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Maryland Basketball: Kevin Huerter showed flashes of brilliance

By Chris Bengel

Feb 7, 2017; University Park, PA, USA; Maryland Terrapins guard Kevin Huerter (4) holds the ball as Penn State Nittany Lions guard Nazeer Bostick (4) defends during the first half at Bryce Jordan Center. Penn State defeated Maryland 70-64. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 7, 2017; University Park, PA, USA; Maryland Terrapins guard Kevin Huerter (4) holds the ball as Penn State Nittany Lions guard Nazeer Bostick (4) defends during the first half at Bryce Jordan Center. Penn State defeated Maryland 70-64. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-USA TODAY Sports /
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Kevin Huerter came to Maryland as a player with a ton of upside.

After one year in College Park, Huerter certainly showed encouraging signs of offensive firepower.

Entering the 2016-17 season, Maryland’s success was going to hinge on how their talented trio of incoming freshmen performed. Anthony Cowan, Justin Jackson, and Huerter were all highly regarded four-star prospects coming out of high school.

Cowan and Huerter started in the season opener against American and remained in those roles for the rest of the season. Huerter may have only scored six points in that season opener, but it was abundantly clear that the Clifton Park, NY native could shoot the ball from beyond the arc.

Huerter connected on his only two three-point attempts and finished with six points. He also contributed six rebounds, an assist, and a steal.

The former four-star recruit ended up shooting 37.1 percent from beyond the arc on the season. That was second on the team behind Jackson’s 43.8 percent clip.

Huerter started off the season by making four of his first five attempts from long-range. Over the next three games, he only connected on one of his next 12 three-pointers.

Despite struggling at times, Huerter was extremely successful overall.

His best game easily came against Nebraska on Jan. 1. Huerter scored 26 points and drilled 7-of-11 shots from beyond the arc.

That still wasn’t enough to lift a Maryland offense that struggled in the final minutes of the Big Ten contest. The Terrapins fell to the Cornhuskers 67-65 and it was their only loss over the first nine conference games.

Huerter finished the season strong as he scored 19 points against Xavier in Maryland’s lone NCAA Tournament contest. The New York native made three of his eight shots from long-range while recording five assists and grabbing four rebounds.

One of the most undervalued parts of Huerter’s game is his rebounding ability.

Maryland struggled to rebound the basketball at times, but Huerter was one of the few exceptions. He secured 4.9 rebounds-per-game, which was second on the team behind just Jackson (6.0).

Huerter outrebounded the likes of big men Damonte Dodd and Ivan Bender. The freshman guard is extremely long and athletic, which allows him to be a force on the glass when he needs to be.

Considering the expectations entering the season, Huerter certainly performed admirably on the court. His numbers weren’t mind-blowing at all times, but he was definitely an important part of Maryland’s success.

It was clear that Huerter is a very talented three-point marksman. He doesn’t need much space to get his shot off.

As he gains more experience, Huerter should continue to become a more well-rounded player.

Next: Connor Kelly lifts Maryland in triple overtime

If his freshman season is any indication, the sky is limit for the potential of Huerter.