Terps Basketball: Weekly Report November 29th

Could the Kevin Willard era be off to a better start? Unranked and off most people’s radar coming into the season, the Terps now find themselves at 6-0 and No. 22 in the latest AP Poll with a couple of opportunities on deck to improve upon that ranking.

Led by four double-digit scorers, this Maryland team has proven it can attack teams in a variety of ways so far this season. And the chemistry that most thought would take time to develop because of a new head coach and a slew of new players seems to already be there with this group.

And while blowout wins over Saint Louis and Miami are already impressive resume pieces, many of Maryland’s early season games have been against inferior competition and the Terps’ true merit will be tested in the coming weeks and months as the schedule stiffens up.

That will start this week with a tough road test on Tuesday night and the Big Ten opener in College Park on Friday.

Before diving into the opponents a bit, here’s what we’re focusing on from a Maryland standpoint…

Will Donta Scott continue to lead?

We all expected Scott to step up as a team leader this year seeing as how he was one of few returning scholarship players and was already on a trajectory toward leadership in College Park before the coaching change and roster overhaul. But what he has done so far this season is still impressive and the Terps are hoping he can keep it up as the schedule gets tougher.

Leading the team in minutes and with 15.5 points per game, the Philadelphia native is also stuffing the stat sheet with 6.7 rebounds and nearly a steal and block per game this year. He’s doing all of this while shooting an efficient 50% from the field and 41.7% from three. The three-point percentage is not from a lack of shots, too. Scott is second on Maryland in threes attempted and tied for first with 10 threes made already this year.

Sculpting his body into a more athletic build has clearly had an effect and is leading to a more well-rounded game for the senior. If he can lead Maryland like he led his team as an upperclassman in high school, watch out.

Has Julian Reese grown into one of the best bigs in the Big Ten?

I just bragged about how Scott was shoointg 50% from the floor, which is actually on par with the Terps as a team because they are so far one of the most efficient offensive teams in the country. But how about a whopping 80.4% from the field for Maryland’s second-leading scorer, Julian Reese?! Most expected a big jump in year two for the sophomore who showed glimpses of serious promise in this freshman year, but this is a bit uncanny so far and now the question might be, where does Reese rank amongst bigs in the conference?

Sure, many of the teams Maryland has played so far have no frontcourt to speak of so it makes sense that Reese’s numbers are a bit inflated; but still, 15.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 1.5 blocks, and 1.0 steals per game at that 80% clip from the field isn’t too shabby.

Guards for days

Williard runs a three guard starting lineup and his next two guys off the bench, in terms of minutes played, are both guards. The Terps are deep in the backcourt and it’s making the lives of Scott and Reese much easier.

Senior Hakim Hart is really blossoming this season and is an asset at both ends of the floor. Transfer senior Jahmir Young is also having an early impact and is running the offense from the point. And then after that it’s Don Carey, Ian Martinez, and Jahari Long all rotating in and out to keep fresh legs and the hot hand on the floor. Guards are good to have in college basketball, especially in the postseason. And it appears the Terps have them in spades.

What to expect from Louisville?

OK, so maybe a win over an 0-6 resume really isn’t an opportunity for Maryland to boost its ranking. But it honestly can’t hurt and it’s definitely not going to be an easy win on the road despite the Cardinals’ record.

If you look closely at Louisville’s outcomes so far this season, they’ve been shallacked by the three good teams they played and lost to three mid-majors by exactly one point in each game. So you mix a not-so-good team with some seriously bad luck early and you get what we’re seeing out of Kenny Payne’s team so far this year. And while Bellarmine, Wright State, and Appalachian State — the mid-majors that beat Louisville already this year — didn’t find it so hard earlier this season, the KFC Yum! Center is typically one of the better homecourts in college basketball and the Terps won’t want to be the team that the Cardinals find their footing against.

Maryland’s schedule has been kind to them so far and this will be its first road test. Not an easy one, but at least it’s a down year for Louisville, which currently ranks 228th in offensive efficiency and 114th in defensive efficiency, per KenPom.

What to expect from Illinois?

Now here’s the resume booster. No. 16 Illinois is a good squad this year. Brad Underwood’s team will certainly contende for a Big Ten title and I’m sure the Terps are glad to be returning to College Park for this matchup. This Big Ten opener will be a true measuring stick for the Terps, who split their season series with the Illini last year.

Senior guard Terrence Shannon Jr. can ball. He’s the leading scorer for Illinois at 20.3 points per game, which is second in the Big Ten only behind Purdue’s Zach Edey. So stopping him will be priority No. 1. Beyond that, the Illini use a balanced roster and a hot hand approach to supplement Shannon’s scoring. As always, Illinois has size and will be one of the bigger teams Maryland plays all year.

Underwood’s teams also have the M.O. of playing at a fast pace. It will be interesting to see how that meshes with the pace of Maryland, which has been more methodical and slow-paced so far.