Ricky Lindo Jr. hopes to be more of a scoring threat for Maryland men's basketball in 2019-20

There are only 22 days until the start of the 2019-20 season for Maryland men’s basketball. As the Terps get ready for a highly anticipated year where they’re ranked in the top-10 of every major preseason poll, we’ll be breaking down head coach Mark Turgeon’s roster, which promises to be the deepest he’s had in his time in College Park.

Sophomore forward Ricky Lindo Jr. was the seventh man in an eight-player rotation for Maryland last year, providing a rebounding and defense boost off the bench but struggling to contribute on offense — though he was never really tasked to do so. Here’s what year two of Lindo could look like.

Ricky Lindo Jr., Forward, No. 4

Height: 6’8
Weight: 220
Year: Sophomore
Hometown: Washington, D.C.
High school: Woodrow Wilson

2018-19 stats: 1.6 ppg, 3.5 rpg

Play breakdown

Lindo was originally recruited for the 2019, class but he reclassified and came to Maryland last season as a 17-year-old. That meant he wasn't with the team for much of the summer, missing the foreign tour as well.

He managed to play all 34 games, however, averaging 12.3 minutes per contest, which ranked seventh on the team — Serrel Smith Jr. averaged 12 flat, and the duo rounded out Maryland’s eight-man rotation.

Let’s take a look at the strengths and weaknesses of his game.

Strengths

Serving as a backup 3/4, Lindo was called upon to grab rebounds — he finished fourth on the team with 3.5 boards per game. At 6’8, he has the length and athleticism to go up and get loose balls, which he did at a very high rate on a per-minute basis.

“Ever since I started playing basketball I’ve been a good rebounder,” Lindo said. “It’s mostly been emphasized in my head, ‘rebound the ball, rebound the ball’ so I think I carried that onto now and I just have a knack for rebounding and I think that’s going to help the team, help me, and help win a lot of games.”

His rebounding also occasionally led to second-chance points, which was one of the few ways Lindo was able to score (more on that later).

Lindo played last year around 200 lbs, which kept him nimble and agile, but also limited his ability to size up bigs in the post. Still, he found a way to defend multiple positions on the floor, both on the perimeter and at the rim.

He finished the season with 15 steals (fifth on the team) and 15 blocks (fourth), though those numbers come out to second and third, respectively, on a per-minute basis.

As mentioned previously, Lindo has plus-athleticism, showing some bounce to go along with his natural height.

Weaknesses

Lindo wasn’t asked to do too much offensively, as the Terps had plenty of scoring options on the floor at all times. As a freshman, he found a role as a rebounder and defender off the bench and played that very well.

But in the chances he had to score, he wasn’t really able to get it done. Lindo shot 38.5 percent from the floor, fine for a guard but low for a forward who plays at the rim offensively. That included 2-of-12 showing from beyond the arc, which left a lot to be desired (though Lindo has a nice stroke).

Lindo also struggled with facilitating, as he had just 12 assists on the season to go along with 18 turnovers. In fairness, it’s hard to rack up assists when the ball isn’t in your hands, but his passing left a lot to be desired.

Outlook for the 2019-2020 season

The biggest change for Lindo this season will be his frame. He is listed as 20 pounds heavier on this year’s roster compared to his freshman year, but according to head coach Mark Turgeon, the weight change is even more drastic.

“Ricky Lindo has put on 30 pounds from August going into his freshman year until now,” Turgeon said at Big Ten media day.

That’s going to be vital for his ability to defend big men down low, now possessing more of a frame to go along with his length.

“I think he’s an unbelievable defender,” Turgeon said. “He can go one through five for us. He guarded [Ethan] Happ some games, to switching one four ball screens and being on a point guard. He’s special for us.”

There was a lot to like from Lindo in his freshman season, but there were some rather glaring shortcomings, at least on the offensive end. Heading into year two, however, Turgeon says the forward has “improved tremendously,” and will play a much larger role as a sophomore.

And if CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein is to be believed, Lindo could even make his way into the starting lineup.

Whether he makes the starting rotation or comes off the bench, Lindo is going to bring his reliable rebounding and defending skills to the table. And with a full offseason to work on his offense — something he didn’t lave last year after reclassifying — he could even evolve into something of a scoring threat for the Terps.

Asked what he’s worked on the most, Lindo said, “My jump shot, and also getting stronger to get down with the bigs and just working on my body and that jump shot. It’s about putting in the time, getting my mechanics right, taking less time to get it off. Fixing my elbow, staying forward, making sure it’s not too high or low.”