On Friday evening, the Maryland Terrapins play host to the LIU Brooklyn Blackbirds at Comcast Center in the final game of the Barclays Center Classic. The Terps will look to improve to 2-1 on the season, while the Blackbirds look for the upset and their first win of the year. LIU Brooklyn is coming off of two losses to Morhead State and Lafayette, one team that Maryland has already beaten and one that they will face themselves next Tuesday.
Things to Look For:
1. Depth – Mark Turgeon sure is spoiled this year. He has all kinds of different weapons on his bench, and he showed that he knows how to use them on Monday night against Morhead State. He kept a steady pace with his substitutions and was able to keep his key players healthy and out of foul trouble.
2. The 3 Centers – Alex Len has company. For many years, the Terps have lacked a true big man underneath the basket. Now they have three, not including James Padgett. Alex Len is joined this year by Charles Mitchell and Shaquille Cleare. Mitchell has already shown that he is a beast on the glass, grabbing rebounds right and left. Mitchell has been good all-around in providing depth and rest for Len.
3. Scoring – The Terps have struggled to score consistently in their first two games of the season, which has been the main concern for this team so far. Dez Wells has yet to shown any real scoring ability, but it’s just a matter of time until he breaks out.
4. Pe’Shon – The junior point guard has not been scoring at all, and it is going to cost him if he doesn’t get his game going soon. Seth Allen has shown the ability to handle the point, and should get more minutes if Howard continues to struggle.
This is a game that the Terps should handle pretty easily. Mark Turgeon isn’t the type of coach to gloss over any game, so the players should come out firing early. Look for the Terps to put this game away early, and move on to face Lafayette next Tuesday.
TV Note: The Maryland vs. LIU Brooklyn game will be available exclusively online on ESPN3. The game will begin at 7:00 PM. Dave Weekley and Glenn Consor will have the call.
Terps Analyst
Zack is a financial analyst for a defense contractor in Washington, DC. The Owings Mills native focuses most of his efforts on Maryland Football recruiting and individual coach and player pieces; but also covers Terps Basketball. He has established relationships with Big Ten beat reporters across the conference, which he utilizes in his game previews. Now a Sr. Terps Analyst for BSL, Zack can be reached at: zack.kiesel@baltimoresportsandlife.com.