The 6-8 forward will bring outside touch in 2013-14
The parade of players with talent and size to the University of Maryland basketball team continued on Monday with the addition of former Michigan forward Evan Smotrycz. The 6-foot-8 Smotrycz, who averaged 7.7 points and 4.9 rebounds last year, brings a unique dimension with his height and ability to shoot from the arc. He hit 43.5 percent of his 3-pointers last year in the perimeter-oriented offense of coach John Beilein.
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Smotrycz, a native of Reading, Mass. who visited Maryland this weekend, tweeted his decision on Monday morning. He also considered Colorado and Providence, according to ESPN.
Per NCAA transfer rules, Smotrycz will sit out the 2012-13 season. He should be a strong addition on a loaded frontline that could include 7-foot Alex Len, 6-9 and three powerfully-built incoming freshmen – Shaquille Cleare (6-9, 275), Damonte Dodd (6-9, 245), and Charles Mitchell (6-7, 250) – as well as 6-7 swingman commit Jake Layman.
Smotrycz was a starter for most of his freshman season and the first two months this year. He had the best stretch of his career in four December games, averaging 18.3 points and hitting 22 of 30 shots from the floor (73.3 percent) and 15 of 19 from the arc (78.9 percent). But Smotrycz slumped in January, hitting only 9 of 36 shots overall (25 percent) and 5 of 21 from the arc (23.8 percent) in the Wolverines’ first six Big Ten games. He lost his starting job as Beilein went to a smaller lineup, replacing him with 6-3 guard Stu Douglass.
Smotrycz settled into a sixth-man role and his playing time varied with his shooting performances. In Michigan’s NCAA opening game upset loss to Ohio U, Smotrycz had 15 points and seven rebounds on 6 of 7 shooting.
