For some teams the start of conference play represents a new beginning of sorts, with the most important games on the regular season schedule being a reprieve from a disappointing non-conference slate. But for others, as was the case for Maryland (13-2, 1-1 Big Ten), conference play brings about the opportunity to build upon a successful run through the non-conference portion of their schedule. And with home games against teams in Illinois and Nebraska that weren’t projected to be contenders in the Big Ten, the Terps appeared to be well-positioned to get off to a 2-0 start.

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Things didn’t go as planned, as the blowout win over Illinois was followed by a disappointing 67-65 loss to Nebraska in which Maryland appeared to have control of the game in the second half. 

Up 64-51 with 6:43 remaining, getting stops defensively and finding quality looks offensively, the Terps went in the tank down the stretch as Nebraska closed the game on a 14-0 run. The defense was bad enough, with Maryland suddenly unable to keep guards Glynn Watson and Tai Webster out of the paint.

Watson and Webster repeatedly beat the Maryland defense off the dribble, either through ball screens (or refusing said screen on some occasions) or by simply beating their man off the bounce. Watson and Webster either scored or assisted on 12 of Nebraska’s final 16 points, with Webster scoring the Huskers’ final three points to seal the victory. But for all the issues in defending Watson and Webster down the stretch, Nebraska still shot 37.5 percent from the field in the second half and 42.1 percent for the game. 

But when you fail to close out defensive possessions with a rebound, which Maryland did on multiple occasions, you leave the door open for a comeback. Nebraska finished the game with just eight second-chance points, but all eight came in the second half. Yes, Michal Cekovsky is out. But there’s no way one can argue that Maryland doesn’t have the remaining players needed to take care of business on the defensive glass.

While the defense and rebounding are negatives from Sunday’s loss, the greater concern coming out of that game when looking at what Maryland can be long-term was the offense, which was dreadful down the stretch. 

The ball and player movement that was present during that 17-0 run, with Kevin Huerter, Melo Trimble and Damonte Dodd all making contributions, vanished down the stretch. The combination of missed layups, turnovers, and settling for challenged shots sealed Maryland’s fate, and the shot selection issue is something that cropped up a various points in non-conference play. 

Better at getting to the foul line (22nd nationally in free throw rate) than they are at making three-pointers (149th in three-point percentage), Maryland’s a tough cover when the likes of Trimble and Anthony Cowan are in attack mode offensively, either scoring themselves or passing the ball off to a teammate well-positioned to score with a minimal amount of effort. Maryland went away from that late Sunday, and they paid the price as a result.

Are there positives to take from Maryland’s first two conference games? Sure, especially the way in which Huerter (26 points) shot the ball against Nebraska after a quiet night against Illinois and the entire team’s effort against the Fighting Illini. But even with that being said, 1-1 with both games at home feels like a bit of a letdown even though Nebraska also has a win at Indiana to their credit. 

The good news is that Maryland’s only a game out in the loss column and it’s very early, so they’ll have chances to atone for the Nebraska defeat. But in a Big Ten that appears, at least early on, to be tightly contested at the top, taking care of business in games you’re expected to win will be of great importance if Maryland is to make a run at a Big Ten title. While teams such as Indiana, Wisconsin, Purdue and Michigan State will be part of that conversation Maryland can be as well. 

But as the Terps found out Sunday, that will only be the case if they maintain their discipline and do what they do best for 40 minutes, night in and night out.

Raphielle Johnson
Raphielle Johnson

BSL Analyst

Raphielle’s been writing about college sports for more than a decade, making the move to college basketball alone in 2013. Beginning his work with the former website CollegeHoops.net in 2003, Raphielle spent 3 years writing for NBCSports.com beginning 2013, covering CBB and the Olympics. In 2016, Raphielle joined Heavy.com. If there’s a game on, there’s a strong likelihood that he’s watching it.

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