Maryland basketball center commit Bruno Fernando didn’t think he would ever visit the team, but after decommitting from Southern Methodist on May 15 and reclassifying to the 2017 class, he came to College Park for homecoming in the beginning of October.

Fernando felt like the Terps accepted him as one of their own. They invited him to a pick-up game at Xfinity Center before they watched the Maryland football team beat Purdue in Maryland Stadium.

Fernando felt so comfortable he committed at the end of the weekend. He’s eager to strengthen those bonds when he joins the team next season.

“It was an amazing experience,” Fernando said. “It’ll help next year because I know them so well and don’t just have to start over.”

Aside from the success of former stars Greivis Vasquez and Alex Len, Fernando knew little about the Terps program. His visit served as an opportunity to learn about the history of the university and experience the campus environment.

Plus, he made connections with the coaching staff throughout various meetings and tours over the weekend. Fernando had a sit-down meeting with coach Mark Turgeon to discuss how the 6-foot-10, 225-pound Angola native could help the team in the frontcourt by expanding his perimeter game stretching the floor.

IMG Academy coach John Mahoney, who instructs Fernando now and was an assistant coach at Michigan from 2007 to 2010, agrees with Turgeon’s assessment that Fernando can add perimeter skills to his arsenal.

Mahoney said Fernando joined his squad as a center who could rely on his body frame to play well down low. But now, he said Fernando can hit 3-pointers and beat defenders off the dribble, as shown by his treys in the Ascenders’ early-season contests.

The sanctions SMU endured in 2015, which banned the program from the 2016 postseason, and the uncertainty with former Mustangs coach Larry Brown — he stepped down in July — contributed to Fernando re-opening his recruitment. He also wanted to play “the best basketball this country has to offer” in one of the sport’s top conferences.

Plus, Maryland’s proximity to Washington made it easier for his family and friends from Angola to visit and watch him play the sport he started when he was nine.

“They saw my struggle, they know who I am,” Fernando said. “A lot of people have already promised to come, and I can’t wait to have them in the stands cheering me on.”

When Fernando thinks about what next season will bring — the camaraderie with his new teammates and the chance to further his education — he smiles.

“Man, people don’t know how much this means to me,” Fernando said. “It’s a dream and a goal. I find myself in shock. It’s crazy.”