Former Duke guard Rasheed Sulaimon scored 25 points in an 84-64 win over the Terps on Jan. 26, 2013 at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
Former Duke guard Rasheed Sulaimon, a versatile sharpshooter whose dismissal from the Blue Devils this winter sparked national controversy, has committed to using his final year of eligibility playing for the Terrapins men’s basketball team.
Sulaimon intends to graduate from Duke over the summer and will be eligible to play for the Terps immediately.
Sulaimon’s addition is the latest high-profile move the Terps have made this offseason, and many pundits have labeled the team a national title contender. But some university students already have expressed concerns about Sulaimon, citing a report from Duke student newspaper The Chronicle, which detailed two sexual assault allegations against the former five-star recruit.
No criminal charges have been filed against Sulaimon, and Duke’s investigation into the allegations found a lack of substantial evidence. Terps head coach Mark Turgeon said this university put together its own investigation into the allegations before offering Sulaimon a roster spot.
“It was a very thorough process, starting with our staff, [Athletic Director] Kevin Anderson and his staff and [university President Wallace] Loh and his staff,” said Turgeon, who had been gathering information about Sulaimon for more than three months. “It was very thorough, and we all came to the conclusion that he was a great kid and he had a chance to be a part of our team.”
While coaching at Texas A&M, Turgeon recruited Sulaimon out of Strake Jesuit College Prep in Houston. Turgeon and Terps assistant coach Dustin Clark, who followed his boss to College Park from Texas A&M in 2011, have known Sulaimon and his family since the budding hoops star was in seventh grade.
“This has been a really emotional time for me and my family,” Sulaimon said. “My next decision was 100 percent contingent on my trust, the trust factor between me and my future coach. The relationship that I had with both Coach Turgeon and Coach Clark stems way back to seventh grade when I was 13. … This is where I felt comfortable.”
That long-standing relationship convinced Turgeon to take a chance on Sulaimon, the first player Hall of Fame coach Mike Krzyzewski kicked off a team in his 35 years at Duke.
Loh also met with Sulaimon, and he said Catherine Carroll, this university’s Title IX coordinator, attended the meeting with the former Blue Devil. Carroll also helped conduct an investigation into Sulaimon’s actions at Duke.
“What I do care is that we follow our values and our policies,” Loh said. “And I believe we did that.”
On the court, Sulaimon appears to fit well into the Terps rotation. At 6 feet, 4 inches, Sulaimon could start next to All-Big Ten point guard Melo Trimble in the backcourt or even slide into a stacked frontcourt, which already includes NBA hopefuls Jake Layman, Robert Carter Jr. and Diamond Stone.
Sulaimon started 50 games during his first two seasons in Durham, North Carolina, but saw a dropoff in playing time and production in his junior season. After averaging 11.6 points in 29.2 minutes per game as a freshman, Sulaimon averaged just 7.5 points in 19.3 minutes per contest this past season.
The downtick in contributions reportedly sparked confrontation between Krzyzewski and Sulaimon, which led to his dismissal from the eventual national champions.
Still, Turgeon believes Sulaimon will be productive in College Park. Sulaimon had one of his best career games against the Terps in January 2013, when he shot 6 of 8 on 3-pointers and scored 25 points as a freshman to lead the Blue Devils to a 84-64 win at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
“Personality-wise, we feel he fits in great with our team,” Turgeon said. “He has the same goals in mind as his teammates. As a player, he fits our team and what we were trying to add. He can play wing, play point, and he’s a very good defender. And with his experience, he brings some leadership.”
Sulaimon visited College Park on Friday to meet with the staff and team. Turgeon said his team leaders gave “the thumbs-up” to add Sulaimon after meeting with him in person, and the Houston native explained that his time on the campus helped him choose the Terps.
“The icing on top, the cherry on top that kind of sealed the deal, was my actual visit,” Sulaimon said. “The entire community was just amazing to me. From President Loh to Athletic Director Kevin Anderson to the people I ran into on campus and all the way down to my teammates. They were family guys. They accepted me and embraced me.”
Sulaimon said he understands that students at this university and media members across the country will lean on the sexual assault allegations to criticize his character. He said he will simply try “to move forward with [his] life” and start anew under Turgeon.
Three years ago, Turgeon drew mild criticism when he signed guard Dez Wells, then a sophomore who had been expelled from Xavier after sexual assault allegations. Xavier and Wells later agreed to a settlement for an undisclosed amount over his expulsion. Wells stayed out of trouble during his three years in College Park, earned All-Big Ten honors as a senior this past year and was never charged with a crime.
Turgeon, though, said Wells’ success as a Terp didn’t come into play during Sulaimon’s recruitment. Rather, Turgeon treated it as a different case while coming to a similar decision.
“I believe in the process,” Turgeon said. “We did our due diligence. I’ve known the kid since seventh grade. I just know he’s a great kid, great character. And I know he’s going to be a great addition to our team.”
Senior staff writer Ellie Silverman contributed to this report.
