Maryland men’s basketball fans might have a new favorite NBA team: the Atlanta Hawks.
After the Hawks drafted Kevin Huerter in June, they added another former Terp on Saturday by signing Alex Len.
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— Kevin Huerter (@KevinHuerter) July 21, 2018
Len spent two seasons in College Park before deciding to go pro. As a sophomore in 2012-13, Len was part of a Maryland team that managed to upset Duke twice in one season but still wound up missing the NCAA tournament. (The Terps did have a good run in the NIT, making it to the semifinals before falling to future conference foe Iowa.)
The Suns picked Len fifth overall in 2013, and his NBA tenure hasn’t really been anything to write home about — he’s never made it to the postseason or played in an All-Star game. During his Phoenix career, he averaged 7.2 points and 6.5 rebounds over 335 games.
Maybe playing with another former Terp — who also went pro after his sophomore year — will help Len find success in the NBA. He can bond with Huerter on team flights over things like what their favorite restaurant was in the food court at Stamp Student Union or how inconsistent the campus wi-fi was.
The Hawks aren’t even the only pro team that’s acquired more than one Terp during the offseason. The NFL’s Carolina Panthers traded for Torrey Smith and drafted both DJ Moore and Jermaine Carter, which means that Maryland fans will have an NBA and NFL team to follow particularly closely this season.