Maryland Basketball: 2017-18 season preview for the Terrapins

LOUISVILLE, KY - MARCH 24: Maryland Terrapins cheerleaders perform during the game between the Kansas Jayhawks and the Maryland Terrapins in the 2016 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament South Regional at KFC YUM! Center on March 24, 2016 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /

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WASHINGTON, DC – MARCH 10: Kevin Huerter /

Starting Lineup

SO Anthony Cowan

Cowan is more of a traditional point guard who allowed Trimble to play off the ball at times last year. The 6’1″ guard averaged 10.3 ppg, 3.9 rpg and 3.7 apg (which tied Trimble for the team lead). He’s not the same scorer as the previous ball handler but will distribute more to other players.

SO Kevin Huerter

The shooting guard came on during the second half of last season, including leading the team in scoring with 19 against Xavier in the Big Dance. At times, he can be as hot from three as anyone, including a 7-for-11 from distance performance against Nebraska. He made 14 more 3-pointers than two pointers, showing how reliant he is with that shot. It does lead to consistency issues though, with his effectiveness limited if the threes don’t go down.

SR Jared Nickens

The player who suffered the most from the success of the recruiting class was Nickens, whose minutes and numbers went down as a result. The senior averages about five points per game for his Maryland career. His size at 6’7″ makes him a good candidate for a wing starting spot. If the lack of minutes lights a fire under him, he could compete for a lot more minutes in his final season.

SO Justin Jackson

Even though he’s undersized at the four spot in a league full of physical players, Jackson played admirably last season, with 10.5 ppg and 6.0 rpg to show for it. He comes back as the leading returning scorer and hopefully his two-game stretch on the road against Ohio State and Minnesota, where he combined for 50, is an indication he can handle the new role.

SR Michal Cekovsky

The seven-foot senior will look to have an increased role on the offensive end this season. Due to injuries he only played half the season a year ago and the lack of size without him caused issues against the bigger teams. Last year he averaged 7.6 ppg and will need to get it up to double figures for the team to be more successful. While he shot 67% from the field, his 50% from the charity stripe makes him a hacking candidate. That will hurt the team in the final minutes of games.

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