Terps display plenty of Hart as they roll to win
Sophomore guard pours in 33 points in 1st game as starter
After a career-high performance for the Maryland men’s basketball team Friday afternoon, Hakim Hart knows where he would have been if Saturday afternoon’s game at JamesMadison had not been canceled: on the bench.
Despite scoring a career-high 33 points in the first start of his career to propel the Terps to a 90-57 throttling of visiting Saint Peter’s at the Xfinity Center, coachMark Turgeon said Hart will return to the bench, and the 6-foot-6, 205-pound sophomore shooting guard did not have any objections.
“It is what it is,” saidHart, who added four steals and three rebounds. “We’ve got a lot of great players on this team.”
Hart will have to wait several days to see if he can repeat that effort. Saturday’s game against the Dukes was canceled around 6:45 p.m. after the team reported a positive test for
the coronavirus and suspended all activities. Maryland was scheduled to leave by bus at 7 p.m. forHarrisonburg, Virginia
Now the Terps will wait until Wednesday when they meet Clemson at 5 p.m. as part of the Big Ten/ACC Challenge.
Turgeon saidHart, who had entered the game with 45 points in his career, was granted the start because junior guard AaronWiggins had not practiced all week due to an elbow injury. Wiggins was not cleared by the team’s medical staff to play until Friday morning, but Turgeon said he elected to startHart.
“Iknewhe couldmake shots,” he said. “I didn’t realize he had 33. I thought he was around 23, and I know he got on a spurt there at the end. … Aaron did a little shooting in a little dry run yesterday, but we could see that Aaron was a little bit rusty. I knowHakim had 33 today, but he’ll be back to the bench tomorrow, coming off the bench. But he’s gained a lot of confidence from this coaching staff and fromhis teammates.”
Asked if he thought his display might warrant him another start, Hart replied simply, “No, that’s fine.”
In the first half, Hart scored 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting, including 3-of-5 from three-point range. He was even better in the second, canning all six of his field-goal attempts, including both shots behind the 3-point arc, and converting 6 of 7 free throws for 20 points.
Turgeon pointed out that Hart’s showing came on the heels of an exasperating practice session.
“Yesterday, he missed every shot in practice, and I said, ‘Keep shooting, keep shooting,’” Turgeon said. “We want him to hunt his shot because if he shoots like that and people are running at him, he can make plays for himself and others. He’s a terrific passer and has a great feel for the game. We want him to look for his shots. Yesterday, he missed two in practice and passed one up, and I didn’t like it. I got on him. He got going today, but you can’t be one of those guys that misses your first two shots and thinks you’re going to miss your third. If you miss your first four, you [have got to] think you’re going to make your fifth. That’s the way his approach to the game has got to be. So itwas great to see.”
Hart’s outing was part of an overall strong offensive effort by the Terps (4-0), who have scored at least 80 points in each of their first four games for the first time since the 2006-07 season.
The offense shot 65.0% fromthe floor in the first half, including 44.4% frombehind the 3-point arc, racing to a 42-23 advantage at halftime.
Maryland’s strong start has become something of a habit this fall. In an 82-52 rout ofNavy onNov. 27, the team shot 60% (12-of-20) in the first half en route to a 32-25 lead at halftime. Then in a 79-61 victory over Mount St. Mary’s two days later, it converted 61.5% (16-of-26) of its field-goal attempts to take a 41-32 lead at the break.
“I thought offensively, we were really good except for the turnovers,” Turgeon said, referring to 16 giveaways. “In the second half, we were better with the turnovers. We just weren’t as good offensively, and it was between the ears more than anything. So for 3 1⁄ games, we shot
2 the cover off of it. The second halfwas the first time we missed free throws, missed shots. Still shot [43.3% for the second half ], but it was kind of a different feeling. We have executed at a high level.”
Junior forward Jairus Hamilton finished with 15 points and eight rebounds, and sophomore forward Donta Scott had 14 points and12 rebounds.