Testudo Times - Jimmy V Classic 2015: Maryland vs. Connecticut updatesSB Nation's award-winning Maryland Terrapins sitehttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/50025/testudo-fav.png2015-12-10T08:47:55-05:00http://www.testudotimes.com/rss/stream/96340612015-12-10T08:47:55-05:002015-12-10T08:47:55-05:00Maryland's pick-and-roll savvy helped vs. UConn
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<figcaption>Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>A film review on Maryland's win on Tuesday. </p> <p>In this edition of our film review series, I wanted to do something a little different. Rather than break down all the reasons Maryland won on Tuesday night (and they were plenty), I'm going to use some tape from the Connecticut game to more generally explain some coaching jargon and strategy. It's a little "inside baseball," but let's peel back that curtain for the casual fan. Use these terms at your next watch party, and everyone will think you're an expert.</p>
<p><b><u>Pocket Pass</u></b></p>
<p>Maryland runs tons of pick-and-rolls every game, handing the keys to star <span>Melo Trimble</span>. A lot of PnRs will result in Trimble driving to the basket to score or dishing to an open teammate. No fancy terms for the slash-and-kick. However, if the ball-handler sends a bounce pass to the roll man between the defending guard and the big sagging off, we call this a "pocket pass." I'm sure many of you have heard this term before, but here is a textbook example from Tuesday.</p>
<p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5DwG9Yn0-DY" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<p><b><u>Ice</u></b></p>
<p>Defensively, there are several options to handle an opponent's pick-and-roll. Maryland predominantly uses a high hedge, where the defending big steps out beyond the arc to force the ball-handler away from the basket. Another tactic is to force the ball-handler away from the screen entirely. This requires the guard to turn his body and overplay in the direction of the screener. Usually, the defending big will yell "Ice" to communicate that he has help defense behind, rather than the normal hedge.</p>
<p>Maryland prepared for Connecticut's side PnRs with a few instances of "Ice," including this play early on. You can tell Trimble knew the scouting report well as he is positioning for "Ice" well ahead of the screener arriving.</p>
<p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wZ9hMAST4R0" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<p>In the above clip, the Terps opted to blitz the ball-handler with the second defender, turning "Ice" into a trap along the sideline. The core purpose of "Ice" is to deny the middle of the court, either by trapping at the sideline or just forcing the drive towards the baseline. The latter option is shown here, where again Trimble turns his defensive stance in an exaggerated manner to bait Connecticut into attacking baseline. Diamond Stone is not quite in the right spot for help defense, so <span>Jared Nickens</span> rotates into the lane.</p>
<p><iframe frameborder="0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/uOZ2YCPDznI" height="315" width="560"></iframe></p>
<p><b><u>Floppy Sets</u></b></p>
<p>Also known as a "single-double," a floppy set is a series of offensive plays run at many levels of basketball. The play begins with a simple option. A guard stationed by the basket can cut towards either wing, choosing between a single screen or a double screen (hence the "single-double" name). Here, Trimble has the option to cut to the far wing past <span>Jake Layman</span> and <span>Michal Cekovsky</span>, or near side with a Stone screen. There are countless variations that can be run after that opening, but the typical floppy set begins like the following clip.</p>
<p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/M0UcTjayj7M" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<p>An important part of floppy sets is that the cuts are often "read-options," where the players have the flexibility to change their routes depending on the defensive reactions. In floppy sets, one of the screeners will then turn into a cutter, as Layman heads to the opposite wing from Trimble.</p>
<p>Here's another variation of the floppy set that Maryland ran as the very first possession of the night. This features <span>Rasheed Sulaimon</span> in the off-guard role with the "single-double" choice. Layman takes the backscreen from <span>Robert Carter</span> into a low post touch instead of cutting to the near wing as he did the clip above.</p>
<p><iframe frameborder="0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/sD-lhAX90jU" height="315" width="560"></iframe></p>
https://www.testudotimes.com/maryland-terrapins-basketball/2015/12/10/9884564/terps-uconn-game-final-score-highlightsDoug Newton2015-12-09T10:37:57-05:002015-12-09T10:37:57-05:00Carter flashing NBA potential
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<figcaption>Derik Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Carter has been the team's most well-rounded player so far this season.</p> <p>Following an 8-point, 11-rebound performance against the Connecticut Huskies on Tuesday, Robert Carter Jr. subtly dropped a line referencing his future – something Maryland has thought a great deal about – but the national contingent hasn't.</p>
<p>"Hopefully I have many more opportunities to play [at Madison Square Garden] in the future," Carter said when asked about playing on the famous court he grew up watching on television.</p>
<p>The transfer junior didn't seem like he was envisioning his return to the Big Apple wearing a Terrapins uniform. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.baltimoresun.com/business/under-armour-blog/bal-under-armour-expands-partnership-with-nba-20150810-story.html">He may still sport Under Armour gear under his NBA jersey though</a>.</p>
<p>Carter is still flying under the radar when it comes to 2016 mock drafts. DraftExpress lists Diamond Stone, Melo Trimble and Jake Layman as No. 17, No. 21 and No. 32 in its <a target="_blank" href="http://www.draftexpress.com/nba-mock-draft/2016/">latest projection</a>, but has no mention of Carter. If he keeps playing the way he has so far in 2015, that'll start to change.</p>
<p>Carter does nothing flashy. He doesn't turn defenders side-ways with a crossover like Melo Trimble. He doesn't hit step-back jumpers like Rasheed Sulaimon. His size is fine for college play, but to an NBA scout he doesn't have incredible length like Jake Layman, or an overwhelming stature like Diamond Stone.</p>
<p>He's simply well-rounded, and that's why he doesn't get the attention he deserves.</p>
<p>But the guy who might be the fifth-most looked-upon Terrapins' draft pick has his fundamentals down, and has been the team's most consistent and efficient player.</p>
<p>Maryland has a very spread-out offensive scheme, which as opposed to last season's nightly Dez Wells and Trimble show, now involves six players averaging between 6 and 9 field goal attempts. Carter sits second on that list – behind Melo Trimble – and shoots with the highest efficiency by a considerable margin. This is no small accomplishment either, as Maryland holds the ninth-highest adjusted offensive rating <a href="http://kenpom.com/" target="_blank">per KenPom</a>.</p>
<p>It's typical for forwards and centers to generate higher shooting numbers due to their obvious height advantage, and typical shorter average shot distance, but what Carter is doing is incredible. His 62.9 percent shooting from the field is enough to gain attention on its own, but when you look further it's much more impressive.</p>
<p>Carter has seemingly made it a mission to prove he's capable of stretching the floor as a threat from deep. He hasn't done that just yet, hitting just 5 of his 15 3-point attempts, good for 33.3 percent. Where numbers suggest he should be spending more time is around the rim.</p>
<p>The 6'9 big man has incredible finesse floating hook shots, short jumpers and mid-range shots through the net at a<a href="http://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/robert-carter-1.html" target="_blank"> 72.2 percent rate</a> on a not so small 49-attempt sample size.</p>
<p>His rebounding has been crucial as well, a defining strength that makes it hard for coach Mark Turgeon to keep him off the floor. He's hauling boards in at the highest rate on the team, 4.4 percent more rapidly than his big-man counterpart Stone.</p>
<p>Carter's 7.1 rebounds per game rarely fluctuates more than two rebounds in either direction, and paired with his consistent shooting it's surprising he hasn't notched a double-double this season. The public's obsession with two-digit stats can be misleading, however, given how close he's been. He's fallen short by two rebounds or less on four occasions, and played 23 minutes or less in two of those situations. In Tuesday night's game at the Garden, he found a new way to miss the achievement, falling just a bucket short, but again he played just 22 minutes.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The telling number is in the win shares. The statistIc aims to measure an estimate as to how many wins a player contributes to. Carter leads Maryland at .<a href="http://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/maryland/2016.html" target="_blank">240 per 48 minutes</a>, nearly two and a half times the league average.</p>
<p>Carter is exceeding all expectations and has the skill-set and consistency to move on and become a factor at the next level. This trip to the Mecca of hoops was unlikely to be his last.</p>
https://www.testudotimes.com/maryland-terrapins-basketball/2015/12/9/9877868/terps-NBA-draft-robert-carter-stats-2015-mockMatt Ellentuck2015-12-09T09:37:41-05:002015-12-09T09:37:41-05:00After the Buzzer: UConn
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<figcaption>Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Looking back on Maryland's win over UConn, live from the Garden. </p> <p>It went from an early-game blowout to a near late-game meltdown, but the Terps<a href="http://www.testudotimes.com/maryland-terrapins-basketball/2015/12/8/9874812/terps-uconn-basketball-game-2015-final-score-results"> secured a win on a neutral court</a>, in a contest that felt more like an away game.</p>
<p>Melo Trimble and Diamond Stone were the standouts of the night, scoring 25 and 16 respectively, and stealing the attention with flashy passes and eye-raising dunks.</p>
<p>Coach Mark Turgeon enjoyed his team's quick, commanding lead by showing all 11 of his scholarship players, exposing the world to the less talked about Bender brother, Ivan.</p>
<p>Maryland played what was likely its best defensive half in the first, and the Huskies dug themselves into a hole they struggled to get out of.</p>
<p>A valiant effort by Connecticut's Daniel Hamilton, who finished with 23 points, had his team within one possession with less than three minutes to play.</p>
<p>Trimble, however, closed the game strong, connecting on all but one of his 15 free throw attempts.</p>
<p>Up next, the Terrapins will host Maryland Eastern Shore on Saturday.</p>
https://www.testudotimes.com/maryland-terrapins-basketball/2015/12/9/9877888/terps-uconn-basketball-game-final-scoreMatt EllentuckNoah Niederhoffer2015-12-09T09:12:13-05:002015-12-09T09:12:13-05:00This was vintage Turgeon-Trimble Maryland
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<figcaption>Melo Trimble getting fouled. | Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The advanced stats review from Maryland's win at Basketball Mecca.</p> <p><span>In a lot of ways, this was vintage Maryland. </span></p>
<p>The Terps' <a href="http://www.testudotimes.com/maryland-terrapins-basketball/2015/12/8/9874812/terps-uconn-basketball-game-2015-final-score-results">76-66 win</a> against Connecticut at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday had a lot of hallmarks of a typical night at the office for the Mark Turgeon-Melo Trimble Terps. The Terps didn't force turnovers on defense and were streaky from the field, but they were always able to fall back on big-time foul-shooting ability and stayed cool when things got tight in the game's closing moments.</p>
<p>Here's a review based on the "<a href="http://www.rawbw.com/~deano/articles/20040601_roboscout.htm" data-ref-index="5">four factors</a>" that key team efficiency: effective field goal percentage (eFG%), turnover percentage (TOV%), offensive rebounding percentage (ORB%) and free throw attempts per field goal attempt (FT/FGA).</p>
<h5>Shooting</h5>
<p id="paragraph3"><b>Maryland: 49.1 eFG% / Connecticut 49.3 eFG% / National average: 49.3 eFG%</b></p>
<p>This worked out to both teams shooting with average efficiency. Maryland was a little bit better than this in the first half and UConn a lot better than it in the second half, but things leveled off. Maryland had a rough night on 3-pointers, only connecting on 3 of 14, while UConn hit 7 of 17. In that light, it's sort of remarkable that Maryland managed a 10-point win against such a well regarded team.</p>
<h5>Turnovers</h5>
<p id="paragraph5"><b>Maryland: 18.3 TOV% / Connecticut 11.1 TOV% / National average: 18.7%</b></p>
<p id="paragraph6">The Terps had 18 turnovers and only took away 8 from UConn. The Terps weren't especially loose with the ball on offense, only giving it up at the national average rate. But they still gave it away almost twice as much as they took it away. In this light, too, a 10-point win against UConn is sort of crazy.</p>
<h5>Offensive rebounding</h5>
<p id="paragraph8"><b>Maryland: 40 ORB% / Connecticut 14.7 ORB% / National average: 30.4 ORB%</b></p>
<p>This is where Maryland really started to make hay. The Terps dominated the glass, getting back four in every 10 shots they missed. Offensive rebounds were 14 to 6 in Maryland's favor, with Diamond Stone getting an incredible six of them. The Terps and Huskies shot similarly well, but Maryland gave itself a lot of extra looks by collecting its misses.</p>
<h5>Free throw attempts</h5>
<p id="paragraph11"><b>Maryland: .426 FT/FGA / Connecticut:.153 FT/FGA / National average: 0.368 FT/FGA</b></p>
<p>Maryland got to the foul line all night, going 23 of 29 there. Trimble on his own went 14 of 15, effectively crippling any chance of a UConn comeback late in the game. The Huskies only got 12 free throws and made nine of them. If there's one thing that was the difference in the game – given UConn's turnovers edge and Maryland's rebounding edge counteracting each other – it was Maryland's superior volume at the stripe. The Terps relied on their foul shooting to win a lot of games last season. On Tuesday, they did it again.</p>
<p><i>For a detailed accounting of Maryland's advanced-stats efforts in every game so far, go <a href="http://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/maryland/2016-gamelogs.html" data-ref-index="7">here</a>.</i></p>
https://www.testudotimes.com/maryland-terrapins-basketball/2015/12/9/9877674/maryland-uconn-game-stats-score-four-factorsAlex Kirshner2015-12-08T23:41:05-05:002015-12-08T23:41:05-05:00Maryland beats UConn at the Garden, 76-66
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<figcaption>Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Maryland dominated early and hung on late to beat the Huskies at Madison Square Garden</p> <p>The Maryland men's basketball team beat Connecticut Tuesday, 76-66, behind controlled play from its star Melo Trimble and a nationally televised break-out performance from its five-star freshman Diamond Stone.</p>
<p>A late-game scare nearly cost the No. 6 ranked Terrapins, as the Huskies came back from a 16-point first-half deficit, coming within one possession inside of the three minute marker before Maryland was able to pull away with the help of a technical foul call on Huskies coach Kevin Ollie.</p>
<p>Trimble had 25 points, getting to the free throw line as often as usual, hitting 14 of 15 of his attempts, and posted 3 rebounds and 3 assists to anchor the Terrapins to its most impressive on-resume win. Stone nearly missed a double-double with 16 points and 9 rebounds, cleaning up the misses on the offensive side with ease, using his strong body.</p>
<p>Maryland boat-raced Connecticut at the outset. The Terps had a 7-2 lead after 3 minutes, a 15-4 lead after 7 and a 38-22 lead by the half. Mark Turgeon rolled through 11 players in a dominating opening 20 minutes, with both reserve guard Varun Ram and forward Ivan Bender seeing time. But Trimble and Stone ran the show, putting together more than one highlight play and each reaching first-half double figures. Stone's effort, working against the nation's best shot blocker in Connecticut 7-footer Amida Brimah, was especially impressive.</p>
<p>The latter 20 minutes weren't as clean, but the Terps finished the job. Stone slowed down a bit, and the interior defense wasn't as tight, but contribution all-around got the job done. Six Maryland players finished with at least six points, with Jake Layman scrapping together 8 points as the team's third leading scorer.</p>
<p>The Huskies pulled what was a 16-point blowout into a one possession game with just under three minutes to play, behind Daniel Hamilton's 23 points. Maryland missed on a number of defensive rotations, allowing open 3-point shots in crunch time. Things got harry, but Maryland did the job.</p>
<h4><span>Three things to know</span></h4>
<p><b>1. Diamond Stone put on a show at Madison Square Garden. </b>In front of a horde of NBA scouts the freshman tallied 12 first-half points, looking good with his stroke at the free throw line, hitting 4 of 5. The big man missed a hand-full of tip-ins, but rebounded them nicely.</p>
<p><b>2.</b> <b>Mark Turgeon played 11 guys in the first half. </b>Ivan Bender was No. 10 and Varun Ram No. 11. Maryland worked itself up a 16-point lead, allowing Mark Turgeon to get creative with his lineups, getting some minutes for the lower half of his rotation. For the Terps, it's important so see what they can get out of Bender, an intriguing freshman, who is sure to find more minutes next season.</p>
<p><b>3. Big stage, no problem. </b>Maryland doubters wanted to cue-up a brutal few opening minutes against North Carolina to an inability to perform in big games. The Terrapins handled the Huskies through, giving and taking some runs in the second half, getting with-in two possessions at just over 3 minutes left, but Maryland stayed disciplined to knock off its nearly-ranked competition.</p>
https://www.testudotimes.com/maryland-terrapins-basketball/2015/12/8/9874812/terps-uconn-basketball-game-2015-final-score-resultsAlex KirshnerMatt Ellentuck2015-12-08T22:25:49-05:002015-12-08T22:25:49-05:00Trimble's gorgeous score, pose for camera<iframe src="https://vine.co/v/i70L3T0A7BM/embed/simple" width="600" height="600"></iframe>
<div class="source source-img"><p><p>Melo Trimble and Maryland are destroying UConn in the first half at Madison Square Garden. The Terps' star point guard is looking sharp and also, apparently, having fun.</p></p></div>
https://www.testudotimes.com/2015/12/8/9875252/video-melo-trimble-scores-gets-fouled-mugs-for-espns-cameraAlex Kirshner2015-12-08T22:16:44-05:002015-12-08T22:16:44-05:00Stone throws down enormous dunk<iframe src="https://vine.co/v/i70VEHrggYj/embed/simple" width="600" height="600"></iframe>
<div class="source source-img"><p><p>Melo Trimble drove into the paint and found Diamond Stone. The big fella did the rest.</p></p></div>
https://www.testudotimes.com/2015/12/8/9875134/video-diamond-stone-throws-down-enormous-dunk-against-uconnAlex Kirshner2015-12-08T19:30:02-05:002015-12-08T19:30:02-05:00GameThread: Maryland vs. UConn
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<figcaption>Derik Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The Terps look to earn a key out-of-conference victory</p> <p>Maryland basketball crushed St. Francis (Pa.) in its game last Friday, winning 96-55. On Tuesday night, the team travels to the Big Apple for the Jimmy V Classic where it will take on the University of Connecticut. The Terrapins will have a chance to get a quality win against a Connecticut team that was ranked No. 18 last week before two three-point losses to Gonzaga and Syracuse bumped them out of the top 25.</p>
<p id="paragraph1" class="pgh-paragraph">The game will be televised on ESPN, and you can also stream it on <a data-ref-index="6" href="http://watchespn.com/">WatchESPN</a><span>.</span></p>
<p id="paragraph2" class="pgh-paragraph">According to KenPom's adjusted offensive efficiency, these two teams match up pretty evenly. The Huskies are 22nd, while the Terps rank 20th in that category. <span>KenPom also give the Terps a 51 percent chance to win.</span></p>
<p id="paragraph3" class="pgh-paragraph">The Terps will be looking to earn what could be their best out-of-conference victory this season after beating Georgetown (KenPom No. 27) and losing to No. 9 North Carolina by 8 points in Chapel Hill earlier this season.</p>
<p id="paragraph4" class="pgh-paragraph">Share your predictions and comments below.</p>
https://www.testudotimes.com/2015/12/8/9859804/gamethread-maryland-vs-connecticutCarson Kenney