As many various analysts and other basketball people predicted, Alex Len is leaving Maryland to enter the NBA Draft after two seasons with the Terrapins. The Ukrainian big man came to College Park as a relative unknown and ended up putting together two strong seasons with the team despite several growing pains. As was expected from many national basketball pundits, the Terps center had a much more productive sophomore campaign in which he averaged 11.6 points-per-game and 7.8 rebounds-per-game in 26.4 minutes-per-game. It was clear pretty on this season that Len would be going pro after the season concluded. Len absolutely abused Kentucky in the Barclays Center Classic to open the season, including dominating Wildcats future first round pick Nerlens Noel. The writing was on the wall.

Even though Len’s decision was somewhat expected, now the question becomes: how will Maryland go about replacing the production of the talented big man?

The Terps do have quite a bit of production to replace down low with not just Len leaving, but senior forward James Padgett is graduating. Padgett started a handful of games for Maryland and was a key leader for the squad. However as much as both Len and Padgett will be missed, they are definitely replaceable and won’t be missed nearly as much as many people might think.

From a depth standpoint, the Terps definitely have the personnel to have a strong frontcourt next year. First off, I’d imagine that Shaquille Cleare will step into the center role that will be vacated by Len. Cleare was a highly touted prospect coming out of The Village School (TX) and was expected to be strong contributor in terms of rebounding and defense. However, it was a season of ups and downs for the Bahamas native. Playing time seemed to be the deciding factor to Cleare’s season. He averaged 3.7 points-per-game to go along with 2.7 rebounds-per-game in about 12 minutes a game. The production wasn’t exactly mind-blowing but I think the potential is definitely there for Shaq to tell in and be a productive starter next season. He has the size at 6-9 to be effective in the ACC and can alter shots much like Len did. His size is arguably his biggest asset as Cleare was able to hold his own against some of the ACC’s premiere competition this past season. In relief of Len against Duke on February 16, Shaq absolutely stifled Blue Devils superstar Mason Plumlee and the senior forward was held to a mere four points in 33 minutes. Cleare will play a much different role that he did this past season. He was merely another body to help bring toughness and size down low when Len spent time on the bench. Cleare’s main objective was to alter shots and be a force in the low post. He did a solid job of that at times but will be looked at to produce in many different ways next season. It’s a challenge that I think he is ready for.

The transfer route has been very kind to Mark Turgeon so far in his tenure at Maryland. Prior to last season, Turgeon landed a commitment from Michigan transfer forward Evan Smotrycz. Smotrycz is expected to be a huge piece at the four next season. It’s unclear if Smotrycz or Charles Mitchell will get the starting nod at the power forward position. Either way, Smotrycz proved to be a strong asset in the low post for the Wolverines in his two years with the school, especially on the offensive end. In his sophomore campaign (2011-2012 season), the Reading, Ma. native averaged 7.7 points-per-game and grabbed 4.9 rebounds-per-game in 21.1 minutes a game. Smotrycz also proved that he didn’t force bad shots most of the time as he was a 48.1 percent shooter for the Wolverines. In watching tape on Smotrycz, the first thing that jumps out is that he is an exceptional shooter. He is very effective from beyond the arc (43.1 percent in his sophomore season) but can also put the ball on the floor and hit a mid-range shot as well. Smotrycz has the height but definitely could stand to put on a little more weight, just like Len did last offseason. Having a big like Smotrycz that can shoot the ball is going to be a major bonus for the Terps next year since Len was the only big that could sufficiently shoot the basketball this season. He may not be the shot-blocker that a guy like Cleare is, but Smotrycz should be a welcome addition on the offensive end.

Finally, we come to Charles Mitchell. Mitchell wasn’t a highly sought-after recruit out of the Atlanta-area. The guy that many have compared to Charles Barkley, had a pretty impressive freshman season at Maryland. Mitchell averaged 5.5 points-per-game to go along with 5.4 rebounds in only 15.7 minutes a game. It was clear early on that Mitchell was a very strong piece in the low post for the Terps. The Georgia native grabbed an astounding 10 boards in only 16 minutes against Kentucky in the season opener. One of the biggest positives about Mitchell is his clear passion for the game. On every possession, you can see just how much Mitchell loves to be out there. He gets fired up after making a shot and smacks the floor when he commits a bad foul on the defensive end. He is an absolute bull in the post and his game will only improve after gaining experience of an entire season against the tough ACC. Mitchell can score the ball more than many people thought he would. In limited minutes, he was able to replace double figures in points in six games over the course of the season. Mitchell may be the first big man off the bench once again in his sophomore season, but clearly is essential to Maryland’s success going forward.

A player that is coming into the season a bit under the radar is freshman Damonte Dodd. Dodd was a guy that not many people had heard of when he committed to the Terps. Dodd was a kid that hailed from Maryland’s Eastern Shore and decided to gain more experience by going to prep school for a year. The Centreville, Md. native starred at Massanutten Military Academy this year and is continuing to gain experience by playing AAU ball this summer. After being a relatively unknown prospect last summer, Dodd is now a three-star recruit for Maryland and caught the eye of several recruiting analysts. Dodd is definitely a longways away from being a huge contributor at the collegiate level but I think if he puts on a little of weight, he can play 10-15 minutes a game in relief of some of Maryland’s bigs.

The departure of Len is a big deal but doesn’t leave Maryland in as big of a hole that many people may think. The Terps now won’t have to worry about Len being double and triple teamed by opposing defenses and may see many teams defend them man-t0-man next year. The depth is definitely there with Cleare, Smotrycz, Mitchell, and Dodd. Three out of the four have at least one season of experience at the collegiate level and should be able to provide strong defense and consistent offense as well. Only time will tell how talented this group really is, but it’s definitely a strong core to build on.

Nov 27, 2012; Evanston, IL, USA; Maryland Terrapins center Shaquille Cleare (44) is defended by Northwestern Wildcats guard Tre Demps (14) during the first half at Welsh-Ryan Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

Maryland is currently on a six-game winning streak after losing to Kentucky in their first game of the season, and all things considered, there’s not a whole lot to complain about. Not a whole lot, but there are definitely some things that the Terrapins could be getting better at that, thus far, we have not really seen an improvement on. Let’s take a look at the issues plaguing Maryland basketball and examine how, potentially, they can get better upon these things.

Top Three Problems As a Team

Problem: Turnovers, turnovers, turnovers

At 15.6 turnovers per game, the Maryland Terrapins are woefully bad at protecting the rock. How bad? They rank 245th out of all the college basketball teams in the nation at turnovers per game. Exactly 22.6% of their plays have an end result of a turnover, which places them at 249th in the nation, right in between Robert Morris and Central Michigan. Even Wake Forest has a better turnover rate than the Terrapins, and they’re absolutely terrible.

The bad news? That 22.6% is only marginally better than Turgeon’s number from last season, which was a terrible 19.1% in 2011. That team didn’t make the tournament, and while this year’s team is exponentially better in numerous facets of the game, the turnovers may haunt them against tougher competition. Correction: it will haunt them against better competition. The question is: what can they do better to fix this problem?

Solution: Unfortunately, not much.

I could suggest that the Terrapins slow the game down, but at 68.9 possessions per game (which ranks them 180th in the nation), they can’t really slow down much more. They play at virtually the same pace as last season (69 possessions per game), and at that number it means the Terrapins are moving the ball properly and making the most of the shot clock. The errant passes and stone hands aren’t going to be cured by moving at a slower pace.

The only real solution is becoming more comfortable within the offense, as the Terrapins are both young and haven’t been playing together for a very long time. There are lots of new faces on this roster, and cohesion within a unit can take quite a lot of time. There are times when players aren’t expecting passes and their hands aren’t in the right spots to receive them in the low post off a kickout, and that comfortableness by an offense is only made better through repetition. Perhaps the Terrapins are actually improving game-by-game with regards to the turnover issue, but only time will tell if this number can improve. Which stinks, because their passing has been up there with some of the best teams in the nation.

Problem #2: Maryland’s First Half Scoring

As I said before, the Maryland Terrapins are a Jekyll and Hyde team to the core. They’re great at passing, but they turn the ball over too much. They are great in the second half as well, but they are also pretty poor in the first half by comparison. In the second half of games, the Terrapins average 40.7 points per game, which places them at 38th in the nation. Considering the pace they play at, that’s a gaudy number to be proud of, especially when you also factor in that their opponents are averaging only 32 points in the second half.

In the first, however, they are all over the place, and as a result they average 34.4 points. Their opponents average a paltry 30 points in the first half by comparison, meaning that Maryland usually decides games in the latter part of the second half. Why? They tend to turn the ball over a ton in the first half, which is their main problem, and don’t settle in until much later. They also get fouled more often in the second half once they realize that their jump shooting isn’t going in. Turgeon has to realize this by now, as almost every game this season has been one in which the Terrapins have failed to hit jumpers early and often. I think back to the Kentucky game, where Maryland was barely shooting over 30% in the first half. Then, in the second, they attacked everyone on the team down low and drew fouls to keep themselves in the game.

Solution: Be far more aggressive in the first half

We know that the Terrapins aren’t the best jump shooting team, despite their cast of supposed sharp shooters like Aaronholt, Faust, and Jake Layman. In the first half, it’s almost as if they want to see if the shots are falling from the get-go, and oftentimes just settle for jumpers. That includes the almighty Alex Len, who is a far more aggressive player in the second half of games than he is in the first. Well, instead of trying for the finesse finishes, they should drive to the basket more often from the start and stop forcing shots.

Alex Len can be a menace when he wants to be, and can easily exacerbate opposing team’s problems of stopping him down low without fouling by doing it all game. If he’s aggressive from the start, the lane is cleared up significantly as opposing teams cue in on him. Dez Wells taking over helps that out, too, as his slashing ability has to be accounted for at all times. With athletes like Len, Wells, and Faust, the Terrapins should have more paint points than most teams in the nation. Doing that in the first half, rather than initiating that style of offense in the second, would give them much more freedom later on in the game to jack shots with reckless abandon.

Problem #3: Maryland doesn’t shoot free throws well

Even if the Terrapins manage to get to the free throw line more often, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re going to hit many of them anyway. Currently, the Terrapins make only 66% of their free throws per game, which puts them at 235th in the nation. An old adage that rings true with almost every basketball team? “Great teams make their free throws.” If there’s one problem that the Terrapins have to improve upon, it’s that. I look at the last game against George Mason as a prime example of what can go wrong if free throws aren’t hit. In that game, Maryland managed to get to the line an amazing 39 times. It saved them in the end, but they also only hit 23 of those shots. The game could have been blown wide open had they actually finished on those shots.

I remember back when coach Calipari was coaching at Memphis, and the biggest knock on that team was that they couldn’t hit free throws. Every analyst said they would win a national championship if they only hit their free throws. Unfortunately, they didn’t and they lost because of it. I’m not saying that Maryland is the Memphis of old, but I am saying that a similar fate could strike them later on down the road. With Len and Faust being the only two players shooting over 70% from the free throw line, there’s a lot of room for improvement in that regard.

Solution: Practice

Plain and simple, really. Practice makes perfect when it comes to free throw shooting. Faust has a good enough form that his numbers can improve. Len is hitting almost 80% of his free throws, which is about as much as you can realistically ask for a 7’1 big man. Dez Wells should be shooting better, Seth Allen should be shooting better, and Shaquille Cleare should be shooting better given his softer hands. Mitchell might be hopeless, but not everyone else is.

November 29, 2011; College Park, MD, USA; Maryland Terrapins head coach Mark Turgeon reacts to the action against the Illinois Fighting Illini at Comcast Center. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-US PRESSWIRE

Basketball season is officially upon us.

With only days until the Maryland Terrapins basketball team gets into full swing, head coach Mark Turgeon addressed the media for the first time this season on Tuesday afternoon. After a hectic off-season of recruiting, the Terrapins begin the season with a fresh set of faces with only four scholarship players returning from last year’s 17-win squad. If Tuesday’s presser is any indication, however, coach Turgeon is very excited to begin the season with a year of ACC experience under his belt and some new big men.

“”It’s completely different. I really didn’t know what I was getting into last year. Didn’t know much about the ACC. Didn’t know what kind of player it takes to be successful,” said Turgeon, when asked how it felt this year versus last season, coming into the ACC as a new coach.

With the additions of Syracuse and Pittsburgh to the ACC, Turgeon obviously believes that the conference is going to have some added challenges. This year, though, the head coach has a bit more scouting experience on what it takes to be successful.

“”The ACC is a lot better than when I took the job. It’s a different league [than the Big 12]; it’s a longer, taller athletic league than what I came from. It’s a little more of a finesse league than a power league, even though some teams get at you [like Virginia and Florida State].” Turgeon also believes that last year’s conference experience “helps us know what we need to recruit” in order to be a dominant ACC team.

The new highly recruited big men, Shaquille Cleare and Charles Mitchell also garnered high praise for their work ethic this summer. They have both made the necessary adjustments health wise to become dominant low-post basketball players.

“I think of the four Where they really worked hard was in the weight room, conditioning. Shaq [Cleare] shed about 20 pounds in the offseason. Charles [Mitchell] shed about 20 pounds.”

That will be a boon for Maryland, who lacked much of any front court depth last season. Alex Len, the only real big man on the roster, missed the first ten games of the season and struggled adjusting to the league. James Padgett, another big man, only came into his own later on during the season. Maryland got beat inside consistently, but that is expected to change this season with a deep front court.

“The good thing is we have Padgett and Len for the second year so that’s nice. They both improved tremendously,” said Turgeon of the added depth. “Shaq was highly recruited and highly thought of. He’s a big, strong kid that likes to hit things. He’s just a great kid and gives you a dynamic that you don’t normally have. He’s 262 now, so he’s an above the rim guy.”

And more importantly, Turgeon added, “five more fouls for us.”

While all the young additions this offseason had very good summers, Turgeon seemed most impressed with newcomer Seth Allen of Fredricksburg, Virginia. In particular, he was impressed by his defense.

“Seth Allen is a big time athlete…he is a much better defender than I thought.” Later, when Turgeon was asked to elaborate more:

“He is such a dynamic scorer, and anytime the ball is in his hands he can get to the rim. He is so dynamic offensively, [but on defense] I was shocked at how well he played the ball…I don’t know what a world-class athlete looks like, but he’s one.”

Those glowing words bode well for a Terrapins team that is going to be young and in need of scoring after losing ACC points per game leader Terrell Stoglin to the NBA/D-League/Europe. Hopefully Allen will be able to fill in quickly, because Turgeon did not have high praise for the presumed backcourt scorer on the team in Nick Faust.

“[Nick Faust] is not practicing as well as I’d like for him to practice, to be honest,” said Turgeon. “He still tries to do a little too much. I need him to practice better and play better than he is right now.” Turgeon did, however, make note of his improvement during the offseason with regards to his shooting, which “if you haven’t seen it, it doesn’t look the same.”

Overall, some very good things to hear leading into the season opening game at the Barclay’s Arena in Brooklyn, New York against the defending national champions, the Kentucky Wildcats. All the new additions bring some much needed depth to the Maryland Terrapins, but it also means that there may still be some growing pains for this young team. Talent wise, they are perfect, but the youth movement has arrived and there may be bumps along the way, as reflected by the fact that very few national polls have Maryland ranked highly. Of course, playing against Kentucky, North Carolina and Duke twice, and George Mason, to name a few, means that Maryland is going to have ample opportunity to prove themselves and become a tournament team.

Either way, the future is today, and Mark Turgeon appears ready to keep pushing forward.

Jan 17, 2012; Tallahassee, FL, USA; Maryland Terrapins guard Pe'shon Howard

Mark Turgeon sat down with Matt Bracken of the Baltimore Sun on Wednesday, and in case you missed it, here’s a second chance to check it out. The topics first covered had to do with Turgeon’s very impressive offseason of recruiting, which included a number of 4/3-star recruits including Shaquille Cleare, Jake Layman, and Charles Mitchell.

Here are a few of the interesting tidbits:

When asked whether or not Charles Mitchell would be able to come in right away and play:

“I think when he gets into shape, he has a chance to really be a heck of a college player for us here at Maryland. He’s a guy we’re counting on. We didn’t sign anybody to sit on the bench. We signed guys who can help us and play right away.”

When asked what position Sam Cassell Jr. might play in their offense:

“He’s trying to play the point. He’s probably more of a 2 right now, but in our offense, all our guys get the chance to come off ball screens and make plays for us. Everybody’s kind of the same in the end. But we recruited Sam to really help us this year.”

When asked about how his 2013 recruiting class is shaping up

“Unfortunately we put so much time into ’12, it felt like we were a little behind for ’13. But we’ve been able to get ahead for ’14 and ’15, which is good. But ’13 is a difficult class for us. We’ve worked hard and we’ll see what happens.”

When asked about the departure of Terrell Stoglin and who can step up:

“I think Nick [Faust] likes to shoot, and he’s going to score. He’s got to figure out different ways to score. Hopefully he’ll be more of an offensive rebounder this year, and those buckets are easier to get. He’ll get to the foul line more, too.”

“It’ll be by committee and [we’ll be] much more balanced. We’ll obviously share the ball a lot better than we did last year and make for a better offensive team.”

————

Those are just some of the snippets during their conversation, and I have to say, I love what I hear out of Mark Turgeon. He has already shown himself to be a superior recruiter to Gary Williams, and his 2012 class (despite starting late) is hammering that point home. This class is loaded, and it’s nice to hear a little about what roles Turgeon envisions for so many talented, young players.

Even though he claims that Maryland got off to a late start on the 2013 recruiting class, there is still plenty of time left to secure some more quality players *cough* Harrison twins *cough*. Not to mention hometown hero Roddy Peters, who is very close to committing to the Terrapins. At the very least, next year’s recruiting class will include transfers that Turgeon skillfully scooped up via the transfer wire this offseason. Namely Evan Smotrycz, who will have to sit a year but should come in and play some very quality minutes for the Terps.

All in all, the interview just gives Maryland hoop fans another reason to be very excited about the future with Mark Turgeon at the helm.