Maryland Basketball: Current state of affairs for Terrapins in 2020-21 season

The “Good” for Maryland Basketball so far

Well, here is the part where it gets real and for Maryland fans, I hope you can agree with the good and the bad.  First, let’s start with the good. Maryland for the most part has been very competitive in the Big 10 and that is saying a lot. The staple of this year’s team has been defense. The Terp’s have played excellent defense all year long, which has either kept games close or closed out some games for them.

Although undersized, the defense in some ways has made up for it. Yes, some of the Big 10’s best big men, such as Luka Karza, Kofi Cockburn, Trevion Williams, and Hunter Dickinson have had their way inside scoring and rebounding and have torched the Terp’s, yet they still, for the most part, have rebounded really well.

It all revolves around the defense. When Maryland is playing great defense, it spurs their offense and gives them confidence. A good example was recently against Purdue, as Maryland was down by five points 60-55 with a minute 1:43 left in the game. The Terp’s made a critical 3 point shot and had a couple of stops and Ayala grabbed an offensive rebound and was fouled, as he got the 3-point play the old fashion way and the Terp’s edged Purdue 61-60.

A great example of defense spurring on offense, was against Minnesota, as Minnesota was riding an 11 game winning streak at the Barn and the Terp’s but on a defensive show, as they help the Golden Gophers to a season-low 47 points and just 30.4 percent from the floor, including 5-of-23 from 3-point range. In one of Maryland’s rare fast starts, the Terp’s raced out to a 17-3 lead and never looked back as Ayala scored a team-high 21 points and Scott scoring 15 points.

So, an accomplishment that Maryland players, fans, and coaches should be proud of, is that the Terp’s have three wins against Top 20 teams on the road. As they beat #6 Wisconsin 70-64, #12 Illinois 66-63, and the fore mentioned #17 Minnesota 63-49. The Terp’s also have four wins against Top 25 teams this year as well and in a league as tough as the Big 10, that is saying a lot.

But, the bottom line is when the Terp’s are playing great defense and playing with passion and emotion, it turns on their offensive game as well. When the Terp’s are doing it on both ends of the court, they can play against any team in the country. There have been times, where Maryland just shoots lights out, and when they are you can see the confidence that they have, as they play with purpose and meaning. Just remember all the good, cause it gets ugly.