Nov 12, 2012; Baltimore, MD, USA; Maryland Terrapins guard Pe

The Maryland Terrapins basketball team had a relatively easy go of things against Morehead State Monday night in their home opener, taking down the Eagles 67-47. Any concerns about a hangover after losing to Kentucky were out the door, as the Terrapins blew the doors off this one early and never looked back, flexing a little muscle and showing teams that they are legitimate threats on the national level. I could presumably say the Terrapins were led by Alex Len, who had 12 points and 7 rebounds along with three blocks, but it was a team effort that put the Eagles away for good.

Player(s) of the Game

Alex Len and Shaquille Cleare, and Charles Mitchell

The front line continued to impress against the Eagles with a balanced attack from Len, Cleare, and Mitchell, who seem to compliment one another incredibly well. Alex Len has no problem doing the scoring, where he was 3-of-5 from the field and 5-of-6 from the free throw line (his form is fantastic), and he can do that from just about anywhere on the court. His versatility helps because Shaquille Cleare is a strictly down low guy who did his damage from the free throw line by drawing lots of fouls in the post (he finished 6-of-8 on free throws). But their defensive abilities were what made the difference, as they both blocked three shots apiece, forcing an Eagles team that cannot shoot to, well, shoot.

So where does Mitchell fit in? Well, he is one of the best rebounders I have ever seen play at Maryland (he finished with 9 rebounds, giving him 19 on the year). Mitchell grabs his rebounds with some great positioning and playing the angles well, sure, but it is also clear that he just wants them more than any player on the court. At one point during the game, Mitchell literally ripped the ball out of Shaquille Cleare’s hands because he just wants them so badly. That’s a good thing to have on this team, and allows Len to move up the court quicker and get out in transition, as well as spotting Cleare who can handle the scoring load when they’re both on the floor.

Hats off to the front court.

Goat of the Game

Morehead State’s Shooting

Morehead State honestly tried really hard, but with the on the ball defense Maryland was playing, there just isn’t much you can do offensively. The Terrapins held the Eagles to 19-of-60 shooting on the game, and it’s practically impossible to win when you shoot like that. Milton Chavis was their lone double digits scorer with 10 points, but only one person on their team shot 50%. They simply couldn’t get anything going and fell behind very quickly. Shooting 1-of-14 from deep can do that.

Furthermore, the Eagles were dominated in both the rebounding and assists column. Maryland’s 37 rebounds trounced their 25, and the Terrapins 14 assists easily lapped their 4. The Eagles ran a lot of isolation, but that didn’t result in much given the help defense the Terrapins were playing. Being outrebounded on the boards (in spite of grabbing 11 offensive rebounds) hurt a lot, and them lacking a 7 footer to compete with Len showed down low, where they could establish nothing.

What’s up next

The Terrapins stay home to go up against the Long Island Blackbirds, a team that lost to the Lafayette Leopards in their first game, 98-94. From that you can assume that their defense isn’t stellar, which means Maryland may have a pretty easy victory next game, which goes along with my colleague’s prediction that they won’t lose again until January.

Nov 9, 2012; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Maryland Terrapins guard Nick Faust (5) drives past Kentucky Wildcats guard Julius Mays (34) during the second half of the game at the Barclays Center Classic held at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-US PRESSWIRE

After a mildly disappointing three point loss against the defending national champion (although a very different iteration of them since their starting five left for the NBA), the Maryland Terrapins head home to face the Morehead State Eagles. The Eagles are a very different team than Kentucky, given that none of their players are particularly heralded as prize recruits, but that does not mean they are bereft of talent. The vast majority of their starting roster are seniors and juniors, and they are a hard working team that finished with 18 wins last season. They also have the potential to do something similar this year with the experiences they had last season.

Player to watch: Sr. Forward Milton Chavis

Chavis is one of the Eagles more talented players, and he proved that in their first outing where he scored 24 point against Long Island University – Brooklyn. That team is far from a stout opponent, but Chavis is still capable of doing similar things against any team. He is a 6’6, 215 lb forward who can hit threes and do some damage down low, and the Terrapins should keep a close eye on him to prevent him from heating up. If the Kentucky game can tell the Terrapins anything, it’s that defending the three point line is not their forte thus far. Any team that is lighting it up from outside will pose a threat, so if Chavis can heat up then the Terrapins will have a tough night ahead of them at home.

Key Storylines

1.) Can Alex Len continue to dominate?

Len had a pretty beastly performance against Kentucky on a national stage, finishing with 23 points and 12 rebounds, to go along with three blocks. And that was against the top center prospect coming out of high school in the NCAA in Nerlens Noel. Against Morehead State, Len is not going to be facing any 7-footers, but he will go against guys who like to get physical down low. Last season, he struggled against opponents like that, but I’m not sure that will be the case this year. Either way, a monster performance against a weaker opponent means Len will be doing all the right things and will lend more credibility to the general consensus that he is a changed player from the timid guy he was last year.

2.) Can Maryland hit any jumpers?

Against Kentucky, one of the biggest reasons Maryland lost wasn’t because they played poorly, but rather because until the second half they couldn’t hit any shots. The Terrapins missed almost every jump shot they took in the first half, with Nick Faust and Pe’Shon Howard throwing up brick after brick. They may be able to get away with that for one game, but going against tougher opponents and doing that means the losses will pile up.

Faust and Co. need to help establish the inside-outside game by knocking down their shots. Their ball movement was just fine, but unfortunately the stroke wasn’t there. Having a good shooting night tonight will allay some Terrapin fans concerns about whether or not this team can shoot well enough to be as competitive as they would like.

Prediction: Maryland wins this one, but it’s close until the second half. MD – 88 – MS – 66