He’s capable of shooting threes—it’s something we’ve seen him practice and fare well with at availabilities the last two seasons, and the center went 3-of-9 on attempts this season—but simply put, proving his range wasn’t a primary concern for him. 9, but has typically fallen in the 14-30 range in recent mock drafts.Fernando’s season seemed to be leading up to his departure, but after falling a play away from the Sweet 16, it’s easy to wonder if the calculus changes at all. He knows his game.“At the end of the day, I’m not somebody that’s trying to go out there and score 30 points,” Fernando said.
At 6’10, 250 pounds of mostly muscle, he’s hard to miss. He’s working his way up draft boards, and established himself as a probable first-rounder and potential lottery pick. For me to be the first one to open the door for everybody else, to just keep dreaming keep thinking and knowing that it’s possible, For the past two seasons, Fernando has loomed large in everything Maryland has done. He received a spot on the Big Ten All-Freshman team and earned Freshman of the Week honors twice. It’s a decision two decades in the making, and it’s not an easy one.Born in Luanda, Angola, Fernando first started playing basketball at the age of 9. Coming into the season, it was almost a foregone conclusion that Fernando’s sophomore year would be his last, but the emotions of the tournament may have swayed him. 22.9k Followers, 6,108 Following, 124 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Bruno Fernando (@brunofernando_23) There’s not many people like him.”With the season over in a flash, now the clock is running on a decision on Fernando’s future. It was just a brief trip, but the center was able to see his family and recharge after going through the draft process for the first time.Maryland went on its training trip, starting to build a camaraderie and comfort level among the nation’s fourth-youngest team. En route being named In the NCAA Tournament, he posted back-to-back double-doubles trying to extend the Terps’ season. View the profiles of people named Bruno Fernando de Souza. “But it all depends on you and your willingness to work and get where you want to be.”His first time on the international stage came as a member of Angola’s under-16 national team in 2013, helping the nation qualify for the FIBA Under-17 World Cup a year later. Just us, as a team, one through 15, having fun, enjoying each other, being around each other, smiling.“Those are moments, as a person, you cherish your whole life. Instead, it was Huerter who used the opportunity to blossom into a first round pick, while Fernando was advised to return to school in a class top-heavy on big men.Having established himself as someone who excels most as a tenacious rebounder and high-energy player, Fernando returned for his sophomore year to prove he could do it consistently night in and out.“I don’t know if anyone’s worked harder than Bruno,” Turgeon said at preseason media day. “It’s never promised that things are going to go well, but just from the energy that I’m feeling, it’s a good situation for me,” Parker said. He followed it up with a 10-point, 15-rebound game, but five turnovers, in the round of 32 against LSU. A team that loved each other, and expressed it both verbally and on the court, had come to the end of its season in the most heartbreaking fashion.In the corner of the room, Fernando sat with his towel over his head as swarms of reporters came and went. He’s the largest of the group, with none of the rest reaching 6 feet, according to “I would say [in Angola] we’ve got a lot of good players and we produce good players,” Fernando told Testudo Times in May 2017.