Maryland Terrapins Crashing the Big Ten’s Party

By Hashim R. Hathaway | Mar 2, 2015

Despite the fact that Wisconsin just clinched a share of the Big Ten regular season title, the Maryland Terrapins are arguably the best team in the league. How did the new kids on the block make such a splash in its debut season?

On paper, #14 Maryland is a good, but not great team–despite what their ranking and 24-5 record suggest.

Their field goal percentage is 134th in the nation; their points per game is a mediocre 105th. When it comes to points allowed, they rank 102nd. By the numbers, head coach Mark Turgeon’s fourth season at the helm was expected to be a mediocre one, yet this is a Terrapins squad that is not only winning, but making a significant statement in their first Big Ten season.

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It’s easy to say something doesn’t smell right about a team that still finds a way to win the right games at the right time. Looking at their RPI, which stands at 72, Maryland falls below eight of their Big Ten rivals (Wisconsin, Ohio State, Michigan State, Minnesota, Iowa, Purdue, Indiana and Illinois), yet is still in contention for a piece of the regular season title.

Strength of schedule aside, Maryland is a team that wins small but loses big. On the season, their average margin of victory is 11.2 points through 24 wins. Their margin of loss in five games is 15.4 points.

To be sure, wins are wins, but if you take into account razor slim victories against Michigan State, Penn State, Indiana and Nebraska going the other way and the Terps, with eight losses instead of four, could easily be exactly where they were projected to be: in the middle of the pack.

But despite everything that says this is a “lucky” team, they are a winning team, due in no small part to the tag team of senior swingman Dez Wells and freshman guard phenom Melo Trimble.

Averaging 16.2 and 15 points per game respectively, neither player are in contention for Big Ten Player of the Year honors, but both combine to be the heart and soul of a Maryland team that has a knack for pulling out a victory when least expected.

Whether it’s holding off Indiana in the final seconds to secure a two-point victory in the February rematch, or surprising everyone with a 59-53 win over #5 Wisconsin, this is a team that knows how to win when it counts and where it counts: behind the arc and at the charity stripe.

Maryland is averaging seven three pointers a game at 38 percent, and while their 75.9 percent free throw average is respectable, they’re scoring 17 points per game at the line. Few are better at foul shots than Tremble, who’s made 177 free throws this season at a whopping 87 percent accuracy.

When it comes to shooting beyond the arc, Wells is averaging 52 percent, knocking down 23 three-point shots. At 40 percent, the more liberal shooting Tremble nailed 48 this season.

With the help of junior forward Jake Layman (whose field goal percentage at 48 percent is even better than both Tremble and Wells), Maryland has the offensive firepower to stand up to any team in the Big Ten, and they have.

With two remaining games on the road against Rutgers and Nebraska, Maryland couldn’t be in a better spot when it comes to grabbing a share of the Big Ten title before heading to Chicago for the conference tournament, one that they could easily win.

That’s how good this Maryland team is, evidence by the fact that ESPN’s Joe Lunardi currently has them seeded third in the NCAA tournament. The Terrapins may not be the belles of the ball, but maybe it’s time to pay close attention to the gate crashers they’ve become as they are the most dangerous yet unassuming team in the Big Ten.

Next: SEC: Kentucky Wildcats, LSU Tigers make big statements

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