Dupree leaves Terps

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By Patrick Stevens

Maryland forward Braxton Dupree will transfer, ending a two-year stint with the Terrapins that featured a pair of late-season declines.

Dupree, a Baltimore native who arrived in College Park with high expectations as a top-100 recruit, instead averaged 2.3 points and 2.3 rebounds while yielding a starting spot in both seasons.

Dupree's departure opens up a scholarship for Maryland, which has already added big men James Padgett and Jordan Williams for next season and remains at least nominally in contention for national top-10 recruit Lance Stephenson.

"We wish Braxton well and appreciate his efforts in his two years at the University of Maryland," coach Gary Williams said Wednesday. "Hopefully, he will be successful in all his future endeavors."

Dupree earned a starting spot early in his freshman season, but his playing time diminished rapidly once conference play arrived, and he sat out the final five regular-season games. Yet he lost 20 pounds in the offseason and again earned a place in the starting lineup to begin the season.

His fade was even more pronounced as a sophomore. Dupree didn't notch more than 10 minutes once against a conference opponent, and he sat out nine of Maryland's last 15 games.

Note -- The Terps will visit Indiana on Dec. 1 in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, the teams' first meeting since early in the 2002-03 season and just the second since the Terps defeated the Hoosiers in the 2002 national title game. Other notable matchups in the 11-game series are Michigan State visiting North Carolina in a rematch of the national title game, Virginia playing host to Penn State and Virginia Tech visiting Iowa.