SB Nation DC: All Posts by Brendan Darrhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48897/dc-fave.png2013-01-02T10:00:04-05:00https://dc.sbnation.com/authors/brendan-darr/rss2013-01-02T10:00:04-05:002013-01-02T10:00:04-05:00Terps win 12th straight game, 81-63 over IUPUI
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<p>Maryland had all ten of their regulars score in their final tune-up game before beginning ACC play. </p> <p>"I'll state the obvious, we weren't ready to play and they were," Mark Turgeon on his team to start the game.</p>
<p>In Maryland's final tuneup before conference play begins this weekend, the Terps got out of the gate about as terrible as they could. However, coach Mark Turgeon found a way to turn the tide and come back from their second-biggest deficit of the year -- 11 points.</p>
<p>Granted, the scoreboard did only read 14-3 at the time.</p>
<p>"Going from down 11 to up 25 we had to have gone on some kind of run," Mark Turgeon said after the game.</p>
<p>Maryland players and coaches admitted they just didn't come out ready to play the game. It begged the question were they ready for ACC play, and we found out after the game that was a resounding "Yes."</p>
<p>Obviously, IUPUI isn't exactly a big name for the players to get up for -- and the fans followed suit with one of the smallest crowds of the year. That said, it was an interesting game, and an extremely balanced game for the Terps. All ten of the Maryland regulars scored today, and everyone had at least four points, but only two players -- both off the bench -- scored in double figures.</p>
<p>Tuesday's game showed Maryland's greatest strength: their depth. Maryland is more than just <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/145665/alex-len" class="sbn-auto-link">Alex Len</a>, despite the fact that he could potentially be the number one pick in the this year's NBA Draft. Maryland is also more than Dez Wells, who looks like the one player who has yet to have a truly poor performance so far this season. Turgeon praised his teams depth after the game, something he rarely does.</p>
<p>Charles Mitchell was handed his second start of the year after Turgeon hinted at a lineup change over the weekend. However, it was fellow freshmen <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/178397/shaquille-cleare" class="sbn-auto-link">Shaquille Cleare</a> who stood out on the day. Cleare had a quiet first half, much like the rest of the team, but he stepped up in a big way in the second half.</p>
<p>"I don't know if Charles Mitchell will be starting on Saturday," Turgeon said about his lineup to start conference play.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/178393/seth-allen" class="sbn-auto-link">Seth Allen</a> and <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/52159/logan-aronhalt" class="sbn-auto-link">Logan Aronhalt</a> also had big games off the bench, as the Terps enjoyed a 43-2 advantage in bench scoring. Allen led the team with thirteen points off the bench and was the key to getting Maryland going during the rough early patches hitting a few threes. Meanwhile, Aronhalt continued his hot shooting from behind the arc, and is now shooting near 56% from three on the season after a 3-for-4 performance against IUPUI.</p>
<p>Maryland now has four days to get ready for Virginia Tech on Saturday. A Virginia Tech team that is coming off back-to-back losses of 26 points or more. One thing is for certain heading in to conference play: while we have no idea who will step up on any given night, there is no shortage of answers for Turgeon and his Terps.</p>
https://dc.sbnation.com/maryland-terrapins/2013/1/2/3825746/maryland-vs-iupui-balanced-effort-is-the-key-to-terps-81-63-victoryBrendan Darr2012-12-29T19:00:05-05:002012-12-29T19:00:05-05:00Terps Swat Hornets, 79-50
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<figcaption>Paul Frederiksen-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Despite the wintry weather outside, the Terps were red hot against Delaware State.</p> <p>The weather outside is weather.</p>
<p>But that didn't stop 12,389 fans from showing up to an early Saturday afternoon game the weekend in between Christmas and New Years. The fans weren't let down, either, as Maryland struggled to get going, but used a 21-4 run to open the game up in the first half. Maryland went on to defeat Delaware State 79-50 in their second to last game before starting ACC play.</p>
<p>Charles Mitchell had combined for six points in his previous three games, but continuing with Maryland's trend of balance, Mitchell rebounded -- literally and figuratively.</p>
<p>"If the ball is in the air and I jump first, it is mine," Mitchell continued, "If I'm the closest to it, it is mine."</p>
<p>Mitchell finished with 14 rebounds -- a new career-high -- but what was more impressive was his 19 points (also a career-high). Delaware State couldn't contain Mitchell and Coach Mark Turgeon heaped some praise on the freshman.</p>
<p>"He was probably eating a few pizza's at night he shouldn't be, and he got back to his discipline. He's worked hard and he lost weight, and those are some pretty impressive numbers," Turgeon said about Mitchell.</p>
<p>Dez Wells had the play of the game with a thunderous dunk in the first half that really spurred the big Maryland run. While Wells wasn't dominant on Saturday afternoon, he did put in a solid shift filling up the stat sheet. He finished with ten points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals.</p>
<p>"Dez [Wells] is just so unselfish he knows he didn't have to do a lot tonight, so he didn't do a lot, but he was still really good," Coach Turgeon said about Wells stat-stuffing night.</p>
<p>One new wrinkle from Saturday's game was the first real look at Maryland's potential full-court press under Turgeon this season. Turgeon mentioned how he pulled it out of the cobwebs just to speed the tempo of the game up. He also mentioned how Delaware State seemed to be caught off guard by it and that's why it was so effective. The press was very effective and while it was only used to get the tempo going, it was something that we are all likely to see more of come conference play.</p>
<p>With the win the Terrapins improved to 11-1 and will have one final warm up game out of conference before starting ACC play a week from Saturday against Virginia Tech at home.</p>
https://dc.sbnation.com/2012/12/29/3815348/maryland-vs-delaware-state-maryland-starts-slow-but-rebounds-for-79Brendan Darr2012-12-13T09:01:06-05:002012-12-13T09:01:06-05:00Terps pull away from Monmouth late, 71-38
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<figcaption>Bob Donnan-US PRESSWIRE</figcaption>
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<p>Maryland held Monmouth to under 40 points Wednesday evening, but a season-high 24 turnovers and poor shooting kept the score closer than it should have been. Despite all that, Maryland has its longest winning streak since 2002.</p> <p>COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- Maryland should have scored 100 points on Wednesday night. Unfortunately, 24 turnovers and 31.6 percent shooting from three held them back. After a fast start that saw Maryland take an early 11-2 lead, the Terps slowed down in a big way, but never fell behind.</p>
<p>It was an awkward post-game press conference as Mark Turgeon and the selected players that came out for interviews seemed like the team that lost by 33 points on the evening. Turgeon is holding his team to a higher standard, which is a good thing for fans of Maryland, but one has to wonder if playing all these cupcakes before the start of the ACC season is potentially a bad thing long term.</p>
<p>Maryland, despite having superior talent, is playing down to its competition. They are turning the ball over at a "world-record pace" according to Turgeon. While they are getting wins, and by comfortable margins, are all these tune-up games necessary? Has the team gotten complacent?</p>
<p>"I scheduled so I could throw them into the fire. They are not handling ... we were playing Monmouth, nothing against Monmouth, okay, but our guys should play better against Monmouth," Turgeon continued, "You guys want me to be honest? I'll be honest. I'm disappointed, they need to give me more. I think the problem is people telling these guys how good they are and they're listening."</p>
<p>Turgeon obviously expects a lot out of his team and feels as though he isn't getting it right now. The players seemed down after the game as well, and Dez Wells revealed that Turgeon kind of laid into them, but rightfully so given how the game was going.</p>
<p>"It was a learning experience for us as a young team. We have to learn from this; it can't happen again," Wells said after the game.</p>
<p>One thing that stood out from Wednesday's game was the noted absence from Jake "Sunshine" Layman in the first half. After not seeing any time in the first half, Layman saw 13 minutes of action in the second half. Turgeon revealed that it was academically related and that Layman had to be in study hall on Monday instead of practice, because he didn't get his work done over the weekend. Turgeon added he was lucky he played at all.</p>
<p>"He's got to be tough enough to have confidence. No one gives you confidence, you give it to yourself," Turgeon said of Layman, "If he wants to play at Maryland he needs to be tough, and he needs to get it back. It's painfully obvious."</p>
<p>While confidence may be an issue for Layman, it doesn't seem to be a problem for the rest of the team. Hearkening back to the issue of competition, it seems like the players thought they could sleepwalk through this game and come away with a forty or fifty point victory. Obviously that wasn't the case, and at this point it is getting repetitive.</p>
<p>"We are averaging 19 assists a game, which is pretty good, and we pass the ball well. With that said, we are eighth in the country in assists, but like 270th in the country in turnovers, so obviously there is a disconnect there I need to figure out."</p>
<p>The Terps now have an eight-day break for exams to get things turned around before their next game against Stony Brook. With just three more out-of-conference games before they open ACC play, Turgeon and company will need to find a way to get things figured out. That conference opener against Virginia Tech looks a lot more difficult than it did at the start of the season. The Hokies sit at 8-1 and boast the nation's second-leading scorer in <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/99824/erick-green">Erick Green</a>.</p>
https://dc.sbnation.com/2012/12/13/3761320/maryland-vs-monmouth-terps-win-by-33-but-not-enough-to-keep-turgeonBrendan Darr2012-12-08T20:00:26-05:002012-12-08T20:00:26-05:00Terps extend streak with win over SCSU
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<figcaption>David Banks-US PRESSWIRE</figcaption>
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<p>Maryland extended their winning streak to eight games, the longest streak for the Terps since the start of the '06-07 season.</p> <p>Another day, another overmatched Maryland opponent. Maryland did what they could, but South Carolina State tried to play keep away as much as possible against the Terps. Mark Turgeon probably said it best.</p>
<p><span style="line-height: 9px;">"They were trying so hard not to shot, it was hard to get a feel, but they shot 32 percent so we did something right," Said Turgeon. </span></p>
<p>He also mentioned how it was an ugly game and it was difficult for him to get into, and naturally assumed it was difficult for everyone else as well. With that in mind, I'll forego the good, the bad and the ugly because... well, like I said, Turgeon said it best. It was ugly.</p>
<p>It was real ugly for one player in particular, Charles Mitchell, who got his first career start. Mitchell played eight minutes in the first half and didn't see any time at all in the second half. Turgeon was asked about it after the game.</p>
<p>"He just wasn't into the game," said Turgeon. He wouldn't elaborate further.</p>
<p><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/178393/seth-allen">Seth Allen</a> didn't see anything out of the ordinary with Mitchell, who was coming off his second double-double of his young career.</p>
<p>"He seemed the same to me, their type of offense made you have to be patient, and he just made a couple mistakes on defense," Allen continued, "He'll bounce back, Charles [Mitchell] is a tough guy."</p>
<p>Mitchell wasn't the only player who struggled though, in fact, outside of <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/145665/alex-len">Alex Len</a> and Pe'Shon Howard it's hard to find a player who really excelled on Saturday. Len led the team in scoring with 13 points, he was the only player in double figures for Maryland.</p>
<p>Howard, meanwhile, rebounded from a short performance against Md.-Eastern Shore mid-week in which he played just nine minutes due to illness. Howard had six points, which at first glance doesn't seem like a lot, but consider he hasn't scored since before Thanksgiving. Howard also contributed four assists -- to just one turnover -- and four rebounds.</p>
<p>Maryland continued their winning streak after falling to Kentucky in the season-opener, and it now sits at eight games. That's the longest streak since the start of the '06-07 season for Maryland. Maryland will face Monmouth next at home on Wednesday night.</p>
https://dc.sbnation.com/2012/12/8/3744584/maryland-vs-south-carolina-state-terps-win-in-ugly-fashion-over-southBrendan Darr2012-12-06T09:10:02-05:002012-12-06T09:10:02-05:00Terps Blow Out Winless Md.-Eastern Shore
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<p>The Terps hit the century mark in a win over hapless Md.-Eastern Shore</p> <p>Rather than writing my usual good (everything about Maryland. ..), bad ( ...except their turnovers) and ugly (UMES), I'll just keep it simple.</p>
<p>In a game against such a weak opponent, Maryland could take a few risks, and Mark Turgeon mixed up his starting lineup right out of the gate. For the first time all year, Maryland rolled out a new lineup, with <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/178393/seth-allen" class="sbn-auto-link">Seth Allen</a>, <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/178395/jake-layman" class="sbn-auto-link">Jake Layman</a> and Shaq Cleare starting in place of Pe'Shon Howard, <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/145659/nick-faust" class="sbn-auto-link">Nick Faust</a> and <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/145665/alex-len" class="sbn-auto-link">Alex Len</a>.</p>
<p>"To answer your questions about the starting lineup, no one was in trouble," Turgeon said in his opening statement, "I just did it because you never know what lies ahead, and I want everyone to know what it is like to start a game."</p>
<p>Turgeon also mentioned that he plans on using a different starting lineup Saturday against South Carolina State. One note we did get out of the lineup moves was that Pe'Shon Howard's stomach was acting up, which limited him to just nine minutes. Turgeon left it up to Howard to decide if he could go back in, but in his absence the coach got to see what he had with Nick Faust running the point. However, in such a blowout could anything really be taken away from the game?</p>
<p>"Confidence, togetherness and smiling faces, I'm on these guys all the time. It just kind of shows you the type of guys we have." Turgeon joked.</p>
<p>While this was Maryland's worst opponent of the season record-wise, it was an opportunity to tinker with the lineup and get guys some extra minutes who normally don't start. Minutes were spread out pretty evenly tonight as Turgeon was alternating his lines (sorry hockey fans, I'm trying to help here). The extra minutes seemed to benefit everyone as Maryland finished with five scorers in double-figures.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/52159/logan-aronhalt" class="sbn-auto-link">Logan Aronhalt</a> led the way with 17 points, and actually scored his first point of any kind from inside the three-point line Wednesday. <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/178397/shaquille-cleare" class="sbn-auto-link">Shaquille Cleare</a>, who got the spot start, also made it into double-figures and finished with 12 points. Charles Mitchell had a double-double on the evening, finishing with 10 points and 11 rebounds.</p>
<p>"I did?" Mitchell said when he found out he did, in fact, record a double-double, "I was just out there playing basketball and having fun enjoying the moment, I guess I'm proud of myself."</p>
<p>All in all, Maryland did what it was supposed to do against a winless opponent. Their next game, as Turgeon eluded to, will feature similar mix-and-match motifs, just to get more people accustomed to starting. Maryland faces South Carolina State on Saturday afternoon. Tip-off is at 2:00 p.m.</p>
https://dc.sbnation.com/2012/12/6/3734174/maryland-terrapins-basketball-maryland-eastern-shore-feature-game-recapBrendan Darr2012-12-03T09:01:16-05:002012-12-03T09:01:16-05:00The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: BB&T Edition
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<p>In what could be Maryland's final game in the BB&T Classic, the Terps go out with a win.</p> <p>The BB&T Classic has been a constant on Maryland's schedule since its inception. After listening to Mark Turgeon the last couple days, it sounds like Maryland may have played its last game in the showcase. If this was the last game that Maryland played in the classic, they went out on top with a 69-62 win over George Mason Sunday</p>
<p>Maryland's early season struggles continued against the Patriots. The Terps continued to struggle to hold on to the ball as they had more turnovers than assists. Maryland also continued their poor shooting from behind the arc and at the charity stripe. Obviously, Maryland has a lot of time to turn these problem areas around. Perhaps more importantly, despite the struggles, they are finding ways to win.</p>
<p><b>The Good</b></p>
<p><i>Dez Wells</i></p>
<p>Wells had his best game as a collegiate player, scoring a team and career-high 25 points against George Mason. For long stretches of the game, Wells was the only player scoring for Maryland. The Terps opened up the game with an 8-4 advantage, which was all done by Wells. He then went over 14 minutes without a basket, and not shockingly, Maryland struggled on offense.</p>
<p>It's becoming clear that Wells is going to be the most important player on this team. With the Maryland guards unable to consistently get the ball to <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/145665/alex-len" class="sbn-auto-link">Alex Len</a>, Wells has to step-up and be the leader on offense. Wells just has a different gear that the other players don't seem to have. His elite athleticism and ability to knock down jump shots make him an incredibly versatile and unique weapon.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/175271/patrick-holloway" class="sbn-auto-link"><i>Patrick Holloway</i></a></p>
<p>Holloway came off the bench and immediately made an immediate impact for the Patriots. In the first half, Holloway was on fire and single-handily kept George Mason in the game. Holloway did struggle in the second half. As Maryland took the lead back after a slow start, Holloway was counted on to take -- and make -- many big shots, but couldn't. Either way, Holloway was George Mason's best player, and a big reason they played as well as they did for the first 25 minutes.</p>
<p><i>Maryland's Interior Defense</i></p>
<p>Maryland's big men again won the rebounding battle. It looks impressive, a plus-15 margin, but it was much closer until late in the game when George Mason started bombing away from deep. Regardless, the big men made life miserable down low for George Mason, and it could have been worse if Alex Len hadn't picked up early fouls.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/178397/shaquille-cleare" class="sbn-auto-link">Shaquille Cleare</a> didn't get as much time Sunday due to his foul struggles, but Alex Len, <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/99805/james-padgett" class="sbn-auto-link">James Padgett</a> and Charles Mitchell all played outstanding down low.</p>
<p><b>The Bad</b></p>
<p><i>Maryland's Free Throw Shooting</i></p>
<p>It is early in the season, yes. Forwards got to the free throw line more often than the guards, yes. Still, shooting under 60% from the free throw line? That's bad. Very bad. I don't quite know how Maryland fixes this issue -- other than shooting thousands of free throws per day -- but Maryland will struggle against better opponents if the free throw issues persist.</p>
<p><i>George Mason's Shot Selection</i></p>
<p>Mason actually had a lead in this game despite shooting 31% from the game. It's not often a team can say that. It wasn't all the Patriots who took bad shots, just the ones not named <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/100269/sherrod-wright" class="sbn-auto-link">Sherrod Wright</a> or Patrick Holloway. That duo combined for 34 of George Mason's 62 points.</p>
<p>George Mason had four players take more than three shots and not make a basket, including Byron Allen who was 0-for-8 from the floor.</p>
<p><i>Maryland's Turnovers</i></p>
<p>As I mentioned, Maryland finished with more turnovers (19) than assists (14). Somehow, despite high turnover numbers Maryland is finding ways to win. Dez Wells had a team-high five turnovers, and while he was great on offense, Turgeon did joke with Wells about his turnovers.</p>
<p>Turgeon joked that he told Wells that the player was going to set the new Maryland record for turnovers if he kept playing the way he was. Wells said "I needed to calm down" and he did.</p>
<p><b>The Ugly</b></p>
<p><i>The Crowd</i></p>
<p>I understand why Mark Turgeon was upset on Saturday and again after the game about the BB&T Classic. He said he wants to do what is best for Maryland, and that may or may not include the classic in the future. The crowd was announced at just over 10,000 people, but looked much more empty than that. Then there was the issue with the Maryland students being stuck in the upper-level where it looked like George Mason's "student section" was sprinkled throughout the lower levels.</p>
<p>It doesn't help that Maryland can no longer get a marquee game out of this "tournament" and seems to be the only thing keeping it intact. The crowd was supposedly a deciding factor for Turgeon, and I can't imagine Sunday's crowd will convince the coach to bring his team back.</p>
https://dc.sbnation.com/2012/12/3/3719920/george-mason-vs-maryland-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly-from-marylandsBrendan Darr2012-11-25T09:30:26-05:002012-11-25T09:30:26-05:00Terps use 2nd half surge to top Georgia Southern
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<figcaption>Paul Abell-US PRESSWIRE</figcaption>
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<p>Maryland struggled in the first half against Georgia Southern, but some halftime adjustments were the difference maker as the Terps pulled away.</p> <p>Maryland extended their winning streak to four games after a 70-53 win over Georgia Southern. It took more effort than it probably should have, but the Terps were able to survive an ugly first half to pull away in the second half. It took some halftime adjustments from Terrapins Head Coach Mark Turgeon, including using two guys off the bench to start the second, but ultimately, it worked.</p>
<p>"That wasn't a lot of fun, especially in the first half. We obviously weren't ready to play, physically and mentally in the first half." Said Turgeon</p>
<p>That much was true, after an uninspiring start to the game -- Georgia Southern opened up a 9-1 lead forcing Turgeon to call timeout -- and a rather boring first half in front of a half-empty arena, Turgeon's team rallied in the second half.</p>
<p><b>The Good:</b></p>
<p><i>Charles Mitchell</i></p>
<p>Mitchell was the one constant throughout the evening. During both halves of play Mitchell was the best player on the court. He finished with 13 points and 11 rebounds (5 offensive) and added a block on the evening. Turgeon mentioned how Mitchell wasn't very good in the last game against Lafayette, and they had a rough film session.</p>
<p>"We watched film and it wasn't a very fun film session for Charles and he responded in the right way." Said Turgeon.</p>
<p>Mitchell said that he thought he had a good game, but when he went to look at the film, he said every mistake he saw was one of his. Mitchell responded well, and clearly looks to have the lead on the first big man off the bench over Shaq Cleare.</p>
<p><i>Maryland's Rebounding Margin</i></p>
<p>This seems like it will be a staple of the "Good" category all season long, as Maryland has yet to lose the rebounding battle in a contest this season. Maryland finished with a 49 to 25 rebounding margin over Georgia Southern in the game on Saturday evening. Yet Coach Turgeon still didn't seem pleased.</p>
<p>"It's funny, it doesn't feel like we are out-rebounding them that much in the game. They had two offensive rebounds in a possession and I was ready to blow a gasket because I expect us to get every rebound." joked Turgeon.</p>
<p>While Turgeon knows the team cannot possibly get every rebound, the Terrapins have gotten to more offensive rebounds than the other team has had defensive rebounds for the second game in a row.</p>
<p><i>Maryland Found Its Designated Shooter</i></p>
<p><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/maryland-terrapins">Maryland Terrapins</a> fans, meet <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/52159/logan-aronhalt">Logan Aronhalt</a>. Logan, meet Terrapins fans. This is who you will be counting on to hit big shots. The senior transfer from Albany admits that the transition from being "THE guy" at Albany to being a guy getting spot minutes hasn't been easy, but he's getting accustomed to his role. Coach Turgeon mentioned that Aronhalt was in the gym at 8:00 a.m. Saturday morning working on his jump shot.</p>
<p>"[Laughs] I was actually at the gym at 10:00 am, I can't lie. I'm old, it takes my body longer to get loose." joked Aronhalt.</p>
<p><b>The Bad:</b></p>
<p><i>Maryland's Second Unit In The Second Half</i></p>
<p>After Maryland started the second half with <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/178393/seth-allen">Seth Allen</a>, Logan Aronhalt, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/145659/nick-faust">Nick Faust</a>, Charles Mitchell and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/145665/alex-len">Alex Len</a>, Turgeon sent a message to his team. Maryland's lead expanded from three at the half, to 16 by the time the second unit came in.</p>
<p>That second unit consisted of Pe'Shon Howard, Dez Wells, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/178395/jake-layman">Jake Layman</a>, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/99805/james-padgett">James Padgett</a> and Shaq Cleare. They couldn't keep that momentum up and eventually that 16-point lead was whittled away to seven. Howard, Wells and Layman all struggled from behind the arc.</p>
<p>The worst part about this second unit was the lack of anything creative offensively. Often, players would pass up wide-open shots around the perimeter in an attempt to be unselfish, but that would lead to a more contested shot.</p>
<p><i>Georgia Southern's Second Half Performance</i></p>
<p>Simply put, they got behind big out of the gate, and managed to claw their way back only to have the game get put out of reach as they missed shots from the perimeter. During their comeback they managed to close the gap by working the shot clock and finding the best shot possible.</p>
<p>Once the lead got back to double-digits late in the game they relied to heavily on their long-range shooting, but finished just 4-for-13 from three-point land.</p>
<p><b>The Ugly:</b></p>
<p><i>The Thanksgiving Crowd</i></p>
<p>That's really the only negative, and it really isn't much of one. Crowds are always smaller around holidays because class isn't in session. The announced crowd was just slightly over 10,000 but it was silent at times -- and not just during free throws.</p>
<p>Maryland's first half was pretty ugly offensively, too, as they had eight assists to ten turnovers. Maryland's free throw shooting was also pretty poor on the evening at 64.7%.</p>
https://dc.sbnation.com/2012/11/25/3687260/georgia-southern-vs-maryland-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly-from-terpsBrendan Darr2012-11-21T09:15:01-05:002012-11-21T09:15:01-05:00Maryland Survives 3-Point Barrage From Lafayette
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<figcaption>Jason Szenes</figcaption>
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<p>Maryland survives a barrage of three pointers from Lafayette to hold off the upset-minded Leopards en route to a 83-74 victory.</p> <p>Maryland has been in the news because of their move to the Big Ten, but they had to play an actual basketball game on Tuesday night and put the conference realignment discussion on hold, if only for a few hours around campus. The Terrapins struggled on the night, but not enough to make it a close game. The final score shows Maryland winning by nine points, but they led by as many as 19 in the middle of the second half.</p>
<p>Lafayette was on fire from downtown Tuesday night and the Terps could do little about it.</p>
<p>"We didn't make a jump shot and didn't make many free throws, but we still managed 83 points so we did something right." Maryland coach Mark Turgeon said after the game. He also added "They were good, I don't know if last year we come out of this game with a win."</p>
<p><b>The Good</b>:</p>
<p><i>Maryland's Rebounding</i></p>
<p>Maryland's big men again dominated the boards against a smaller Lafayette front court. Maryland won the rebounding battle by double digits -- outrebounding Lafayette 44-28. Maryland grabbed 19 offensive rebounds, while Lafayette grabbed just 13 defensive rebounds, a tough statistic to pull off.</p>
<p><i>The Win For Maryland</i></p>
<p>As Turgeon pointed out in his press conference, he didn't think his team last year would have won this game. It shows the improvement that Maryland has made in such a short period of time. With last year's team, <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/123861/terrell-stoglin" class="sbn-auto-link">Terrell Stoglin</a> would have tried to take this game over, but this year the team was balanced and found a way to win.</p>
<p><i>Lafayette Beyond The Arc</i></p>
<p>Lafayette shot a scintillating 47% from three on Tuesday, which kept them in the game. They actually made more three-point attempts than two-point attempts. Three players on Lafayette's roster made multiple three-pointers and six players total made shots beyond the arc.</p>
<p><b>The Bad:</b></p>
<p><i>Maryland's Shot Selection</i></p>
<p>If you're shooting 20% from three-point range, at some point you have to start driving to the basket. Maryland did in the second half and was able to put Lafayette away despite often trading three-for-two -- which never caught up with them after the lead they were able to build up.</p>
<p>"We have good shooters, it just wasn't our night." said Turgeon.</p>
<p><i>Maryland's Free Throw Shooting</i></p>
<p>This is going to continue to be a problem. Not really much can be said about it at this point except for the consistency with which Maryland shoots free throws, around 67%.</p>
<p><i>Maryland's Defense</i></p>
<p>Allowing an opponent to shoot 15-of-32 from downtown is unacceptable and Turgeon said as much. Things were exacerbated by the Terps lack of shooting on the other end. Meanwhile, the Terps gave up an above average amount of offensive rebounds and second chances to the Leopards.</p>
<p>The Ugly:</p>
<p><i>The Game in General</i></p>
<p>Maybe it was the lack of a true crowd because of Thanksgiving. Maybe it was the Big Ten news being a distraction. Neither team played their best game out on the floor on Tuesday. The game was by no means sloppy or unwatchable -- 83-74 is a high scoring game if you aren't named Grinnell -- but neither team looked like they cared for the full forty minutes.</p>
<p>Dez Wells joked that he was throwing passes too hard into the post, it was just that kind of night. Nick Faust said he played a poor game, but tried to improve things in the second half -- which, admittedly, Turgeon gave him credit for doing.</p>
https://dc.sbnation.com/2012/11/21/3673998/lafayette-vs-maryland-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly-from-the-terpsBrendan Darr2012-11-19T09:30:30-05:002012-11-19T09:30:30-05:00Match Ratings From United's Season-Ending Draw
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<figcaption>Patrick McDermott</figcaption>
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<p>D.C. United had a lot to overcome in the second leg against Houston at RFK, but could only manage a 1-1 draw in the second leg of the Eastern Conference Finals to fall on aggregate, 4-2. </p> <p><a href="https://www.blackandredunited.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">D.C. United</a> had to overcome what seemed like an insurmountable deficit heading into the second leg of the Eastern Conference Finals. They also had to do it without the services of <span>Andy Najar</span> who was finishing up his three-match ban for throwing a ball at a referee. Oh, and the injuries, don't forget the injuries. <span>Chris Pontius</span> was out for the game. <span>Brandon McDonald</span> was in the 18, but was unable to go. <span>Dwayne De Rosario</span> was in the 18, but only came on for the final thirty minutes.</p>
<p>"Pontius would have been a question for the final... Brandon [McDonald] maybe could've played, but I wasn't using a defensive sub." Head Coach Ben Olsen said after the game.</p>
<p>Things were made worse when United conceded the opening goal of the game. Two goals to tie in regulation -- three to win -- was difficult enough, but a three-goal hole was too much to overcome. United were able to pull one back in the 83rd minute after some amazing skill on the ball by <span>Branko Boskovic</span>, and had multiple opportunities for other goals but couldn't convert en route to the 4-2 aggregate loss.</p>
<p>"We talked about keeping a zero [on the scoreboard], and we knew we had to score, but we had to keep them off the board," said Olsen.</p>
<h4><b>Starters Match Ratings:</b></h4>
<p>GK <span>Bill Hamid</span> - 7.5</p>
<p>Hamid was great and really could not have done a thing about Garcia's goal. He made a few big saves, including a save on a one-on-one chance that could have made United's hole even deeper. United will be lucky to hold on to Hamid through the winter.</p>
<p>DEF <span>Robbie Russell</span> - 7</p>
<p>Russell started at Right Back, but moved farther and farther up the pitch as the game wore on. He was solid going forward on Sunday, much more so than he had shown of late. He wasn't asked to do much defending, but did a decent job when he had to defend.</p>
<p>DEF <span>Dejan Jakovic</span> - 4.5</p>
<p>Jakovic was rough in defense Sunday night. He had a few turnovers and gave up a two-on-one situation that he was eventually bailed out of. He missed a tackle that lead to the lone Dynamo goal. Not his best performance.</p>
<p>DEF <span>Emiliano Dudar</span> - 5.5</p>
<p>Dudar played only slightly better than his center back partner, but he gets a full point higher because he bailed Jakovic out on that two-on-one situation. Dudar was subbed off, but looked like he still had some energy left in him.</p>
<p>DEF <span>Chris Korb</span> - 8</p>
<p>Korb was partially responsible for the goal, in the sense that he was standing around and not contributing to stopping the attack. Korb, however, was responsible for a few chances he created and helped create. He was a close second for man of the match.</p>
<p>MID <span>Marcelo Saragosa</span> - 4.5</p>
<p>Saragosa was injured, to what extent I don't know (no translator was around), and he looked injured and incapable of giving his all. Olsen didn't have a lot of options on the bench for his spot, but Saragosa probably should have been dropped given how he looked on the pitch.</p>
<p>MID <span>Perry Kitchen</span> - 7</p>
<p>Kitchen broke up a few Houston attacks and helped in United's attack when he could. He played a large part in the game despite a lack of stats to back it up. He looked much better than Saragosa and had to pick up a lot of the slack.</p>
<p>MID <span>Nick DeLeon</span> - 7</p>
<p>DeLeon was all over the pitch Sunday evening. He started on the left side, but was going all over the pitch and attacking wherever he could. He seemed to settle in on the right side in the second half and was able to attack better on that side.</p>
<p>MID Branko Boskovic - 8.5</p>
<p>He scored. He went the full ninety. He put in some beautiful balls on set pieces. He's the Man of the Match in a game that needed the creativity he was able to provide.</p>
<p>FWD Lionard Pajoy - 4</p>
<p>He was very solid for the first 25 minutes of the game. He was able to hold the ball up, and do the little things that make people say "He does the little things well." Then, over the next 20 minutes, none of those things were happening. He was onside on one play, but stopped because he -- naturally -- assumed he would have been offside.</p>
<p>FWD Maicon Santos - 5.5</p>
<p>Provided better -- and more consistent -- hold up play than Pajoy. He also added more to the attack, in the sense that he would attack. He wasn't able to get many shots on goal tonight, but he had two headers that troubled <span>Tally Hall</span>.</p>
<h4><b>Subs:</b></h4>
<p>MID <span>Lewis Neal</span> - 5.5</p>
<p>Neal did a good job helping in the attack. He did, however, fail to get any of his many shots on goal.</p>
<p>FWD <span>Hamdi Salihi</span> - 4</p>
<p>Olsen said after the game that Salihi was rusty and had he had more game time he might have converted one of the chances he had on the evening. That seems like something Olsen would have had responsibility over. In any event, Salihi was rusty, at best.</p>
<p>MID/FWD Dwayne De Rosario - Incomplete</p>
<p>It's tough to grade De Rosario on the night. He played. He wasn't that beaten up and he held his own for thirty minutes. That in itself is a victory for the embattled former MVP. After the game De Rosario was beaten up over the season being over and was overcome with emotion that he ended his media session with tears.</p>
<h4>Highlights:</h4>
<p> </p>
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https://dc.sbnation.com/2012/11/19/3664866/houston-dynamo-vs-d-c-united-match-ratings-from-uniteds-season-endingBrendan Darr2012-11-17T08:15:03-05:002012-11-17T08:15:03-05:00The Good, The Bad and The Ugly: Maryland vs. LIU
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<figcaption>Paul Abell-US PRESSWIRE</figcaption>
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<p>Maryland continued to breeze through their non-conference schedule with a 91-74 victory over LIU-Brooklyn. </p> <p>It wasn't pretty in the first half, but Maryland managed to pull away in the second half en route to a 91-74 victory over the LIU-Brooklyn Blackbirds. It was a balanced effort all-around from the Terrapins. All ten players that stepped on the court for Maryland scored Friday night, and the Terrapins had three guys score in double-figures.</p>
<p>Maryland coach Mark Turgeon did point out that he had to ride the hot hand of <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/178393/seth-allen" class="sbn-auto-link">Seth Allen</a> tonight. The freshman finished with a career-high 19 points to lead the team in scoring. Allen finished five-for-six from behind the arc on the evening and also finished with four assists.</p>
<p>A big reason Allen was able to hit so many threes was the deft passing from Pe'Shon Howard, who looks like he is fully recovered from a knee injury that ended his season last year. Howard filled up the stat sheet on Friday night, finishing with 7 points, 7 rebounds, 13 assists and 2 steals. His 13 assists are a team-high for the year, and the highest from a Maryland player since the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/25589/greivis-vasquez" class="sbn-auto-link">Greivis Vasquez</a> days.</p>
<p>"It was great to finally get in to double digits. I have great scorers all around me, so it makes my job so much easier when I am in control," Howard said of his 13 assists after the game.</p>
<p>Turgeon was pleased with the second half, especially the way the Terrapins shared the ball, but noted that the first half was sloppy and the defense needed to do a better job containing the Blackbirds in the second half. Overall, Turgeon seemed happy with his rotation tonight, and he really had no choice but to leave Allen in at the expense of <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/52159/logan-aronhalt" class="sbn-auto-link">Logan Aronhalt</a> and <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/178395/jake-layman" class="sbn-auto-link">Jake Layman</a>.</p>
<p>Turgeon noted that the second-half lineup to close out the game was one the Terps didn't practice with much, but it worked to their advantage. The smaller lineup may be rare, but was great at closing out the game, especially with everyone playing at such a high level.</p>
<p><b>The Good</b></p>
<p><i>Maryland's Second Half Performance</i></p>
<p>As Turgeon pointed out, the second half was much better offensively from the Terps, even though they let the Blackbirds get as close as seven points in the second half. The offense had 19 assists to just three turnovers in the second half, a marked improvement from the 9 assists to 12 turnovers they had in the first half. Allen's big second half, in which he scored 16 of his 19 points, were a huge reason the Terps were able to pull away.</p>
<p><i><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/53356/julian-boyd" class="sbn-auto-link">Julian Boyd</a> For LIU-Brooklyn</i></p>
<p>Boyd had his best game of the season so far for the Blackbirds against a tough Maryland front court. The 6'7 230-pound bruiser was a lot for Maryland's big men to handle. He was able to play all the way out to the three-point line, which gave Maryland trouble all night. He finished with 22 points and 8 rebounds -- which is no small feat against this Maryland team.</p>
<p><i><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/145665/alex-len" class="sbn-auto-link">Alex Len</a> Continues To Dominate</i></p>
<p>Len is a physical force inside, and continued his stellar play to start the season. Len brushed off talk after the game about him being a lottery pick (To be fair to Len, it is just three games in to the season). He finished with 18 points, 7 rebounds and 4 blocks on the evening.</p>
<p><i>The Student Section</i></p>
<p>After Turgeon and Dez Wells called the fans out following the game against Morehead State, the student section responded, filling up the sideline sections and extending about three-quarters up the wall behind one of the baskets. An impressive showing, despite the lack of paying customers. At times, it felt like a bigger crowd than it was just because of the students.</p>
<p><b>The Bad</b></p>
<p><i>Maryland's First Half</i></p>
<p>In all fairness, the only bad part of the first half was the turnovers, but they killed any momentum Maryland had and ruined any chance of the Terps really pulling away in the first half. </p>
<p><i>LIU-Brooklyn's Shot Selection</i></p>
<p>They shot 42% for the game, a solid number against this Maryland defense, but they finished a terrible 28% from behind the arc. A lot of this came in the first half, when they shot just 2-for-13 from three. The Blackbirds could have made this a much closer game if they had just attacked Maryland more.</p>
<p><b>The Ugly</b></p>
<p><i>Maryland's Paid Attendance</i></p>
<p>I feel like this is going to be a constant throughout the non-conference schedule. The students held up their end of the bargain, the paying customers did not. 12,785 were in attendance tonight, and a good portion of that number were students. It will take time to get the fans back at the Comcast Center, but when they come back, I doubt they will be disappointed.</p>
https://dc.sbnation.com/2012/11/17/3656556/liu-brooklyn-vs-maryland-the-good-the-bad-and-the-uglyBrendan Darr