Maryland Terrapins – The Young Veteran

Game 5 of 37 George Mason embarrasses Maryland in College Park

George Mason embarrasses Maryland in College Park 71-66

#A10MBB #RockWithUs #B1G #B1GMBBall #Terps

Coming into this game I was very intrigued to see how Mason was going to handle playing in College Park…. on a big stage…. with first year head coach Kim English. Well, they definitely answered any questions I may have had by handing the Terps their first loss in a very demoralizing fashion. Mason won 71-66.

Mason had three guys I wanted to see specifically. Jamal Hartwell II, DeVon Cooper and D’Shawn Schwartz.

Hartwell is a very slender and small point guard. Has some quickness and burst, but unless he is wide open for a three, he’s not much of a scoring threat. Hartwell basically just provided a ball handler that was steady.

DeVon Cooper is a solid all around guard. He can handle the ball. Score off the bounce, or see the open man on the perimeter. Very tough defender and extremely aggressive. Every time Maryland tried to drive the lane or feed a big man there were multiple Patriots surround and digging at the ball. Cooper was the perfect compliment to Schwartz in this game. Both players can create their own shots and made tough contested jumpers as well. Cooper finished with 16 points, five assists, two rebounds and two steals.

Schwartz with the ball at the top of the three point line

Schwartz was the best player on the court. I watched him in warmups before the game and no lie he missed maybe one jumper the whole time I was watching. I thought to myself, we’ll see if this can carry over. Its one thing to make open shots in warmups….. But Schwartz was on one this game. He made 6-1o from three and hit literally every clutch shot he took. Very intriguing prospect to keep tabs on. He has a strong pro ready body at 6’7 235. Flat out scorer at all three levels. He was making three’s, mid range pull ups and he can score in the lane also. Schwartz finished with 24 points, nine rebounds, six made three’s and three steals.

Two other players of note were Davonte Gaines and Josh Oduro. I remember seeing Coach English trying to convince Oduro to stay at Mason, on Twitter throughout the summer. Good thing he did. Oduro provides that true low post scoring threat that balances the rest of the team out. He has very good footwork. He used his pivot feet masterfully several times to score at the rim. Especially one in the closing seconds of the game. Oduro is still developing his shooting range, but his stroke looks solid and I think that will come in time. Gaines did a little bit of everything. Chipped in big time as a rebounder with ten. He also had 2 three’s and a total of 14 points.

And now to Maryland. This will be brief. Mason deserves the majority of this post. Maryland wasn’t prepared. Stagnant on offense. They gave effort on defense, but just weren’t good enough. They just flat out got beat. Coach Turgeon had many comments about the game on the radio when I was driving back home. He mentioned no ball movement, bounces not going there way, the bad practice the day before. There was a lot of things said. He also said the fans need to show up because their playing good teams and need them. I thought that was interesting to mention that after a loss like this to say the least.

Early first half crowd. It didn’t fill much more than that after either.

,Now he’s not wrong about the attendance. I just thought that wasn’t the time to say it. But to each his own I guess.

Donta Scott and Julian Reese were the two best players for Maryland. Scott kept them close throughout the game. He hit mid range and three point jumpers, as well as providing solid help defense. His athleticism has really improved with his quickness and leaping ability. He looks in way better shape this year. Scott finished with 18 points, ten rebounds, one steal and one block. Reese looked way better this game than previously. He was more decisive. He played physical, drew fouls in the post. He also hit a three pointer and looked comfortable doing so. Reese needs to play more and get involved more early to get him going. Very skilled low post threat with soft touch. JuJu finished with twelve points and three rebounds.

Although Ayala hit two three’s to bring the Terps within three under a minute left, he still struggled shooting overall. He has to improve his consistency. Ayala is at his best attacking the lane and using his strength and body control. That will setup everything else for him. Even making 5-12 from three, he finished 6-17 total and attempted zero foul shots. Thats not his recipe for success. Eric finished with 17 points, four rebounds and four assists.

Nobody else did anything of note for the Terps.

Up next for me is Hofstra @ Maryland on Friday

Game 3 of 37 Vermont @ Maryland

Game 3 of 37

Maryland has a huge second half to beat Vermont 68-57

Everyone knows how consistent Vermont is as a program. Constantly in the top three at least in the America East. John Becker has nine straight 20 win seasons. They are the epitome of a dangerous “mid major” program. No surprise they gave Maryland everything they could handle on Saturday. Maryland eventually pulled away to win 68-57. After a big second half.

Vermont plays eight seniors. Yes, you read that correctly. Eight. Their top guy is guard Ben Shungu. Shungu is a strong guard at 6’2 200. Being the reigning Defensive Player of the Year in the America East, maybe one wouldn’t expect so much on offense. However (Stephen A. Smith voice), he is a very well rounded player. He hit several tough jumpers with hands in his face. He was hitting from mid range and from three. He had 20 points at half and single handedly was the reason Vermont had a four point lead. Shungu struggled to make more of an impact in the second half as Maryland upped their defensive intensity. The senior finished with 27 points, four rebounds, two assists, three steals and went 4-6 from three. He definitely caught my attention and I will be keeping close tabs on him.

The other senior that caught my eye and showed offensive versatility was Isaiah Powell. Powell has the ability to put the ball on the floor and get into the lane. He plays under control and has solid footwork. Powell keeps the defense honest with the ability to knock down the three ball as well. Athletically he is average, but plays with a savvy that makes up for it. High IQ player with good vision on offense. Solid overall defender as well. Powell was really the only other scoring option Vermont had going other than Shungu. He finished with 14 points, eleven rebounds and three assists.

Vermont’s other star player is Ryan Davis. Davis struggled making any impact on offense. He had many open mid range opportunities, but instead of a jumper or going up strong he would do a weird floater from the baseline. He seemed bothered by Maryland length and athleticism. He didn’t have his best game thats for sure scoring just 8 points on 3-12 shooting. Davis also didn’t have much of a impact on the glass with just three rebounds. He will bounce back for sure, but I was expecting more. Especially being the Player of the Year in the America East last season.

For the Terps today was about Fatts Russell and Eric Ayala. Russell took over down the stretch. He hit a lot of contested looks. Some probably ill-advised, but today they went in so who knows. Russell is still at his best playing in transition and attacking the rim. He showed why he was a coveted transfer today though. He can score in bunches and plays very tough defense. I would like to see him create more for others, but maybe that will come in time. Russell finished with 22 points, five rebounds and two assists.

Ayala seemed to finally get his shooting stroke back in the second half. He was in a battle all game with the final Duncan brother (at least I think!) Robin. They were going at it all day. Playing physical, getting in each others faces. Neither backed down. It was fun to watch actually. Of course the Maryland fans enjoyed chanting “F*** you Duncan!”, literally every time he touched the ball. Ayala is the leader and emotional leader of the Terps. He needs to keep his confidence high because others lean on him for that. Ayala finished with 22 points.

One other thing of note is Qudus Wahab really struggled with the double team today. He needs to be more decisive and make a move or pass out. He lost the ball or made off target passes too often. Vermont did a solid job of blitzing him right away or delaying it. Wahab was held to six points, eight rebounds, two blocks in 22 minutes.

Expect Vermont to win the America East or make the championship in the conference. Anything less than that I would be very surprised.

Up next for me Hampton @ Towson on Tuesday.

Game 2 of 37 George Washington @ Maryland

Maryland wins a tough one against local rival George Washington

Maryland had their hands full from the get go. Personally, I thought GW would hang around for a bit, but then Maryland would pull away with their size and depth. It looked like that was beginning to happen until James Bishop’s jumpers finally started falling. Maryland almost blew a late twelve point lead in the final five minutes. GW got as close as 66-64, until Maryland finally won 71-64. Hats off to GW they played very well. Maryland still has to figure out how all of their pieces fit.

Ricky Lindo Jr. came back to College Park on a mission. The senior played extremely well. He showed his skills more consistently throughout the game than when he was a terp. Lindo can do a little bit of everything. Has a decent handle, good length, versatile defender and has been developing his three point shot as well. Lindo finished with 13 points, nine rebounds, three assists, two rebounds, two blocks and shot 3-5 from three. If he didn’t get into foul trouble who knows how this game could’ve went. Connecticut transfer Brendan Adams also had a solid game. He started fast and eventually tapered off to let Joe Bamisile carry the load. Adams was super tough driving the lane. He takes contact well and plays tough defense. He finished with 14 points and four rebounds.

The star of the night was Joe Bamisile. Bamisile was fun to watch. Honestly, I haven’t seen many guys go at the crowd like he did. If it we’re packed in the stands (which once again it was no where near it) The booing and “Joe you suck” chants would’ve been deafening. Bamisile delivered though. Hitting jumpers free throws and lay ins. All while egging the crowd on. He also had a nice windmill dunk on a breakaway. The Virginia Tech transfer finished with 20 points, eight rebounds, two steals and two blocks. James Bishop struggled shooting big time. Fatts Russell did a nice job annoying him and forcing him to take very tough jumpers. He had a late flurry of baskets and finished with 13 points on 5-16 from the field and 0-5 from three.

This is a game where Maryland should’ve dominanted by even more in the paint. Qudus Wahab was having his way in the first half, but I guess the terps forgot that. He only played 24 minutes and just didn’t seem to get the ball enough. With that said he finished with 18 points, 15 rebounds and two blocks. Feed the big man.

Fatts Russell had a solid night, and helped pick up the slack for the poor outside shooting. Maryland was 3-20 from three. Ayala was 0-6. This was probably an anomaly shooting wise, but time will tell. Russell may be one of the fastest and quickest players I’ve seen on the court with the ball. He has a knack for making tough layups and draws fouls with ease. On defense he was solid again. Shutting Bishop down for majority of the game. Russell finished with 15 points, six rebounds and two steals. Donta Scott never really seemed to get in the flow of the game. Lindo did a solid job on him, but he still had seven points and ten boards.

Hakim Hart is a glue guy. Doesn’t do anything to hurt the team, but does a lot of little things that add up. He makes correct passes, plays tough defense and can score an occasional bucket if need be. Hart finished with nine points, four rebounds, three steals, two assists and one block.

The Colonials are going to be a lot better than people think. They have solid guards. The big problem will be lack of depth and size.

Up next for me is Game 3 of 37 Vermont @ Maryland on Saturday.

The Life of a Freelance Basketball Scout – Game 10 – Wisconsin vs Maryland

The Life of a Freelance Basketball Scout – Game 10

January 14 – Wisconsin vs Maryland

I got off work the same time as normal, around 3 ish. I ran home really quick and then had to head off to a doctor’s appointment at 4 p.m. I hate going to the doctor’s like everyone else. I especially hate going to the doctor’s when they don’t call you into the back to see you until literally 5 p.m. So yes, the wait was an entire hour.…… We didn’t leave until like 5:35. After the appointment the wife and I picked up the little ones from her parents, we stopped by Royal Farms for gas and an 8 piece of chicken, mac and cheese and western fries with cheese and then finally we went home. Luckily the game was not until 8:30.

I left my house at 6:30 to head to College park. I picked up my credential and parking pass from the hotel on campus and zig-zagged through the back of campus to the garage, which is roughly a half mile from the arena. Not a big issue. I don’t mind walking. It was just tough because of the ice everywhere. I walked like a 75 year old with two replaced hips, just to make sure I didn’t eat it. Being a 27 year old that’s had 3 knee surgeries, 2 slipped discs in my back, 2 kids and I’ve been married for almost 8 years…… I feel like a 75 year old anyway.

The game started out very bad for the Badgers of Wisconsin. Maryland dominated the first half. They were more aggressive on offense and defense. They held Wisconsin to just 15 points and they were 0-8 from three. Only three players scored. Ethan Happ had 6, Brad Davison had 5 and D’mitrik Trice had 4. For Maryland Bruno Fernando had success in the paint. When he was doubled he would find the open man. He has vastly improved his patience in the post since last season. He still has some moments, but this game was solid. Eric Ayala had a solid half with 8 points and a couple of three-pointers. Jalen Smith had an active 7 points and 5 rebounds. Good start for Maryland as they built a 33-15 halftime lead.

The second half was much of the same early. Maryland went up by as much as 21 points. Like I said…. it was early. Then came the onslaught of three-pointers from Wisconsin. Wisconsin made eleven in the second half. Trice made three, Davison made two and Nate “Big Shot-Big Balls” Reuvers made four. Trice and Reuvers were a nightmare for Maryland in the pick and roll. Fernando was out with foul trouble for majority of the second half and Maryland didn’t have an answer on defense for the pick and pop combo. On offense Maryland stopped playing inside and out without Bruno. They ended up just scoring a ton from the free throw line. Wisconsin actually took the lead late 60-59 with two minutes left. They completed the comeback. It seemed like Maryland would just flounder away and just lose it totally in the end. They went on about a ten minute span without a made field goal in the second half. Then with a flair for the dramatic Anthony Cowan made a deep three-pointer with under a minute left to take the lead back 62-60. Maryland would go on to win 64-60.

Cowan would finish with 21 points, six rebounds and three assists. He also had five turnovers. Sometimes he is just a little wild in the lane. For Wisconsin, “Big Shot-Big Balls” Reuvers had 18 points, seven rebounds. He had two wide-open shots from deep in the last couple of possessions to take the lead but they just didn’t fall. Reuvers was playing out of his mind. I enjoyed watching him hype himself up he drain three after three.

SIDE NOTE – After the press conference, I made the long icy trek back to the garage to my vehicle. I listened to some Sirius XM radio on the way home. As I approached my house, Margaritaville by Jimmy was playing. I then proceeded to eat some fried chicken and cheese fries before going to bed a 12:45 a.m. Amazingly, it was a very good decision. My stomach felt fine at 5:45 the next morning.

Haas and Mathias Fuel Boilermakers to Win over Terps

College Park, MD – Seniors Isaac Haas and Dakota Mathias combined for 41 points, as Pudue (7-2, 1-0) opened up Big Ten play with an impressive win at Maryland (6-3, 0-1), 80-75. Mathias (6’4 200 Senior Shooting Guard) shined in the first half scoring 18 of his 20 points, while shooting a perfect seven for seven from the field, including four three-pointers. In the second half the giant Isaac Haas (7’2 290 Senior Center) took over. Haas had several key baskets in the paint and was just too much for Maryland to overcome late. Maryland did have a shot to tie with 14 second left, but Jared Nickens’ shot was just short to tie the game at 78.

P.J. Thompson (5’10 185 Senior Point Guard) then closed the game with two free throws. Amazingly Purdue received zero points from its bench in the game. With that said their senior laden lineup was more than enough.

Purdue proved to be the more experienced and better overall team tonight. Every time Maryland cut the lead Purdue would answer back with a run. That is a sign of composure and veteran leadership. Mathias showed his overall skills tonight. In the first half he showed his ability to score from deep. In the second half he was not a factor in scoring the ball, but he made sure to set his teammates up since Maryland was all over him. Mathias would use pump fakes to get defenders closing out on him to fly by and then he would penetrate and kick out to open shooters. He also showed his ability to defend. He was matched up on Kevin Huerter a lot and really limited his attempts and looks at the basket.

Although Huerter had a solid night Mathias was right there on him. Mathias finished with 20 points, four three-pointers, five rebounds and nine assists. The other large factor was Isaac Haas. When Haas received the ball in the post it was game over. His massive size and strength allowed him to get great position all night. He has a very dependable right hand hook and has surprisingly soft touch for a man his size. At one point Haas even made a turn around fade away jumper from about twelve feet. Haas is so large that it is tough for him to stay out of foul trouble at times. He managed to do so tonight only having two fouls and registering four blocked shots. Haas finished with 21 points, on 10 of 13 shooting, with five rebounds and four blocks.

The other starters for Purdue that contributed were NBA prospects Carsen Edwards (6’1 200 Sophomore Point Guard) and Vince Edwards (6’8 225 Senior Small Forward). Carsen is Purdue’s lightning rod on offense. He can get hot and fill it up in a hurry. He has a smooth jumper and a very quick release that allows him to get his shot off over bigger defenders. Carsen finished with 18 points and six rebounds. Vince is a solid overall player. He plays with a high basketball IQ on both ends of the floor. He can drive the lane or even step out and make an open three. On defense he has the versatility to guard players in the back court or the front court. Vince finished with ten points, eleven rebounds and four assists.

The other lone starter P.J. Thompson had eleven points and four rebounds.

For Maryland Anthony Cowan (6’0 170 Sophomore Point Guard) and Kevin Huerter (6’7 190 Sophomore Shooting Guard) did all they could to keep Maryland within striking distance. Cowan has continued to do his part to lead the young Terps from the point guard position. Cowan hit several big three’s including a four point play late in the game to draw closer, eventually letting Maryland have a shot to tie late. Cowan had 20 points, six rebounds, five assists, two steals and zero turnovers. Huerter impacted the game on both ends. He plays tough defense and has become more aggressive on the offensive end recently. Huerter is starting to develop into a leader for the young Terps and it shows with his confidence recently. He finished with 19 points, five rebounds and two assists.

Two players that really struggled in the game were NBA prospect Justin Jackson (6’7 225 Sophomore Forward) and Darryl Morsell (6’4 205 Freshman Shooting Guard). Jackson has struggled with his three-point shot all season. He seems to be pressing. He is either too passive or he forces the issue. With the passers he has on his team he will continue to get open looks and should eventually break out of his slump. While Jackson is struggling on offense he still makes an impact on defense as well as rebounding. He finished with five points, on 1 of 8 shooting, eight rebounds and four assists. Morsell had his worst shooting night of his young career. Purdue coach Matt Painter said in the post game press conference they were ok with slacking off some on the perimeter on Morsell to help in other places. This worked out just fine as he shot 3 of 16 on the night and 0 of 4 from three. Morsell had plenty of open looks, but also forced the issue in the lane quite often. These decisions led to blocks or ill-advised shots to end possessions. Morsell finished with nine points and three rebounds.

Highly touted big man Bruno Fernando had twelve points and seven rebounds. He struggled defending big man Isaac Haas at times, giving him too deep of position.

Next in Line

For Pudue – Home vs Northwestern Sunday

For Maryland – At Illinois Sunday

Who Is Mark Turgeon?

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The question that many Maryland fans are beginning to ask themselves is not Who is this Maryland team? or Who is Melo Trimble? They understand this is a team that starts three freshmen and is extremely perimeter oriented. The question that begs answers and is weighing on Terp fans minds is, Who is Mark Turgeon?

Turgeon has turned this program around in the last three years. He inherited lacking talent when Gary Williams left and had to begin the process of rebuilding. In his first few years however, he swung and missed on the players he brought in. Nick Faust, Shaquille Cleare, Seth Allen, Charles Mitchell, and Roddy Peters all ended up transferring and having success in some way elsewhere. Peters success was very limited because he has since been dismissed from South Florida and transferred again to Nicholls State. So after the first few seasons, Turgeon was in desperate need of a turn around. Since the Terps have entered Big Ten play in 2014-2015, they have finished top three in conference play and made it to the semifinals in back-to-back seasons. This may have been what saved Mark Turgeon’s job. In his first three years at Maryland, he was just 59-43 with zero NCAA tournament appearances and just a trip to the NIT semifinals under his belt.

The success since joining Big Ten play has reinvigorated the fans and even brought back in the casual fan that slowly departed after the lack of success after the national title year in 2002. The problem that has begun to arise is that fans are starting to believe Turgeon is limited as a coach and is just a good recruiter. Turgeon has done many positive things in recent seasons. He has brought in talented transfers and recruits, and he has made Maryland relevant once again. These are all great things, but what seems to be lacking is the development of individual players’ skills, as well as the lack of consistent play on offense specifically. The players that came in have slowly developed or not at all, including all of the transfers mentioned above, plus Michal Cekovsky, Damonte Dodd, Jared Nickens, and some would even argue Melo Trimble.

Let’s look at the coach that Turgeon is, not who he is not. Turgeon is a player’s coach. He gives his players a lot more freedom than other coaches do. When a coach does this it can help generate better camaraderie between teammates, but it can also backfire. In the first few years of his career at Maryland, it backfired. Some would even argue that it backfired last year, as the team seemed more focused on their payday than playing as a cohesive unit. Overall, since Maryland has entered the Big Ten, they have unarguably been successful as a team. Yes, everyone expected more last year with the immense talent on the team, but they also ran into a very good and balanced Kansas squad. This was the first year Maryland made the sweet sixteen since 2003, when Steve Blake led the squad. Turgeon has led Maryland to back-to-back NCAA tournaments and will do so again this year. Even toward the end of Gary’s admired reign, the team was very inconsistent in making the NCAA tournament. Nevertheless, Turgeon has provided some stability to that now, especially since he has brought in the right players in recent years.

Unfortunately for Turgeon, the future for this Maryland team appears to be vulnerable. Turgeon has had limited success in post-season play. In eighteen seasons as a head coach, Turgeon has made the NCAA tournament only seven times. In those seven seasons, he has led his teams to just two sweet sixteen’s- including one sweet sixteen game where he lead Wichita State by making a Cinderella run back in 2006. Turgeon’s teams seem to peak early in the season. This has also been shown while he has been at Maryland. His teams have won four straight early season tournaments, the Paradise Jam in 2013, the CBE Hall of Fame Classic in 2014, the Cancun Challenge in 2015, and the Barclays Center Classic this season. This all points back to the freedom he gives his players, especially on offense. Teams in early season play are still a work in progress; many teams struggle. Turgeon’s teams thrive in those situations. His players find ways to make plays and their freedom of play in the offense ends up working out for the better. You can get away with this in early season play. Once teams start improving and getting better is when other teams get exposed. This exposure has been happening to the Terps in recent seasons. They have become stagnant on offense later in the year and rely very heavily on perimeter-oriented play. Several examples of this are Terrell Stoglin, Seth Allen, Dez Wells and Melo Trimble. How many times since Turgeon has been coach do you see possessions in under ten seconds where the play ends with a pick and roll at the top of the three-point line where a guard forces a three or a drive to the basket? Maryland’s offense has been the same since Turgeon has been there; he just has better offensive weapons than when he started. One area where he has improved is drawing up plays after timeouts and in bound plays under the basket. In the past couple of seasons, Maryland’s execution has been leaps and bounds better than previous years.

All of this is not to deem Turgeon a failure. He has shown improvement over the years and also an ability to recruit at a level that his predecessor could not. He gets the most out of his players and gets them to buy in. Turgeon is still evolving as a coach, and he is only 52 years old and appears to have a lot left in the tank. For right now what you see is what you get in Coach Turgeon. You get a coach that has been extremely competitive since joining a new conference. You get a coach that loves being at Maryland. You get a coach that will bring in some of the best talent Maryland has had in the past 25 years. Yes, he is still a work in progress as far as X’s and O’s; but he will improve, as all good coaches do.

Since losing five of their last seven games, supporters have turned into haters at a rapid rate. Once the grumbling and complaining is silenced, Terp fans need to realize he just took a team that lost four pro’s last year and replaced them with three starting freshman and led them to the best start in Maryland’s storied history at 20-2.

So who is Mark Turgeon? That is up to him to decide.

Melo Guides The Terps Past Rutgers 67-55

College Park, MD – Melo Trimble led Maryland past Rutgers 67-55. Melo had been battling a sickness the previous few days before this contest. Quite honestly, it was hard to tell. Melo looked like his normal and steady self. He made some timely shots and was the veteran presence the Terps (18-2, 6-1) needed to pull away in the second half. Rutgers (12-9, 1-7) showed great toughness. They guarded hard all night and forced the Terps into many ugly turnovers, 18 to be exact. Rutgers had a tough time getting into any offensive flow. They really struggled from the foul line going just 10-24. If Rutgers could have made just even a handful more free throws, this game could have gotten interesting. Coach Steve Pikiell has his team doing all the right things to succeed in time. Once more talent comes through, Rutgers should compete in the middle of the pack of the Big Ten.

Melo Trimble proved that no matter the circumstances he is a leader on the court for Maryland. Coach Mark Turgeon said he had no idea how Trimble would feel, because the day before he looked terrible. Sickness does not always stop a player from playing at a high level. Some players rise through it and play at a high level, that is exactly what Melo did. Melo finished with a game high of 17 points, 3 three-pointers, six rebounds, four assists and five turnovers. The other main contributor for the Terps was Kevin Huerter. The freshman guard continues to show that he has a tremendous feel for the game. He see’s the passing lanes like few players do. Many times he passes the ball to open teammates and they have no clue it’s coming because they don’t even realize they are open. Huerter impacts the game for the Terps in so many ways. He defends at a high level, and helped limit Corey Sanders to 15 points, on 5-19 shooting. Huerter is a very solid rebounder as well. Despite not being the biggest or most physical presence (6’7 190) he led the team in rebounds with eight. Huerter has such a versatile skill set and is destined to be a solid contributor for the Terps for many years to come, as long as he stays in college. Huerter finished with eleven points, eight rebounds and six assists.

Another contributor for the Terps was Damonte Dodd. Dodd had eight points, five rebounds and three blocks.

The guard play for Rutgers is what fuels them. They rely way too much on sophomore guard Corey Sanders (6’2 181) and junior guard Nigel Johnson (6’1 186). Sanders is a very explosive scoring guard. He struggles with his outside shot and shooting jumpers in general. He is much more comfortable attacking off the dribble or off of the pick and roll. He turns the corner hard in pick and roll, and has great leaping ability allowing him to rise over defenders or perform acrobatic lay-ins. Sanders struggled shooting in this game, but a lot of that may be due to the fact that his team has only one other scoring option, Nigel Johnson. Sanders was shadowed by Huerter in the second half and that is when he became really limited on offense. Sanders finished with 15 points, three rebounds and three assists.

Sanders back-court mate Nigel Johnson had a decent impact on offense as well as defense. He compliments Sanders well and if they had more teammates that could run and gun that may suit their team better. Johnson is not the best shooter. Like Sanders he thrives when he gets into the lane. He has a crafty floater and understands when to get all the way to the rim. Johnson is a solid on ball defender. He has great quickness and his active hands bother players with a suspect handle. Johnson posted 14 points, two three-pointers, four rebounds and two steals on the night.

Maryland continues to surprise many and probably even themselves with their hot start. This matched their best start ever, back when Steve Francis was their star guard in 1998-1999. Maryland at 18-2 and 6-1 in the Big 10, has officially put the conference and the rest of the country on notice.

Rutgers continues to struggle in conference play. They lack the skill players and veteran leadership needed to compete in a high-major conference like the Big 10. The effort and commitment to defense is definitely there though.

Up next for Rutgers is a home game vs Wisconsin on Saturday.

Up next for Maryland is @ Minnesota on Saturday.