Thoughts on the way-more-competitive-than-I-imagined Maryland-Mount St. Mary's game.
* The message was clear again that this still is not the team that Mark Turgeon wants it to be. I don't just mean he wants more players. I mean he's not yet reaching his team the way he would like. "It's taking longer than I want it to take," the coach said.
* Maryland is surviving lately largely because of the scoring of Terrell Stoglin (23 points). "We can't just rely on that kid all year," said Turgeon, who wants his players to run the offense better.
* Were you surprised Mount St. Mary's didn't attempt a 3-pointer when trailing 75-72 at the end? Instead, Danny Thompson dunked with two seconds left. Mount St. Mary's coach Robert Burke said: "If he saw a guy in the corner and snapped it to him, would that have been the right play? Yeah." But he said there was still time after Thompson's basket for the Mountaineers to get a steal and a hoop.
* Good game for Nick Faust (13 points, six rebounds, five assists and the key blocked shot at the end). Faust said Turgeon told him to take the ball to the hoop and get fouled. That's always a good way to get out of a slump.
Faust, by the way, had made just 12 of 28 free throws before Wednesday. He was 6-for-6 against the Mountaineers.
* Is this stretch of six straight home games against mid-level teams useful?
In most seasons, I would shout, "No!" But this year, the Terps clearly need the work.