Between daily COVID-19 tests, frequent schedule changes and empty arenas, it’s been a college basketball season like no other. And the Maryland men’s team isn’t exempt.
At 3-7 in the Big Ten Conference, the Terps sit in the bottom half of the standings. But each of Maryland’s league wins, all on the road and against ranked opponents, have provided a bit of optimism and kept its NCAA tournament prospects alive.
Replacing two All-Big Ten talents has been difficult at times and before the season started, Maryland coach Mark Turgeon foreshadowed his team would have to play differently to find success.
“We’ll be a different team than we’ve been in the past,” Turgeon said in early November.
The Baltimore Sun gathered various statistics and compared them with previous seasons to provide a deeper look at how the team has played and what has changed the most.
Shot distribution
Lacking a true post presence and with small-ball lineups that feature four guards, Maryland has often relied on outside shots. Nearly 44% of the Terps’ shot attempts have come from beyond the 3-point line, which ranks second in the Big Ten during conference play. Ironically, Maryland attempted a larger percentage of 3-point shots last season (46.1%) with forward Jalen Smith, who was named third-team All-America, though the Mount Saint Joseph product showcased an improved shooting touch in his sophomore season.
Turgeon said Monday that the team’s shot selection “needs to be a little bit better” after taking 30 3-pointers in last week’s home loss to then-No. 14 Wisconsin. He’s also emphasized ball movement and ensuring that his team takes quality shots. A byproduct of Maryland’s high share of outside shots is a slight decrease in free-throw attempts. From 2017 to 2019, the Terps averaged 18.6 attempts from the free-throw line in conference play. This season, that number has dropped to 16.6 per game, which ranks 10th in the Big Ten.
“It’s a very unusual team, a very unusual set of circumstances. Normally, we’re a team that gets to the foul line, and recently we haven’t,” Turgeon said after a January home loss to then-No. 5 Iowa in which the Terps attempted just six free throws, tied for the fewest in the Turgeon era.
Rebounding
On most nights during its conference schedule, Maryland has been at a significant size disadvantage in the frontcourt. Players such as sophomore forward Donta Scott (6-foot-7), junior forward Jarius Hamilton (6-8) and senior guard Darryl Morsell (6-5) have had to adjust the most, often asked to defend forwards and centers several inches taller than them.
Over the past several years, Turgeon has had NBA-level talent in the frontcourt and in the 2018 season, he had two in Smith and Bruno Fernando. Smith’s departure for the NBA and transfers from the Mitchell twins, Ricky Lindo Jr. and Joshua Tomaic left the cupboard bare. 7-2 sophomore center Chol Marial has appeared in 14 games, averaging less than seven minutes, but hasn’t played in the past three. Turgeon sought out several notable bigs in the transfer market but was unsuccessful, ultimately signing Hamilton from Boston College and Galin Smith from Alabama (6-9). Both players have become important pieces in Turgeon’s rotation but don’t possess the size and defensive presence of previous starting bigs.
Efficiency
If Maryland were to build off winning a share of the Big Ten regular-season title last season, now without Jalen Smith and guard Anthony Cowan Jr., it would need improvements from a few of its returning players, namely Scott and juniors Eric Ayala and Aaron Wiggins.
Scott has established himself as the team’s most efficient scorer, averaging 13 points on 53% shooting from the field. Ayala leads the team with 13.7 points and Wiggins rounds out the trio of double-digit scorers at 12.5 per game. Despite ascending to primary options on offense, each player has increased his efficiency from the previous season and has been capable of carrying the offensive load when at his best.
But Maryland’s overall offensive efficiency rating in conference play has decreased to 97.1 this season, which ranks third-worst in the Big Ten after averaging 106.3 the previous three seasons. Just as alarming is Maryland’s defensive struggles. The Terps’ 106.9 defensive rating ranks fourth-worst in the conference. Turgeon said that he felt the team was “making strides” on defense though it needs to be more diligent in certain assignments and boxing out.
A strong defensive effort has been key to each of Maryland’s ranked wins this season; the Terps have allowed an average of 58.7 points in the three victories, including 49 against then-No. 17 Minnesota, the fewest they have allowed since the 2018 season. In all other Big Ten games, Maryland is allowing 75.9 points.
“Our identity has to be defense for us to win,” Turgeon said three days after the team’s win over Minnesota. “Even if we have small lineups, we’re short, we’re giving up a lot of pounds and size and inches and all that, it’s still got to be who we are for us to be successful.”
With nine conference games remaining — excluding a postponed home game against Nebraska that has yet to be rescheduled — a much easier slate than the team’s first half and a full embrace of the small-ball approach, the Terps are poised to build off their big wins as they look to make a legitimate case to be included in the NCAA tournament. Consistency has been elusive, but the team has flashed the potential.
NO. 24 PURDUE@MARYLAND
Tuesday, 6:30 p.m.
TV: Big Ten Network
Radio: 105.7 FM, 1300 AM