1) How do you rate Maryland's perimeter defense?
"The Terps lost their top perimeter defender from last season in Rasheed Sulaimon, but added quickness and length on the perimeter this season in freshman guards Anthony Cowan and Kevin Huerter. In fact, head coach Mark Turgeon said ahead of the Georgetown game that he feels Cowan and Huerter are the Terps' top two perimeter defenders right now. What Cowan lacks in height he makes up for with speed. Turgeon believes Cowan might be the fastest player in the Big Ten this season and his quickness allows him to stay in front of opposing guards. Cowan is also a surprisingly good rebounder for his size, as he showed against American, pulling down a game-high nine rebounds. Huerter, on the other hand, stands at nearly 6-foot-7 with an impressive wingspan. He's active with his hands and his length allows him to disrupt passing lanes. His height and length also allow him to close out on shooters who think they have a wide open look. The Terps also had Dion Wiley return to the lineup this year, giving them another big bodied guard that can get physical defending the perimeter. The addition of these three should help the Terps in defending opposing guards".
2) what kind of player is Gill?
"Due to early season injury in the front court, Duquesne graduate transfer LG Gill found himself playing the five in the Terps' season opening win over American. Maryland coaches see Gill as more of a four this season but his play says he's really more of a natural three. Gill is very skilled and can score at all three levels. In the Terps' opener, Gill had a stretch where hit a turn around jumper from just outside the key and then hit a foul line jumper. He's got a solid build and can bang inside, but he doesn't have the height or length of many of the big men he's likely to face at Maryland. Gill can also step outside and knock down open looks from three. His experience and versatility should make him a key contributor this season for the Terps" .
3) Do you expect to see Terps with Diamond pressure they showed in spurts vs. American?
"For the most part, Turgeon prefers to stick with straight man defense and doesn't like to pressure. With the Hoyas now seeming like they might pressure and try to push tempo themselves, maybe Turgeon switches things up and tries to catch Georgetown off guard. But for the most part, I'd expect to see straight man with very little pressure".
4) Is it too much to expect Melo to lead team on points, passes and minutes?
"Melo Trimble is the straw that stirs the drink for Maryland. There's little doubt that barring something unforeseen, Trimble will be the Terps' leading scorer. He showed in the Terps' opener that he's going to attack the basket and with Anthony Cowan now able to play on the ball some, it should allow Trimble to get some easy looks from the perimeter. Whether or not Trimble will lead the Terps in assists is tough to say. Trimble is very good at reading defenses and taking what they give him but the easy assists in the pick and roll might not be there this season with all of the turnover in the front court. As for minutes, unless he gets into foul trouble, he's likely to lead the team in minutes on most nights. That said, Trimble has had nagging injuries the past two seasons and look for Turgeon to rest Trimble at every available opportunity.
5) What is the tone and tenor of team after narrowly escaping American?
"The tone and the tenor of the team really hasn't changed since narrowly defeating American. The reality is, the Terps are working in a number of fresh faces, including three that could be starting at some point. Maryland has had some early issues with turnovers, but Turgeon believes a lot of that is due to freshman jitters".
"The Terps lost their top perimeter defender from last season in Rasheed Sulaimon, but added quickness and length on the perimeter this season in freshman guards Anthony Cowan and Kevin Huerter. In fact, head coach Mark Turgeon said ahead of the Georgetown game that he feels Cowan and Huerter are the Terps' top two perimeter defenders right now. What Cowan lacks in height he makes up for with speed. Turgeon believes Cowan might be the fastest player in the Big Ten this season and his quickness allows him to stay in front of opposing guards. Cowan is also a surprisingly good rebounder for his size, as he showed against American, pulling down a game-high nine rebounds. Huerter, on the other hand, stands at nearly 6-foot-7 with an impressive wingspan. He's active with his hands and his length allows him to disrupt passing lanes. His height and length also allow him to close out on shooters who think they have a wide open look. The Terps also had Dion Wiley return to the lineup this year, giving them another big bodied guard that can get physical defending the perimeter. The addition of these three should help the Terps in defending opposing guards".
2) what kind of player is Gill?
"Due to early season injury in the front court, Duquesne graduate transfer LG Gill found himself playing the five in the Terps' season opening win over American. Maryland coaches see Gill as more of a four this season but his play says he's really more of a natural three. Gill is very skilled and can score at all three levels. In the Terps' opener, Gill had a stretch where hit a turn around jumper from just outside the key and then hit a foul line jumper. He's got a solid build and can bang inside, but he doesn't have the height or length of many of the big men he's likely to face at Maryland. Gill can also step outside and knock down open looks from three. His experience and versatility should make him a key contributor this season for the Terps" .
3) Do you expect to see Terps with Diamond pressure they showed in spurts vs. American?
"For the most part, Turgeon prefers to stick with straight man defense and doesn't like to pressure. With the Hoyas now seeming like they might pressure and try to push tempo themselves, maybe Turgeon switches things up and tries to catch Georgetown off guard. But for the most part, I'd expect to see straight man with very little pressure".
4) Is it too much to expect Melo to lead team on points, passes and minutes?
"Melo Trimble is the straw that stirs the drink for Maryland. There's little doubt that barring something unforeseen, Trimble will be the Terps' leading scorer. He showed in the Terps' opener that he's going to attack the basket and with Anthony Cowan now able to play on the ball some, it should allow Trimble to get some easy looks from the perimeter. Whether or not Trimble will lead the Terps in assists is tough to say. Trimble is very good at reading defenses and taking what they give him but the easy assists in the pick and roll might not be there this season with all of the turnover in the front court. As for minutes, unless he gets into foul trouble, he's likely to lead the team in minutes on most nights. That said, Trimble has had nagging injuries the past two seasons and look for Turgeon to rest Trimble at every available opportunity.
5) What is the tone and tenor of team after narrowly escaping American?
"The tone and the tenor of the team really hasn't changed since narrowly defeating American. The reality is, the Terps are working in a number of fresh faces, including three that could be starting at some point. Maryland has had some early issues with turnovers, but Turgeon believes a lot of that is due to freshman jitters".