Busting Brackets
Fansided

Big Ten Basketball: Ranking the head coaches for 2018-19

By Bryan Mauro

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MARCH 12: A general interior view of the empty court during the semifinals of the 2011 Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament at Conseco Fieldhouse on March 12, 2011 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MARCH 12: A general interior view of the empty court during the semifinals of the 2011 Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament at Conseco Fieldhouse on March 12, 2011 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
10 of 15
Next
COLLEGE PARK, MD – DECEMBER 30: Head coach Mark Turgeon of the Maryland Terrapins looks on in the second half against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Xfinity Center on December 30, 2015 in College Park, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
COLLEGE PARK, MD – DECEMBER 30: Head coach Mark Turgeon of the Maryland Terrapins looks on in the second half against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Xfinity Center on December 30, 2015 in College Park, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /

6. Mark Turgeon

Maryland basketball is a storied program, who expects greatness. Entering their fifth year in the Big Ten, the excellence came with. Mark Turgeon is the current head coach for the University of Maryland Terrapins. Much like Coach Gard at Wisconsin, Turgeon replaced a legend. That legend this time was Gary Williams. Under Williams watch the Terps were one of the best programs in the nation and a consistent NCAA tournament team.

Maryland has always been known for tremendous guard play, and Turgeon has kept that flame alive with the number of great guards who have played for him. Melo Trimble, Kevin Huerter and current Terp Anthony Cowan join a long list of great guards to play in College Park. The makeup of the roster has never been the reason why Turgeon has been criticized by some.

The criticism comes from Turgeon not always living up to the hype surrounding his team. The three NCAA tournaments in his first seven seasons show that he is a capable coach who wins a lot. Last season, the head coach came under fire, for having a down season. Maryland had to endure two of their top big men battling injuries all year. Justin Jackson’s injury was bad enough that he missed the remainder of the season. The depth in the front court for Maryland, coupled with their youth a season ago was never a recipe for success.

Turgeon has a good chunk of his roster returning, minus the early exits of NBA bound players Kevin Huerter and Justin Jackson. The recruiting class is one of the better classes in the Big Ten. Dynamic Big Man Bruno Fernando and point guard Anthony Cowan are back. The infusion of talent and the uptick in competition level, as many believe the Big Ten will be a great league this year, will all be advantages for Maryland. If the Terps play to their potential and have a season like last year, the NCAA tournament will be hard pressed to keep them out. No matter what happens, count on coach Turgeon to get the most out of his players, and end up with a winning record and potential middle of the pack finish. He is as consistent as they come in that regard. Maryland’s basketball program is in good hands.

Home/Big Ten