Thanksgiving weekend has come and gone, and as many hoped/expected before the season began third-ranked Maryland is still undefeated. After rebounding from slow starts to beat Temple and Harvard in the team’s first two games at the Orlando Invitational, Mark Turgeon’s team produced its best showing of the season to date in Sunday’s championship game. Defensively Maryland shut down prolific scorer Markus Howard, and on offense they got much of what they wanted in the 84-63 beating of Marquette.
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Anthony Cowan, who was named MVP of the tournament, showed why he’s one of the best point guards in college basketball throughout the weekend. And he wasn’t alone on the perimeter, either. Darryl Morsell showed both his skill and toughness, especially in the win over Marquette when on most possessions it was he who was entrusted with the task of defending Howard. Aaron Wiggins showed flashes of his potential in Orlando; if he can be a bit more aggressive on the offensive end and boost the shooting percentages, that will make Maryland that much tougher to defend.
Eric Ayala continues to do whatever’s required of him at the time, being it scoring or playing on the ball to both give Cowan some rest and allow him to look for his shot playing as the off-guard. Another positive development in Orlando was the play of freshmen Donta Scott and Hakim Hart. While Scott was pegged by many as the newcomer best prepared to make an immediate impact, and he’s shooting nearly 39% from three thus far, Hart also gave Maryland good minutes last weekend. The improved depth helps out defensively, as Maryland can play more aggressively on that end of the floor than they have in seasons past.
In the front court Jalen Smith continues to lead the way, averaging 13.4 points, 9.0 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per night. And he heads into this week’s games averaging less than three fouls per game, which is key as the sophomore’s ability to stay on the floor will dictate just how much Turgeon can go with a “small” lineup and use Smith as the anchor. Makhi Mitchell and Ricky Lindo Jr. are both hovering around the 9-10 minute mark with regards to their averages for the season, and that may need to increase as Maryland gets into the meat of its schedule.
Slow starts and occasional turnover issues in the first two games aside, the trip to Orlando was a very good one for Maryland. What the team may have known beforehand, that it’s equipped to both challenge for a Big Ten title and play deep into the NCAA tournament, is now an opinion shared by more than a few pundits. And with that comes Maryland’s next challenge: dealing with success and the external praise that comes with it.
Obviously Maryland has been successful in recent years. But there are a lot of underclassmen in the rotation, and it’s been awhile since the program has been viewed as a national title contender. Maryland will have a target on its back moving forward, which can be an issue for players/teams that aren’t used to dealing with that. However, it can be argued that Maryland’s schedule will help in combatting that. Instead of going back into non-conference play and taking on teams they’d be expected to blow out, this week should have Maryland on high alert as the Big Ten/ACC Challenge and two conference games are on the slate.
Notre Dame visits the Xfinity Center Wednesday night, and after struggling last season due in large part to injuries Mike Brey’s team has the look of one that should be an NCAA tournament team. John Mooney is averaging 14.3 points and 13.0 rebounds per game to lead the way in the paint, while senior guards T.J. Gibbs and Rex Pflueger are among the top players on the perimeter. Another player to keep an eye on is sophomore wing Dane Goodwin, who’s shooting nearly 48% from three and averaging 10.9 points per game.
Due to the injuries Notre Dame had to lean on its underclassmen last season, and that experience has benefitted a sophomore class that includes the likes of Goodwin and Robby Carmody. While the Fighting Irish weren’t discussed as an ACC title contender before the season began, Notre Dame is likely in the next tier of teams in that league.
After Wednesday the focus turns — albeit briefly — to conference play, with Illinois visiting College Park on Saturday and that game being followed by a matchup with Penn State next Tuesday in State College. Illinois was a team that entered the season often discussed as one that could take a major step forward in the Big Ten. Ayo Dosunmu decided to return for his sophomore season, fellow guard Trent Frazier is also back and talented freshman big Kofi Cockburn can be an impact player in the front court.
Illinois gets after you defensively, which can result in foul trouble, but they’re also good at putting opponents in positions where they commit a lot of fouls on the other end. While there’s talent on the roster this is a group that’s still learning what it takes to be a winning program, and they’ve lost both of their games against power conference opposition (blowout at Arizona, overtime home loss to Miami).
The Penn State game has the potential to be interesting. The Nittany Lions have one of the Big Ten’s best players in senior forward Lamar Stevens, and fellow senior Mike Watkins ranks among the conference’s best rim protectors. Add in guards Myreon Jones, Myles Dread and Izaiah Brockington, and Patrick Chambers has a trio of sophomore guards that he can build around once Stevens and Watkins have exhausted their eligibility.
And Penn State, while they don’t get the largest crowds in the Big Ten, can be a tough place to play for that very reason. With the (comparatively speaking) lack of energy in the building on some nights, teams really have to bring their own energy to the table. And if you struggle with slow starts, that can be a problem. Given that this game is taking place early in the season and the Nittany Lions are off to a 6-1 start, there should be a good crowd Tuesday night. But the tandem of Stevens and Watkins won’t be easy to deal with, meaning that Makhi Mitchell (and maybe even twin brother Makhel) will need to step up alongside Smith to help with that tandem.
Heading into another tough week Maryland’s in a good spot. They’re playing well, may be deeper than many envisioned them being entering the season, and have the opportunity to pick up more quality wins while also getting off to a good start in conference play. While the way in which team deals with adversity can say a lot, so can the way in which they deal with success. Is there a sense of satisfaction, or are they hungry for more? We’ll learn a few things about Maryland when it comes to this in the next seven days.
BSL Analyst
Raphielle’s been writing about college sports for more than a decade, making the move to college basketball alone in 2013. Beginning his work with the former website CollegeHoops.net in 2003, Raphielle spent 3 years writing for NBCSports.com beginning 2013, covering CBB and the Olympics. In 2016, Raphielle joined Heavy.com. If there’s a game on, there’s a strong likelihood that he’s watching it.