Terpin’ Ain’t Easy: Nick Faust

Apr 2, 2013; New York, NY, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes guard Patrick Ingram (24) and Maryland Terrapins guard Nick Faust (5) go after a loose ball during the second half of the NIT Tournament semifinal at Madison Square Garden. Iowa won the game 71-60. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Name: Nick Faust

Height: 6’6”

Weight: 205 lbs

Position: SG/SF

High School: Baltimore City College

As A Recruit: 48^th nationally, 11^th best SG on Rivals.com

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Career Highlight: February 23^rd against Clemson: Faust had arguably his best all-around game as a Terp, pouring in 18 points on 7-10 shooting and draining four three pointers in a 72-59 Maryland victory. Faust’s breakout game was a turning point for his season as he picked up his play throughout the remainder of the season.

2012-2013 in review: Faust has always been a fan favorite in College Park, but his freshman year was somewhat of a disappointment. As he was expected to be a great outside shooter coming out of high school, the lack of true point guards on the roster in Turgeon’s first year forced Faust into the point guard position. Last year was his first year as a primary wing player, but for the first half of the season Faust was unable to find his stroke. As I mentioned, the Clemson game for him was his first breakout game against a decent team. Since then, Faust played much better as we began finally seeing signs of his scoring ability. He played with a lot of heart, something Turgeon’s teams pride themselves on. Nonetheless, I still do not believe we have seen Faust’s full potential yet.

2013-14 Expectations: With a full offseason of training as a wing, Faust has been able to develop his body into a true scorer. On a team full of scoring threats in Dez Wells, Evan Smotrycz, and others, Faust may be a spark off the bench. The plethora of threats will open up the floor, allowing Faust to cut into the paint.

Even with Faust potentially coming off the bench, I expect Faust to increase his production this year. His numbers do not show much improvement from his freshman and sophomore year, but he finally got to play his true position last year. With a lot of inconsistencies in his first two seasons, Faust will finally have a chance to settle down and let the game come to him. He understands that he has underperformed thus far in his collegiate career, but he provides leadership experience as he is one of three scholarship juniors on the team.

An area of concern for Faust has been turnovers. As a senior in high school, ball handling was a big question for Faust. A lack of depth and talent under Turgeon’s first year forced Faust to step up and play backup point guard, which was a big test for Faust. While he did average and he did a mediocre job, but proved that he should not be the primary ball-handler. While he did do a mediocre job, Faust averaged 2.2 turnovers a game with the majority of turnovers killing Maryland’s momentum in key games. As Faust moved back to his natural position his sophomore year, many expected the turnovers to decrease, but they increased to 2.5 a game. Faust is certainly aware of his weakness and I expect him to be slightly improved in this category. If he can, he can expect a breakout year.

At this point, Faust has run out of excuses, and is running short on time. A very talented young baller is entering his junior year and expectations are mounting. With Faust settled into his position and accustomed to the college-speed, he should be improved. We saw glimpses of greatness last year from Faust and with the way he has seen his season end the past two years, I can almost guarantee that he is doing whatever it takes to reach the tournament. I expect him to shoot around 40% from three-point range and average between 10-12 points per game. Although that may not sound like a lot, with his new role and the scoring threats available, 10 points will be plenty. Nick loves College Park and the Maryland faithful. As we have all supported him, I think it is time Faust gives back to the program and really step up to become the leader we expect.