Maryland Terrapins
Big Ten (25-8, 12-6)
No team has jumped to the forefront of the national landscape more than Maryland over the last two seasons. They were a surprise last season when they went 27-6 and finished second in the Big Ten. Once former Duke standout Rasheed Sulaimon committed to Maryland over the offseason, many expected Maryland to be a top-five team heading into 2015-2016. They have been a top-10 team all season. They are considered as big of a Final Four threat as any team in the field. The Terrapins are deep and talented, and Melo Trimble is one of the best point guards in the country. Coach Mark Turgeon has the pieces to win it all.
Big Wins: 1/9 at Wisconsin (63-60), 1/28 Iowa (74-68), 2/6 Purdue (72-61)
Bad Losses: 1/12 at Michigan (67-70), 2/13 Wisconsin (57-70), 2/18 at Minnesota (63-68)
Coach: Mark Turgeon
Why They Can Surprise:
Simply put, they are one of the most talented teams in the country led by one of the best players at the premier position on the court. Trimble is a great facilitator and a prolific scorer. He draws fouls as well as anyone. The Terps were the only team in the Big Ten to have five players average double-figures in scoring during the regular season. There are a lot of options on offense and when one man’s scoring is down, someone else steps up. Maryland can play inside-out as well. Over the course of the season, freshman center Diamond Stone has developed into a reliable option down on the blocks for Coach Turgeon. Sulaimon has also added an experience and long-ball shooting element that this team can rely upon throughout a game. He has been very important to the backcourt since Dion Wiley was lost for the year prior to the season. Maryland were also the best free-throw shooting team in the Big Ten and can wear down opponents by the end of the game and win ballgames at the line. There is not much that will hold this team back.
Why They Can Disappoint:
There are two big problems for the Terps that could prevent a magical NCAA Tournament. They allow a ton of offensive rebounds to opponents with size inside. It has created a lot of problems for them against teams with lesser talent and especially late in games. Their other big problem is turnovers. The Terps lose a lot of possessions by sloppy handling on the offensive end. Offensive efficiency is vital as you get deep into the tournament and Maryland will not want to be scrambling to make up for lost possessions down the stretches of games. Additionally, their outside shooting will need to get more consistent. Long cold shooting stretches could hurt them in tournament play.
Probable Starters:
Melo Trimble, Sophomore, Guard, 14.4 ppg, 5.1 apg
Rasheed Sulaimon, Senior, Guard, 11.1 ppg, 3.6 apg
Robert Carter Jr., Junior, Forward, 12.8 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 1.3 bpg
Jake Layman, Senior, Forward, 11.2 ppg, 5.3 rpg
Diamond Stone, Freshman, Center, 12.9 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 1.6 bpg
Key Roleplayers:
Jared Nickens, Sophomore, Guard, 5.3 ppg
Damonte Dodd, Junior, Forward, 3.0 ppg, 2.8 rpg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 75.9 (114th in nation, 5th in conference)
Scoring Defense: 65.7 (41, 4)
Field-Goal Percentage: 48.9 (10, 2)
Field-Goal Defense: 40.5 (45, 5)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 7.5 (130, 8)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 36.7 (73, 6)
Free-Throw Percentage: 76.2 (12, 1)
Rebound Margin: 3.6 (66, 4)
Assists Per Game: 14.1 (123, 7)
Turnovers Per Game: 13.1 (211, 12)
Recent Postseason Appearances:
2015 NCAA Second Round win over Valparaiso
2015 NCAA Third Round loss to West Virginia
2013 NIT First Round win over Niagara
2013 NIT Second Round win over Denver
2013 NIT Quarterfinal win over Alabama
2013 NIT Semifinal loss to Iowa
2010 NCAA Round of 64 win over Houston
2010 NCAA Round of 32 loss to Michigan State
2009 NCAA Round of 64 win over California
2009 NCAA Round of 32 loss to Memphis
2008 NIT First Round win over Minnesota
2008 NIT Second Round loss to Syracuse
2007 NCAA Round of 64 win over Davidson
2007 NCAA Round of 32 loss to Butler
2006 NIT First Round loss to Manhattan
*all team stats through 3/6
