Four Things We Learned from Maryland's Win Over Virginia Tech
by Ben Goldstein on Jan 28, 2012 8:35 PM EST
in Basketball
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PrintFor those of you new here this is a piece we do from time to time after games. It's modeled off a similar article done by Kevin Van Valkenburg formerly of the Baltimore Sun. Feel free to post your four things in the comments section below.
1. Terrell Stoglin gets a lot of publicity as Maryland's best player, but it's hard to imagine where this team would be without Sean Mosley.
Sean Mosley's not a particularly sexy player. He's not incredibly athletic, he doesn't have a deadly shot, and up until this season he had a habit of missing easy layups. But this year Sean Mosley has emerged as the unquestioned leader of this team. In fact, without him, I'm not sure Maryland wins this game.
Mosley was terrific today (15 pts, 3 steals). But statistics alone don't tell the whole story. Simply put, when the Terps needed a big play today, Sean Mosley delivered. When Virginia Tech cut the lead to 6 with 13 and a half minutes left, Mosley responded with two jumpers and two steals in the span of two minutes to put the Terps back up by 11. With three and a half minutes left and Virginia Tech about to cut the lead to 6 with an easy layup, it was Mosley who came out of nowhere for a momentum changing block that may have been the play of the game.
It's hard to estimate his value because so much of what he does is intangible. They don't keep statistics for charges taken but if they did, I'm pretty sure Mosley would be near the top of the ACC. The same goes for dives on the floor and shots altered. Consider what Ashton Pankey had to say about Mosley after the Duke loss when asked about the youth on this year's team.
"Sean [Mosley] is basically our only leader. He's experienced NCAA tournaments; he's experienced just getting that far. We feed off of him and him being our leader."
There's a reason that Turgeon has said Sean Mosley is the most important person in his life right now besides his family. He's the anchor of this team, he's the glue that brings all these young guys together, and if you think his presence won't be missed next season, you're fooling yourself.
2. It might be time to temper all the "lottery pick" expectations for Alex Len. He's looked incredibly mediocre since the beginning of ACC play.
Now let me begin by saying this is no knock on Alex Len. He's an 18 year old kid who's been thrown into a tough situation. From Day 1 he's been looked at as a savior of sorts despite never playing a minute of Division 1 college basketball and speaking very little English. Then he missed significant amounts of practice and playing time due to an NCAA suspension. Unlike the rest of the team, he didn't get to play through his mistakes against the likes of Radford and Florida International. So he's definitely in a tough spot and one day, I think he will be great. But right now, he has a long way to go before an NBA GM is going to consider taking him with a lottery pick.
In his last four games, Len has scored a total of 4 points and 8 rebounds. He posted 0 rebounds against Duke and seemed to fall asleep on defense several times. Against Temple he was injured seven minutes into the game, but even during those seven minutes he failed to bring in a single rebound. It's clear that there are some confidence issues there (Turgeon has said as much) but I'm wondering if the expectations set for him at the beginning of the season were just way too high.
For all the good qualities Len possesses (height, length, an accurate shooting stroke), there seems to be a good amount missing (reliable hands, post moves, confidence). That's not to say that Len can't improve his game. His confidence in particular can certainly be improved and likely will be as he becomes more comfortable playing basketball at this level. But right now, he looks like the third best big on this team. He's making too many errors to play extended minutes, and with the meat of the ACC schedule approaching, Turgeon can't afford to let the kid simply play through his mistakes.
3. When Mark Turgeon said that his bigs weren't that bad at the beginning of the year, he wasn't kidding. Collectively, Ashton Pankey and James Padgett have been the surprises of the season thus far.
Yes, Pankey and Padgett got mercilessly picked on by the Plumlees earlier this week. And no they're not making any all-ACC teams. But based on what we've seen from Padgett the last two years, and what we thought we knew about Pankey, it's safe to say these two are exceeding expectations this year. For the season, Padgett is averaging 9.1 points per game and 6.1 rebounds. He's developed a couple solid moves in the post and unlike in past years, he's got the confidence to go to the hoop and create his own shot. Pankey has been impressive (although maddeningly inconsistent) as well, averaging 5.6 ppg and 4.7 rpg. Today, he went for 8 points and 11 rebounds and made some key buckets early on that got the offense going.
These two aren't world beaters and I still think the team needs another dependable big on the roster (Hi Shaquille Cleare) but Pankey and Padgett have played well this season and surpassed the admittedly low expectations the fanbase set for them at the start of the year.
4. When you hire a new coach, you never know for sure how it's going to turn out. Some coaches who we knew little about turn out to be legends (like Coach K) and others turn out to be duds (see Sidney Lowe). The Mark Turgeon era is in its infancy, but after a half season, I'm pretty confident that Kevin Anderson hired the right man for the job.
This season has been a bit weird for all of us. For the first time in my lifetime, Gary Williams is not on the sideline stomping, screaming, and sweating as the Maryland's Mens basketball coach. Whenever you go through a period of great transition, it's unclear how you're going to come out on the other side. But through just six ACC games, I am incredibly comfortable with Mark Turgeon as the head of this program.
Arguably the most revealing tell as to how good a coach is is whether or not his teams get better as the season goes on. And this year's Terps have made immense improvements from the time they got thrashed by 20 points by Alabama to where they are today. Maryland sits at 3-3 in the conference, which is good for 6th at the moment. They're coming off a game where they went toe-to-toe with a top 10 Duke team for 30 minutes. And their team defense seems to get better every week. (They held Virginia Tech to just 19 first half points today). There will be stretches where this team looks young and immature (because they are) and games where we, as fans, get frustrated. But through six ACC games, I'm pretty sure I know this: Mark Turgeon can coach basketball. It will be exciting to see how far he can take us in the seasons to come.
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Great piece, Ben.
Thoroughly enjoyed reading it.
@kckb8 ... #getatme
Good stuff Ben
+1 all day on Mosley. Was immense today and this isnt the first time he’s had a big game when Maryland needed it. I dont think we can expect this sort of offensive output every game but those big defensive plays always seem to be there. Definitely deserves credit for his showing.
by Ben Broman on Jan 28, 2012 8:57 PM EST via mobile reply actions
Terrence Ross
He’s been lighting up Arizona tonight. Just makes me sad thinking about how good our team could have been last year and this year if we had a second scorer like him on the team.
Terrence Ross is a stud and a projected lottery pick
He would have been our #1 option IMO
by Verycooldude9 on Jan 28, 2012 9:40 PM EST up reply actions
TX
Ironically there’s a dude on Twitter who lives in DC but cheers for the Horns, Rockets and Texans. He’s like Bizarro me.
Do you guys want to know where I'm from?
by word2bigbird on Jan 29, 2012 4:22 PM EST up reply actions
Sesame Street?
The Stamp Union, sitting next to Jim Henson? lmao
"A new era has dawned in Maryland Athletics..."
by bball purist on Jan 31, 2012 10:41 AM EST up reply actions
New Hampshire.
Live free or die…Fear the Turtle or die!
watched it some too
Hit that sweet shot less than a minute left to move lead back to 4.
"A new era has dawned in Maryland Athletics..."
by bball purist on Jan 28, 2012 10:35 PM EST up reply actions
Sean Miller is having a lot of trouble with Arizona this year
Apparently he is very frustrated that the team isn’t listening to him. Maybe we dodged a bullet?
No
He has the NUMBER 1 recruiting class in the nation coming in
Sid Lowe should prove that notion
You can have all the talent in the world but if you can’t coach your way out of a paper bag, your team will under-perform.
As a coach Turgeon IMO seems to be getting more out of a young team (although with less talent than AZ has) which seems to indicate he's a better coach
..I don’t know how to quantify who maximizes the potential of their team
but Miller is far better in the recruiting game (It’s not even close)…which is not Turgeon’s strength by the way and we knew this when he was hired.
However, Turgeon has surrounded himself w/ assistants to help compensate for that (Hill, Ransom) and in a few years I don’t think there will be as big a disparity if we had been able to hire Miller instead.
by TurtleShel716 on Jan 29, 2012 11:30 AM EST up reply actions
idk if he is straight up better
but Turgeon def works harder than most coache, which is what makes him better
by MurlandTerps on Jan 29, 2012 12:14 PM EST up reply actions
bottom line
both are very good x’s and o’s coaches. Sean has more prima donnas to manage – it’s harder their first year.
"A new era has dawned in Maryland Athletics..."
by bball purist on Jan 29, 2012 12:38 PM EST up reply actions
True...but Turge has challenges with egos I'm sure as well.....
I think he’s done a good job with Stoglin but I doubt he is the easiest player to coach….
He’s had to keep him out of the starting line-up twice for “unknown reasons”. Getting him to play as hard defensively as offensively was tough initially as well.
by TurtleShel716 on Jan 29, 2012 3:33 PM EST up reply actions
Let alone Turgeon isn't who Stoglin wanted to play for in college...
He initially signed on to play under Gary and was recruited the most by Ehsan, both of whom are gone this year…
I think that’s a very difficult situation for Turgeon to have to get his star player on board while knowing that he was probably upset with those changes….kudos to Turgeon for that..
by TurtleShel716 on Jan 29, 2012 3:38 PM EST up reply actions
I agree
Turge has all the players wanting to play better as a team. All the individual and team improvements develop by commitment and hustle. I keep marveling at Mosley’s hustle back to block shots, even with his ankle not at 100%. That is pure desire, and the talent to time these blocks is terrific for a 6’4" player. I can’t say enough about that.
So, yes you’re right, Turge has everyone on board. Stogs knows a former PG who knows the game is what’s best for his career.
"A new era has dawned in Maryland Athletics..."
by bball purist on Jan 29, 2012 3:49 PM EST up reply actions
Great read, Ben!!!
Mosley is undeniably the leader this season. Who will assume that role next year? Padge will be the only senior, but he doesn’t seem to have a leadership personality. The juniors will be Parker, Pe’ and Stogs. I think we can rule Parker out pretty quickly for the same reason as Padge. There are probably plenty of exceptions to this, but I’ve always felt like a good leader is self-less by nature. That makes me question Stogs’ capabilities. That leaves Pe’. Does he have it in him to fill that role?
Stogs as a leader
I think his problem is that his answer to challenges is “I’m going to get this done” versus “We are going to get this done”. Out of guesses who could do it, perhaps we can give another Baltimore native a nod? Faust seems like he could take over making the hustle plays for the team. He also has the swag to pull it off.
Who knows though, perhaps Turge can make a leader out of Stogs yet though.
I could see both
I posted elsewhere, but I really hope that Mosely’s leadership and work ethic are rubbing off on Nick this season. I can really see this being his team his Senior season, no matter what recruits we bring in. He’s shown lately the ability to listen to the coaches, work hard, and do the little things.
And I do think Stogs is capable of stepping into that role in a way. It was brought up in GV’s tweet about Stogs. It’ll be really interesting to see how Stogs matures in the offseason and into next season. It’ll truly be his team to lead if he so chooses.
by NAmstrong on Jan 29, 2012 12:21 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
Stogs
IDK if you watched the NCAA tournament last year but Kemba Walker’s “Im going to get this done” attitude worked quite well. And he did it as a leader.
Stoglin has been passing the ball much better lately. He needs to score for the terps to win and he knows that and so does Turg. I think he is much more selfless than most give him credit for. He came out early on yesterday with a pass first attitude which helped get everyone involved, especially pankey and padge. Anyway, He should be taking 40% of the shots.
And Mosley may have made a couple big plays down the stretch but Stogs had 21 points in the 2nd half. Only a handful of guys in college have that capability.
Agreed re: Stoglin
Remember where GV was at this point in his career. Leadership and carrying the team (rather than mainly looking to create your own shot) come with maturity and time.
by Terpmenacestan on Jan 29, 2012 7:12 PM EST up reply actions
Pe is probably the right choice
Turge has already shown that he trusts Peshon through what he says about him in his post games. I think the only negative thing he has said about Pe is that he doenst necessarily take criticism well. I also think that this could be a team where several guys are all on board and thus the need for a captain is lessened. If you have guys like Terrell, Parker, Pankey, Padgett, and Faust who all see how much better they have gotten and buy in to the system, then you don’t necessarily need someone out there telling them to get in the gym or work on this or that. They could all push each other.
Point 3
is spot on. And think about how good we could be next year at the 4 and 5. A core four of Padgett, Pankey, Len, and Cleare would be very, very serviceable. If Len makes some big steps and Cleare plays like a top-40 recruit, we’d have done a full 180 down low in just one season. Those are some big ifs, but they’re not completely outrageous. Damn, I’m excited.
What we're clearly lacking this year
is a big body down low to challenge the Plumlee types. I’m skeptical that Len can bulk up sufficiently to be serviceable as a back-up to Cleare next year, and if Shaq gets into foul trouble – or worse – gets injured as Len did vs. Temple, we’re in trouble. I’m not convinced Charles Mitchell is the answer at 6’7", but his bulk would still help. We might be forced to hope for the best next season, and hope for Meeks or Anya in 2013.
#1 right on
Sean is the heart and soul of thios team. Please don’t put Stogs on the line when the game is on the line. Our team BBall IQ is VERY LOW. Turge was seen rolling his eyes at our play about 10 times in the last minute.
Overall, we suck at free throws, especially when the pressure is on.
Down the stretch
Stogs or Mosley down the stretch at the line is great. Stogs has struggled the last two games at the line, from start to finish. It has nothing to do with the late game pressure. He will be back on track from the line, it’s just in his head. He’s got plenty of confidence in him to take big late game free throws.
Yes
Killer P’s – waiting for a student to run with it at the games
"A new era has dawned in Maryland Athletics..."
Good stuff Ben
Stylistically very similar to Kevin Van Valkenburg’s “5 Things We Learned” work over at the Baltimore Sun (just got a gig with ESPN.com and ESPN Mag actually). Keep up the good work
sounds like someone did not get to
the second sentence of the article…
Pankey
For someone who hasn’t played live ball in 2 years, he’s way exceeding what I thought he would do. I agree he isn’t consistent (yet), but he’s sure not gun-shy for an unheralded freshman coming off a serious injury. He mixes it up well inside and I like his upside way more than Padge’s. He’s also got a for-real frame and doesn’t look as overmatched physically as Padge, who just looks short against the ACC big boys (kinda like how garrison looked short). I think Pankey is going to be a big riser for Turge. He’s under the radar as a freshman, but by the time he’s a senior he’ll be a team leader and a force in the paint. I heart Pankey. Guess I’ll have to start the fan club.
I'll join...
…in fact, if Pankey can add 10-15 pounds in the off-season, he could be the answer to the “Who’s gonna back up Shaq at the 5” question. That would put him around 235…not great, but if Len can’t add some serious strength, who else is there? Pankey certainly has the physique to add another 20-25 pounds without a problem, and his 10 rebounds in the first half against VT is pretty impressive.
Pankey has been good but
Am I the only one who thinks our bigs need work on the defensive end? I mean Mason Plumlee was about to dominate them, but at the end of the VA tech game, we had guys going directly to the rim and our bigs weren’t able to alter their shots without fouling. I would like to see Ashton or Padge be able to get up and get their hands in a position where they don’t necessarily have to block the shot, but at least change what the shooter is planning to do. Len can do this already. Loved his block on Davilla.
its the differnece between beinng 6'7"-8" vs 6'10"
The Plumlee with a game Mason was able to use his height/length against Padgett or Pankey and get off a good shot, despite our guys having good position. They both couldve have forced guys away from their strong side better, but theyre starting off at a disadvantage with their size. Now if they have an eraser on the weekside (Len?, and think Wilcox to Baxter) then they look much better
No, you aren't the only one
Our interior defense is horrid
My Four Points (but not really related to the win)
1. Recruiting
It’ll be interesting to see how Layman, Cleare, and Allen (weren’t we gonna pick up one more?) will fit in next year. Will the chemistry be there betwixt the new recruits and our current roster be synergistic? Worst case scenario would be the recruits turn out to be mediocre and sans Stoglin we find ourselves with too many chiefs and not enough Indians…that is too many egos but not enough skill.
2. Our Place in the ACC
We were expected to finish 8th. That sounds about right; however, right now we’re in sixth, half a game out of 5th, and a full game out of 4th. Unreal. And I can only surmise that next year we’ll be top four and NCAA bound.
3. Consistency and Play
Have we not gone up by at least 8-10 against every team at one point except maybe NC State so far? Our defense has gotten great in the first half but then all of a sudden we fall flat on D. And knowing our scoring options it usually creeps up on usin the second half. Given we’re far from feeling OK against mid-tier foes, but which team hasn’t felt vulnerable this season? We need to focus on making role players. To be honest Padgett and Faust have done this the best. They know their role (well, OK, not all the time) and they shine. We see glimmers from others (athletic play from Parker, terrific passes from Pe’shon, great rebounding from Pankey, size/dunks from Len) but the problem is they havent found a winning formula with it yet. Faust, as a driver, and Padgett as garbageman (this of course assumes Stogs is Stogs!) have been the only constants.
4. Len
He’s out of his comfort zone. He’s not gonna have a breakout game this season so much as he will gradually find his footing. The guy has played for too long and is too athletic for a giant to not find it. The good news is that his problems are obvious AND fixable. It’s no yips. It’s just his head is spinning trying to establish himself!
by db0255 on Jan 29, 2012 12:23 AM EST via mobile reply actions
Like Fine Wine, Things Get Better With Time
Great piece!
I agree with all the points made. As frustrating as Mosley has been his entire career, I feel like he makes up for it with his grit and determination. Even last season after being criticized for not stepping up his play after a decent sophomore season, I felt that Mose made plays without the ball and made his presence known without filling up the scorers sheet. He is the epitome of a basketball player. He scraps, he CAN score, and he plays excellent in your face defense. Plus he seems like he works his ass off in practice. I firmly believe that there are leaders who lead by example and those that lead with words. Mose seems like a leader by example. His absence will be huge, but hopefully that is a roll the much maligned Faust can pick up. With all the flack that Faust gets, I feel like he is taking strides and will be a very solid player next year. He seems like he has the drive and work ethic. Basketball is not all about putting the ball in the hoop, although that gets all the pub. Faust will be a great all around player by the time he graduates, if he doesn’t leave early for the NBA (yea, I said it). He seems like a quick learner and very coachable. I expect him to make big strides by next season, if not sooner.
*All Terp Everything*
We gon' make the tourney, book it
9-7 ACC play, with a win over ranked UVA. 19-11 record. And two wins in the ACCT, over GT and FSU. March madness here we come. We looked great today, minus the free throws at the end, and well only get better.
Not sure Len is our third best interior player at this point...he was the only interior defender who was had defensive possesions that caused problems for Dukes bigs...
Yea he missed Peshon’s pass and does look less confident since we started ACC play but his defense and shot altering presence in particular are unique contributions that he gives us right now…I hope Turge gives him as many minutes as he can as long as he’s healthy. It will be worth it just like Nick is now finding his game thru each games experience.
Where's MVPe's Props at?
He had 0 turnovers today! NOT 1, that’s good, a good step in the right direction. He even made 2 clutch free throws needed towards the end. And added a couple steals etc. I think he’s getting alot better, excited to see him improve.
I still think we need to work on the 2nd half alot more. I don’t know what goes on in that locker room at halftime, but we lose steam for a bit. Thank God for Mosley, who shows that he’s a true leader. Sean may not necessarily be the star of the team, but he’s the glue that keeps them together. I like that about him, sorta silent but deadly. Hopefully he’s more consistent, cause those 15 points he provided in this game will be needed for the rest of the acc games.
I loved watching Pankey get those rebounds. I thought he would’ve got a double double, only 1 shot away. Padgett looked good as always. I’ve said since about the beginning of december he’s probably the most underrated player on this team. He comes through so many times.
Faust is improving, loved his no look pass to Pankey. I like Alex Len. It seems like it’s all mental for him, and he forgets that he’s the biggest guy on the court. He’ll get there though.
Stoglin was stoglin. nothing else you can really say about him lol.
I love the way this team has improved. I just hope we can get free throws right. We miss way too many free throws. I yelled WTF when Stoglin missed his free throws these last 2 games.
You're right, terp10...
MVPe showed significant improvement in terms of ball handling. He still needs to prove he can run the offense. I’d love to see him prove he can be the quarterback. If he can do that, he’d be the ideal candidate to take over Mosley’s leadership role.
I don't think he gets enough credit
there’s a reason this team is much better now than the beginning of the year and it isn’t Alex Len. It’s Pe’. just having a guard who will run the offense, play hard and hit some shots when they are presented is making this team better. he’s the mini mosley
by Ttown Funkster on Jan 29, 2012 7:35 AM EST up reply actions
agreed.
i think people are in general too hard on him, when they fail to realize he just came back a month ago lol. Not to mention from an injury. It was gunna take him some time to get back into the groove of things and he is slowly but surely coming around. His shot is getting better too i might add. But maybe i’m biased since he was/is my favorite player coming from the 2014 class.
he paint
I just wish that Pe would look to get into the paint a little. Right now he dribbles the ball up the court and then just passes it around the perimeter. That’s probably what Turge wants to get the offense going, but Pe will not be effective until he starts getting in the paint. Then he can draw defenders to him and dish the ball for easy scores. That’s what good point guards do. Right now he doesn’t really participate in the offense.
by SeattleTerp on Jan 29, 2012 9:12 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
Whats with Peshon in the 2nd half??
He does not look to score at all in the 2nd half. It contributes to Stoglins shot selection, and attempts at taking over the ball. How many times in the 2nd half does Peshon come off the screen on the wing, head to the top of the key, then pull the ball out? He needs to continue with the ball to the basket, or come off that screen and take that shot at FT-3pt line and make the defense respect him. It will open up so much more for everyone else if he can become more of a threat. The thing is- he does this in the 1st half, but stops in the 2nd?? I think its why we’ve seen the offense go into a funk routinely in the 2nd half. Not sure if he doesnt want the shot/ball, or he thinks hes helping and doing the right thing by continuing the possession?
SSM
I love how Moseley stepped up this game, but I would like to mention the stinker he had a couple of games ago. I think it was the Temple game or the FSU game. Whatever game he threw the first ball away on a bounce pass to Len. In that game he was truly invisible. If you are the leader, you have to be there every game. Be willing to take and make big shots. I don’t think Moseley will ever be that guy. Im talking about Steve Blake in his Senior season. I do agree that Sean has provided more leadership than anyone else on the team and that without him we would be in a bad place. But you could say the same thing about not having Stogs scoring or Padgetts work ethic.
+1
Sean plays a crucial role on the team and his nonexistence for some games and making mental errors have cost us a chance to win some of those games. Does anyone remember how little he contributed offensively a lot of games this year (although the same could be said for everyone sans Stoglin)?? He still makes great hustle plays but the team currently depends on him to be the 2nd option and sometimes he seems to shy away from that role
I wonder why this comment wasn’t made after the FSU or Temple games where I don’t think he was critical at all…. to our chances at winning those games.
I think for us to be successful the rest of the year Sean needs a lot more games closer to this one than some of his disappearing acts….That’s the problem and it has been throughout his career. Will he be consistent and give us scoring to take the load off Stoglin or not..
A lot of pieces are important to winning games..Will the big men give us any presense down low, will Stoglin make good decisions when trying to score, how is our PG play….and I think Sean is just one component to that. I will say his leadership is a key quality…but who knows if he was gone if someone else would step into that role?
by TurtleShel716 on Jan 29, 2012 9:13 AM EST up reply actions
Great Points...
1. Our defense is getting progressively better – especially in first half of games.
2. Every player has improved this season and all have great potential.
3. Turge is absolutely the right man – both announcers also commented and agreed.
4. Officials are getting worse! The Mosely call…WVU call…
Nice work Ben, but you forgot to mention
that Sean is doing all this on a bum ankle so even more kudos to him.
Here’s what I’m learning from the season and it mostly relates to next year:
This may sound a little crazy but I wouldn’t completely dismiss the possibility of Faust becoming a leader next year. He may not be a vocal leader – I don’t know his personality well enough to judge that – but remember, he stepped up for the team and played at the point for the first 8 or 9 games. And during that time I don’t think he let his offensive shortcomings affect the rest of his game or effort. Yes, he’s shown some freshman lapses at times but I think he’s already shown that he’ll sacrifice for the good of the team and that he’s coachable. Given a summer in the gym and a year of experience I think his upside is huge.
I think much the same is true for Alex Len. His English keeps getting better, he has a summer of workouts to get stronger and a summer of pickup games to get even more familiar with the style of play and I think we’ll see a different OL next season.
Padgett is a young man who averaged 9 minutes a game his first 2 years and is now playing 23 so I’d think he still has a lot to learn and if he’s coachable should get better.
Of course Pankey is going to be inconsistent. He hasn’t played in 2 years and he’s a freshman. So he should get better too. And noticeably so. Add Cleare and Layman to the mix and the I think the Terps have enormous upside potential in the front court.
As for the coach, I agree with you 100% Ben. I think Turgeon was a great hire on too many levels to enumerate here. BTW did anyone catch this when he was talking about Stoglin’s 0 assists yesterday:
“We don’t get assists because when we throw it in the post, our guys dribble like nine times before they shoot it. But we are executing and we’re getting it to the post; which to me is a coach’s assist, which is still doing the same thing.”
Look at what’s in these 2 sentences. He talks up the team’s execution and makes a coaching point to his big men and does it in a funny way.
Ben, great points
Len definitely looks like he lacks confidence. He’s always got his head down after a bad play.
Pankey is becoming my favorite player on the team. What a freshman. Could/should get on the all-ACC freshman team.
I am totally sold on Turge. He is the man.
Sean Mosely cannot be praised enough. Glad he got props in your post.
With the class coming in, I’d like to see the addition of a great shooter and sounds like that might happen.
My two cents:
1. Stoglin is still immature;
2. Refs will not do us any favors (terrible calling the past couple of games).
thx Mr. Meme - good stuff
"A new era has dawned in Maryland Athletics..."
by bball purist on Jan 29, 2012 1:01 PM EST up reply actions
Oh, I thought you were posting all of these
someone did? I’ll go back and look.
"A new era has dawned in Maryland Athletics..."
by bball purist on Jan 29, 2012 3:50 PM EST up reply actions
Mosley as asst. coach
When his playing days are past…I think he could start his career in coaching as an assistant at Maryland. His connections in Baltimore and his leadership would be a great asset…might be sooner than you think.
Len needs more touches…plays must be designed to get him more shots…we’ve got to speed up his evolution. At the rate this team is improving…Len’s development is key to any tournament invite. If we can stay in the upper half of the standings…I like our chances in Atlanta.
Tournament?
We need at least 6 more wins to get a chance at postseason, and we’d need to go deep in the ACC Tournament first. Then we can dream about NCAAs…..
Len needs to hit the weight bench, and we have to hope that Stoglin stays at least one more year before Turgeon’s recruits are ready to play.
ACC T
OK, if you think they can get to the final Sunday and win, then that is an automatic bid.
I think 9-7 in the conference, and then 2 or 3 wins in the Tournament gets the Terps dancing. Otherwise, NIT.
Eh,
lackluster OOC (ND and Colorado wins are shaping up to be better than previously thought, but not outstanding), and no real solid wins right now. I think the only way we dance is going 10-6, w/ at least one win over Duke/UNC. Personally, I’m thinking more along the lines of 7-9 or 8-8, but I’d love to be proved wrong.
Stogs is soooo much fun to watch, I hope everyone appreciates it now,
before he’s gone. I think it’s a very good chance he jumps after next year, especially if he is still leading the ACC in scoring. I hope he stays all 4 years though, I have dreams about a senior Stogs ballin with the Twins. Unstoppable backcourt.
I'm pretty sure the advice if he does check out his status
is to stay at least another year and work on certain skills – D, handle (more right hand 0 teams are finally focusing on left forcing right), passing to name a few.
"A new era has dawned in Maryland Athletics..."
by bball purist on Jan 29, 2012 3:53 PM EST up reply actions
Notre Dame just beat #19 UConn today
Our ND win keeps getting better.
And some said Brey cannot coach
6-3 in Beast so far w/ young lineup without Abromaitis.
"A new era has dawned in Maryland Athletics..."
by bball purist on Jan 29, 2012 3:54 PM EST up reply actions
Grant
is a stud thougb, prolly better than tim
by MurlandTerps on Jan 29, 2012 4:02 PM EST up reply actions
Ben's article
Great comments – remember Turgeon said at the beginning of the year that Len wasn’t he savior! But I believe next year Alex will show great improvement!
And isn’t it true how much better we are now than most of us thought we would be.
I think Turge and the entire staff are doing a great job!
Back to the Future!
7'5" Goober
funny video, but it looks like hes playing against 6’4" kids.. i could be wrong. Either way not any real competition. Anyone want to make some bets on if we see him in a major D1 program?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Y4-CThQskBM
I stopped watching,
when he lost the tip to a kid who looks like hes under 6’
by Harrison Linder on Jan 29, 2012 9:55 PM EST up reply actions
Wasn't Alex Len supposed to have a decent outside shot?
Hope Turge gives him a few chances every game to shoot outside the key. If he could have made a couple outside shots against Puke, maybe Plumlee doesn’t burn us so bad.
Anyone see Greenberg's comments on Stoglin?
Seth being an asshole. What's new?
Seth is actually a nice dude in person but he doesn’t care how he comes across in the media or as a coach. As a result, you get things like … that. He wasn’t wrong and I’m sure a bunch of coaches gameplay against us that way, but he shouldn’t say it.
It's not like anybody likes him
at this point, since he’s close to losing his job, he might as well paint himself as a total slimeball. I call it the “Calipari Plan”
by turtlepower on Jan 30, 2012 12:28 AM EST up reply actions
The thing is
I highly doubt he is close to losing his job.
Who is VT going to get? Their arena is crap, I haven’t seen their facilities but I doubt they are close to what the top ACC schools have, and they have no tradition.
When it comes to ACC basketball jobs, Virginia Tech probably ranks last. What VT has been the past couple years is probably close to their ceiling as a program. Sure, he’s brought in a very good recruiting class this year, but they’re never going to be an elite basketball program, or even close to it. The best they can hope for is being a bubble team most years with an occasional tournament berth every so often.
Dumb Comment
Seth Greenburg is a sore loser….Just give the kid props he beat you….See Mike Brey’s comments after we beat ND.
We left players open as well for shots…Good players make shots when they get the opportunity. It seems like a bitter comment IMO.
by TurtleShel716 on Jan 30, 2012 4:21 AM EST up reply actions
Not into it
I won’t look up the stats and scores but didn’t MD top ND earlier this season? when Abromitis was listed on the injured list? Still ND keeps winning. I’m not comparing Brey to Turg. Just tap dancing around the fact that some guys know how to play as a team and some guys don’t want to be on a team they just want to score. If you have a Kemba Walker or a JJ Redick you can put up with the flapping tongue and the in your face attitude. There’s nothing wrong with Stog’s tude. I like it as a matter of fact. A bit of swagger and he did pump from the arc when MD couldn’t get their GPS started to find the net. It ‘s not his problem the team well bluntly looked like a bunch of scrubs. This is not the same as they have no talent. Even Cuse when Melo was out and they dropped their first looked ragged. So Stog is a shooter but not a leader. Mosley came thru but over the years he’s in and out mostly the d man who hustles for balls. UConn for example with all their hype didn’t look much better than the Terps when ND dropped them. The Terps need a ball handler, a leader and team work. They are trying. You can see it. They’re moving the ball around. But they have no play. Nothing. Eventually they give up looking for an open man and someone lofts one. And yet here’s the truth. They nearly beat Duke if you stretch your imagination a little. Maybe Duke is overrated because Rivers plays for them. I don’t see MD beating NC, but like in previous years they could beat Virginia, Clemson and so forth. They just need to oil the wheels. Maybe they weren’t in the game much against Illinois but there’s a fine line between being ranked in the 20’s and being under .500 in league play. Len’s a disappointment but Turg told us he’d be a work in progress. Padgett and Pankey are coming thru and if Nick Faust stops dreaming he’s Clyde maybe he’d play better too. Poor old man Turg. I think he lost ten pounds to sweat against Greenberg who lost hair he didn’t know he had. Wow a lousy game by two alley cats and the Terps won. That’s a start.
Solid Work
Turgeon can X and O for sure. I know the Terps got some heat for getting burned by the Plumlees but that was by design and they held the Dukies to 18% 3pt shooting. The 3 point defense obviously was the focus and allowed us to make it a game. Yeah, Pankey needs some work on his rotations but the obvious strategy was to make Dukes big men beat us.
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