The Maryland Terrapins have had a wildly successful season in their first year in the Big Ten, and they will make the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2010.
Resume:
Record – 24-5 (12-4 in Big Ten)
RPI – 10
Strength of Schedule – 31
Starting Lineup:
G Melo Trimble (Fr.) – 16.2 ppg, 3.1 apg
G Dez Wells (Sr.) – 15.0 ppg, 4.8 rpg
G Richaud Park (Sr.) – 6.4 ppg, 3.3 rpg
F Jake Layman (Jr.) – 13.2 ppg, 6.2 rpg
F Damonte Dodd (So.) – 3.7 ppg, 3.8 rpg
Key Player:
Dez Wells
Melo Trimble is Maryland's best player, but Wells is the heart and soul of this team. He's Maryland's unquestioned leader, and his play often dictates how the team plays. Wells is excellent attacking the basket, and he's equally effective beyond the arc (52.3 percent from long range).
Biggest Strength:
Guard Play
Wells and Trimble are two extremely explosive players that put pressure on a defense from every angle, but what makes them special is their ability to take care of the ball. Maryland only turns it over 12 games per game as a team, and less than half come from the backcourt - a good number since those guys have the ball in their hands most of the time. Guard play is usually one of the two biggest factors in the NCAA Tournament (along with defense), and Maryland has one of the best backcourts in the country.
Biggest Weakness:
Ball Movement
As good as Maryland is, they do most of their damage on isolation plays. The Terps average only 11 assists per game, which ranks 284th in the country. This isn't as big of a problem as it might seem because Trimble and Wells usually take care of business themselves, but it shows that they aren't great at creating for others when they get stopped.
Outlook:
The lack of ball movement is alarming, as is Maryland's 4-4 record on the road this year. However, we've seen less talented teams go on deep tournament runs because of good guard play, making Maryland a dark horse Final Four contender.
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