Dez Wells is now eligible to play for the Terps men’s basketball team after the NCAA granted his waiver request appeal, coach Mark Turgeon announced.
At 10:30 a.m. yesterday, Dez Wells sat in Mark Turgeon’s office and heard the news he’d anxiously awaited since committing to the Terrapins men’s basketball program in September.
The NCAA had granted the Xavier transfer immediate eligibility. Wells flashed a smile and hugged each person in the room who had helped him through the waiver and appeals process. Then, the forward called his mother, sister and the rest of his close family and friends. The tears started to flow, the culmination of three months spent searching for an opportunity to play basketball.
“There were a lot of people crying this morning, adults included,” said Turgeon, whose Terps open their season tomorrow against No. 3 Kentucky in Brooklyn, N.Y. “He went through a lot of things, so it was very emotional.”
Xavier expelled Wells in August amid sexual assault allegations, though a Cincinnati grand jury later rejected any criminal charges. The school refused to readmit Wells, however, and the Raleigh, N.C., native began a whirlwind recruitment that ultimately ended with selecting the Terps over Kentucky, Memphis and Oregon.
Turgeon told Wells during his official visit to the campus the Terps would give him the best chance of playing this season, citing his trust in athletic department officials.
That faith proved worthwhile yesterday when the NCAA Division I Legislative Council Subcommittee for Legislative Relief overturned its Oct. 26 decision to deny the Terps’ initial waiver request. Wells, who has been practicing with the team throughout the preseason, is now free to move forward with his career.
And the Terps, who were picked to finish sixth in the ACC, should now have a better shot at making their first NCAA tournament appearance in three years.
Wells, an Atlantic 10 all-rookie team selection after after averaging 9.8 points and 4.9 rebounds per game last season, Wells figures to start on the wing in tomorrow’s opener. The 6-foot-5, 215-pounder also adds substantial experience to a roster that boasts just four returning scholarship players. He played in three NCAA tournament games last season and started 32 contests for a Musketeers squad that finished 23-13.
“He is a great leader, and he adds a lot of elements to our team,” guard Pe’Shon Howard said. “He has the experience of playing in a NCAA tournament. Everyone is excited for him.”
