Jojo Doria

A month after he was expelled by Xavier, forward Dezmine Wells will try to revive his basketball career with the Maryland Terrapins.

An all-Atlantic 10 rookie selection last season, Wells has announced that he will enroll at Maryland, a week after he was cleared of sexual assault charges by a grand jury.

"The last couple of weeks have been the toughest time in my life for my family and I," Wells said in a statement. "I've learned that it is a major responsibility that comes with being a student-athlete at all times. I'm thankful God has blessed me with a second opportunity to continue my education."

After he was cleared of sexual assault charges, Wells made four official visits to Kentucky, Memphis, Maryland and Oregon in search of a destination where he could play out his final three years of eligibility.

Wells could start his comeback process by enrolling immediately at Maryland and petitioning the NCAA for immediate eligibility. The NCAA will then determine if he is eligible to play or has to sit out a season.

Known for his high-flying dunks, the 6-5 Wells started 32 games last season as a freshman for Xavier and was named to the Atlantic 10 all-rookie team. He was the team's fourth-leading scorer with 9.8 points per game and third in rebounding with 4.9 boards per outing.

Last week, he escaped criminal charges after a Hamilton County grand jury declined to indict him of sexual assault.

"The Grand Jury declined to charge Dezmine Wells with any criminal offense," Hamilton County prosecutor Joe Deters in a statement. "I have nothing but the greatest respect for Xavier University, and in particular president Father Michael Graham. I would sincerely hope the institution would revisit this situation."

Merlyn Shiverdecker, Wells' lawyer, said his client was "tickled to death" that his name was cleared.

 

 

Ex-Xavier Forward Dezmine Wells to Enroll at Maryland