Rob Long: What's Wrong With The Terps?
You probably read the title of this and thought, "they're overrated," or "they're poorly coached." In fact, someone sent me a message on my Facebook page saying Mark Turgeon is a bad coach.
Melo Trimble and Robert Carter shoot a combined 6 of 23 from the field and Turgeon is now a bad coach. The team shoots 37% from the field with 15 turnovers and it's Mark Turgeon's fault.
I will be the first to tell you that the offense gets stagnant at times. I saw this when they looked as if they could not find their way Saturday against Wisconsin. There are times that it looks as if Trimble is dribbling with no particular place to go. We all see that when we watch the game. The Terps have a collection of talent that was put together this year. Some of these guys are graduate seniors, transfer juniors and international players. One of their stars, who did not play last night, is a young freshman who came with a lot of hype. This isn't an easy roster to manage. Just ask John Calapari.
This Terps roster isn't one that you're drawing up motion offenses and double screens. This is a collection of individual talent that will, once again, figure it out. They're still a solid defensive unit, but right now the offense seems to be stuck in fourth gear. Melo has had one really good game this month (at Nebraska) and Carter has not scored in double figures since February sixth. This team is suffering right now, but it's not terminal.
We've seen Michigan St and Duke this year and they've both come out of it. Trimble and Carter need to see the ball go into the basket regularly in either practice or a game situation. It does not matter which one, but it's all about confidence. That's a very fragile thing with athletes but one thing is for sure. The Maryland Terps are too talented to continue to struggle the way they have.