The bad news keeps rolling into College Park.
Highly touted freshman Jin Soo Kim was deemed academically ineligible to compete Tuesday. The 6-foot-8, 195-pound forward will continue to practice with the team, but was dressed in a black suit before Tuesday’s 76-67 loss to Boston College.
“Jin Soo worked hard to try to be part of the university and our team,” Maryland coach Gary Williams said in a release. “He will continue to work hard academically and in practice.”
The spring semester began Monday, at which point Kim became ineligible. Specific details of his status will not be released due to the university’s compliance with the Federal Education Rights and Privacy Act. Kim — a native of Suwon, South Korea and the nation’s first native son to earn an NCAA basketball scholarship — is enrolled in a university program available to students for whom English is a second language.
The student body favorite was averaging 1.7 points, 1.2 rebounds and 6.8 minutes in 15 games.
The news comes amid a frustrating stretch, in which Maryland has lost four-of-five, including Saturday’s 85-44 defeat at Duke — the worst lost for the Terrapins in 46 years.
FREE-THROW FUNK
After hitting 21-of-24 free throws in the 84-78 win against Virginia Jan. 20, Maryland has combined to hit just 12 free throws in the past two games.
The Terrapins went 6-for-10 at the line Tuesday after a 6-for-12 performance at Duke.
The trouble for Maryland doesn’t seem to be hitting its free-throws; rather, it falls upon its ability to get to the foul line.
Maryland entered Tuesday leading the ACC at 77.8 percent from the free throw line, but ahead of only Virginia (342 attempts) with its 343 trips to the foul stripe.
