Mar 16, 2013; Greensboro, NC, USA; Maryland Terrapins guard/forward Dez Wells (32) goes to the basket against North Carolina Tar Heels guard/forward Reggie Bullock (35) during the semifinals of the ACC tournament at Greensboro Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

Continuing our projecting the future series, wherein we use raw data to glimpse into what a player’s future holds, we move onto Dez Wells. Wells is the Terrapins offensive linchpin, capable of scoring outbursts that change the tides of games. Last season, Wells showed flashes of being an absolute superstar on the court with his gravity-defying dunks and end-to-end scoring plays. His athleticism is second to none on a basketball court, and yet his playmaking ability is on the higher end of wing players.

Wells still struggled with consistency issues; one game he would have 23 points, and yet in another a mere nine. Despite contributing in other manners, Wells failed to continuously hold momentum for more than a single game, rarely extending hot scoring streaks more than one or two games. He also had a major issue with turnovers, something that severely hindered his ability to burst into the superstar range. His decision-making at times is far and away his most suspect aspect of his game, and takes away from everything else he does well.

So where can Dez Wells, the mercurial guard/forward, go from here? For that, I always look at statistical measures to get a gauge on players potential. But in this case, with a guy like Dez Wells, it’s important to take into account style of play. There are plenty of 6’5ish guys who weigh around 220, but there aren’t many who have the rare combination of explosiveness, speed, and athleticism that Wells has. You could look at a guy like P.J. Hairston, who has the same measurables as Wells, and yet they are nowhere near the same player (with P.J. being a far superior shooter but way less athletic.) Wells is a dunker-slasher with a mix of some great court vision and defensive prowess.

Who does Dez Wells remind me of? I would get killed for even suggesting this by a lot of people in the know, but I’m going to say it anyway: Vince Carter. Yeah, it just sounds ridiculous without any perspective. A potential Hall of Fame shooting guard who once gained comparisons to Michael Jordan because of his high-flying dunking and outrageous aggressiveness versus a guy who couldn’t even get his team to the tournament. It’s here where I have to again stress perspective when considering this comparison.

When we think of Vince Carter, we think of Vinsanity. We think of Shawn Bradley getting dunked on in the Olympics. We think of those monster jams in the NBA and his pouting with the Toronto Raptors. But the casual fan doesn’t think of Vince Carter as a sophomore in college; a young, 20 year old without a defined game just yet. It took years to become the player Vince Carter’s reputation suggests, but it had to start somewhere. So let’s start with Carter’s freshman and sophomore year in college with the North Carolina Tar Heels, and see if some of the statistics match up with Wells output from last season (and the season prior.)

Dez Wells per game totals:

Vince Carter UNC per game totals freshman and sophomore year:

Now looking at Wells’ first year in comparison to Carter’s statistically, they are tougher to compare. Wells played ten more minutes per game on a very talented Xavier team, and while his role was limited, he had logged a lot more minutes at that point in his career. Carter, meanwhile, was playing behind both Jeff McInnis and Antawn Jamison on the court at both the guard and forward positions. While Carter logged a good amount of minutes, he wasn’t nearly as large a role player for the Tar Heels.

But the the similarities are still present even with the difference in minutes. Look at the shooting percentages, which are almost identical at 50% to 49%. The three point attempts and percentages are nearly the same. Steals? The same. Assists? The same. Turnovers? You guessed it. Dez Wells averaged about two more points than Carter, but he played a lot more minutes. His rebounding numbers also reflected that, as did his trips to the line. To that point in their career, they are similar enough to merit comparisons.

When you look at their sophomore seasons as a whole, that’s when the comparisons start to stick. With both players averaging the same amount of minutes, the end result is that the two are almost identical to one another. Wells and Carter both shot 52% from the floor, 33% from three point range, averaged around the same amount of rebounds (4.9 for Wells, 4.5 for Carter), and even the same amount of points per game (13.1 to 13.0 in favor of Wells.) Still, at this point I’m entirely unconvinced that Dez Wells can ever become Vince Carter. Yes, they play similarly in that their games are predicated on dunking and spotty deep shooting, but it’s not enough evidence for me to christen Wells with the Vinsanity label.

I decided to dig deeper and look at some slightly more advanced statistics, to truly separate these two players who appear to be on incredibly similar routes of production increase. I used Statsheet.com to compare both their sophomore season’s here (I cannot provide you with an image as it won’t embed, but you can open another tab and follow along using that link.) By doing this, I was able to start to see slight differences between the two players, but also even more similarities.

For one, Dez Wells is not nearly as offensively efficient as Vince Carter at the same age. Carter finished the season with an offensive rating (the equation is (points produced/possessions) x 100) of 125, whereas Wells had a big dip with 105.7. That suggests Carter is much more efficient than Wells at scoring, but it doesn’t make sense why. Vince Carter wasn’t a jump shooter at all at this stage in his career, and all his shots came almost entirely off dunks, athletic layups, and the occasional long two/three pointer. Sound familiar? It’s Dez Wells. They should match up in efficiency with shots like those, but they don’t. That’s because the real game-changer was in their free throw percentages and turnovers.

While Dez Wells is considerably better than Carter at getting to the free throw line (his FT rate was 36.3 to Carter’s 31.6), Vince Carter hit 75% of them. Wells barely connected on 70% of his free throws, and that, realistically, is the biggest difference between the two. Connecting on free throws is what differentiates super-efficient scorers from efficient scorers. Those 5 percentage points are enough to skew the scales in favor of Carter, even if Wells managed to get to the line more. But not 25 whole points.

That’s where the turnover rate comes in. Wells was one of the worst ball-handlers in the ACC last season, and it’s what absolutely killed his efficiency numbers. Whereas Carter turned the ball over on 14.4% of his possessions, Wells turned it over 23.8% of his possessions. Their total turnovers were massive with Carter only having 47 (very few) to Wells 108. While they may score in the same manner and at the same rate, they do not play the same game. Vince Carter is simply hyper-efficient as a sophomore, because he doesn’t turn the ball over.

Still, the two are very similar (albeit slightly different) players in a number of other categories. Their true shooting percentages are near identical at 60.9% for Carter and 58.4% from Wells (again, that’s where FT% comes in). Wells and Carter are both considered great rebounders, and yet they do it in different manners. Wells is far superior on the defensive glass, nabbing 153 total DREB to Carter’s 94, but Carter is a good amount better on the offensive glass with 58 total OREB to Wells 33. Offensive rebounds tend to generate putbacks and points, and that could also lead back to efficiency since those are high percentage shots.

Wells may be a slightly better rebounder, but he is definitely a better, more willing passer. His assist totals (113 to 83 total AST) and assist percentages (22%  to 16%) are a fair amount higher than Carter’s. What’s positive about that number is that passing players who take risks with the ball early in their career tend to end up being very good passers in the future. That applies mostly to point guards, but it’s also relatively true to swingmen as well. Vince Carter was a playmaker, and i’m saying now that Wells could be even better.

———————–

So where will Wells end up next year? Honestly he’s on a trajectory to be very similar to Vince Carter:

As you can see from the table, Vince Carter just got a lot better at what he did best, which was being a good rebounder and an even more efficient scorer. 59.1% from the floor for a guard, forward, and even center is an amazingly good percentage. Carter upped his three point percentage significantly, which made him even more lethal as a scorer considering no one could guard him athletically.

For Dez Wells, in many ways, he’s on the right track to becoming college Carter. Wells absolutely has to shore up his turnover numbers, and I definitely think he can do that. His turnovers are a result of having the ball in his hands far too often, and with a real point guard that number is almost guaranteed to go down. If he can return to his freshman year turnover numbers (with the same amount of minutes), he’s actually already done.

Now the three point shooting is the biggest thing Part B. Can Wells improve his three point shot? That’s something that I can’t project, since it’s really just indicative of practice and effort levels. If Wells wants to up his percentages drastically, he can. 33% to 41% isn’t unfathomable; instead of 3 of 9, he’s 4 of 10. It’s just one more shot, but it’s all up to him.

With Wells athleticism and high-flying ability, combined with an NBA-ready ability to finish around the rim, Wells potential is limitless. When I compare him to Vince Carter, I compare him to not Vinsanity. I’m talking about college Carter, who, as you can see, is actually pretty damn similar to Dez Wells. When you consider how amazing Wells was during the latter part of the year, when his team needed him, I can get the comparison. When Dez Wells is playing at his best, he is almost always the best player on the court. It’s a matter of upping that consistency, and that takes practice.

The Time: 3:00 PM

The Place: Greensboro Coliseum – Greensboro, NC

TV/Radio: ESPN / 105.7 FM/980 AM

The Line: North Carolina -4.5

The Maryland Terrapins find themselves in another must-win situation against the North Carolina Tar Heels this afternoon as they continue to fight for their postseason lives in Greensboro, NC.

Dez Wells provided Maryland with another Herculean effort last night against Duke as he poured in 30 points of 9/13 from the field, including a perfect 2/2 from beyond the arc and 10/10 from the charity stripe in the Terps 83-74 win over the Blue Devils. In Maryland’s last 60 minutes of basketball the sophomore transfer from Xavier has scored 44 points on 13/18 from the field. Wells has been the embodiment of the phrase “putting the team on your back” for the last three halves of Terrapins basketball. It is safe to say that his team would not find themselves in the position they are in today were it not for the show he has been putting on in the Greensboro Coliseum this weekend.

As good as Wells have proven to be to this point in the ACC Tournament the Terrapins could need an even bigger break out game from their star guard today against the Tar Heels. North Carolina beat Maryland like a drum in their two meetings during the regular season winning both games by double digits (62-52 in Chapel Hill and 79-68 in College Park). In the first meeting Maryland had no answer for James Michael McAdoo and Reggie Bullock while when the Tar Heels traveled to College Park it was Bullock and PJ Hairston who did the damage. Bullock’s three point shooting in particular, he is 8/13 from beyond the arc against Maryland this season, has been a thorn in the side of the Terrapins when these two teams have gotten together previously.

It will be extremely important for the Terps to stay home on defense so that they can effectively close out on the Tar Heels three point shooters. There is a chance Maryland could catch a break in this department as well as PJ Hairston, the Tar Heels second best three point shooter by percentage at 39%, is questionable at best for this afternoon’s game after suffering a gruesome hand injury against Florida State last night that required him to receive stitches as you can see from a tweet by David Teel early this morning.

UNC’s PJ Hairston has eight stitches in webbing between fingers of left hand.#ouch

— David Teel (@DavidTeelatDP) March 16, 2013

Now I am not a doctor, I didn’t even stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night, but as someone who played the game of basketball for the bulk of their life I just cannot see how Hairston will be anything close to effective, if he can even play, with eight stitches in the webbing of his left hand. This could prove to be a crushing blow for the Tar Heels as they had found great success by going with a smaller line up but if Hairston cannot go this afternoon Roy Williams will be forced to go with some combination of Desmond Hubert, Jackson Simmons, Joel James and Brice Johnson and hope that the rotations which did not work for this Tar Heels team earlier in the season while Hairston was saddled with an injury work to their advantage in the ACC Tournament semifinals. Certainly not the situation that Roy Williams envisioned himself being in this morning while finalizing the game plan for Maryland.

North Carolina potentially being forced to go big and match the size of Maryland instead of playing small ball with Hairston manning the PF position should play right into the Terrapins favor this afternoon. One of the Terps mightiest struggles this season has been matching teams who choose to go small against their great size. In those situations the Terrapins most important big man, Alex Len, has struggled with the Tar Heels playing a front line of Hairston and James Michael McAdoo. As a PF Hairston provided the Tar Heels with a stretch four that they simply don’t have a replacement for on this roster.

I am looking for the Terrapins big men to have a big impact in today’s game with the Tar Heels starting line up in flux and tip off just under four hours away. They will need to for the Terrapins to reach the 23 win mark, which I have stated repeatedly was the amount of wins I felt they needed to get to the NCAA Tournament, and move on for a chance at the ACC crown in Sunday’s title game against either NC State or Miami.

The Terrapins have plenty of work to do to get to that point though and, it just so happens, they will have to go through the crown jewel of basketball in the state of North Carolina to do it. Personally, I wouldn’t have had it any other way.

Feb 16, 2013; College Park, MD, USA; Maryland Terrapins center Alex Len (25) shoots a free throw against the Duke Blue Devils at the Comcast Center. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-USA TODAY Sports

With their NCAA tournament hopes on the line, Dez Wells turned in another magnificent performance as he led the University of Maryland men’s basketball team to a 83-74 upset win over the #2 ranked Duke Blue Devils. It marks the second time that the Terrapins have beaten the Blue Devils this season.

The Terrapins played arguably their most complete game of the season as they shot 51 percent (26-of-51) against Duke tonight. Despite a few surges from the Blue Devils, Maryland never trailed throughout the entire game.The start of the game couldn’t have been scripted much better for the Terrapins. They jumped out to a 12-7 lead and Wells seemed to be in one of his zones. Wells made three of his first four shots and scored seven of Maryland’s first 12 points. Wells was absolutely on fire in the first half as he was 7-of-9 from the floor and netted 16 points to account for nearly half of Maryland’s first half point total. He got any shot he wanted and made life difficult for every Blue Devil. He was even able to get Ryan Kelly completely turned around on one of his jump shots. 

Things did get tense in the second half. With 13:02 remaining, Charles Mitchell fouled Mason Plumlee and Plumlee connected on both free throws to cut the lead to 47-46. However, the Terrapins outscored Duke 12-6 over the next five minutes to extend their lead to a more comfortable score of 59-52. The run was highlighted by a pretty jumper by Shaquille Cleare who played angry tonight and was effective against Plumlee in the post. Nick Faust also hit a big three-point jumper that was made possible by good court vision from Alex Len. The closest that the Blue Devils would get from this point on was six points. Maryland continued to shoot the ball well late in the game and took care of the basketball for the most part.

Another outstanding performance that can’t be overlooked is that of Pe’Shon Howard. On a night when all the credit goes to Dez Wells and it definitely should, Howard turned in a phenomenal game for Maryland. The junior guard came up huge at the free-throw line as he scored all seven of his points at the line. Howard also played an integral role on the defensive end to propel the Terrapins to victory. He also dished out five assists and grabbed three rebounds in a winning effort. This is the play that Mark Turgeon has wanted Howard to be all season. He doesn’t have to put up gaudy numbers on the offensive end. He just has to run the offense and find his teammates..

Despite not having a great first half, Alex Len rebounded in the second half and ended up having a very nice game. The Ukrainian big man ended up scoring 10 points and grabbing eight rebounds against Duke tonight. Len didn’t have a stellar first half but showed up in the second half. He stepped out and made a few jumpers away from the basket. When Len can step out and bury shots, Maryland is a very tough team to beat. It was a far cry from the disappointing performance that Len turned it in against Wake Forest on Thursday night.

Maryland will now face the winner of the Florida State/North Carolina game which is currently being played. If the Terrapins can advance to the finals, their ticket to the NCAA tournament may be punched. No matter which team they face, Wells will have to keep up his high level of play and carry this team to the promised land.

The Terrapins didn’t exactly put its best 40 minutes of basketball together tonight but thankfully the last 20 minutes of play were much more inspiring than the first 20. Despite shooting 50% from the field in the opening half the Terrapins found themselves in a five point hole at 35-30 as they headed into the break largely due to the turnover issue which has been their Achilles heel all year long. The only difference between this game and the last couple against UNC and UVA was the fact that the Terrapins did not let the turnover issues overwhelm them and subsequently hinder their chances at winning.

Cue Dez Wells playing the savior card as the Terps came out of the halftime break. Wells finished tonight with a game high 21 points on 7/10 from the field, including 2/2 from beyond the arc. He made plays on both ends of the floor and, as we have come to know by watching him perform this season, Wells was a wrecking ball when the Terps were in transition. Wells has an uncanny ability to use his body to effectively shield himself from the defense while allowing himself to get off good looks when he puts his head down and attacks the basket.

Another performance that must be noted from tonight belonged to none other than much debated point guard Pe’Shon Howard who finished with 10+ points in a game for the Terrapins for the first time since January of 2012. Howard, who has been starting of late for his defensive abilities more than anything, played his best game of the season tonight for Maryland when they needed it more than ever. For a player who has gone through a great amount of adversity over the course of the season this kind of effort could serve as a jumping off point for Howard as they move on in the ACC Tournament.

While Wells and Howard stood out for their play sophomore C Alex Len struggled to get find his rhythm this evening despite finishing with 11 points and, a team high, 4 assists the Ukrainian big man only brought in 5 rebounds and found himself saddled with foul trouble for the majority of the final 20 minutes of play as, at times, he had serious trouble guarding Wake Forest’s Devin Thomas in the post. What looked like a motivated and inspired Len early on fell back to the Len many fans have grown frustrated with after being caught out of position when Wake Forest forced him to guard a high screen and roll leading to a handful of Demon Deacons uncontested lay ups. The Terrapins cannot afford to have these kinds of defensive breakdowns tomorrow night against the Duke Blue Devils or they will find themselves on a plane back to Maryland before they knew what hit them.

While this wasn’t the most aesthetically pleasing brand of basketball I have ever witnessed the Terrapins were able to get out with a win they had to have and, as a result, get to fight for their NCAA Tournament lives another day. It will take a total team effort to be the first team to take down the Blue Devils at full strength as we have all heard Ad nauseum how Duke has yet to lose with Ryan Kelly in the lineup.

However, this is why they play the games on the hardwood and not on press row. The Terrapins will be a team fighting for their postseason lives while Duke is all but locked into being a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. If Maryland comes out hungrier for a victory than the Blue Devils are they will be a dangerous team to face.

Mar 2, 2013; Winston Salem, NC, USA; Maryland Terrapins guard Nick Faust (5) celebrates with guard Pe

The Maryland Terrapins opened the ACC Tournament with a 75-62 win over Wake Forest. The Terrapins will face Duke on Friday night in the quarterfinals.  Here is a detailed explanation of the grades that I would give each Maryland player that significantly contributed to Thursday night’s victory.

Dez Wells – Wells was one of the primary reasons that the Terps came away victorious against the Demon Deacons. The Xavier transfer shot the ball very well as he scored 21 points and seemed to do whatever he wanted on the court. Wells came out on fire in the second half and kept Maryland in the game. If not for Wells, the Terps may not have a date with the Blue Devils on Friday evening.

Grade: A

Alex Len – It wasn’t the best of games for Len. It was the type of game that the Ukrainian big man should’ve dominated and could’ve raised his draft stock. He didn’t finish with a bad line though as he netted 11 points (4-of-6 shooting) and grabbed five rebounds while dishing out four assists. During the Terps surge late in the second half, Len spent much of his time on the bench with foul trouble.

Grade: B-

Pe’Shon Howard – It’s been an up-and-down year for Howard to say the least. From his promise early on to being suspended for the Duke game, the junior guard has persevered through it all and turned in a very strong performance against Wake Forest. In arguably his best all-around game of the season, Howard scored 10 points (3-of-3 shooting) and helped the Terps to pull away late in the game. He scored five consecutive points that put them in control for good and had a strong defensive game. Howard bothered C.J. Harris and made life difficult for the Wake Forest senior.

Grade: B+

Nick Faust – After arguably his best game of the year in the season finale loss against Virginia, Faust struggled shooting the ball despite still scoring 10 points. The former Baltimore City College star only made two of his seven shots but ended up with a pretty good line. He also grabbed six rebounds and dished out a pair of assists. It’s clear that Faust is more comfortable coming off the ball and it appears that Mark Turgeon will plan to keep things that way.

Grade: C

Seth Allen –  Allen had a pretty solid all-around game for the Terps. The Woodbridge, Va. native scored 11 points, grabbed five rebounds, and dished out three assists against the Demon Deacons. Allen was able to get to the rim pretty easily and made a few tough layup attempts. When Allen is coming off the ball, he is extremely dangerous and can hit shots from anywhere.

Grade: B

Nov 9, 2012; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Archie Goodwin (10) defends Maryland Terrapins guard/forward Jake Layman (10) during the second half of the game at the Barclays Center Classic held at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

The Teams: Maryland Terrapins (6-1) vs Maryland Eastern Shore (0-7)

The Time: 7 PM ET

The Place: Comcast Center. College Park, Maryland.

TV, Radio: ESPN3 (Internet/TV), 980 AM, 1300 AM, 105.7 FM

The Maryland Terrapins men’s basketball team takes on an in-state opponent tonight in their sister school, Maryland – Eastern Shore, in what is more than likely their easiest game of the season. The UMES Hawks come into this game looking for their first win of the season at 0-7, having lost their most recent game Saturday against the Delaware State Hornets 76-66. As a whole, the team is struggling in every aspect of the game, ranking 309th or worse nationally in points, rebounds, assists, and field goal percentage on the year. To say nothing is going right would be an understatement for this team, and playing against Maryland will be no different.

The Hawks leading scorer, 6’2 guard Kyree Jones, is averaging 14.3 points on the season and over half of his shots are three pointers. The problem is, he’s only hitting 28% of them from the floor despite shooting over 6 a game. Their next best player, Troy Snyder (a 6’6 junior forward who transferred from the Green Bay Phoenix), is averaging 11 points and 6 rebounds on the year. Unfortunately again, he is also a terrible shooter who hits only 26% of the five three pointers he attempts a game. This team is bad, folks. They may be the worst team Maryland faces all year.

Meanwhile the Terrapins are fresh off an ugly win against George Mason on Sunday at the Verizon Center. In a game that saw the Terrapins turn the ball over 19 times yet come out with a win, Maryland is going to be looking forward to playing an easier opponent that can help them fine tune some of the aspects of their game. They may also be hoping for yet another stellar performance from sophomore Dez Wells, who scored a career high 25 in the win and has averaged 24 points over the last two games. Wells seems to be hitting his stride and could potentially emerge as the best scorer on the Terrapins if he keeps it up.

So without further ado, here are the keys to the game:

1.) Can Maryland hold onto the ball?

Maryland is eight in the nation in assists per game at exactly 18 on average, meaning they move the ball with much aplomb every game. And yet, all that confidence in their passing ability leads to the numerous turnovers that consistently make life hard on the Terrapins. Against George Mason, it was almost a damning fault as they allowed a clearly overmatched team to hang on late into the game because they failed to execute correctly. That’s not what a top 25 team does.

Fortunately for them, they are going to have every chance in the world to play cleanly and effectively against the Hawks, who are going to have their hands full. Maryland can make their job easier by turning the ball over a ton and giving the Hawks 20 more shots than they should have gotten.  If Maryland can keep themselves from turning it over a lot, the game will be theirs early.

2.) Can Dez keep scoring?

Wells was the main reason Maryland won the game against George Mason, straight up. He scored in bunches whenever the Terrapins lost momentum thanks to his ability to get to the basket at will against almost anyone. The Hawks have absolutely no one who can match up well with Dez Wells, and he may be able to keep his incredible scoring streak up if coach Mark Turgeon doesn’t limit his minutes once the game gets out of hand (IF the game gets out of hand). Maryland has been looking for a player to complement Alex Len in the scoring department, instead using a points by committee approach.

If Dez Wells takes command of the offense and becomes their premier scorer alongside Len, then the Terrapins will be a better team come ACC play. Having two scorers is always better than one.

Prediction: Maryland takes this one big time in a 20 point victory over the Hawks.

Nov 12, 2012; Baltimore, MD, USA; Maryland Terrapins guard Dez Wells (32) passes against the Morehead State Eagles at the Comcast Center. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-USA TODAY Sports

If I were to tell you that the Maryland Terrapins would turn the ball over 19 times, score eight bench points, and take 22 fewer shots than the next team, you’d probably tell me that that’s a game they would have lost. And in doing so, you’d be wrong, because that’s exactly what happened when the Maryland Terrapins took on the George Mason Patriots at the Verizon Center Sunday afternoon. Despite playing absolutely lackluster in a few key areas, the Terrapins did just enough right to coax out a victory in a game that should have never been so close.

Part of the reason they won, or rather, the main reason they didn’t get blown out can be credited to the ignition of the heat seeking missile that is Dezmine Wells. Wells, coming off a career high 23 points against Northwestern, followed that up by setting another career high in points at 25 against George Mason (on 11-of-17 shooting). Nearly everything that George Mason attempted to throw at Wells failed, as he hit from beyond the arc, converted and-one’s, scored from mid-range, and drove to the basket at will. When I say at will, I mean it was as if Mason decided to wear sneakers created entirely of mud, as Wells went end-to-end on numerous occasions without seeing a single opponent contest him.

Without Wells, the game is an absolute blowout for the Terrapins, because he took over and put the team on his back when Maryland needed it most. This is how the Terrapins started the second half: missed three pointer, foul, turnover, missed jumper, missed jumper, three missed free throws, missed jumper– all in succession. Then, Mark Turgeon grilled the Terps during a timeout/typed in the key codes to activate Wells, as he came out of the huddle and promptly stole the ball, which led to a beautiful Nick Faust dunk in transition.

After that, Dez Wells just destroyed George Mason’s villages. After a TV timeout, Wells converted a layup, grabbed a defensive rebound and rushed it end-to-end and to eventually convert an and-one, and put the Terrapins up 43-39 as he single-handedly stopped the George Mason run. Unfortunately, that wasn’t enough because the Terrapins went scoreless for the next three minutes, which allowed the Patriots to even the game up yet again.

Fortunately for Maryland, the Dez Wells missile wasn’t done yet. Wells took over after yet another TV timeout, scoring in transition off a Padgett steal. The next Maryland bucket? Well, yeah, of course it was Dez Wells who went hard to the rack and put in a tough layup off the glass that gives the Terrapins a 47-45 lead, and from that point on the Terrapins never trailed again.

Wells heroics aside, the Terrapins managed to get this victory by way of sheer grit. They outrebounded the Patriots 45-32, and it’s a good thing because the 19 turnovers they committed would have ultimately bit them in the butt. Wells led the team with five of them, but that’s not to say it was completely his fault, as a few were given to him off errant passes by Mr. Pe’Shon Howard. The sloppy play is something that the Terrapins have become notorious for, and everyone on the team committed at least one except for Shaquille Cleare, and that was only because he played seven minutes of bad basketball (no stats except for three fouls).

The game could have been further out of reach had the Terrapins managed to hit their free throws, but even that they couldn’t do well. Maryland only hit 23-of-39 free throws (59% of them), and had they actually connected the game could have easily stretched to double-digits as the Terrapins were in the bonus less than five minutes into the second half. That alone should have given that a significant advantage…but it didn’t.

Nick Faust and Alex Len were following wells in the scoring department with 14 and 12 points, respectively. After that, no one scored in double-figures for the Terrapins. Padgett probably should have, but his ability to make only 4-of-10 free throws definitely hurt him. The bench for the Terrapins was terrible save for Charles Mitchell, who ended the game with 4 points and 6 rebounds to go along with a block.

Sure, the Terrapins played very solid defense in holding George Mason to only 31% shooting from the floor, but they could have been so much better, which is what is so disappointing about this victory. It isn’t about what they did, it’s about what they didn’t do. Luckily, the Terrapins were significantly more talented than George Mason, which was just enough to squeak out a win.

Hopefully they’re getting all these bad games out of the way now, because this sort of thing won’t fly during ACC play at all. If the Terrapins want to consider themselves a top 25 team in the nation, they have to deliver more crushing victories than this. A top 25 team doesn’t often play as poorly as the Terrapins did yesterday. They do, however, win games, and that is one thing Maryland got right.

Next up on the calendar? The Terrapins take on their sister school Wednesday, University of Maryland-Eastern Shore. The Hawks have yet to win a game this season, so there’s a chance this one could be a pushover. Then again, Maryland likes to make life hard on themselves.

Nov 12, 2012; Baltimore, MD, USA; Maryland Terrapins guard Dez Wells (32) passes against the Morehead State Eagles at the Comcast Center. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-US PRESSWIRE

What began as a closely contested game against two teams looking to make the tournament ended up as a 77-57 blowout by the time the final buzzer sounded. Maryland, showing off it’s Jekyll & Hyde nature, came into the second half up by only two points, 28-26. Whatever Mark Turgeon told them in the locker room at halftime worked, however, as the Terrapins absolutely unloaded on the Wildcats with a 49 point second half that was as close to perfection as you could ask for. In doing so, they sent a message to the Big 10: Get ready.

Led by Dez Wells 23 points on 9-of-11 shooting, the Terrapins looked like a team that was ready to prove something to their future conference during this annual ACC/Big Ten challenge. After starting the second half on 8-of-10 shooting thanks to Alex Len and James Padgett, the Terps continued to roll and put the game away midway through the game. Len finished the game with 13 points and 13 boards (including six on the offensive glass), and forced Northwestern to throw everything but the kitchen sink at him in hopes of shutting down the inside presence he provided. When that didn’t work, Dez Wells and Pe’Shon Howard shouldered the load and found wide open cutters when the defense collapsed on one player.

It was a beautifully played game in the second half for the Terrapins, who now look ahead to play George Mason in hopes of continuing this five game winning streak. Here are a few other thoughts from the game:

1.) Dez Wells changes the dynamic of this offense

Maryland fans should thank the stars that Dez Wells was able to play this season, because without him the Terrapins just aren’t the same team offensively. If Alex Len’s post presence makes everyone’s life easier by opening up the floor, then Wells ability to slash to the basket is very similar in it’s impact on the offense. Wells can blow past nearly anyone on the floor, and at 215 lbs, is unlikely to be stopped by most people in the country who guard him. He then does one of three things, almost always, that go very well for him. He either A) finishes strong at the rim and oftentimes draws a foul, B) makes a quick dish to the open big man down low after help defense has arrived, thus allowing for an easy finish, or C.) kicks the ball out to a wide open Nick Faust/Jake Layman/Pe’Shon Howard, who can drive in uncontested again or hit a wide open shot. It’s seriously incredibly difficult to stop the Terrapins when Wells is being as aggressive as he was yesterday.

The best part about him? Nothing seems too forced, either. He takes what the defense gives him and accommodates for it when they try to take something away. Against an inferior athletic team like Northwestern, Wells has numerous options available. Against a more athletic team, his passing ability will more than make up for the times he can’t just run the entire length of the court for an easy layup (as he did against Northwestern). His game is so versatile that it fits anywhere, and Maryland should, again, thank the stars to have him here.

2.) Maryland is incredibly good at rebounding

No matter who the Terrapins play, they are likely going to be in every game simply because they are incredibly good at rebounding the ball. Against Northwestern, the Terrapins had a massive advantage on the boards 42-15 (ten of which were offensive rebounds). Dominating a game on the glass like that, while also shooting over 50%, makes other teams shudder to play against us. The size that Maryland has can give any team fits, and it certainly did that to Northwestern. Padgett and Len simply have too much length and work incredibly hard down low, never shying away from contact. Same goes for Charles Mitchell and Dez Wells, and by extension the majority of the team. Everyone is willing to put in the extra effort to attack the glass, and that is a direct result of a hard-nosed coach like Mark Turgeon. He is getting these guys to put in the extra effort that it takes to be a great team, and come ACC play, that will serve this team very well.

On an aside, Pe’Shon Howard grabbing five defensive rebounds is a very, very good sign for the Terrapins, who like to run a lot. If he can get his hands on a rebound and initiate the fast break very quickly, the Terrapins can score lots and lots of points in transition. Doing that allows Maryland to go on big time runs that take opponents out of the game in short work.

3.) Maryland has got to take it easy on the turnovers

In the first half, the Terrapins were lambasted by the announcers because of their turnover margin, which is ranked in the 200′s in the country. Not their assist numbers, which is third in the nation, but their tendency to turn the ball over all the time. That’s what happened in the first half, and against a better team that would/will be a damning offense. It’s not so much that the Terrapins are sloppy handling the ball (as in, the turnovers aren’t coming off steals and very, very errant passes), it’s that players on offense sometimes don’t keep their hands up. Charles Mitchell accounted for three that are easily correctable things, like being ready to accept a quick pass from Howard or Wells down low and getting his feet set before dribbling in the post. Faust has the same issue with not being prepared for a pass, when again Wells hit him with a wide open look that just slipped right through his grasp.

Again, these are correctable things that young teams tend to do, and it is honestly a good omen that the Terrapins are still winning in spite of these mistakes. That being said, they do need to be corrected sooner rather than later as conference play is coming quickly, and in the ACC those errors tend to become magnified. Imagine what they’ll play like without 9 turnovers in a half (see: the second half).

According to a report by Alex Prewitt, Maryland Terrapins insider for the Washington Post, the NCAA has denied transfer guard Dez Wells waiver that was necessary for him to gain eligibility to playfor the Terrapins this season.

This process has been ongoing since the day Wells decided he would transfer to the University of Maryland. It is unfortunate, though not exactly surprising, that the NCAA has ruled this way. Despite Xavier University working with Wells and the University of Maryland to help Wells gain eligibility immediately the NCAA decided against granting the sophomore guard a waiver after he was expelled from Xavier University due to allegations that were deemed not serious enough to bring formal charges.

Wells and the University of Maryland will appeal today’s ruling but to be honest with you I would not get my hopes up that there will be any different resolution passed down from the appeal. This seemed like it would be a bit of a longshot from the get go as the only saving grace for Wells and the Terps was the fact that the police decided against bringing charges against Wells and he could argue he was unjustly expelled from Xavier. Unfortunately, the NCAA did not view Wells case as one where he could gain instant eligibility after a transfer as is sometimes seen when players transfer to schools closer to home to be closer to an ailing family member, etc.

As I wrote the other day, Dez Wells is going to be a major contributor to this program once he gets his opportunity to take the floor as a Terrapin. We now know, however, that his time will not come until the 2013-2014 campaign. While this is disappointing to Terps fans everywhere as undoubtedly any Maryland basketball supporter wanted to see Wells suiting up for the team this season we can take solace in the fact that a decision has finally been made and we no longer have to speculate as to the NCAA’s decision. At the very least, the Terps should have one deep backcourt come next season.

Last Saturday, at the open scrimmage held by the basketball team at Comcast Center, I had the opportunity to watch Terrapins transfer guard Dez Wells play in person for the first time.

Wells did not disappoint in any way, shape or form during the half hour long scrimmage in front of the Terrapins faithful who took a break from their Homecoming tailgating to sneak a peek at this season’s team in action. Wells started the scrimmage on the red team alongside Seth Allen, James Padgett, Shaquille Cleare and Logan Aronhalt. For the vast majority of the scrimmage Wells was going up against sophomore guard Nick Faust and more than held his own against the Terps incumbent starter.

I came into Saturday’s scrimmage excited to see what Wells looked like in person and he was as advertised. You can take one look at Wells and see why he was as effective as he was as a freshman at Xavier last season. He’s got the type of body that will easily absorb contact in or around the paint and he displayed a feathery touch on his jump shot that you don’t always see out of players who can make their living getting to the rim.

Without mincing words Wells was one of the best players on the floor during the scrimmage. He brought the red team back from a large deficit in part due to the fact that he ran off 13 straight points for his team. Whether he was driving to the bucket or pulling up from the outside Wells was able to do whatever he wanted to on Gary Williams Court, and the team made up mostly of the projected starters had no answer for him.

While this was exciting to see and even more exciting to write about now it did bring one bit of concern to my attention as my colleague Mike Willis and I sat there watching him play: Wells looked like he could be the best player on the floor during that stretch, but as of this post, we still don’t know what his fate will be for this upcoming season. If Wells has his appeal granted and doesn’t have to spend this season sitting out per NCAA transfer rules then let me be the first to say “Oh happy days!” and fist pump the air in delight.

However, if his appeal is denied and the Terrapins are forced to move forward without Wells having a role in the rotation, it would be a wasted opportunity and a tough pill to swallow for Maryland fans everywhere. Were his appeal granted there is little to no doubt in my mind after watching him play in person that Wells would be a starter and a major impact player for this program going forward.

This is the same sentiment the national analysts that have stopped by College Park to see this team in the preseason so far have towards the Terrapins. With Dez Wells the Terps are looked at as a sure fire NCAA tournament team with a chance to do some real damage. Without Wells, we’re largely considered a bubble team that would likely have to play itself into the tournament with some big wins in early March. Amazing the difference the presence of one player can potentially make, but in this case I am more than inclined to agree with those ideas.

Tomorrow will put us exactly two weeks away from tip off against Kentucky at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY and we still don’t know the fate of, potentially, one of our best players. One way or another Dez Wells is going to do some fantastic things in College Park during his career as a Terrapin. All we can do now is sit back and wait to see whether those great things will begin happening this season or whether we will all have to wait until 2013-2014 to see what the former Atlantic 10 Freshman of the Year can do in the ACC. Regardless of the outcome of his appeal, the future for Dez Wells at the University of Maryland looks like it will be bright.