Ending up at Gulf Coast (Fla.) Community College instead of Maryland as a freshman in college became the ultimate blessing in disguise for Dee Liles.

The Terps signee led Gulf Coast to the National Junior College Athletic Association championship, she earned MVP honors at the NJCAA tournament and she was named Junior College Player of the Year.

In addition to the individual and team honors, Liles said her junior college stint will help make her transition to College Park much easier than it would have been two years ago.

"I just feel like I’m way more mature than if I had come [to Maryland] out of high school," Liles said. "I really don’t think I would’ve been ready to step in and fill in the spot as a freshman like I will as a junior."

Here's an introduction to Liles.

Name: Demauria Liles
Birthdate: 1/13/88
Birthplace: Woodbury, N.J.
Hometown: Suitland
Nickname: Dee
Height: 6’1
Weight: 165
Position: Power forward or center
High School: Riverdale Baptist
Sophomore statistics: 11.1 points and 7.8 rebounds
Runner-up: LSU
Other schools considered: Louisville, South Florida, Georgetown
Favorite pro basketball player: Tamika Catchings
Favorite pro basketball teams: Indiana Fever, Washington Mystics
Favorite music: Cassidy, Jim Jones, Santana
Favorite book: Anything by Zane
Favorite movie: Love and Basketball, The Wood
Favorite TV show: "CSI and all those investigating shows. BET."
Favorite food: “All food ... I like to eat.”
Favorite junior college class: All computer classes
Favorite thing about College Park: “Just the environment. They make me feel very welcome.”
Other high school sports: Volleyball
Hobbies: “I just like to chill with my friends and family and have fun.”
Intended major: Computer programming
Something that not many people know about you: “I’m very, very shy. Once I get to know you then I open up, but when I first meet someone, I tense up.”
Best basketball moment: “I’d have to say summer going into my junior year at AAU nationals (with the Maryland Mystics). That’s when I can say I really started focusing on basketball and I really started to understand that I could really play the sport.”
Role model: “My mother. She’s a single parent and she doesn’t ask nobody for anything. She’s just a strong lady and I want to be just like her when I grow up.”
Why Maryland? “Me and my sister – she runs track -- ever since I was in 8th grade, we’ve been talking about going to Maryland. We’re momma’s girls, so we wanted to stay home."

Bonus quotes

On how difficult it's been being away from home: "Yeah it has been tough. I call my mother every day. Probably every five minutes if I could."

On completing a 36-1 season at Gulf Coast: "It would’ve been a perfect season if we didn’t lose that one game. We know we could’ve been undefeated, but we just had a little down period and lost the game. We knew we could win a national championship and that’s all that matters."

On whether she's bothered by the loss: "No, I’m not bothered. Maybe that game was a learning process, because we were thinking we were unstoppable. But once we lost that game, we bounced back and refused to lose anymore."