The Maryland basketball team has been graced by some remarkable talent this season.
Perhaps the player with the most potential is Diamond Stone.
There have been a lot of talented basketball players that have dominated the college basketball scene.
LSU freshman forward Ben Simmons has captured the heart of many college basketball fans with his all-around game. Duke’s Brandon Ingram is a 6’9 forward that can shoot the basketball extremely well and has emerged into one of the top scorers in the ACC. Then you have Oklahoma’s Buddy Hield, who is one of the top players in the nation. Providence’s Kris Dunn continues to be the top point guard in the NCAA ranks.
All of those players have the potential to be lottery picks in the 2016 NBA Draft. Stone is one player that has emerged as a potential top 10 selection as the 2015-16 season has gone on.
Back in high school, Stone was a McDonald’s All-American and the No. 6 player in the country according to 247Sports. Obviously, there were signs of NBA potential even before he stepped on the college hardwood.
Now that he is 26 games into his freshman year with the Terps, Stone has become one of the top freshmen in the country.
Air Alamo
In the early parts of the season, Stone was coming off the bench. Now he has solidified himself in the starting lineup as he is averaging 12.8 points-per-game and 5.4 rebounds-per-game. He is shooting 56 percent from the floor and 77 percent from the free throw line. When Stone has faced Big Ten teams, he is averaging 14.3 points per game.
By far, his best game of the season was against Penn State on Dec. 30. In a closely contested battle, Stone went for 39 points and 12 rebounds to lead Maryland to 70-64 victory. He scored 32 of those points in the second half to push the Terps past the Nittany Lions.
When Maryland faced Nebraska on Feb. 3, he finished with 16 points, 10 rebounds, and eight blocks. Stone was the first player since Ekene Ibekwe to finish with eight blocks in a game.
While Terps fans continue to see Stone blossom into a top-tier center, Diamond continues to see his draft stock rise. In the latest mock draft by Draft Express, Stone is the ninth pick in this year’s NBA Draft. Reasons for that is the amount of potential Stone has coupled with an NBA-ready body
Another reason is Kentucky’s Skal Labissiere continues to struggle. The Wildcats big man came into the season as a potential No. 1 pick but now he is coming off the bench and his draft stock is starting to go down. UNLV’s Stephen Zimmerman is out for the season due to injury and Kansas’ Cheick Diallo’s eligibility issue early in the season really has affected his play.
Stone has shown that he can play at a high level and is capable of being a one-and-done player. But everything is not set in stone just yet. There is still a lot of basketball to be played. There is still the decision of if Stone wants to stay another year or head to the draft.
Next: Rebounding still an issue for Terrapins
Stone’s potential makes him a nice pickup for any NBA team when he decides to go pro, even if it isn’t in 2016.