It was slow, often dull and frustrating from my point of view. Maryland could not get that spark back throughout the Iowa game last night in NYC.
It was the spark of a team playing together that was missed. The turnovers on weak passes, players not running the plays that were called, getting out-willed by the Hawkeyes were all on display.
To those that watch the team day in and day out, this is the same game that we have lost all season. The same problems and results. This time is was in the NIT Final Four.
When the Terps play that way, it calls into question the growth of the team. Sure we had an up and down ACC season. The other measure of a team is, other than wins and loses, can you see progress. For most of the season, the answer was “no”.
Over the past three weeks, the answer was changing to “yes”. Jake Layman looked improved. Alex Len was looking good on offense and defense. Dez Wells was looking very good. Without going into each player, progress was evident.
Given a week off by the scheduling gods between beating Alabama and playing Iowa, the Terp train came off the tracks. Len was good to very good, but Layman looked lost for much of the game and Wells got into foul trouble that saw him play just a few minutes in the #nd half.
Wells has become the Guy for Maryland. He had good success on court with Seth Allen who has been out with a broken hand since before the Alabama game. Bruce Posner’s litmus test is Layman. If Jake is on, the Terps win.
Jake has been lining up as the power forward. He has taken minutes from James Padgett and a few from Charles Mitchell. I would think that Jake will go back to a 3 (small forward) for next season with Evan Smotrycz at 4 (power forward). However he gets on the court, he Dez and Seth hold the immediate future of Terps basketball.
If I am betting, I would wager that Alex Len is now in the immediate past of this team. He managed to be a force down the stretch for Maryland. He became the anchor of the defense and showed signs of ‘getting’ the offense. If he were to stay one more season, he becomes an ACC player of the year candidate. He will not stay. His defense will be missed.
Roddy Peters is the new kid in town as an incoming freshman 1 (point guard). Oh, how the Terps need a 1. Whether is is Seth Allen, Pe or Roddy that get the minutes, I hope that we can figure out if the opponent is playing zone or man in 2013/14.
The coaching has become called into question now as much as the recruiting was a question under Gary Williams. How one can have a team that can not lineup properly in the 40th game of the season is a modern day wonder. Why and how Mark Turgeon and the gang can not get through to this bunch is troubling.
This is the 2nd season for Turge and now all of Terp Nation has to hope that the program building is well underway. Is Shaq too foul prone to play center? Is Charles Mitchell too short and slow to be a full-time power forward? Will Nick Faust figure out that he is not the only player on the court? Who knows. Check in for next season starting October 15, 2013 where hope springs eternal for our basketball team.