Allen saved them in the second half with 16 points, including the two pressure free throws he knocked down with 2.8 seconds left. He's got a ton of upside. But he's playing out of position at point guard. So for that matter is Faust, who still seems uncomfortable in the role.
Who knows when junior guard Pe'Shon Howard will be back — he's been suspended for violating team rules. But he's basically been a reserve for most of the season. So Turgeon will have to live with Allen and Faust handling the ball, another reason the coach is growing gray fast.
The other thing that needs to happen down the stretch for Maryland is this: Alex Len needs to assert himself way more on offense.
Let's get this out of the way right now: Len's line against Duke was deceptive. Sure, he finished with 19 points and nine rebounds in 28 minutes. But he took only eight shots from the field, and seven of those 19 points came on free throws.
So it wasn't as if Maryland's offense was running through the big guy all night. And it wasn't as if Len was playing like Wilt Chamberlain by posting up Duke's big man, Mason Plumlee, and demanding the ball.
The bottom line is this: whether Turgeon wants to talk about it or not, the Terps have put themselves in position to get into the NCAA tournament.
Sure, it's a long shot. But stranger things have happened.
Sometimes, all a team needs is chance.
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