Maryland Basketball: Takeaways from Hakim Hart’s big day vs. St. Peter’s Peacocks

Despite having three games canceled this week due to COVID-19, Maryland basketball (4-0) didn’t lose a step against the St. Peter’s Peacocks (1-2).

Maryland basketball (4-0) is rolling to start the 2020-21 season. Before this game, They had three games (Monmouth, Towson, George Mason) canceled this week. After this game concluded, James Madison canceled Saturday afternoon’s matchup.

The Terps have been on a tear offensively. Eric Ayala (16.3 ppg), Aaron Wiggins (12.7 ppg), Darryl Morsell (12.3 ppg), and Donta Scott (11 ppg) lead the team in scoring thus far. Mark Turgeon has a team on his hands this year where anybody can have a double-figure scoring game.

Defense was going to be something to watch in this game. Why? Both teams employ full-court pressure and the Peacocks have shown success in doing so. They forced 17 turnovers in their first three games and averaged 10 steals per game in that span.

The Terps have struggled with turnovers so that was going to be something to pay attention to. They turned the ball over 16 times against the Peacocks Friday. As a defense, the 2-2-1 zone press continues to work to the Terps’ benefit.

A new addition to the starting lineup was Hakim Hart.  He had six points in 17 minutes on the floor when the Terps beat the Mount St. Mary’s Mountaineers 79-61. He came into Friday’s game ready to play as he knocked down back-to-back threes. Those baskets capped a 12-0 run.

Hart played lights out and recorded his best game as a Maryland Terrapin to date. He finished with 33 points and four steals. He had the hot hand Friday and showed that he can be a viable x-factor scoring option for the Terps this season.

His performance was no surprise to Anthony Cowan Jr. who mentioned to Jordan Gold of 247Sports that he knew Hart was going to be something special.

“He’s going to be a really good player,” Cowan said. “I remember just a couple nights before I left College Park, I was just telling him, he could do something in this league if he wants to. He fully understood that, so I’m excited to see his progression.”

Ayala, Cowan Jr.’s successor, has been playing like the leader he was expected to be. Most of his baskets have come from inside and the midrange. He has shown in the first four games how good of a scorer he is.

He scored two of the Terps’ first three baskets to start this game and forced a turnover. There was some trash talk going on between Ayala and St. Peter’s guard Matthew Lee early on. Ayala shut it down when he posturized Marty Silvera after a Peacock turnover. Ayala stared at the Peacock bench afterward and chest bumped teammates.

The Terps finished the half with a 42-23 lead over the Peacocks thanks to Hart (13 points, two steals), Scott (nine points, seven rebounds), and Ayala (eight points, two steals). The Terps turned the ball over 11 times but took care of business when converting in the paint, on the fast break, and getting points off turnovers.

They cruised past the Peacocks 90-57. Jairus Hamilton, Scott, and Ayala scored in double figures also.

Hart made the most of his first start

It was Hart’s world, and we were all just living in it.

Hart led the Terps in the first half thanks to him settling into his game. The 6-foot-6, sophomore shot 71 percent from the floor and 60 percent from the perimeter in the first half. It was good to see him get going early. Hart didn’t play a lot last season and it was questioned by Terps fans.

They wanted to see him out there, but Turgeon knew what he was doing. Those two threes Hart hit gave him the confidence to keep shooting. If the shots are going down. Why not?

This is the same player who earned multiple player of the year awards and first-team honors from USA Today, Daily News, and Philadelphia Inquirer as a senior for the Roman Catholic Cahillites. He averaged 21.1 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 1.8 steals before coming to College Park. He played a pivotal role in Roman Catholic capturing back-to-back Catholic League titles.

Scott gave Terps fans a double-double on his birthday. Hamilton continues to pay dividends for the Terps

Fourteen points, 12 rebounds, and four assists sound like a great birthday performance to give your team and Terps fans doesn’t it? Scott is already building on his solid freshman year last year. He has asserted himself as a leader in the frontcourt with his play.

Against better competition this season, it will be interesting to see how he performs. Terps fans shouldn’t be surprised if he finds himself on watchlists later in the year and his name gets mentioned in NBA Draft talk. Whether it’s this season or next, he will be there.

Hamilton was a playmaker for the Boston College Eagles last season and he has done the same for the Terps thus far. It only took him two games to adjust in a Terps uniform. He now has back-to-back double-figure scoring games.

Hamilton is a forward, but he has a nice touch from the perimeter, and he gives the Terps another player who can hurt opponents from out there. It’s not smart for opposing defenses to leave him alone on the perimeter and the Peacocks did that twice in the second half. He is shooting 47 percent from that area of the floor.

The Terps shoot and the ball goes in

Maryland basketball has had the magic touch from the field as a team early in the season. They are shooting 56 percent from the field (10th in the nation) and 42 percent from the perimeter. A byproduct of their hot shooting as a team is the ball movement. The ball is always moving in the half-court. There hasn’t been a game where the ball has stood still. When that’s happened in the past, the Terps struggled to score.

The question remains, will they be able to keep that up when Big Ten play gets going?

Maryland basketball will play the Clemson Tigers (3-0) Wednesday at 5 p.m. on ESPN2 in their ACC/Big Ten Challenge matchup. The Peacocks will play the Niagara Purple Eagles (0-1) next Friday.