COLLEGE PARK — The loss of Maryland seniors Evan Smotrycz and Dez Wells for extended periods this season has turned into a blessing for the Terps in general – especially for junior Jake Layman.
When Smotrycz was sidelined with a broken foot a few weeks before the season began, Layman moved from playing mostly on the wing to being used mostly as a power forward.
When Wells fractured his wrist during the team's Nov. 25 win over No. 9 Iowa State and missed a month, Layman became the top scoring option for Maryland coach Mark Turgeon.
The combination of the move to a more versatile spot up front and the need for Layman to score in Wells' absence resulted in the 6-foot-9, 205-pound forward scoring in double figures in Maryland's first 13 games and averaging a team-high 16.6 in the seven games Wells missed.
Layman's streak of double figure scoring – which also included back-to-back games of double-doubles at Oklahoma State (21 points, 11 rebounds) and Oakland (15 points, 12 rebounded) ended in Tuesday's double-overtime win at Michigan State.
Taking a season-low four shots from the field and missing both of his free throw attempts, Layman finished with just four points in 36 minutes. He did have a team-high nine rebounds, two blocks and two steals.
Layman didn't completely disagree with those who thought that from a strictly offensive standpoint, he might have regressed back to his first two seasons, when he would often disappear offensively if he missed his first shot. Layman seemed to be locked in defensively and on the boards.
"I thought I could have been more aggressive overall," Layman said Friday after practice. "In terms of our gameplan, we were just running what coach [Mark Turgeon] wanted out there."
Layman also did a good job defensively, playing mostly against 6-6, 235-pound senior Branden Dawson (4 of 11 shooting, nine points). Layman blocked a 3-pointer by Spartans guard Travis Trice in the first overtime and also had a steal late in the second overtime off Michigan State guard Bryn Forbes with the Terps ahead, 60-57.
"I think in that game defense was really the key for us," said Layman, who has become a much better defender than he was his first two years. "Our offense was pretty bad all game, it never really came full force for us."
Still, the Terps are going to need Layman to be a consistent double-figure scorer for their fast start to continue. Turgeon said Layman's lowest scoring effort since scoring just three points (on 1 of 14 shooting) in a double-overtime loss last season at Clemson was a byproduct of Maryland's overall offensive struggles.
"The game's got to come to him, but we were out of synch [against Michigan State]," Turgeon said Friday. "I think our movement will be better when we have that same type of defense come at us, we'll recognize it. Our flow will be better and he'll be a bigger part of the offense."