Feature photo courtesy of Maryland Athletics.
Expectations weren’t too high for the Maryland Terrapins at the beginning of last season. The preseason Big Ten media poll picked them to finish 10th in the conference.
As the season transpired, the Terps became a powerful team in the Big Ten. After finishing the season with a 28-7 record (15-4 B1G), the Terps made a trip to the round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament. Two of those victories last year came against Penn State.
Though the No. 4 Terps (11-1) have succeeded early this season on the heels of a breakout year, they’re not taking any Big Ten opponents lightly. With the conference slate set to begin, the Terrapins are eager to start things off against the Nittany Lions (9-4) on Wednesday.
The Nittany Lions come to College Park having won four of their last five contests. Most recently, they defeated Kent State 75-69.
Penn State boasts a trio of double-digit scores. Forward Brandon Taylor (16.2 points per game), guard Shep Garner (14.7) and forward Payton Banks (11.7) pace the team in scoring. Garner also leads the team with 6.2 rebounds per game and 1.5 steals per game.
Against Penn State, head coach Mark Turgeon will emphasize physical play.
“We just have to get a little bit tougher,” Turgeon said. “We’ll be playing a Penn State team that likes to play with toughness. Once you get into league play you have to be physically and mentally tough.”
Forward Robert Carter Jr., who led the team with 11 points in its 87-67 win over Marshall on Sunday, expects to be a big part of that process.
“I’m more complete. I’m in better shape. I’m stronger, I’m physically more ready,” Carter Jr. said. “I have a great team around me. So that’s always exciting. You can always look to your teammates to make some plays and not always have to look for double teams.”
Against the Thundering Herd, center Diamond Stone tallied 16 points, tying his career high. Point guard Melo Trimble, who emerged as a top player in the Big Ten last season, finished with 13 points, seven assists and five rebounds.
Last season, Trimble was named to the all-freshman team and the second-team All-Big Ten team. This year he was honored as the preseason Big Ten player of the year.
While this year’s Terps team has brought back familiar faces, like Trimble, newcomers helped elevate the Terps as preseason favorites to win the Big Ten. With conference play play on tap, a strong performance in non-conference play has solidified that prediction.
“We’re just ready to compete,” Carter Jr. said. “It doesn’t matter, when we step out on the court we want to get better each and every game as a team and get some wins.”
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