Adam Zagoria covers basketball at all levels. He is the author of two books and an award-winning journalist whose articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Sports Illustrated, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide.
Maryland freshman Ashton Pankey is transferring due to family reasons.
Pankey, a 6-foot-9 redshirt freshman forward from the Bronx, N.Y., told head coach Mark Turgeon he needed to find a school closer to home in order to aid his family.
He is considering St. John’s, Iona and Fordham, sources told SNY.tv.
“My mom is the rock in my life and I promised her I would take care of her like she did for me,” Pankey said. “Therefore, I am choosing to put my family first and look for a school closer to home.
“I’m sad that I must leave the University of Maryland, as I have enjoyed my time here with my teammates and coaches who have been my second family. I would like to thank them for their support during this time. I’ve become a better person and player while at Maryland.
“I thank my coach, assistant coaches and teammates, as well as the continued devotion of Maryland fans,” Pankey added.
“Ashton was raised in a close-knit home; he and his mother are very close,” said Turgeon. “We support him in this difficult time. It was great to have Ashton as a part of our program; we appreciate the hard work that he put in academically as well as on the court. He has a lot of potential and we wish him success moving forward.”
Pankey missed all but one minute his freshman year due to a stress fracture in his leg. Last season, he played in all 32 games, averaging 4.7 points and 4.9 rebounds. He had four double-figure scoring games (high of 17 vs. Radford) and three games with double figures in rebounds (11 vs. Iona and Virginia Tech).
Adam Zagoria is a Basketball Insider who covers basketball at all levels. A contributor to The New York Times and SportsNet New York (SNY), he is also the author of two books and is an award-winning journalist and filmmaker. His articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide. He also won an Emmy award for his work on the SNY mini-documentary on Syracuse guard Tyus Battle.
A veteran Ultimate Frisbee player, he has competed in numerous National and World Championships and, perhaps more importantly, his teams won the Westchester Summer League (WSL) championships in 2011 and 2013.
He lives in Manhattan with his wife and children.
Maryland freshman Ashton Pankey is transferring due to family reasons.
Pankey, a 6-foot-9 redshirt freshman forward from the Bronx, N.Y., told head coach Mark Turgeon he needed to find a school closer to home in order to aid his family.
He is considering St. John’s, Iona and Fordham, sources told SNY.tv.
“My mom is the rock in my life and I promised her I would take care of her like she did for me,” Pankey said. “Therefore, I am choosing to put my family first and look for a school closer to home.
“I’m sad that I must leave the University of Maryland, as I have enjoyed my time here with my teammates and coaches who have been my second family. I would like to thank them for their support during this time. I’ve become a better person and player while at Maryland.
“I thank my coach, assistant coaches and teammates, as well as the continued devotion of Maryland fans,” Pankey added.
“Ashton was raised in a close-knit home; he and his mother are very close,” said Turgeon. “We support him in this difficult time. It was great to have Ashton as a part of our program; we appreciate the hard work that he put in academically as well as on the court. He has a lot of potential and we wish him success moving forward.”
Pankey missed all but one minute his freshman year due to a stress fracture in his leg. Last season, he played in all 32 games, averaging 4.7 points and 4.9 rebounds. He had four double-figure scoring games (high of 17 vs. Radford) and three games with double figures in rebounds (11 vs. Iona and Virginia Tech).
