Today in the SVP Lounge, CT, Eric and Zack convene to preview the 2016-17 Maryland basketball season by asking 16 questions (and maybe a few more) about the team.
- Maryland finished last season 27-9 overall, 12-6 in the Big Ten, No. 13 in the AP Poll, after bowing out to Kansas in the the Sweet 16. Where do we stand on last year’s squad now that many moons have passed?
- Mark Turgeon signs a contract extension through the 2022-23 season, tacking 4 years onto his deal. He’s going to be making about $2.5M this year. What’s our assessment of the Mark Turgeon era at this point?
- Our fearless leader Romelo Trimble returns for his junior season after a rocky sophomore campaign and toying with the idea of going pro. Does he rebound from his poor shooting year and retain the his spot as one of the best players in college basketball?
- The guard who came in alongside Melo Trimble three years ago, Dion Wiley, is back after sitting on the sidelines with a torn meniscus. His absence was certainly felt last year in terms of guard depth. Can he come in for basically his sophomore year and have an impact?
- The long awaited arrival of Anthony Cowan is finally here. He was a big time, local high school recruit. Basically following in Melo’s footsteps. He’s the point guard of the future. What do we want to see out him? Where do we want to see him play? With Melo? As Melo’s primary back up? Do we want him running point with Melo off ball?
- Just when the message boards are about to blow up over Turgeon missing out on recruits, here comes Justin Jackson falling into our laps out of nowhere filling a need for an athletic big man.What’s reasonable to expect from this guy as a freshman
- LG Gill is your token Mark Turgeon transfer this year. Turgeon’s been hot in the transfer market recently, but is this more of an Logan Aronhalt, Richaud Pack type of guy coming in? Helpful on the floor and in terms of leadership, but probably not a guy who’s going to light it up?
- Damonte Dodd is your lone four-year senior on this roster. Do we get the same old Damonte Dodd this year? Or do we see a guy close out his college career with a solid senior season?
- After getting the shaft from Turgeon for a lot of last year, where does Jaylen Brantley fall in the pecking order of a crowded backcourt?
- Michal Cekovsky has injured his foot in the exhibition last week, so his status for the first few games is questionable. But we’ve seen flashes from him, many times before. Do we see a well-rounded, scorer, rebounder and defensive presence in the paint? Or does he still need another year to truly become a reliable big man?
- Can Jared Nickens rebound from an ugly sophomore slump?
- New York’s Mister Basketball Kevin Huerter joins the Terps, coming off a stint with Team USA at the U-18 World Championships where he played really well. Last year we would’ve died for a guy who can hit open threes on a regular basis. Is Huerter that guy? Even as a freshman?
- How bummed are you guys about Ivan Bender going down with a broken wrist in practice? Do we see him at all this year?
- The rest of the bunch: Anyone else stick out to you guys? The Terps have a couple project freshmen in Micah Thomas and Joshua Tomiac that miiiight see the floor in a pinch.
- This out of conference schedule is pretty intriguing with a lot of name brand squads on the slate – Georgetown at Verizon, Boston College or Kansas State at the Barclay’s, Pitt in the ACC challenge at home, directly followed by Oklahoma State Xfinity. Does this early schedule get you a little more excited than last year’s slate, which mainly consisted of UNC and Georgetown? Could the hype train be rolling if they get to conference play with only a loss or two?
- Conference slate: Looks like Purdue, Michigan State, Indiana, Wisconsin are the class of the conference. Maryland might not compete for a title, but it has potential to be in that second tier. What’s your conference projection? Let’s go through the schedule!
CT Schwink
CT Schwink lives in Washington, D.C., and is the digital media strategist for a non-profit organization. He hosted a Maryland Terrapins podcast for 5 years, previously known as Red Shell Radio, and later Talking Terps here at BSL. Additionally, Schwink hosts the weekly Washington Wizards podcast ZardCast and he assists behind the scenes with The Solid Verbal, internet’s most downloaded independent college football podcast.