Terps should hear the call of the NCAA tournament

Maryland men’s basketball coach Mark Turgeon planned for his team to stay in Indianapolis through Selection Sunday and leading up to the start of the NCAA Tournament, with the mindset that however the Terps fared in the Big Ten tournament they would be assured a spot in the 68-team field.

And barring anything unforeseen, the Terps are expected to make the annual tournament for the fifth time in Turgeon’s 10 years at the helm. (Last year’s squad was a projected as a top-four seed in a region before the cancellation of the NCAA Tournament).

Here are three takeaways after Maryland’s run in the Big Ten tournament ended with a 79-66 loss to Michigan in the quarterfinals:

Maryland needs to continue to focus its offense on getting to the free-throw line.

The Terps are a vastly different team when they can make outside shots consistently, but extended scoring droughts have come to define them.

Turgeon has emphasized the importance of playing inside-out, and that philosophy — combined with getting to the foul line — has proved to be the Terps’ best formula on offense.

Maryland is 7-2 this season when attempting more than 20 free throws but 0-5 when attempting fewer than 10. The dichotomy between the two statistics was highlighted during the conference tournament.

In a 68-57 opening-game win over Michigan State, the Terps shot 38% from the field but were able to mask the poor shooting performance by attempting 28 shots at the free-throw line and making 20. But against Michigan, Maryland attempted just eight. Junior guard Aaron Wiggins, whom Turgeon implored to drive the ball against the Spartans, didn’t go to the foul line once against the Wolverines.

Like it has all season, Maryland’s defense will dictate its postseason success.

Over the first half of the Terps’ Big Ten schedule, they allowed close to 71 points per game as they eventually dropped to 4-9 in conference standings.

Maryland turned that around to a 9-11 finish in the regular season and did it primarily on the play of its defense; opponents scored an average of 60 points on 37% shooting from the field over the Terps’ final 10 conference games.

When Maryland is switching properly, rotating its assignments and not allowing offensive rebounds for second-chance opportunities, it can compete with most teams not named Michigan, which has scored 79, 84 and 87 points against the Terps, three of the top four scoring performances they have allowed this season.

Maryland’s ceiling isn’t high, but the right matchups could make for an interesting few days in the NCAA Tournament.

Unlike last year, Maryland won’t be a trendy pick to reach the Final Four. And given the lingering reservations about the Terps, they might not be favored to win their opening-round game.

But it’s March, and a favorable draw in any region can make for busted brackets and captivating Cinderellas.