For the third straight spring, the Terrapins men’s basketball team has experienced significant attrition.

In 2012, guards Terrell Stoglin and Mychal Parker left after university suspensions, and forward Ashton Pankey transferred to Manhattan. Last spring, center Alex Len declared for the NBA draft and guard Pe’Shon Howard transferred to Southern California.

And last night, guards Nick Faust and Roddy Peters and center Shaquille Cleare were the latest round of transfers to be granted their releases

For a team that appears to be constantly searching for stability, it’s a blow. There’s no denying that, especially when the players transferring were the top prospects in coach Mark Turgeon’s first three recruiting classes with the Terps. But for the first time in Turgeon’s three seasons, the Terps are the most prepared to weather these transfers.

Cleare, Faust and Peters were all prone to inconsistent play, and all three had their minutes fluctuate through the season. On a team that failed to find consistency on offense, the three couldn’t establish themselves, even though they had their moments, such as Faust’s 20-point outburst against Wake Forest on Feb. 18.

But it was clear the incoming freshman class would make it difficult for everyone to find time on the court. Peters never established himself as a viable option in the backcourt and struggled with shooting from the outside. While he was adept at slashing to the basket, he was susceptible to giving the ball away and had almost as many turnovers (56) as assists (67).

Peters gave the team good minutes in games down the stretch but struggled defensively, so Turgeon often sat him when opposing teams went to a zone defense. It was a disappointing season for a four-star prospect ESPN ranked No. 1 in the state and No. 12 among point guards.

And with guard Melo Trimble — a McDonald’s All-American and the No. 30 player in the class of 2014 — joining the Terps this fall, Peters was likely going to be in a tough competition for minutes in the backcourt, next to guard Seth Allen.

Faust, who was originally recruited by former coach Gary Williams, was erratic at times but also provided an occasional scoring punch. He shot 38.4 percent from the field and 30.1 percent from three-point range. In the Terps’ first 12 games, he had taken more shots (112) than he had points (108).

But he became more efficient, and while moving into a bench role for most of the middle of the season, he emerged as a spark plug known for his highlight-reel dunks and lockdown defense thanks to his length and quickness. Still, the incoming class was also set to challenge the No. 37 player in the class of 2011 for minutes.

Cleare was the centerpiece of the class of 2012, Turgeon’s first full recruiting class and one ranked No. 18 by ESPN. The 6-foot-9 big man was ranked No. 30 nationally, No. 6 in Texas and No. 8 among centers. Through Cleare’s two seasons in College Park, Turgeon kept saying things were going to click and Cleare was going to emerge, but the center will leave College Park with career highs of 12 points and eight rebounds, both set during his freshman year.

Cleare was one of the most charismatic Terps, and he always took responsibility for his play. After the Terps’ last-second loss to Florida State in the ACC tournament, Cleare gave a lengthy, honest interview in which he said, “Maryland basketball is much bigger than us. We felt that we didn’t take care of business this season, and we disappointed a lot of people. It hurts.”

After the announcement of 7-foot center Michal Cekovsky’s commitment to the Terps on Monday, it became clear that something had to give and that someone would not be returning. Cekovsky, paired with center Trayvon Reed, gives Turgeon two long 7-footers in his class to work into a frontcourt that also returns forwards Charles Mitchell, Damonte Dodd, Evan Smotrycz and Jake Layman.

Once again, the minutes weren’t going to be there.

It’s more disappointment after the Terps missed the NCAA tournament for the fourth straight season, combined with some of the team’s top recruits leaving the program.

But once again, there’s reason for optimism with more young talent coming to College Park.