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Maryland men’s basketball vs. Georgetown preview

By Chris Bengel

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The Maryland men’s basketball got the season started in convincing fashion with a 80-56 win over Mount St. Mary’s on Friday evening.

It’s been well-established that the Terrapins have been tabbed as one of the favorites to make it to the Final Four in 2016. Just one game into the season, it’s looking like the hype is definitely warranted.

Maryland had a very balanced scoring effort on Friday, which included five different players scoring in double figures.

Forward Jake Layman led the way with 16 points and five rebounds for the Terps. Layman looked like a very dominant player due to the fact that he added 20 pounds during the offseason. He was also a lot more aggressive than we’ve seen during his Maryland career.

Guard Melo Trimble looked to be in midseason form as he scored 14 points on 6-of-11 shooting. Trimble attacked the basket with ease and even knocked down a shot from beyond the arc.

One of the biggest positives that can be taken away from the game is Maryland’s strong defensive effort and rebounding margin. The Terps outrebounded 44-20, including holding a 37-16 advantage on the defensive glass. Getting defensive rebounds limits the opposing team’s second-chance points and allows Maryland to get out in transition, which is something that they do pretty well.

Another positive is the play of Maryland’s frontcourt.

Robert Carter and Diamond Stone looked like a formidable duo down low. Carter certainly looks to be as advertised through the first game of the season. The Georgia Tech transfer led the team in rebounds (8) and was a productive 5-of-7 from the field.

On the other hand, Stone had a solid collegiate debut with 10 points and seven rebounds. He didn’t have a hard time catching the ball on the low block and posting up against the Mountaineers frontcourt.

Getting To Know Georgetown

  • Georgetown is coming off a successful season in which they won 22 games, including 12 in the Big East. The Hoyas received a No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament and won their 2nd Round game against No. 13 Eastern Washington. Georgetown did fall to No.5 seed Utah in the 3rd Round.
  • For the Hoyas, it all starts with guard D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera. Smith-Rivera does a little bit of everything as he averaged 16.3 points-per-game/4.2 rebounds-per-game/3.2 assists-per-game last season. This is the type of player that can hit his fair share of shots from the perimeter while also being able to attack the rim. Smith-Rivera has the ability to score in bunches, so it’s a good thing that he decided against going to the NBA in the offseason.
  • Despite struggling on the boards against Radford, Georgetown has a very talented frontcourt. In Saturday’s game against Radford, center Bradley Hayes excelled as he posted a 19-point, 12-rebound performance. Hayes hadn’t seen the floor very much during his first three years with the Hoyas. The senior showed his ability to make shots in the post and looks to be a key asset. Georgetown also has freshman big man Jessie Govan coming off the bench. Since he stepped foot onto the court at the Kenner League, it was clear that Govan is a polished interior presence that can score the basketball. The New York native scored 11 points and registered a pair of blocks against the Highlanders. Maryland does have talented frontcourt as well, but this should be an intriguing matchup.

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