Maryland men’s basketball is showcasing its new versatility | TAKEAWAYS

In three games for Maryland men’s basketball, Derik Queen hasn’t disappointed. But there’s still room for the Baltimore resident to grow.

That became evident after halftime of the Terps’ 84-53 rout of Florida A&M Monday night at Xfinity Center in College Park. When the second half opened, Queen was not on the court but on the bench and did not enter the game until a quarter of the way in.

Asked about the freshman center’s absence from the start of the second half, coach Kevin Willard replied, “I didn’t like the way he was playing in the first half.”

Asked to elaborate, Willard said, “I just didn’t like the way he was playing. That’s my decision. That’s the great thing about being the head coach. I get to make decisions, and you guys get to criticize me.”

Queen scored 11 points, dished out a team-high three assists, and made two steals, but played just 16:40 — a season low for him. As dazzling as he has been this early in his college career, it’s clear he still has to meet certain standards imposed by Willard.

Here are three observations from Monday night’s win:

The press is back

Maryland led the Big Ten in defense last season allowing 65.9 points per game despite refraining from employing a full- or half-court press for extended periods. It appears the team is going back to the well.

In their three victories thus far, the Terps have turned to the press, and the results have been eye-opening, especially in wins against Mount St. Mary’s on Friday and Florida A&M. Those two opponents turned the ball over a combined 47 times, which are the most in back-to-back games since forcing 49 in wins against Seattle and the College of Charleston in 2010.

Of those 47 takeaways, 27 are steals, which are the most in consecutive games since collecting that many in victories over Charleston Southern and Fairfield in 2009. Willard credited changes in personnel with being able to field a more effective press.

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/maryland-men-basketball-showcasing-versatility-183900297.html

Author : Baltimore Sun

Publish date : 2024-11-12 18:39:00

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