Entering his junior year with the program, Terrapins men’s basketball forward Jake Layman has taken on greater responsibilities.

“My role will definitely get bigger this year, just because I’m more of a veteran now,” Layman said. “I’m ready for a big year.”

When the former four-star recruit — part of ESPN’s 16th-ranked recruiting class in 2012, which included former Terps guard Seth Allen and former center Shaquille Cleare — first committed to the Terps, he was expected to bolster a struggling roster, which had a seven-game winning streak in the 2011-12 season but fumbled through the latter half of the campaign to finish 17-15.

But the 6-foot-9, 205-pound forward struggled to remain consistent in his first two years in College Park. He averaged 5.5 points, 0.9 assists and 3.2 rebounds per game his rookie season. And though he doubled his output the next year — 11.7 points and five rebounds per game — Layman’s noticeable drop-off in production down the stretch of the season put a question mark over the potential NBA prospect’s future.

So as Layman enters his third year with the Terps, a few questions remain: Will he make it to the next level? How far can he take the Terps this season? Will 2014-15 be his breakout year?

Layman said he knows people want to see steady play. Last season, his offense ranged from shooting 75 percent from the field against weaker opponents such as Morgan State to a 1-for-14 outing against Clemson.

“Some games, I’m really good, and some games, I’m nonexistent,” he said. “So that’s one thing that if I can show this year, it’ll show my growth as a player.”

At first, Layman seemed to be on the verge of a breakout year last season after sinking more than half of his 45 three-point attempts over the first seven games. Then his performance regressed, and he finished the season 36.5 percent from beyond the arc.

He also put up double digits in 11 of his first 13 games, including his career-high 27 points against Morgan State, but wasn’t able to maintain that level of production as the schedule got tougher in ACC play.

And in the seven games against ranked foes, Layman played some of the worst games of his career, including an 11.1 field-goal percentage against then-No. 5 Ohio State, and he started turning over the ball more often.

“It’s definitely a confidence thing. For me, it’s a maturity thing too,” he said. So I’ve definitely grown in that area, and I think that becoming a leader on this team has helped me realize what I can bring to this team.”

In the offseason and preseason, Layman trained with teammate John Auslander and former Terps women’s basketball assistant David Adkins, who is now an assistant for the Washington Wizards. He’s working on his fundamentals, and he’s been watching more film of himself to improve.

“My ball-handling has improved a lot, which is something I’ve been working on over the summer. So yeah, just an all-around more confident player,” Layman said.

Coach Mark Turgeon said that attitude has helped Layman on the defensive end, too.

“It’s phenomenal how far he’s come defensively since last season,” Turgeon said.

With the Terps entering their inaugural Big Ten season without the five rotation players who transferred in the offseason, the overall atmosphere of the team has changed. Freshman Melo Trimble, a McDonald’s All-American,likely will start at point guard, and the Terps will be implementing Turgeon’s new motion offense.

Forward Evan Smotrycz is out until late November after he broke a bone in his left foot during practice, and the injury has shaken up some roles on the team, including Layman’s.

Turgeon will, at times, move Layman from small forward to power forward, a spot in which he’d be considered a stretch-four — essentially a power forward who can hit shots from beyond the arc. But Layman said he’s not worried about the transition because he has played the position in the past.

“In high school, I was the big guy, so I’m definitely used to playing in that spot,” he said. “It’ll create a lot of mismatches for me, too.”

His willingness to adjust reflects how he cares about the team’s success, not just his own. That shows in his relationship with freshman Jared Nickens.

Though the two may be competing for minutes, Layman will often pull the first-year forward aside during practice for one-on-one coaching because the two have a similar style of play and are both lanky, Nickens said.

“Jake has really been like a big brother,” he said.

But in between helping the younger players and getting ready to play Big Ten basketball powerhouses, such as Michigan State in December, Layman knows in the back of his mind that part of him is also preparing for potentially entering the NBA draft in June.

“Whenever it becomes possible, I definitely want to play at that level,” Layman said. “I know if I keep working hard, different aspects of my game, the sky’s the limit.”