Terps hoping they won’t regret their missed opportunity
Defeat at Penn State could prove costly later
By Daniel Oyefusi
From missing another capable ballhandler to a missed opportunity against a rare unranked opponent, here are three takeaways from Maryland men’s basketball’s 55-50 loss at Penn State on Friday night.
Maryland’s turnover troubles highlighted its issues without a traditional point guard.
While much attention has been placed on Maryland’s lack of size in the frontcourt, the loss of point guard Anthony Cowan Jr. may be understated with three-quarters of the regular season played.
Cowan started every game of his four-year career in College Park and paired with guard Eric Ayala for two seasons to give the Terps two capable ballhandlers on the court.
With Cowan graduated, the bulk of the point guard duties have fallen on the shoulders of Ayala, but coach Mark Turgeon has worked to shift that burden off the three-year starter, mixing in four-guard lineups that have also placed the ball in the hands of players such as senior Darryl Morsell (Mount Saint Joseph), junior Aaron Wiggins and sophomore Hakim Hart.
Wiggins and Hart have been able to handle the responsibilities in short stints, but both players are better-suited to work off-ball and aren’t consistent threats to get in the lane and break down defenses.
Ayala’s superb play has at times masked the Terps’ shortcomings in the backcourt, but Penn State’s tight defense prevented Maryland from even getting into sets often Friday night as it turned the ball over 16 times, tying a season high.