Maryland Basketball: What Terrapins must do to beat Purdue on Christmas
By Sean Cole
Big performances from key players
Going into the 2020 – 2021 season and with the loss of its two superstars Anthony Cowan and Jalen “Stix” Smith, not only did the Terp fans know but Coach Mark Turgeon and his staff knew there was going to be some big shoes to fill. There was no question about how who be the leaders of the 2020 Maryland Terps and what those players needed to do to succeed.
At the beginning of the year, I wrote a piece on the key players for this season. They were Eric Ayala, Darrell Morsell, and Aaron Wiggins and there was no doubt these were the guys to lead the Terps.
I must say to this point this trio has not lived up to expectations and I say that in the most respectful way possible. But, for those that follow Terp’s basketball, fans are wondering…Where are you, superstars?. Ayala has shown that he is ready to the floor leader, but the last several games for Ayala, have not been the games he was looking for. Wiggins and Morsell both have not played the way that they are capable of playing.
Wiggins has shown flashes of his deadly shooting stroke, which Coach Turgeon, I’m sure, is hoping that he breaks out of his shooting slump soon as Wiggins has gone 6-22 from the three-point line and 20-50 from the field. I think the engine the fuels the Terps is Morsell. It just seems like Morsell doesn’t have the fire and intensity that we are used to seeing.
When Morsell is playing with fire and intensity, not only does he play defense more aggressively, but his offensive game also benefits. I love Morsell and his toughness and so goes Morsell, so goes the Terps.
If the Terp’s have any hope of defeating Purdue in West Lafayette, Ayala, Wiggins, and Morsell will have to what they do best, along with the emerging Scott and each of them doing their part. Ayala needs to be smart with the ball and make good decisions. The Terp’s will need Wiggins to find that stroke, as the three-point shot will definitely come into play in this game.
Morsell needs to come out right from the tip-off and play like the Morsell that Terp fans have come to love. Passion, toughness, and emotion are all things Morsell needs to display in this game, as I said before, so goes Morsell, so goes the Terps.