COLLEGE PARK — Graduate transfer L.G. Gill came to Maryland this season vowing to change his game, going from more of a power forward who liked to hoist 3-pointers to more of a grinder inside.
Gill's debut as a Terp showed he was true to his word, and something of a fast learner.
Adding energy from the bench after starting center Damonte Dodd picked up two early fouls in Friday's season opener against American, the 6-foot-8, 230-pound Gill displayed an ability to finish and draw fouls around the basket.
Gill wound up scoring 11 points and grabbing six rebounds, about the same numbers he averaged as a junior at Duquesne. He made seven of eight free throws, with five of them coming after he was fouled three times going after an offensive rebound.
Given Dodd's foul problems, the fact that junior center Michal Cekovsky sat out with a foot injury and redshirt sophomore forward Ivan Bender was a bit limited coming back just a week after fracturing his wrist, Gill's contribution inside was significant.
"He was great," Maryland coach Mark Turgeon said after the game. ""That's why I started the funny lineup [of four guards and Dodd] I couldn't start L.G. and Damonte. I knew Ivan was going to play a little bit before the game. But I couldn't get them both in foul trouble, then we'd have all kinds of problems."
Turgeon said that Gill, who played his first three years in the Atlantic-10 at Duquesne, might have benefited from not starting.
"It kind of gave him a chance to look at [how the game was being played and officiated]," Turgeon said.
Gill, who played 22 minutes off the bench, was on the floor down the stretch with freshman forward Justin Jackson (nine rebounds), and guards Melo Trimble, Anthony Cowan Jr. and Kevin Huerter as the Terps overcame a 47-43 deficit with 7:33 remaining.
"He was a little fresher [at the end]. He had some big-time rebounds," Turgeon said of Gill. "Defensively I thought he was great, because [the Princeton offense] is not easy to guard. I thought he moved better, second-chance points, free throws. I think he got more comfortable."
Depending on whether Bender continues to regain the strength in his left hand and Cekovsky's sprained foot improves could impact the role Turgeon uses Gill in against Georgetown. Turgeon might wind up playing him as an undersized center as he did with former Terp Jon Graham two years ago.
Like Graham, Gill appears to be a high-energy, defensive-minded, blue-collar player, though he has more skills offensively in his ability to shoot outside and finish above the rim. Gill said he is gaining confidence in his post-up game after rarely using it at Duquesne.
"I've been putting in an excessive amount of work, working on my post game and today was a great day for me to show that and build my confidence going into Tuesday against Georgetown," Gill said Friday.
Despite 7-foot, 275-pound senior Bradley Hayes out with a four-game suspension from the NCAA, the Hoyas have four others who are 6-9 or taller. Hayes scored 16 points and grabbed eight rebounds in a 75-71 loss to the then-No. 3 Terps last season at Xfinity Center.
Gill said that playing down low against American could help him against the Hoyas as well as in the future.
"I've never really played [center]," Gill said. "In practice, I've been doing it recently [because of the injuries]. It's just something I've got to continue to work on. If Coach wants me to do it, I'm going to do it. I just want to be out there on the court."
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