There was a point midway through the second half of Maryland’s borderline noncompetitive 67-53 loss to top-ranked Purdue on Tuesday night when the whistle blew to stop play, a loose ball foul called in the wake of Jahmir Young’s latest three-point attempt bonking off the rim. The ball settled into the hands of Terrapins freshman Jamie Kaiser Jr., who did what shooters do, even if play was stopped: He let a little leaner roll off his fingers toward the rim.
It clanked away, too.
If Maryland is going to advance to the NCAA tournament in Coach Kevin Willard’s second season — and remember, it’s 2½ months till Selection Sunday, so anything can happen — it’s going to have to win tough Big Ten games to offset early-season losses to Davidson and UAB.