Maryland Terrapins Rely Too Much on Athleticism

Come March, bubbles will be all the talk of College Park, and it won’t be about what are the best graduation day antics. It will be about why the Maryland Terrapins will miss the NCAA tournament, and how leaning on athleticism cost them throughout the season.

Maryland does several things right defensively. They are first in the conference in field goal percentage defense, second in three-point shooting defense, and first in blocked shots per game. Tough to game plan against perimeter defenders that close quickly and an active interior defense.

On the other hand, the are next to last in three-point shooting, eighth in team field goal percentage, and number one in turnovers. Clearly, good defense does no good if turnovers lead to fast breaks. And even when you don’t turn the ball over, failure to convert possessions expends energy and confidence.

Athletically, the Terps are among the conference’s elite. But the lack of discipline on offensive possessions, particularly in the second half of games, kills the squad. If Maryland does hope to make the dance, they have to become more than just a bunch of passionate athletes and commit to offensive precision.

Maryland knows that they have the ability to run with any team in the country from top to bottom, but they don’t have the will to use their athleticism to complete plays at critical times. There’s still hope for the team and Gary Williams is regarded for coming up big in big games, but you wonder if he’s the guy that can impart the lesson of using more than your heart and your legs.