With one last non-conference game to play before the start of Big Ten play, Maryland has an 11-1 record and is among the teams receiving votes in both major Top 25 polls. While every game hasn’t been smooth Maryland’s non-conference schedule doesn’t lack for positives with the freshman class being the biggest one. Anthony Cowan, Kevin Huerter and Justin Jackson arrived on campus amidst high hopes that they’d all be immediate impact players, and that has been the case. Jackson’s shown off the ability to score both inside and out, Huerter’s been a versatile wing who’s contributed both offensively and defensively, and Cowan’s provided Melo Trimble with a much-needed backcourt partner who can run the offense and thus allow Trimble to look to score more often.
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Where Jackson and Huerter can also help Maryland is in their full-court pressure, something that Turgeon didn’t use all that often last season despite its effectiveness. If anything Maryland didn’t have enough bodies to use the press, in most instances a 1-2-1-1 with Jake Layman at the head, as often one would have liked in 2015-16. In the 92-66 win over Jacksonville St. the Terrapins use full-court pressure to change the momentum of the game, turning what was a close game 12 minutes into the first half into a blowout. The Gamecocks finished with 16 turnovers, and their turnover percentage (29.2) was the highest for a Maryland (Division I) opponent this season.
Tuesday’s game against Charlotte in Baltimore is one final in-game opportunity to fine-tune things on both ends of the floor for Maryland, and that includes the press. Charlotte’s turning the ball over on 16.6 percent of its possessions this season, which is a good number (50th nationally). But everything fell apart in their 87-46 loss to Florida at the Orange Bowl Classic.
Mark Price’s team turned the ball over on 27.4 percent of its possessions against the Gators, with guard Jon Davis responsible for six of their 20 turnovers, and when Charlotte managed to hang onto the ball they struggled mightily to find (and make) shots. The end result was a game in which they scored just 0.63 points per possession, and when combined with Florida scoring nearly 1.2 points per possession that explains the 41-point margin. So what can Maryland take from that game in preparing for Charlotte? The need to be aggressive defensively, which they did in spurts against Jacksonville State.
From a numbers standpoint Maryland has the bodies to be a bit more aggressive defensively, but it’s tough to do so for long stretches when there’s some concern about where the offense will come from. Of course Trimble’s going to score his share, and the other perimeter starters have shown themselves capable of doing the same with Jackson and Cowan both averaging double figures and Huerter not far off at 7.0 ppg. Add in big man Michal Cekovsky and Maryland’s got four double-digit scorers, a good place to be in.
But what happens when a Jackson or Huerter needs a break? Where those points come from will impact just how much Maryland can afford to press. Because it’s tough to go deep into your bench if those reserve options haven’t been as consistent as needed on the offensive end of the floor. So while Maryland has the numbers needed to press, how much they can afford to do it will depend (in part) on whether or not reserves such as Jaylen Brantley and Dion Wiley can provide consistent offensive production off the bench.
Quick Thoughts on Charlotte
As noted above, Charlotte was blown out by Florida Saturday afternoon at the Orange Bowl Classic. Losers of two straight games, the 49ers like to play fast but they’ve had issues making shots (48.4 percent eFG%). Outside of Benas Griciunas and Lukas Bergang, who are 7-feet and 7-foot-1, respectively, this isn’t a particularly big team with most of their major minutes guys being no taller than 6-foot-7. That’s likely a reason why they’re 279th in two-point field goal percentage (45.2 percent), and according to hoop-math.com Charlotte shoots just 28.7 percent on two-point jumpers. That lack of height has been an even bigger issue defensively, with opponents shooting nearly 75 percent at the rim. If Maryland can get the ball inside, be it through dribble penetration or feeding the big men, they should be able to take care of business.
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.