Maryland Basketball: Terrapins should continue to unveil press defense (Video)

Maryland basketball’s press helped them jump right back into the game versus Purdue.

Maryland had trailed all game. Melo Trimble was struggling from the floor, as was the usually reliable Rasheed Sulaimon. Mackey Arena had been shaking with enthusiasm all night, with Purdue in control of a high-end matchup.

Then Mark Turgeon told his team to go play aggressive defense.

Here’s what ensued.

With Purdue up 74-64, and 3:43 remaining, Jake Layman stole the ball.

With 3:34 remaining, Trimble stole the ball.

With 3:19 remaining, Sulaimon stole the ball.

With 3:03 remaining, Diamond Stone stole the ball.

With 2:16 remaining, Sulaimon stole the ball.

The result? In just 1 minute and 31 seconds, Maryland had tied the game at 76.

Fast-forward to 1:20 in the video below to see some of it play out.

A successful press defense requires all five players on the court to work in sync, rushing to the ball, trapping players before they can gather their surroundings. If four of the five players are doing an excellent job, the defensive attempt will fail; there will be one player open to bail out the offense.

Not only was Purdue unable to handle Maryland’s press defense, the success of it led to increased confidence for the Terrapins. Maryland had been stagnant on offense up until their defense stepped up. The press defense led to three pointers, layups, and dunks, and the Terps nearly stole the game away from the Boilermakers.

Maryland was unable to pull off the victory, as Purdue hit clutch free throws down the stretch when Maryland had no choice but to foul.

Watching this near meltdown ensue on Purdue’s part made me consider this: Why doesn’t Maryland employ its press defense versus its other opponents? Yes, most teams don’t use the press circumstances unless they need to force turnovers. No, I’m not suggesting Maryland follows Shaka Smart’s VCU model and press on nearly every play.

More from Big Ten

• Nebraska Basketball: Projected starters and depth chart for 2023-24 season
• Big Ten Basketball: Ranking all 18 programs after adding Oregon, UCLA, USC, and Washington
• Iowa Basketball: Projected starting lineup and depth chart for 2023-24 season
• Purdue Basketball: Projected depth chart and rotation for 2023-24 season
• Minnesota Basketball: Projected depth chart and rotation for 2023-24 season

What Maryland should do is dedicate certain stretches of its game plan to employing it’s press defense. The effectiveness of it could not have been much better Saturday night, and while some of that can be chalked up to Purdue’s inability to handle it, most of the credit should be given to Maryland’s players and defensive scheme late in the game.

Jake Layman’s length at the point of this press was priceless, as he consistently deflected and altered the trajectory of desperate Boilermaker passes. Maryland’s surrounding players were right on their men, creating exceedingly small windows for Purdue to operate within. The Terrapins wreaked havoc by forcing Purdue into corners. The mere threat of a steal forced Purdue to call a timeout right after an inbounds play with 1:32 remaining.

An increased use of the press would create less need for Maryland’s offense to create shots, as the press often ends up creating easy opportunities after turnovers. In the stretches where Maryland turns up the heat on defense, it could drain the shot clock on offense, drawing up simple ball screens and isolations on offense to allow players to catch their breath.

More busting brackets: 10 NCAA coaches on the hot seat

Turgeon was quoted after the game as saying, “I can only do so much. They need to fix it.” By simply incorporating the one thing that worked flawlessly on Saturday into future game plans, Turgeon will have his Terps playing better, more efficient Maryland basketball down the stretch run.