umterps.com

Nick Faust B
Faust was the starter in name only as his production and minutes were similar to what he has done off the bench. He had some bright spots and I love his ability to grab a steal for the team (he finished with 3). Faust’s shooting has also improved over the last few games as well which is a good sign.

Terrell Stoglin B+
The Terps needed Stoglin’s 33 points but the stat line that stuck out was 6-20 which is what he shot from distance and he shot 3-6 from 2 point range. If Stoglin can find a way to blend his shooting and driving ability, he could become even more unstoppable. 20 threes is entirely too many for one person to shoot in a game. Even Ray Allen doesn’t jack em up that frequently in a game.

Sean Mosley B
Tonight was “good Sean.” He didn’t shoot well from the field (1-7) but he was 5-6 from the charity stripe. He also added 9 rebounds to pace the team. Despite fouling out, he made strong contributions to the team across the board.

Ashton Pankey C-
The best thing he had was 7 rebounds (4 offensive). However, he did have a crucial layup to cut the lead to 62-57. Pankey adds a toughness to the interior.

James Padgett C+
His footwork and post work are still good and he displayed it tonight. I wish the Terps would feed him more in the post as he seems capable to be a solid second scorer. He seems well on his way to join the long list of accomplished Terps big men: Bias, Joe Smith, Lonnie Baxter, Jordan Williams.

Bench B+
The bench had strong efforts from Pe’Shon and Len. Len in the interior providing 11 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 blocks. It was the type of game a Terps fan can hopefully grow to consistently see from the freshman. Pe’Shon had 8 assists and seemed to make sure to get others involved. Between the two of the them, the Terps had some added punch for sure off the bench.
Sub of the Game: Alex Len

Mark Turgeon B
It’s been a tough year for Turgeon but he has done a solid job with the talent provided. Tonight, his team hung tough and came back although they could have packed it in late in the second half. It was a good sign to see.

A Peak at the Standings
The Terps still are winless on the road this year and face North Carolina on Saturday at Comcast. So here is a look at the ACC Standings following the games from last night.

North Carolina 6-1
Florida State 6-1
Duke 5-1
Virginia 5-2
NC State 5-3
Miami 4-3
Maryland 3-4
Clemson 3-4
Wake Forest 2-6
Boston College 2-6
Virginia Tech 1-5
Georgia Tech 1-7
The Terps are caught in the jumbled middle of the ACC with losses to the two teams ahead of them on the road (NC State and Miami). It will be interesting how the Terps finish up February.

Pe’Shon Howard B+
Howard had a very good all around game with 10 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists. He was aggressive looking for his shot and also looking to find teammates for shots. It might have been his best game since coming back from the broken foot.

Terrell Stoglin B
Two things stand out from the game in regards to Stoglin. On the positive, he was very good passing the ball and finding teammates in the first half as the Terps attacked the basket. On the negative, he is a 78% free throw shooter and finished a Shaqesque 2 of 7 from the line.

Sean Mosley B-
Good Sean mostly showed up tonight and was definitely a strong contributor in the first half. He looked for his shot and helped lead Terps in strong start as a team. He finished with 6 points, 5 rebounds, 3 dimes, and a steal. It is a Good Sean kind of game with production throughout the stat line.

Ashton Pankey B-
Pankey finished with 8 and 8 and benefited from the passing into the interior the most from the penetrating guards. He showed himself well in replacing Alex Len in the starting lineup. He boarded well also. What he may lack in defense with the blocking, he makes up for in toughness and offensive ability.

James Padgett C-
Going against the Plumlee brothers is not an easy task this year and Padgett never seemed to find a rhythm or flow to his game. He finished with 6 points and 3 boards and seemed to disappear and not even be a part of the Terps offense for long stretches. Like Patrick, I too would like to see more of a role for Padgett in the offense.

Bench D
I had a hard time deciding who was the leading contributor from the bench. It was a lackluster performance from Weijs, Len, Parker, and Faust. Faust had a couple shots bounce the right way and Parker had a nice block but there wasn’t a lot to write home about here. It was just turrible.
Sub of the Game: Nick Faust (relunctantly)

Mark Turgeon C
It is always intimidating to replace a legend as Turgeon is doing with Gary Williams. When the legend is at the game with the court being dedicated to him, it adds to it. The change of Pankey for Len was a very good move in the starting lineup. However, he could not seem to find an answer in the post for the Plumlee brothers specifically Mason.

Maybe You Missed It
For the first 12 minutes of the game, the Terps had some great ball movement and were attacking the lane. When they did that, they had 4 made field goals and drew four fouls with three of those resulting in trips to the foul line. Stoglin as mentioned above really was passing very well and finding players in the post area for easy shots. Then, this offense just disappeared.

Gregg Cobert has been a Terps fan since the days of Keith Booth and grew to hate Duke especially at the apex in the early 00s when both were competing for national titles. Follow him on Twitter at @g_reggulator.

Pe’Shon Howard B
Mark Turgeon asked him to look for his offense more and today he found some. He finished with 15 points and was much more aggressive looking for his shot. It was good to see. However, it seems like it is a Catch 22. If he gets his offense, his assist numbers suffer and vice versa. I don’t know if a balance exists.

Terrell Stoglin B
Stoglin finished with 20 points again and added 2 assists and 3 rebounds. However, there were moments during the game as Temple built the lead that he didn’t touch the ball on offensive possessions. It’s great to see the Terps try and get others involved in the offense but as the team is struggling, you have to turn to the ACC’s leading scorer.

Sean Mosley C-
It felt like a roller coaster ride watching Mosley today. Lots of highs and lows. The highs: 10 rebounds to lead the team, 2 steals. The lows: 3 points, 4 fouls, 3 turnovers.

James Padgett B-
Padgett finished with 10 points and 4 rebounds but the Terps needed more from the interior. He only had one offensive rebound which is his game. However, his post moves were very good. His footwork may not be Dream-like but still very good.

Alex Len Incomplete
Len went out with a right ankle sprain in the first half with the game tied at 14 and he did not return. Hopefully, it is just the one game he misses because the Terps needed his interior presence and will definitely need it against the Blue Devils.

Bench D+
The Terps needed some help from the bench especially when Len went down but they really couldn’t help the team much. Weijs was mostly ineffective in his three minutes and Pankey only grabbed three rebounds. Nick Faust did have 5 points, 4 boards, and was the team leader for assists with 4.
Sub of the Game: Nick Faust

Mark Turgeon B-
Turgeon had a good game plan to work the inside with Len and Padgett. It was successful. However, when Len went out, the Terps had to change their game plan. There was a lot less ball movement and Stoglin was moving through screens like an obstacle course (not this obstacle course). Turgeon did a good job adapting game plan but the fire power of the Owls from downtown sent the team home with a loss.

Maybe You Missed It
The Terps had 22 field goals and 16 turnovers. It is extremely difficult to win when you have a 1.36 FG/TO margin. The Terps held onto the ball much better in the second with only 6 turnovers, but when you don’t get a shot at the hoop and have an empty it is easy to see how Maryland lost. It doesn’t get much easier from here as they have Duke at home next. Game is at 9 on Wednesday night.

Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident just in College Park as Pat Forde points out in his Forde Minutes. It is amusing reading about Fran McCaffery’s chair tossing and how it doesn’t even come close to being the benchmark for the Big 10.

Dalonte Hill is an excellent recruiter as he was the man who was able to recruit Michael Beasley to Kansas State due to his DC Assault roots. However, it feels coaches say one thing to their players and then not follow it themselves. The double standard is amazing. Coaches are supposed to teach young men life lessons that hopefully extend beyond sports, but with misconduct, it shows the double standard. If a player were to be arrested for suspicion of DUI, I don’t think the punishment would be 2 games. Errors in judgment do occur for everyone but for repeat offenders clearly they did not learn from their initial punishment.

However, the bottom line is this. As long as coaches get wins or score the big recruits, they will still be able to find gainful employment. However, please don’t call yourselves teachers because it just confuses your pupils.

Pe’Shon Howard C
4 points, 4 assists. He floated through the game and never made a mark on the game. Pe’Shon is such a solid passer and the team runs so much smoother when he gets the ball to teammates in their spots.

Terrell Stoglin A
Stoglin was a beast again tonight scoring 27 points but he also contributed in other ways adding 4 assists and 3 boards. He came to play but could never get another running mate to go with him. As a player this year, his decision making and growth has been a pleasure to watch. If only the Terps could find a Scottie.

Sean Mosley C-
For as well as Sean Mosley played against Georgia Tech, he could not get anything going in Tallahassee. He also seemed to float during periods of the game as well.

James Padgett D
Unfortunately, Padgett could not channel Moses tonight and looked more like Kwame Brown. He had 8 points and 3 boards but he never could get going against the tall and imposing front line of the Seminoles.

Alex Len D-
Unfortunately, Len ran up against a tall and talented front line of Florida State. They negated his size and advantage he has most nights against other players and his production showed it as he tallied just three points, three rebounds, and a block. He may not be an offensive force but he needs to make his presence known on the defensive end.

Bench B+
The Terps bench really played well and helped the team. Both Nick Faust and Mychal Parker made strong contributions but in different ways. Faust scored 10 points and Parker had 6 points and 7 boards. The Terps also got good contributions from Ashton Pankey and Berend Weijs.
Sub of the game: Mychal Parker

Mark Turgeon C+
The key stretch of the game was at the 17:18 mark when the Terps took the lead and then proceeded to go down 61-45. Turgeon could not stop the momentum and by the time the Terps recovered, the damage was already done.

Maybe You Missed It
The Terps have played a grand total of two road games and have lost both (NC State and FSU). The Terps need to get road wins to even sniff the NCAA tournament and their next chance is Saturday at 11 AM at the Palestra when they play Temple. Hopefully the whole team comes ready to play.

Pe’Shon Howard B-
Pe’Shon looked for his offense last night and was successful finding it. He was more aggressive taking shots and made a three point shot in the first half. Mark Turgeon was wanting Pe’Shon to average 10 points a game and be more aggressive looking for his offense. He did a very good job with that but now he just needs to convert a higher percentage and hold onto the ball as he had five turnovers and only 1 assist.

Terrell Stoglin A-
Stoglin was key in the early part of the second half getting the team points and he finished with 14 points. He may not have gotten to his average of 20 points, but he was crucial getting baskets when the team was struggling in the first half and starting the second half.

Sean Mosley A+
Mosley had two points in the first half. If the game ended there, it would have been a lackluster performance on the offensive end and only tell part of the story. Mosley finished with 18 points (including the last 7 for the Terps), 5 boards and a steal. He finished 10-10 from the line as well. Mosley played lockdown defense on Glen Rice Jr who finished with 6 points (his average in his 2 other ACC games was 25). He was literally white on Rice.

James Padgett B+
Padgett’s offensive rebounding prowess reminds me of a former NBA great, Moses Malone. Malone attacked the boards with reckless abandon especially on the offensive end. When I watch Padgett, I see some of the same things with his offensive board work. He finished the game with 9 rebounds (7 offensive) and 14 points. He has a nose to find the ball.

Alex Len B-
Len is still transitioning his game from international play to games played in the states. For example, on one play he offensive goaltended but in international play it would have been a legal play. However, his play on defense was much better. He had 3 blocks and countless alterations of others as he used his 7-1 frame well. He had 9 rebounds on the defensive end as well to work in conjunction with Padgett.

Bench C+
Nick Faust was extremely productive in his time on the court. He finished with 8 points and 3 steals. The 3 steals were each crucial. His first was at the end of the half and led to him getting a jam on the other end to close the half with Maryland up 24-19. His next theft occurred as Georgia Tech was making a run and he stepped into the lane and took it in for another dunk. His final steal occurred on a double team as he was able to reach and steal it from the taller Tech defender.
Sub of the game: Nick Faust

Mark Turgeon B+
He never seems to get too high or too low and keeps an even demeanor even as the team may struggle as did tonight shooting 34% from the field. He has passion for hoops but may not wear it on his sleeve like Gary Williams which is okay. During the game, his effects are subtle on the game like riding his hot hand in Sean Mosley and Nick Faust as Howard and Stoglin were on the bench to close the game.

Maybe You Missed It
The Terps finished 19-23 from the charity stripe which translates to 83%, a season best for the team. The points from the foul line were crucial as the team struggled from the field shooting 33.9%.

Pe’Shon Howard B
Howard struggled from the field shooting going 0-5 but he found other ways to contribute as he dished out 3 assists and grabbed 5 rebounds and had 2 steals.

Nick Faust B-
Faust got the start over Stoglin and gave the team 6 points and 6 boards in 13 minutes. I felt the 6 boards were the crucial part of the stat line as he was able to be aggressive with his time on the court.

Sean Mosley B+
He had 15 points but more important was his leadership and defense especially down the stretch. He made the key play grabbing the offensive rebound off the missed free throw and putting it in the hoop to put the team up 6.

James Padgett A
Every time I watch Padgett play he impresses me. Last night, he played big in the second half as the team struggled. He finished with 11 points and 8 boards but more importantly, he was 7-9 from the charity stripe.

Alex Len D
He seemed to be a non factor the whole game. There were stretches that I didn’t even realize he was on the court.

Bench A-
Coming off the bench, Terrell Stoglin got 20 points and continually got huge buckets when the team needed them as the Deacons clawed back into the game. When Stoglin found out in practice he wasn’t going to start, he didn’t sulk but wanted to do what he could to help his team win coming off the bench. Ashton Pankey had a monster first half grabbing 5 rebounds in the first 7 minutes and finished the first half with 9 points and 7 rebounds in 12 minutes. He truly was a spark off the bench.
Sub of the game: Ashton Pankey

Coach B
I loved seeing Mark Turgeon experiment with the starting lineup and have Stoglin come off the bench. He had the Terps ready to play in the first half as they built a strong lead. He rode his hot hands as well with Pankey in the first half and Padgett in the second half. This Terps team is not a team that will blow many opponents out but they will find a way to win. Although the team shot 7-29 from the field in the second half, the team found a way to win which is the mark of a good coach.

Maybe You Missed It
The Terps won the battle on the boards, 45-37. Pankey led the way with nine, Padgett had eight and Nick Faust had six. All nine Terps that saw action had at least two boards. Maryland improved to 9-1 on the season when winning the battle of the glass. The boards are an important number as the Terps are not extremely tall, so there is definitely a correlation between their success on the boards and their records.

Pe’Shon Howard: B
Although Howard is still getting his legs under him following the broken leg, he had a really good game directing the team and getting the team quality shots. In the first half on back to back possessions, he was able to set up both Nick Faust and Mychal Parker for threes. He significantly improves the team’s ball movement. However, there were a few opportunities where he drove the lane and had a quality shot and passed it up.

Terrell Stoglin: A-
Stoglin is the leading scorer in the ACC at 21.2 points and he didn’t disappoint with 25 points and 6 threes. His offense more times than not did not seem forced as I only counted 2 or 3 shots that were not within the flow of the offense. The key is for the team not to stand around if Stoglin is in an isolation set.

Sean Mosley: C+
Mosley had a typical Sean Mosley game with 12 points, 3 rebounds, and a steal. I say a typical game because it is never flashy but he makes smart basketball plays. His senior leadership was crucial late in the game with his decision making and shot selection.

James Padgett: B
Padgett’s offensive improvement from last year is the thing most notable to me this year. The growth of his moves in the paint and patience while on the block are amazing. He finished with 7 points and 7 rebounds. He is a quality complement to Alex Len and they will be good together as they get more court time together. With Len on the court, Padgett can move to his natural position of power forward.

Alex Len: B-
Len had an A effort in the 1st half but a D effort in the 2nd half. In the first half, he was active on the boards and knocked down shots from inside as well as outside. He was also able to block 2 shots and affect many more shots. However, in the second half, he seemed to get tired. On back to back possessions, his man beat him down the court and was able to get uncontested dunks because he was late getting back. He did finish with 12 points, 11 boards, and 2 blocks and gives the Terps a quality inside presence.

Bench: C-
The Terps finished with 13 points from the bench as Faust and Parker were the only two players to score from the bench. Parker’s energy was awesome and he was rewarded with crunch time minutes. As for Faust, he is only a freshman and he will continue to grow. On one pass, he lobbed it back to Stoglin and it was intercepted and he didn’t hustle back to contest for the layup on the other end.
Sub of the game: Mychal Parker

Mark Turgeon: B-
This was Turgeon’s opening game in the ACC and he showed himself well. The one concern was that he could not seem to find an answer for CJ Leslie and he crushed the Terps for it. Turgeon is still trying to figure out the best lineup for the Terps as this was just their fourth game (since December 28) that he has had his whole team at his disposal, but I have faith in his abilities to put the best rotation forth.

Maybe You Didn’t Notice:
Terrell Stoglin is a shot taker and a shot maker. Not a big surprise there. He doesn’t need much space to make a shot. His improvement from the 3 point line has been great as he went 6-12 in the game. However, one of his best attributes is his ability to drive to the paint. In the game, he did not seem to take the ball to the rack as regularly as last year. With his ability to drive to the lane, he can open other players up as defenders collapse to him.

However, the Terps are trying to still get acclimated to one another as Alex Len comes back from suspension and Pe’Shon Howard works his way back into the rotation following a broken foot. These are both two key cogs to the Terps rotation this year. Mark Turgeon has done an excellent job guiding the ship towards conference play. The Terps open conference play on Sunday at North Carolina State at 6 PM. The Wolfpack is 10-4 with a good win at Texas and losses to #1 Syracuse, Indiana, Vanderbilt and Stanford.

At the beginning of the year, I forecasted the Terps for 15 wins and was hopeful they would get to 18. They are right on pace for that win total. As a young team, they will continue to grow with one another and get better. As always, conference play will be the crucible to determine the fortunes of the team. The Terps have struggled as outlined above but I am cautiously optimistic about the team in conference play as it is a weakened ACC season.

5) Oklahoma City @ Orlando 8 PM
When my favorite player and back to back scoring champion, Kevin Durant, and the Thunder are in the fifth game, you have a rock solid lineup. The Thunder will have to deal with expectations this year as they are the front runner to win the West and compete for the championship. It will be interesting how the duo of Russell Westbrook and Durant evolves as the media tries to create tension between the two. On the other side of the coin, there is the Magic. Dwight Howard and his constant will he or won’t he mentality in terms of staying with the Magic long term drama will be a distraction this year. How much is yet to be determined? If Howard is no worse than the second best player in the league, the Magic will do well. If not, there is not much there to carry the team. The Thunder have bodies to throw at Howard with Kendrick Perkins and Nazr Mohammad so with that, the Thunder will get a valuable road win as James Harden emerges as the X factor for the Thunder.

4) Los Angeles Clippers @ Golden State 10:30 PM
Lob City will be a must see attraction with the best point guard in the league, Chris Paul, joining the Clippers and teaming with Blake Griffin. With Griffin’s high flying ability and CP3′s passing, it truly will be Lob City. As for the Warriors, they introduce a new coach in Mark Jackson and hope to continue the electric offense with Stephen Curry, Monta Ellis and company but add some defense as well. I think the new look Clippers will emerge victorious over their Pacific division foe as their team will be too much for Golden State.

3) Boston @ New York 12 PM
Boston and New York have been rivals in everything sports it seems whether Jets-Pats (who cares as a Ravens fan) or the Yankees-Red Sox (barf as an O’s fan). Knicks-Celtics claims to be a rivalry but neither have been good at the same time since the 80s. With the signing of Amare Stoudemire last summer and trade of Carmelo Anthony, the Knicks have become a respectable establishment as opposed to the laughingstock they were. This offseason they signed Tyson Chandler to help anchor their defense. Knickerbockers hold serve at home to open the Christmas day slate.

2) Chicago @ Los Angeles Lakers 5 PM
Chicago has the reigning MVP in Derrick Rose and the Lakers are the Lakers. The Bulls finished with the best regular season record last year and lost in the conference finals to the Heat and the Lakers were swept out of the playoffs by the Mavericks in the second round. It should be an entertaining game although Andrew Bynum is suspended for this game and the next 4 due to his actions in the playoffs last year and Kobe Bryant is hobbled. However, that has never stopped him before and the Lakers will emerge victorious.

1) Miami @ Dallas 2:30 PM
The main event is the NBA Finals rematch from last year as the Heat will watch the Mavericks raise the banner and get their rings. I think every champion should face their Finals opponent on Ring Night. It just adds to the subtext and drama. The Mavericks lost Tyson Chandler and JJ Barea in the offseason but added Lamar Odom and preserved cap flexibility for this offseason. The Heat return with the Big 3 of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh as they try to vanquish last year’s memories and hoist the title this year. It should be an interesting year 2 for the Heat. Mavs emerge with home victory on Ring Night on Christmas Day.

Check out the season preview for the NBA season tomorrow.