Maryland head men's basketball coach Mark Turgeon wasted no time in filling the big hole left by departed center Bruno Fernando with an even bigger player. The team announced May 6 it had signed 7-foot-2, 230-pound center Chol Marial for the 2019-20 season.
Marial, who is originally from South Sudan and has a 7-foot-11 wingspan, is a three-star recruit, according to 247Sports. He came to the United States in 2014 to play at IMG Academy in Florida. He finished his prep career with an injury-shortened 2018-19 season Compass Prep (Ariz.), where he averaged 14 points, 13 rebounds and eight blocks per game.
He announced his commitment to the Terps on his Instagram page. He will take the scholarship left by Fernando, who announced May 1 he would be remaining in the NBA Draft, forgoing his final two years of eligibility.
