The 2014-15 season came to a disappointing end for the Terps, losing to border-rival West Virginia 69-59 in the third round of the 2015 NCAA tournament. Despite a tough loss and early exit in the tournament, the Terps’ season has been a positive one for the program.
Head coach Mark Turgeon entered the season on the hot seat, but he ended as the media’s choice for Big Ten Coach of the Year. Making the NCAA Tournament for the first time with the program has seemed to right the ship in College Park (at least for now) and the Terps appear primed for an even greater postseason run in 2016.
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The Terps will lose senior contributors Dez Wells, Evan Smotrycz, Jon Graham, Richaud Pack, and Varun Ram. Wells will obviously be the biggest hole to fill, losing his leadership on and off the court. The voids left by the others will not be easy to replace either, as each bought in and executed their roles with the team.
These are the departures from the team that are certain. There are others, two in-particular, that are still up in the air heading to next season.
NBA for Trimble and Layman?
Melo Trimble and Jake Layman are both potential NBA prospects that could decide to leave college early. Trimble was a star for Maryland this year and is one of the top freshmen in the country. He ended the year as the team’s leading scorer at 16.2 points per game and was the catalyst of the Terps’ offense throughout the season. One major attribute of Trimble’s is his poise during any situation of the game.
Despite his standout season, Trimble would benefit from another year in college. His talent and potential is through the roof, but he is undersized for a NBA point guard. Also, with the point guard position being so highly talented in the NBA, it is unclear if Trimble would even be a first round pick.
If Trimble returns, an area for him to improve would be his ball distribution. Trimble only averaged three assists per game this season, but a lot of that could also be attributed to his supporting cast or lack of an offensive presence in the paint. At the next level, most point guards are now able to score and distribute to others. Trimble has the scoring ability, but could use some work getting others involved.
Layman is an interesting project to NBA scouts. He has all of the physical attributes that scouts look for: height, athleticism, rebounding and scoring ability. Similar to the way Alex Len was drafted in 2013, Layman could be drafted with the hope that getting him into an NBA system will push to maximize his potential. Layman is not considered a lottery pick by any means, but he’s a guy that team’s could take a chance on late in the first round or early in the second round. The framework and raw talent is there for Layman, but everything else has to come into fruition.
Layman’s biggest setback is his inconsistency which stems from his lack of confidence. All throughout his career at Maryland, Layman has had a series of hot and cold stretches. There were games that he was a factor throughout, then others where you would forget he was on the floor. He showed a significant jump in his assertiveness from last season, but another year of progression in college could move him closer to solidified first-round pick in 2016
Without a deep run in the NCAA tournament and neither boosting their draft stock in the postseason, it’s likely both will return for the 2015-16 season.
2015-16 Roster Outlook
If Trimble and Layman both return next season, the Terps will have one of the best starting lineups in the Big Ten.
Trimble would resume his spot at point guard and the late-season emergence of Jared Nickens makes him a likely candidate to start at shooting guard. Layman would likely move to a more natural small forward position where he excelled when Wells missed most of December.
The Terps lacked a consistent scoring presence in the post this season, but that is expected to change with the addition of Georgia Tech transfer Robert Carter Jr. The redshirt junior is thought to be the missing link of the Terps’ offense. Carter Jr. has the size and athleticism to be a huge compliment to Trimble in the pick and roll offense.
Many times this season, Trimble’s passes through traffic were mishandled by the Terps’ big men. With a skilled offensive player like Carter Jr. on the floor, those mishandled passes will become layups or dunks.
At Center, Turgeon will have a cast of options to choose from. Damonte Dodd held down to position this season largely because his defense, but Michael Cekovsky made steady improvements through the season and could contend for the starting role next season. The wild card will be the mid-season addition, Ivan Bender. Coming off ACL surgery, it is unclear what to expect from Bender.
The pipe dream for Turgeon at center is 5-star recruit Diamond Stone. The native of Wisconsin has the Terps on his list of teams, but the Badgers are the expected favorite for Stone. Trimble’s decision to return to college or go pro is likely to have a huge impact on Stone’s collegiate decision. Having a potential All-American candidate at point guard is an attractive piece for any 5-star center coming out of high school.
If Stone decides to commit elsewhere, another possible option could be 4-star center Yankuba Sima. He is not as highly coveted as Stone, but Sima is a more realistic option for the Terps. Maryland is joined by Louisville, Baylor, and Arizona on the list of possible schools for Sima.
The Terps’ depth at guard will be a concern for next season. The addition of JUCO point guard Jaylen Brantley will give the Terps another ball handler to backup Trimble and Dion Wiley will be a shooter off the bench. Outside of those two, the guards on Turgeon’s bench are stretched thin. 4-star shooting guard Malik Ellison could help bring athleticism and scoring off the bench. The Terps are in the running for Ellison, but Minnesota is believed to be the favorite for him next season.
The potential talent of next season’s team could exceed what Turgeon had this season, but the depth and experience throughout the roster will be missed. However, the experience gained this season by the Terps’ young players should transition to even better play next season.
Only time will tell what the future holds for next season’s Terps roster, but here are two dates that will go a long way in determining that future: April 15 (initial signing day for high school recruits), April 26 (deadline for college players to declare for the NBA draft), and May 20 (final signing day for high school recruits).
Chris Garman attended Mount St. Mary’s University where he studied in Communications. He is a native of Steelton, Pa. and has covered Maryland Men’s Basketball and Football for PressBox since 2012. Chris previously covered High School Football for The Patriot News in Harrisburg, Pa. He can be reached by email at: crgarman103@gmail.com.