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TOWNE INTERVIEW
Eric Ayala
Maryland Terrapins Star Basketball Guard
By Tom Worgo Photography courtesy University of Maryland
University of Maryland guard Eric Ayala had a decision to make. He could return for his senior year or remain in the 2021 NBA draft and, thus, begin life as a professional. Surprise—Ayala decided the NBA could wait.
“Coming back for an extra year will help me develop,” Ayala explains. “I feel I will be ready to make that jump next year.”
Maryland Coach Mark Turgeon is glad Ayala returned. Two of Ayala’s teammates for three seasons are gone. Second leading scorer Aaron Wiggins left for the NBA and standout Darryl Morsell transferred to Marquette.
ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS I LEARNED IS TO TAKE CARE OF MY BODY BEFORE AND AFTER I PLAY. THE WAY I RECOVER FROM WORKOUTS IS SOMETHING THAT HELPED ME OUT A LOT. IT WAS AN EXCITING EXPERIENCE GOING THROUGH THAT PROCESS. IT GIVES YOU A LOT OF CONFIDENCE.
The arrival of Rhode Island transfer Fatts Russell, an excellent point guard, could help the 6-foot-5, 200-pound Ayala raise his profile. Ayala could be in line for FirstTeam All-Big Ten honors or even All-American consideration. There’s no doubt he is a player on the rise.
“He led us in scoring last year, but he is going to have to do it again,” Turgeon says. “And I think he will. Fatts will take a lot of pressure off Eric and he can just concentrate on scoring.”
Ayala averaged 15.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game last year and was named a 2021 Honorable Mention All-Big Ten selection. Of course, the expectation is for him to boost those numbers.
What’s Up? Media recently talked to the 22-year-old Ayala about his role as a leader, what he learned going through the NBA draft process, and the lofty expectations for the Terps.
Since you are the only returning senior, do you feel you have to take on more of a leadership role?
Leadership kind of comes natural for me. I watched a lot of guys that came before me at Maryland closely. I just try to be the best leader that I can be. I have to make great decisions. Being a veteran on the team, I have been through everything. The guys respond to me, and I have a good relationship with them.
Why did you decide to declare for the NBA Draft?
It was a great opportunity for me to get some feedback from the NBA guys. I am glad I took that journey and I learned a lot. I felt I had built a great resume to at least to get a look from the NBA people. I look forward to taking
that next step this year to solidify my name even more.
What did you learn through that process?
One of the biggest things I learned is to take care of my body before and after I play. The way I recover from workouts is something that helped me out a lot. It was an exciting experience going through that process. It gives you a lot of confidence.
Why did you decide to come back?
The main reason was I wanted to be part of a winning program. Playing on a bigger stage is the most important thing. I think we can be a top-10 team in the country and play in those big NCAA Tournament games. Everybody would be watching us, and I am really looking forward to winning a lot of games this year.
You shared point guard duties with Hakim Hart last season. Since you are not going to be handling the ball as much with the addition of Russell, are you expecting to score more?
Absolutely. My first two years playing with Anthony Cowan, too, were interesting. He was more of a scorer and I didn’t have to score a lot. When Hakim played point guard last year, it allowed me to score more. Playing the point guard spot comes naturally for me, but I will be able to focus more on scoring this year with Fatts running the point. There’s no doubt about that.
How close are you with your teammates? Do you hang out together a lot?
That’s my family. We have been locked in basketball all summer. We have been able to work out together and bond. That’s so important because we didn’t have that summer time last year because of the pandemic. We have a lot of new guys and I feel my job as a leader is to make that transition easier for everybody. I want to lead by example: play hard, lead hard.
How would you describe your relationship with Mark Turgeon? Has he helped you develop as a player?
He is great guy and I have an outstanding relationship with him. He is definitely our leader. We follow him and he gives us great direction. He always looks out for us and I try to be around him as much as I can. He always gets the best out of us and works with us to make sure we get better.
What do you want to do after your basketball playing days are over?
As I have gone along on the basketball journey in my career, I have met a lot of different people and you come across a lot of different potential opportunities. It’s great having those relationships. I do want to stay close to basketball since it is a real passion of mine. There are a lot of different avenues to stay in the game. I could go into sports broadcasting or coaching.
How good can Maryland be? The team added six transfers, including three that were listed among the top 100 by one website.
I think we can be a top-10 team in the country if you ask me. I think we have the pieces to be outstanding. Coach Turgeon has done a great job this offseason of building a team. The new guys are fitting right in. We lost two great players in Darryl and Aaron, but we still have some really great pieces that will help us do some big things this year. I am looking for a big year.
