Don’t overestimate impact of Terps’ romp past Wingate

In 2016, victory against D-II foe was followed by pitfalls

The Maryland men’s basketball team did what it was expected to do against an outmatched opponent when it throttled Division II Wingate 100-58 on Friday afternoon at the Xfinity Center in College Park.

Sure, there was the somewhat startling scene of coach Mark Turgeon going ballistic during a timeout when the Terps trailed the Bulldogs, 16-12, with 11 minutes, 42 seconds left in the first half. But the team found its footing and then put that collective foot on Wingate en route to its most explosive showing since Nov. 23, 2018, when that squad scored 104 points against Marshall.

But there is a cautionary tale in this. The matchup against the Bulldogs was hastily arranged after a Saturday home game against Big Ten rival Nebraska was postponed due to coronavirus issues among the Cornhuskers.

The last time Maryland (8-6, 2-5 Big Ten) squared off against a nonconference opponent in the midst of its Big Ten season, the 2015-16 squad blasted Division II Bowie State 93-62 on Feb. 9, 2016. It then lost four of its next six games to close the regular season, tumbled from No. 2 in the rankings to No. 18 and was bounced from the semifinals of the Big Ten tournament by Michigan State before falling to Kansas in the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament.

Here are three takeaways from the Terps’ victory:

The offense lacks a single go-to player — and that’s fine.

In the Terps’ past six games, four players have ended up leading them in scoring.

Junior point guard Eric Ayala paced the offense in a 70-64 upset of No. 9 Wisconsin on Dec. 28; sophomore small forward Donta Scott in an 84-73 loss to No. 7 Michigan on New Year’s Eve; junior shooting guard Aaron Wiggins in a 63-55 setback at Indiana on Jan. 4 and in an 89-67 loss at No. 5 Iowa on Jan. 7; senior shooting guard Darryl Morsell (Mount St. Joseph) in a 66-63 stunner against No. 14 Illinois on Sunday; and Wiggins again against the Bulldogs.

Wiggins has recently emerged as the straw that stirs the drink, averaging 18 points in his last four starts and 15.1 points in his last eight. He credited his production to staying active on the offensive end of the court.

“Getting into a little bit of a flow,” he said. “We’re moving the ball a lot better as a team, getting guys a lot of open shots, and when guys are getting open shots, it opens up the court for everybody. Getting into a flow and staying aggressive is just one thing I’m trying to continue to do.”

James Graham III and the Terps needed that game against Wingate.

Since joining the program Dec. 28, the freshman forward has looked every bit the high schooler that he is.

Before Friday’s game, Graham did not play against Michigan per Turgeon’s decision, had more turnovers (two) than combined points (zero) against Indiana and Iowa, and did not get off the bench against Illinois.

But against the Bulldogs, Graham scored a career-best 10 points and grabbed four rebounds, largely in the second half when the outcome was pretty much determined. Still, Turgeon hopes the experience helps the Class of 2021 recruit gain some semblance of confidence.

“Offensively, he was terrific,” Turgeon said. “He, for the most part, took good shots. And he can really pass. He knows how to play.

“Right now, his head is just spinning. The other parts of the game, you’ve got a ways to go. But what we’re doing to him is almost impossible, to come in after Christmas as a 17-year-old kid.

“I think offensively we all got a little bit more confidence with him. I think defensively is where he’s got to go a long ways for us to really trust him in these Big Ten games.”

Graham was part of a bench that combined for 35 points and logged considerable minutes (21 minutes for freshman point guard Aquan Smart and 20 for junior small forward Jairus Hamilton on the high end). That is a refreshing change of pace for a starting lineup that entered the game averaging almost 29 minutes per game.

“It helps us a lot just because a lot of guys were able to get into the rotation and keep us guys out of a heavy rotation,” said senior power forward Galin Smith, who finished with 13 points and four rebounds in less than 12 minutes of play. “It was good for us to play this game so that we can be able to prepare for the next one.”

Ayala’s return from a groin injury would be significant.

Turgeon gave Maryland fans a glimmer of hope regarding Tuesday night’s game at Michigan when he told media after Friday’s win that Ayala could return from a two-game absence caused by a groin injury he initially sustained against Purdue on Christmas Day and reaggravated against Iowa.

Turgeon emphasized that Ayala, who is still the team’s leading scorer at 14 points per game, has to clear a few hurdles at practice — mainly movement and running drills — before being sent out there.

“If everything goes well, we plan on playing him Tuesday night,” Turgeon said. “It’s a tough injury, so we’ll see.”

Sophomore Hakim Hart has played well in Ayala’s place. He had nine points and zero turnovers in the upset at Illinois and 11 points, a team-best six assists and zero turnovers against Wingate.

But Ayala is a seasoned veteran who had 16 points, three assists and one turnover in the first meeting with the Wolverines (11-0, 6-0). The chances of shocking them would increase if Ayala was in his usual position.