Reese enters portal with no eligibility

The longtime Terp, a Randallstown native, keeping options open

Maryland’s Julian Reese celebrates his team’s 76-68 victory over Wisconsin at Xfinity Center in January. Reese joined a growing list of college athletes who are entering their names into the transfer portal despite having no eligibility remaining. Kenneth K. Lam/Staff

Maryland power forward Julian Reese entered the transfer portal Tuesday, continuing a recent trend of players with no eligibility jumping into the portal. They’re doing so with hope that a federal antitrust settlement will give them one more shot at college basketball.

The current movement is a response to a much-anticipated settlement of a $2.8 billion federal class-action antitrust lawsuit filed by athletes against the NCAA and the Power Five leagues — the Atlantic Coast Conference, the Big 10, the Big 12, the Pac-12 and the Southeastern Conference. The terms of the settlement were approved by both sides and await final approval from U.S. Judge Claudia Wilken with the conditions going into effect as early as July 1.

While the primary thrust of the settlement will open the door for colleges and universities to make name, image and likeness payments to athletes, a proposal that would allow them to play five seasons instead of the current four has also been floated. There is also a case in New Jersey that could result in an injunction on the NCAA’s current rule of giving athletes five years to play four seasons.

Many of the athletes who have exhausted their eligibility have entered their names in the transfer portal per the advice of their attorneys and agents as a way to maintain some flexibility with their futures. If the proposal for five seasons or the injunction on the current four-year clock gets ratified, the players could go pro, pursue another career path, or return for another — and presumably final — year.

There are no prohibitions for athletes submitting their names into the transfer portal. But at this point, the NCAA continues to operate under the current four-year rule.

Reese played four full seasons at Maryland and totaled 1,488 points and 1,015 rebounds, joining Len Elmore as the only two players in school history to reach 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds. After spending his freshman year as a reserve, the Randallstown native and St. Frances graduate started in each of his past three seasons.

This past winter, Reese amassed 13.3 points and 9.0 rebounds per game and earned his third All-Big Ten honorable mention status, joining former point guards Melo Trimble and Anthony Cowan as the lone players in program history to be recognized three times by the Big Ten. He finished his career ranked second in school history in rebounds, fifth in double-doubles (37), eighth in blocks (179) and 20th in points.

Reese played a significant role as a member of the “Crab Five” that sparked the Terps to a 27-9 overall record and a 14-6 mark in the Big Ten and their first Sweet 16 appearance since 2016.

Last weekend, Reese participated in the 71st annual Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, a collection of the country’s top college seniors who compete before professional scouts and agents. On Sunday, he was named to the invitational’s All-Tournament Team after racking up 16 points and nine rebounds in his first game, 15 points and 10 rebounds in his second, and nine points and 13 rebounds in his third.

Other athletes with similar tales as Reese’s include Clemson power forward Ian Schieffelin, Kansas shooting guard Zeke Mayo, North Carolina State power forward Ben Middlebrooks, and the Syracuse duo of center Eddie Lampkin Jr. and shooting guard Lucas Taylor.

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