regular starter Jan. 28 when the Terps handed then-No. 3 Iowa a 74-68 defeat.
In addition to Stone’s honor, guard Melo Trimble was named to the AP All-Big Ten Second Team. The Terps’ starting point guard, who was named to the national ballot for the Wooden award, seems to have turned a corner after some frustrating struggles, shooting a combined 45 percent in the Terps’ past two tilts.
Trimble leads the Terps in scoring (14.4 ppg), assists (159), free throw percentage (.861) and steals (42).
