6/24/2016

Maryland'sDiamondStone,JakeLaymanselectedinsecondroundofNBAdraftBaltimoreSun

Sports/MarylandTerps/TrackingtheTerps

Maryland'sDiamondStone,JakeLayman
selectedinsecondroundofNBAdraft

"Everybig[man]pickedinfrontofme,itsjustlikewhenIseethem,itsgoingtobewar,"saidDiamondStoneafterbeing
selectedinthesecondroundoftheNBAdraft.(KevinRichardson/BaltimoreSunvideo)

ByDonMarkus ContactReporter
TheBaltimoreSun

JUNE23,2016,11:32PM

COLLEGEPARK

iamondStonedidnothaveagoingawaypartyatMarylandafterhisfreshmanyear,asJake
LaymanandthreeothersdidinMarchonSeniorNightatXfinityCenterlastseason.

StonedidnothavemuchofagoingawaypartyThursday,either.
ExpectingtobepickedinthefirstroundoftheNBAdraft,Stonewoundupsittinginthestunnedsilence
ofacampusapartmentrecroomashisnamewasntcalleduntilearlyinthesecondround.

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Maryland'sDiamondStone,JakeLaymanselectedinsecondroundofNBAdraftBaltimoreSun

WhenitwasannouncedthatStonehadbeenpickedNo.40overallbytheNewOrleansPelicansand
immediatelysentinatradetotheLosAngelesClipperstheroombrokeoutinapplause.
Afewminuteslater,Stonetalkedaboutusingthefirstroundsnubasmotivation.
Iprobablyhavethebiggestchipofthedraft,Stonesaid.Imhungry.Everybig[man]pickedinfront
ofme,itsjustlikewhenIseethem,itsgoingtobewar.Ivejustgottoplaymyhardesteverygameand
showthesepeoplewhyitwasamistaketosleeponme.
LaymanwentsevenpickslatertotheOrlandoMagic,butisexpectedtobetradedtothePortlandTrail
Blazersfor$1.2millionandafuturedraftpick.
TheotherMarylandplayerwhohadbeenmentionedforthisyearsdraft,RobertCarterJr.,didnotget
chosenandreportedlysignedwiththeGoldenStateWarriors.Carter,whoplayedjustoneseasonforthe
TerpsaftertransferringasajuniorfromGeorgiaTech,alsooptedtosignwithanagent.
Askedifhesecondguesseshimselfforsigningwithanagentandnotleavinghimanychancetoreturn
forhissophomoreyear,Stonesaid,IthinkIhaveagoodteamwithTandem[Sportsand
Entertainment],greatparents.IfIdoitallover,Istillwouldhavecomeout.Itdidntplaylikewe
wantedtoplay,butImjustgoingtomakethebestofmydecision.
Iftherewasanysmallsolacetothedisappointmentofthenight,itwasthatithappenedawayfromthe
nationalspotlight.
UnlikeotherswhoventuredtoNewYork,sittingattheBarclaysCenterforallthecountrytoseeand
painfullywaitinguntiltheirnameswerecalledinthefirstroundornotcalleduntilthesecondround
Stonediditinrelativeprivacyexceptforafewmembersofthelocalmedia.
Stonewasjoinedbyfamily,acoupleoffriendsfromhome,MarylandassistantcoachBinoRansonand
formerteammateDamonteDodd.
Actually,Stonewasinabackconferenceroom,catchingupwithfriendshehadntseeninafewmonths
whilehisparentsnervouslywatchedthefirstroundunfold.
Stonesfather,Robert,aformersmallcollegeAllAmericanatWisconsinWhitewaterinthe1970s,said
atonepointthathewasgladnottobeinNewYorkwaitingforhissontobechosen.
Thatmustbereallyhard,theelderStonesaidasthecamerapannedtootherplayerswhohadyettobe
pickedandtheirparents.
Atonepointtowardtheendofthefirstround,CynthiaStonewalkedintoaglassencasedconference
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Maryland'sDiamondStone,JakeLaymanselectedinsecondroundofNBAdraftBaltimoreSun

roomwhereagentsJimTannerandDerrickPowellweresitting,andclosedthedoor.
Stonewasntaloneinhisdisappointment.
Giventhatnearlyhalfofthefirst20pickedplayedinternationallyalongwithwelltraveled71high
schoolerThonMakeratNo.10andformerMichiganstandoutguardCarisLeVert,whomissedmostof
thelasttwoseasonswithanaggingfootinjuryseveralbigmenprojectedforthetophalfofthefirst
roundwaitedlongerthanexpected.
AmongthemwasformerKentuckycenterSkalLabissiere,whocameoutofhighschoolastheNo.2
playerbehindBenSimmonsandstruggledformuchofhisfreshmanyearatKentucky.Labissierewent
No.28overalltothePhoenixSuns.
TherewasalsoformerMichiganStateforwardDeyontaDavis,whohadbeenprojectedashighasNo.10
inonemockdraft.DaviswaspickedNo.31overallbytheBostonCeltics,andwasreportedtobepartof
adealtogototheMemphisGrizzlies.
MeloTrimble,wholikeStonewasprojectedasapossiblefirstroundpickforthefirsthalfofhis
sophomoreyearbeforeanagginghamstringinjuryledtoaprolongedshootingslump,optedtogo
withoutanagentafterputtinghisnameintothedraft.
AfteradisappointingperformanceattheNBAcombineinChicagoinMay,whereCartersolidifiedhis
statusasapotentialsecondroundchoice,Trimbledecidedtotakehisnameoutofthedraftandreturn
toschoolforhisjunioryear.
WhilewhathappenedtoStoneisnotthesamesituationaswhattranspiredwithformerMaryland
standoutJordanWilliamsin2011,therearesomesimilarities.WilliamsmadetheACCAllFreshman
team,asStonedidintheBigTenlastseason.WilliamswasathirdteamAllAmericanasasophomore.
ThoughWilliamswasntashighlyprojectedasStonecomingoutafterhissophomoreyear,many
thoughthewastakingagamble.Itdidntpayoff,asWilliamsfelltothesecondround,No.36overallto
theNewJerseyNets,andwasoutoftheleagueaftertwoyears.
Stonedoesntplantobeasimilarbust.
Theyhaveatalentedteam,"Stonesaid."HopefullyIcanbethatmissingpiecethatcanreachthempast
thatmilestone."
don.markus@baltsun.com
twitter.com/sportsprof56
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Maryland'sDiamondStone,JakeLaymanselectedinsecondroundofNBAdraftBaltimoreSun

Copyright2016,TheBaltimoreSun

Thisarticleisrelatedto:DiamondStone,MarylandTerrapins,NBADraft,DeyontaDavis,SkalLabissiere,
OrlandoMagic,PortlandTrailBlazers

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