Maryland Terrapins
ACC (22-12, 8-10)
After a couple years of missing out on the postseason, Maryland has finally returned. Coach Mark Turgeon managed to garner a winning record during his first season with the Terrapins and now he has taken the next step. This is still a very, very young team and that may cause some problems in March this year, but at least the future looks quite promising.
Big Wins: 12/21 Stony Brook (76-69), 1/16 North Carolina State (51-50), 2/16 Duke (83-81)
Bad Losses: 1/9 Florida State (62-65), 2/19 at Boston College (58-69), 2/27 at Georgia Tech (68-78)
Coach: Mark Turgeon (2 seasons at Maryland)
Why They Can Surprise:
The emergence of 7-1 center Alex Len has drastically changed the fortunes of the Terrapins. Rebounding, blocking shots, efficiency on offense and forcing tough shots on defense is what this team does and what Lens does. Len is second on Maryland with 12.0 pointsand leads with 7.9 rebounds and 2.0 blocks. Len gets plenty of help on the glass, most notably from Charles Mitchell, James Padgett, Shaquille Cleare and Dez Wells. That group tends to be quite efficient on the offensive end as well. The Terrapins do not shoot well from beyond the arc, but Len and Wells will do a lot of scoring for this team and they stay in the paint for the most part. Wells has been overshadowed, figuratively and literally, by Len, yet Wells has stepped into the starting five and proved to be capable of playing at this level. He does a little bit of everything and a lot of everything else.
Why They Can Disappoint:
While Len makes everything go in the frontcourt, the backcourt lacks a big difference maker. Nick Faust, a 6-6 sophomore, has been forced to run the show more than preferred. His outside shooting has suffered as a result. Pe’Shon Howard’s production has dropped, but he is the true point guard on the team. And there are players like Logan Aronhalt who can knock down the long ball with consistency. With Len often occupying multiple defenders in the paint, Aronhalt will get open looks on the perimeter when he is in the game. Maryland’s turnover margin is among the worst in the nation. They can make up for those lost possessions by hitting the glass, but the Terrapins will need all the possessions they can get in March if they want to win a game or two. And that means Howard, Faust and the backcourt must keep the game under control and get Len and Wells the ball in good positions so they can do what they do best.
Probable Starters:
Nick Faust, Sophomore, Guard, 9.2 ppg, 2.6 apg, 3.6 rpg
Dez Wells, Sophomore, Guard, 13.1 ppg, 3.1 apg, 4.9 rpg
Jake Layman, Freshman, Guard, 5.4 ppg, 3.2 rpg
James Padgett, Senior, Forward, 5.5 ppg, 3.9 rpg
Alex Len, Sophomore, Center, 12.0 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 2.0 bpg
Key Roleplayers:
Seth Allen, Freshman, Guard, 7.4 ppg, 2.4 apg, 2.1 rpg
Logan Aronhalt, Senior, Guard, 5.8 ppg, 1.6 rpg
Shaquille Cleare, Freshman, Center, 4.1 ppg, 3.0 rpg
Pe’Shon Howard, Junior, Guard, 3.4 ppg, 3.7 apg
Charles Mitchell, Freshman, Forward, 5.4 ppg, 5.4 rpg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 70.6 (99th in nation, 4th in conference)
Scoring Defense: 63.5 (98, 5)
Field-Goal Percentage: 46.4 (43, 3)
Field-Goal Defense: 37.9 (9, 1)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 5.6 (234, 8)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 32.8 (219, 9)
Free-Throw Percentage: 66.2 (266, 9)
Rebound Margin: 9.2 (5, 1)
Assists Per Game: 14.8 (49, 3)
Turnovers Per Game: 15.1 (294, 12)
Last Five Postseason Appearances:
2010 NCAA Round of 64 win over Houston
2010 NCAA Round of 32 loss to Michigan State
2009 NCAA Round of 64 win over California
2009 NCAA Round of 32 loss to Memphis
2008 NIT First Round win over Minnesota
2008 NIT Second Round loss to Syracuse
2007 NCAA Round of 64 win over Davidson
2007 NCAA Round of 32 loss to Butler
2006 NIT First Round loss to Manhattan
*all team stats through 3/10
See All Men’s Basketball Postseason Capsules
