COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) Maryland had no intention of allowing its first Big Ten defeat of the season to become part of a rare losing streak.
So when Ohio State came to town, the third-ranked Terrapins were in serious bounce-back mode.
Robert Carter Jr. scored a career-high 25 points, Rasheed Sulaimon added a season-best 22 and Maryland rolled to a 100-65 victory on Saturday.
Diamond Stone scored 15 points for the Terrapins (16-2, 5-1), who rebounded from a defeat Tuesday night at Michigan by reaching the 100-point mark for the first time since 2012.
“I’m really happy for the guys because it was a tough loss and we hadn’t played well and everybody starts to talk about you,” Terps coach Mark Turgeon said. “So to go out and really put a performance together is good for them.”
In this one, Maryland led by 18 at halftime, 63-33 with 16 minutes remaining and 77-37 with 11 minutes to go.
“The Michigan game, we didn’t compete at the highest level,” Carter said. “We had times in the game when we slipped up and they made shots. (Today) we locked in the whole game.”
Turgeon said the loss to Michigan “probably helped us win the way we did today.”
The Terrapins haven’t dropped two straight since the 2013-14 season.
Playing his first season at Maryland after transferring from Georgia Tech, Carter went 10 for 13 from field and made all four of his 3-point attempts. The 6-foot-9 junior eclipsed his previous career high of 21 points midway through the second half.
“What Carter did was incredible,” Ohio State coach Thad Matta said.
Sulaimon, a transfer from Duke, made nine of 10 field goal tries and contributed six assists.
Keita Bates-Diop scored 15 points for Ohio State (12-7, 4-2). The Buckeyes came in having won eight of nine, including four in the conference and an upset of Kentucky.
In this one, very little went right for Ohio State – especially in the second half. The Buckeyes went 1 for 13 from the field immediately after the break and allowed Maryland to connect on 11 of 15 shots. That’s how an 18-point lead expanded to 42 points with 10 minutes left.
Turgeon emptied his bench with 7 minutes remaining and the score 91-47.
“I told Mark after the game, we didn’t do a whole lot to stop them,” Matta said. “I’ve been doing this for a while and that was one of the best performances I’ve seen just in terms of them making shots and having their way with us.”
Maryland shot 63 percent from the floor, went 11 for 21 from 3-point range and finished with a 35-30 advantage on the boards.
“They were driving, kicking and banging shots and we just couldn’t stop it,” Matta said.
Maryland scored a season-high 48 first-half points, going 19 for 30 from the field – including 7 for 10 from beyond the arc.
Ohio State hung with the Terrapins in the early going, but things went south for the Buckeyes after a three-point play by Stone launched a 13-4 run that included successive baskets by Jake Layman.
It was 34-26 before Sulaimon drove the hoop for a basket and Jared Nickens nailed a 3-pointer to spark a 14-4 spurt to end of the half.
A HELPING HAND
Ohio State: The Buckeyes finished with 13 turnovers compared to only seven assists.
Maryland: The Terrapins had a season-high 23 assists, nine by Melo Trimble and five by Sulaimon.
“The best part is Melo trusts his teammates so he doesn’t force anything,” Turgeon said.
TIP-INS
Ohio State: For only the third time in 19 games, the Buckeyes did not have a better shooting percentage than their opponent. … JaQuan Lyle came in ranked second in the NCAA among freshmen with 95 assists. He added four to that total. … The Buckeyes did not shoot a free throw in the first half and had only five assists before the break.
Maryland: The Terrapins had 14 assists in the first half, six by Trimble, who did not score a point during the opening 20 minutes. He finished with eight points. … Maryland ended a three-game losing streak against Ohio State, including a defeat in Columbus last season. … The Terps improved to 19-5 in Big Ten play since joining the conference last season.
UP NEXT
Ohio State travels to No. 24 Purdue on Thursday.
Maryland hosts Northwestern on Tuesday.
Carter, Stone shine as No. 4 Maryland beats Marshall 87-67
COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) Maryland center Diamond Stone is finding his scoring touch just in time for his Big Ten debut.
The freshman continued his recent strong stretch Sunday, finishing with 16 points as the fourth-ranked Terrapins pulled away for an 87-67 victory over Marshall.
“He makes it look so easy,” Maryland coach Mark Turgeon said of Stone, who was 8 of 10 from the field.
Forward Robert Carter added 19 points as Maryland (11-1) shook off 19 turnovers and countered Marshall’s perimeter-focused offense with a heavy emphasis on inside play.
“That was our plan,” Turgeon said. “I thought we shot too many jump shots early. But we settled down. We went inside.”
After a sluggish start to the season, Stone has scored in double figures in his last five games, including a career-best 16 points three times. And the McDonald’s All-America has done it primarily while coming off the bench, he says, for the first time “since fourth grade.”
He was Turgeon’s first sub against Marshall and played a career-high 25 minutes in his final game before Maryland opens the Big Ten season against Penn State on Wednesday.
“I kind of accepted it and I realized that we’re a team and it’s not just all about me,” Stone said of his role. “And if we’re winning and I’m coming off the bench, then it’s a good win.”
Rasheed Sulaimon added 14 points, while Melo Trimble had 13 and hit three 3-pointers, part of a season-high 13 for the Terrapins.
Stevie Browning was one of four Marshall players to score 11 points. He grabbed seven rebounds for the Thundering Herd (4-9), who made 6 of 31 3-point attempts, missing 12 straight in the second half as the Terrapins pulled away.
“Our bigs have got to shoot better,” Marshall coach Dan D’Antoni said. “We can’t go conventional, we’re not built for that. If we tried to go mano-a-mano with a team like this, they would probably pretty handily take care of us pretty quick.”
Maryland was up by 10 points at halftime and took control with a 25-10 run that stretched across much of the second half.
Trimble got it started with a jumper and a 3-pointer to make it 59-43, and Stone followed with two inside baskets.
Carter added his final points of the game on a thunderous transition dunk off a feed from Trimble, and Jake Layman and Jaylen Brantley each hit two 3-pointers.
Brantley’s second, off a pass from Trimble, made it 77-51 with 6:32 to play.
“It’s a great win for us,” Turgeon said. “If you’d told me we were going to be up 25, 26 against this team, I knew we had to play well to do it.”
TIP-INS
Marshall: The Thundering Herd fell to 5-18 all-time against current Big Ten schools, including 2-3 against Maryland. … Marshall had not played a team ranked higher than Maryland since facing No. 3 Syracuse in December 2011.
Maryland: The Terrapins improved to 7-0 at Xfinity Center. … Maryland plays one more nonconference game, at home against Bowie State on Feb. 9. … Senior guard Trevor Anzmann scored his first career points with a 3-pointer in the game’s final minute.
BRANTLEY’S REUNION
Brantley finished with eight points and hit 3 of 4 field goals against his former team, one game after scoring a career-high 14 points against Princeton.
“I think his confidence has come the furthest, and that’s really what’s important,” Turgeon said of the sophomore transfer.
`OUT OF GAS’
Marshall hit only 1 of 13 3-point attempts in the second half after missing all 13 of its second-half 3-pointers on Dec. 17 against West Virginia, its other game against a ranked opponent.
“We ran out of gas in the second half,” D’Antoni said.
UP NEXT
Marshall hosts Western Kentucky next Sunday.
Maryland hosts Penn State on Wednesday.
SUNDAY’S SNACKS: No. 4 Maryland, Syracuse take care of business
This was a wild one, as the Stags and Bison combined to score 192 points with the winning team shooting 17-for-32 from three. Tyler Nelson led the way for Fairfield with 25 points and Jerome Segura dished out nine assists on the afternoon. Ryan Frazier led five Bison in double figures with 20 points, but Bucknell was outscored 51-15 from three.
IMPORTANT OUTCOMES
No. 4 Maryland 87, Marshall 67: Robert Carter Jr. led four Terrapins in double figures with 19 points while also grabbing eight rebounds and blocking two shots as Maryland moved to 11-1 on the season. Maryland held a major advantage beyond the arc, as they shot 13-for-27 from distance with the Thundering Herd going 6-for-31. The one issue for Maryland in the win: turnovers. They finished with 18 as Marshall was able to speed things up in the first half, with Melo Trimble and Rasheed Sulaimon committing five apiece.
Syracuse 80, Texas Southern 67: Michael Gbinije went for 15 points, seven rebounds and four assists to lead the Orange past the Tigers at the Carrier Dome. Five Syracuse players scored in double figures including center DaJuan Coleman, who scored 14 to go along with seven rebounds, four steals and two blocks. The concern for the Orange ahead of their ACC opener at Pittsburgh Wednesday is the status of freshmen wing Malachi Richardson, who left the game in the second half after taking a hard fall.
Northwestern 74, Loyola (MD) 59: Playing their final non-conference game before the start of Big Ten play, the Wildcats struggled mightily in the first half as they got used to playing without injured senior center Alex Olah. Chris Collins’ team was much better in the second half, shooting 65.6 percent from the field and 7-for-10 from three in the game’s final 20 minutes. Bryant McIntosh led the way with a career-high 33 points and eight assists, and Scottie Lindsey scored 11 of his 14 points in the second half.
STARRED
Henry Ellenson, Marquette: 17 points, 15 rebounds and four blocks in a win over Presbyterian.
Keita Bates-Diop, Ohio State: Bates-Diop tallied 24 points and ten rebounds in the Buckeyes’ win over South Carolina State.
STRUGGLED
Marshall’s three-point shooters: The Thundering Herd shot 6-for-31 from three in their loss at No. 4 Maryland.
Tashombe Riley, South Carolina State: Shot 2-for-12 from the field, scoring five points, in the Bulldogs’ loss at Ohio State.
OTHER NOTABLE RESULTS
They didn’t play their best game but Marquette managed to beat Presbyterian 84-66 in Milwaukee. Henry Ellenson went for 17 points, 15 rebounds and four blocks in the win.
VCU rolled to an 85-57 win over Liberty in their final tune-up before the start of Atlantic 10 play. Melvin Johnson led a balanced scoring attack with 15 points, and the Rams shot 53.3 percent from the field and 10-for-19 from three.
Despite shooting 15-for-33 from the foul line, South Dakota State managed to hold off Middle Tennessee State 65-61. The Jackrabbits, who are now 11-3, received 16 points and eight rebounds from Deondre Parks.
Keita Bates-Diop posted a double-double (24 points, ten rebounds) and Kam Williams scored 12 points off the bench as Ohio State beat South Carolina State, 73-57. With Austin Grandstaff transferring, Williams will have the opportunity to earn more minutes.
The 6-foot-6 small forward does a little bit of everything for the Hawks. His numbers last season: 17.7 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 3.6 apg and 1.9 spg. There’s a reason that the junior’s been climbing up NBA Draft boards despite the fact that he plays for a St. Joseph’s team that is fairly far removed from the Atlantic 10 title race. Oh, and he may have the best hair in college hoops.
As a sophomore at Georgia Tech, Carter averaged 11.4 points and 8.4 boards. But that was nearly two years — and 25 pounds — ago, and that was also on a bad Georgia Tech team. Carter is now on a very good Maryland team, and he’s going to play a critical role for a group that has a shot at winning a national title. You wouldn’t know that based on the preseason hype, however. Melo Trimble, Jake Layman and Diamond Stone are the three guys with NBA Draft hype entering the season, and the circumstances surrounding Rasheed Sulaimon’s transfer to the Terps make him the more interesting discussion point. But if you talk to people around the Maryland program, Carter may end up being the Terps’ best player.
Kyle Collinsworth, BYU
Collinsworth set a single-season record and tied the NCAA’s career record for triple-doubles last season for the Cougars, finishing with six. He played 33 games, meaning that once every 5.5 games, Collinsworth posted a triple-double. If Collinsworth suited up, there was an 18.2 percent chance that he’d post a triple-double. Think about that for a second. For comparison’s sake, in Kentucky’s illustrious basketball history, they’ve had one triple-double.
One.
Collinsworth had six last season.
Jack Gibbs, Davidson
Bob McKillop had his best post-Steph team at Davidson this past season, and the engine of that group was the 6-foot Gibbs. Just a sophomore last season, Gibbs averaged 16.2 points, 4.8 assists and 3.7 boards with shooting splits of 47.9/42.5/85.6. He’s not Steph Curry — no one is, or ever will be — but he led the Wildcats from being predicted to finish at the bottom of the league to an A-10 title.
When you think of recent UConn teams, you think of dynamic, personality-laden lead guards. Kemba Walker won a national title and turned the reins over to Shabazz Napier, who, three years later, won a title of his own. Last year, this was Ryan Boatright’s team and this season, Kevin Ollie’s back court includes senior Sterling Gibbs and freshman Jalen Adams. But this season, the best Husky might end up being Hamilton, a 6-foot-7 wins that averaging 10.9 points, 7.6 boards and 3.7 assists as a freshman. Here’s the thing about Hamilton: He entered UConn with the reputation for being a gunner, a player that bordered on selfish who looked for his shot first, second and third. He finished his freshman season leading the team in rebounding — he led the AAC in rebounding during league play, averaging 9.1 boards — and second in assists. He could very well end up being the AAC Player of the Year this season.
Danuel House, Texas A&M
House was one of the biggest surprises in college basketball last season mainly because he was declared immediately eligible for the Aggies three games into the season. Seriously. Billy Kennedy’s club struggled through their first two games at a tournament in Puerto Rico the week before Thanksgiving and won the third game of the event when House played and scored 18 points in 29 minutes. On the season, he averaged 14.8 points, as the former five-star recruit helped lead the Aggies to within a win or two of the NCAA tournament. His return, along with the addition of a talented recruiting class, is a major reason pundits believe A&M can finish second in the SEC.
Hassan Martin, Rhode Island
You’ll be hard-pressed to find a better defensive player in college basketball than Martin, a 6-foot-7, 230 pound forward that finished his sophomore season averaging 3.1 blocks. Danny Hurley has stockpiled quite a bit of talent on URI’s roster, with guys like E.C. Matthews, Jared Terrell and Kuran Iverson in the fray, but Martin’s ability to anchor the defense is just as important as any of those three players.
Sheldon McClellan, Miami
McClellan’s career has been played in relative anonymity. He played two years at Texas, transferring after the disappointing 2012-13 season in which the Longhorns lost in the first round of the CBI to Houston. He left for Miami with little fanfare, a part of the exodus that most believed to be addition by subtraction. After sitting out a season in Coral Gables, McClellan put together a terrific year that was hardly noticed. Miami won 25 games, but went to the NIT. Their two bigs wins, at Florida and at Duke, came when the maddeningly inconsistent Angel Rodriguez went bananas. Quietly, McClellan averaged 14.5 points with shooting splits of 48.4/35.8/82.4.
The son of … well, you know, “The Mitten” is arguably the best perimeter defender in college basketball this season. That shouldn’t be at all surprising. He’s also a 6-foot-3 senior that averaged 13.4 points, 7.5 boards and 3.2 assists to go along with those 3.1 steals. Junior’s jumper left much to be desired a season ago, as he shot at just 29.3 percent clip from beyond the arc, but he’s still the biggest reason why an Oregon State tournament appearance isn’t completely out of the question this year.
Jarrod Uthoff, Iowa
Coming out of high school, Uthoff was a top 150 recruit that eventually wound up at Wisconsin, redshirting his freshman season with the Badgers. He left the program in somewhat controversial fashion, as Bo Ryan restricted him from transferring to more than 25 schools. He’d end up sitting out another season as a result, meaning that when he finally did suit up for the Hawkeyes in 2013-14, it had been more than two years since he played a meaningful game. This past season, Uthoff played well as Iowa’s second option, averaging 12.4 points and 6.4 boards, but with Aaron White gone, he’s going to be asked to carry much more of the load this year. He’s good enough to do that, meaning he’s a sleeper to be a first-team all-Big Ten player this year.
Taurean Waller-Prince, Baylor
Waller-Prince came off the bench for the Bears last season and ended up as the program’s leading scorer, averaging 13.9 points and 5.6 boards in just 26 minutes while shooting 39.5 percent from three. Prince’s versatility is what makes him so valuable. He’s strong to play the four if needed, but he can also defend on the perimeter, giving Baylor one of the nation’s most physically imposing front lines.
James Webb III, Boise State
I’ve written plenty about Webb this preseason, and it’s because I think he’s going to have a terrific season for the Broncos. The 6-foot-8 redshirt junior was very impressive at the Nike Skills Academy this summer. He’s long and athletic with range out to the three-point line — he should 40.9 percent out there last season — and will play a critical role for the Broncos this season as they try to find a way to overcome the graduation of Derrick Marks.
Where it was tough to whittle down the back courts to just 15 teams, for the front lines, it was tougher to find 15 units that we truly thought were potentially dominant. Whether it was a result of a lack of depth or a lack of star power, the back end of this list didn’t feel all that overpowering.
The Zags ended up winning out on this list for the simple fact that there isn’t another program in the country with three big men that are as good as this trio. Wiltjer is a prototype stretch four with shooting splits that are reminiscent of Doug McDermott. Karnowski is the rim protector, a 7-foot-1 behemoth that has developed a solid offensive repertoire that includes baby hooks and the ability to dive to the rim in ball-screens actions. And Sabonis may actually be the best of the three, a throwback power forward that plays physical, sets hard screens and is always looking to hit the glass.
As a whole, however, I’m personally not sold, although my colleagues don’t necessarily agree with me. I think Wiltjer is a defensive liability and I worry about lineup flexibility; can you get all three on the floor at the same time? Can Sabonis and Karnowski both be on the court without the shooting of Kevin Pangos and Gary Bell Jr. to spread the floor? If the answer to those questions is yes, than Gonzaga should be a top 15 team. If not, it’s a much different story.
2. North Carolina (Kennedy Meeks, Brice Johnson, Isaiah Hicks, Joel James, Luke Maye)
When the casual ACC hoops fan thinks of North Carolina basketball, they probably think of an uptempo, run-and-gun team built around Roy Williams’ patented secondary break offense. And while that’s true, the best North Carolina teams have always had a couple of big bodies that commanded double-teams on the block. Sean May turned into Tyler Hansbrough who eventually became Tyler Zeller. None of UNC’s bigs have that kind of lottery pick potential, but Meeks, Johnson and James are all above average post scorers. Hicks struggles with his confidence in games, but he’s routinely one of UNC’s best players in practice. If he can put it together this season, the Tar Heels will reach another level.
3. Kentucky (Skal Labissiere, Isaac Humphries, Marcus Lee, Alex Poythress, Derek Willis)
On paper, Kentucky probably has the most raw talent along their front line. The problem is that none of their five players have proven anything at the college level. Lee has been good in flashes but has yet to play extended minutes. Poythress struggled with his position identity before tearing his ACL. Humphries is a freshman that enrolled a year early. Willis has always been projected as an end of the rotation kind of guy. Labissiere has the talent to be the National Player of the Year, but until we see how he transitions to the college level, it’s tough to know whether he’s going to be great or just simply good. The good news? It’s hard to imagine all five failing to live up to their individual potential.
4. Maryland (Robert Carter, Diamond Stone, Damonte Dodd, Michael Cevosky)
I’m probably higher on this Maryland group that anyone mostly because I love the potential of running high-low offense through Diamond Stone and Robert Carter. Stone is the name you know. A 6-foot-10 four man that can play on the perimeter, he’s a top ten recruit and a potential one and done player. But Carter is the guy that has gotten all the hype since practice started. He averaged 11.4 points and 8.4 boards at Georgia Tech before sitting out last season and shedding a good 20 pounds. Dodd and Cevosky are both better than adequate subs as well.
5. Purdue (A.J. Hammons, Vince Edwards, Isaac Haas, Caleb Swanigan)
Like Gonzaga, I love Purdue’s big men individually even if I don’t love them as a group. Hammons, when he’s dialed in, is one of the best big men in the country. He was, more often than not, dialed in last season. Haas is a 7-foot-2 center that showed tons of promise as a freshman, while Edwards, another sophomore, has a chance to be a star at the three after a very good freshman season. Throw in Biggie Swanigan, a McDonald’s All-American and a terrific low-post scoring threat, and Matt Painter is going to have some legendary battles in practice. But Haas and Hammons can’t play at the same time. Can Purdue function offensively with Swanigan at the four and Hammons or Haas at the five?
6. Baylor (Rico Gathers, Jonathan Motley, Taureen Waller-Prince)
I love this Baylor group. Waller-Prince is as underrated as anyone in the country, Gathers is an absolute bully in the paint and Motley has a chance to be this season’s breakout star in the Big 12. When all three are on the floor together — which is possible given Waller-Prince’s versatility — they’re going to be one of the best rebounding teams in the country. The problem? Depth. If Jo Acuil can’t get cleared (he has a heart issue, as if Baylor hasn’t had enough of those), the Bears will have to rely on Terry Maston, who played 11 games as a freshman.
It was hard to know what to do with Kansas here. Bragg is promising, Mickelson and Lucas should be serviceable and Ellis should once again put up first-team all-Big 12 caliber numbers. That’s a good front line, but one that should be closer to No. 15 than No. 7. But if Diallo gets eligible, that changes things, as he’s precisely the piece their missing, an athletic, 6-foot-9 four that plays hard, runs the floor, defends and crashes the glass. He’s everything that Cliff Alexander wasn’t last year, and makes Kansas so much better. He’s also not yet cleared to play. So we slotted them here.
8. Utah (Jakob Poeltl, Brekkot Chapman, Jordan Loveridge, Kyle Kuzma, Chris Reyes)
I like the mix that Larry Krystkowiak has at his disposal here. Poeltl is an elite rim protector with a chance at being a lottery pick, Loveridge is a veteran scoring presence that can space the floor and Chapman and Kuzma are talented sophomores with bright futures. Losing Delon Wright is going to hurt the Utes, but the reason they’ll remain in hunt for a Pac-12 title.
9. Vanderbilt (Damian Jones, Luke Kornet, Djery Baptiste, Jeff Roberson, Samir Sehic)
There’s a chance that Vandy’s ranking here could look far too low by the end of the season. We expect Jones to be a star this season, potentially as the best center in all of college basketball. Baptiste and Roberson both look like quality rotation players and Sehic, a freshman, is an undersized four that always seemed to be able to produce regardless of competition at the high school level. Kornet is the x-factor. People around the program expect the 7-foot-1 sharpshooter to have a big season. If he lives up to the hype, the Commodores will be very dangerous.
There is so much talent on this front line. So much. Morgan and Okonoboh were high profile recruits in the Class of 2014, Jones — a freshman — will be the nation’s best dunker this season and Carter was a starter at Oregon. Zimmerman is the best of a bunch, a versatile, 7-foot lefty whose biggest strength is his ability to pass the ball. Can they live up to their potential is the major question mark here.
11. Virginia (Anthony Gill, Mike Tobey, Isaiah Wilkins, Jarrod Reuter)
Losing Darion Atkins, who was so, so good for the Cavs on the defensive end of the floor, is a bigger blow than some may realize. But Anthony Gill and Mike Tobey are both above average post scorers and Isaiah Wilkins is an intriguing prospect that had some promising moments last season. As with just about everyone on Tony Bennett’s roster, these guys are better than their numbers will suggest.
12. Arizona (Kaleb Tarczewski, Ryan Anderson, Mark Tollefsen, Dusan Ristic, Chance Comanche)
Even with Ray Smith done for the year with a torn ACL, the Wildcats deserve a place on this list. That’s what happens when you have this much quality depth. But who is a star in this group? Who scares opposing scouts? Zeus has never lived up to the billing of being a top ten prospect, scouts love Ristic but he has yet to beat out Zeus, Comanche is a freshman that needs a year or two and Tollefson is a transfer from San Francisco. Anderson, who averaged 14.3 points and 7.3 boards at BC, is the best of the bunch on paper, but he lacks explosiveness and is coming off of a redshirt season. He’s the x-factor in this equation.
13. Iowa State (Georges Niang, Jameel McKay, Simeon Carter)
Niang is the single-toughest cover in all of college basketball. A 6-foot-8 power forward, he’s so skilled: he can beat you in the post, he can beat you to the rim from the perimeter, he can pass, he can shoot, he can dribble. He’s a stud. McKay is the perfect compliment, a 6-foot-9 shot-blocker and offensive rebounder. But after those two, there really isn’t much of note in ISU’s front court.
Simmons is going to be must-see TV every time he plays as a freshman. He’s a 6-foot-9 point forward with handle, an innate passing ability and a flair for making highlight reel plays. He’ll notch multiple triple-doubles this season. But where is his front court support? Craig Victor is the most talented of the bunch, but left Arizona because he couldn’t crack the rotation.
15. San Diego State (Malik Pope, Skylar Spencer, Zylan Cheatham, Angelo Chol)
This ranking is based on the assumption that Malik Pope lives up to his potential. He’s got the talent of a lottery pick and the consistentcy — and the health — of a four-year Mountain West big man. Spencer is a shot-blocker extraordinaire, Chol is an above-average high major big man and Cheatham has plenty of promise, but if Pope doesn’t play his way into being a first round pick, this rank will look silly in March.
Others considered: Texas A&M, Cal, Marquette, Wake Forest, Cincinnati, Duke
Big Ten Preview: Can Maryland give the Big Ten a national championship?
Beginning in October and running up through November 13th, the first day of the regular season, College Basketball Talk will be unveiling the 2015-2016 NBCSports.com college hoops preview package.
Today, we are previewing the Big Ten.
The Big Ten put both Wisconsin and Michigan State into the Final Four last season, but the league is still searching for its first national championship since 2000. One of the conference’s newest teams gives the Big Ten a decent chance at a title while the rest of the league is littered with question marks after the departure of so many established players.
FIVE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW:
1. Maryland is a legitimate national title contender: Mark Turgeon’s ballclub surprised many last season with a run into the national top 10 and a return to the NCAA tournament. This year, the Terrapins are deeper and even more talented. Established veterans like guard Melo Trimble and forward Jake Layman return, but it’s a group of talented newcomers that gives Maryland an extra gear this season. McDonald’s All-American Diamond Stone and Georgia Tech transfer Robert Carter form an all-new frontcourt while Duke transfer Rasheed Sulaimon gives Maryland another option for Trimble to find. The Maryland bench is also nothing to scoff at as center Damonte Dodd was a starter last season and sophomores Michal Cekovsky, Dion Wiley and Jared Nickens had flashes of solid play.
2. It’s a boom-or-bust year for Indiana: The pressure is on Indiana to have a big season as the Hoosiers kept Yogi Ferrell, Troy Williams and James Blackmon Jr. on the roster. The return of those three players coupled with the addition of high-motor McDonald’s All-American big man Thomas Bryant has Indiana fans clamoring for a deep NCAA tournament run. Nobody is doubting the talent and offensive abilities of Indiana, but defense will continue to be the major question this season for the Hoosiers. The perimeter defense was very porous last season and they have to hope Bryant can protect the rim.
3. Michigan State returns plenty of talent from last season: Michigan State turned an up-and-down regular season into a Final Four run and they’ll actually be a deeper team this season after a litany of bench injuries last season. The real challenge comes in replacing the play of senior starters Travis Trice and Branden Dawson. If Tum Tum Nairn (or someone else) can step up and run the point and McDonald’s All-American Deyonta Davis can replace some of Dawson’s production then Michigan State has even more perimeter weapons this season with West Virginia transfer Eron Harris and freshman Matt McQuaid being eligible. Free-throw shooting will also be something to monitor. The Spartans were a horrid 63 percent from the line last season.
4. The Big Ten added a lot of talented newcomers who could immediately change the conference race: How do replace the loss of Player of the Year Frank Kaminsky and the conference’s top five scorers? By bringing in a bevy of All-American freshmen big men and some impact transfers. The Big Ten is filled with difference-making newcomers who could really change things. Already mentioned above are newcomers like Diamond Stone, Robert Carter, Rasheed Sulaimon (Maryland), Thomas Bryant (Indiana), Deyonta Davis and Eron Harris (Michigan State) but even more guys could make an impact. Purdue kept McDonald’s All-American power forward Caleb Swanigan in Indiana after he previously committed to Michigan State while Illinois (Jalen Coleman-Lands) and Ohio State (JaQuan Lyle) brought in some playmaking guards capable of contributing this season.
5. Purdue has its most talented roster since the Robbie Hummel era while Wisconsin is littered with questions: Purdue quickly turned things around last season after a sluggish start in non-conference play and head coach Matt Painter has his most talented roster since the Robbie Hummel era. It will be nearly impossible to replace everything Jon Octeus brought to the table last season, but the Boilers recruited very well to fit needs as they brought in the bruising Swanigan to compliment centers A.J. Hammons and Isaac Haas as well as an in-state floor spacer in guard Ryan Cline. If graduate transfer Johnny Hill can help offset the loss of Octeus at guard, Purdue is deeper and has more shooting than last season’s NCAA tournament team.
On the other hand, Wisconsin lost a bevy of talent this offseason. Kaminsky graduated. Sam Dekker went pro. Trae Jackson and Josh Gasser finished their eligibility. Bronson Koenig and Nigel Hayes are left, but that’s it … outside of Bo Ryan. Bo has had success in situations like this before; remember, before Kaminsky was an all-american he was a sophomore that played 10 minutes a night. I never bet against the Badgers, but there are a lot of questions that need to be answered this season.
Favorite: “Maryland made a major leap last season and now they add that talented group of incoming players for this season. They’re deep and won a lot of close games last season, so they already have a lot going for them.”
Sleeper:
“Iowa is intriguing to me. Nobody seems to be talking about them.”
“Ohio State is really young, but they have a lot of talent. Thad has won with young and talented teams before.”
Best player: “Melo is cold-blooded. He just gets this confidence about him late in games and it seems to carry over to his teammates.”
Most underrated player:
“No one knew how good Bronson Koenig was until Traevon Jackson got hurt last year. I knew Jackson getting hurt would help Wisconsin. Koenig was better than Jackson to begin with but Bo plays veterans.”
“Jake Layman is talented. Doesn’t get the notoriety of Trimble and some of those other guys but he’s a tough cover.”
PRESEASON BIG TEN PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Melo Trimble, Maryland
As an incoming McDonald’s All-American last season, Trimble was expected to start and contribute immediately, but few could have predicted the All-American caliber year the 6-foot-3 guard put together. Trimble scored, distributed, and most importantly, gave Maryland one of the game’s best closers with his icy demeanor and 86 percent mark from the charity stripe. If Trimble makes an expected leap as a perimeter defender and overall floor leader, he could be in for a huge season and the Terps are counting on him to lead them to glory. Now that Trimble has some legitimate post scoring threats, his assist-to-turnover ratio should improve and it will also open things up for him as a shooter.
THE REST OF THE BIG TEN FIRST TEAM:
Yogi Ferrell, Indiana: The in-state product has a chance to cement his legacy at Indiana with one final run and he’s the Big Ten’s returning leader in both points and assists from last season. With the amount of shooters Indiana has, Ferrell will get in the paint on a lot of drives this season.
Caris LeVert, Michigan: Although he was a bit up-and-down before his season-ending leg injury last season, LeVert is still one of the league’s best all-around players. Now healthy, the senior is noted for his scoring acumen but he also had five or more assists in seven of 18 games last season.
Denzel Valentine, Michigan State: A jack-of-all-trades wing, the senior can get it done in a number of ways on the floor. With plenty of talented shooters around him this season Valentine can go to work as a scorer or find plenty of assist opportunities if the Spartans space the floor well. If fantasy college basketball was more of a thing, Valentine would be a player to covet.
Nigel Hayes, Wisconsin: When he isn’t putting on spelling bees and messing with media stenographers, the 6-foot-8 junior can spray shots from all over the floor while displaying some of the best footwork of any big man in the nation. The big-game experience of two Final Four runs should help Hayes become this team’s leader.
FIVE MORE NAMES TO KNOW:
James Blackmon Jr. and Troy Williams, Indiana
Jake Layman, Maryland
A.J. Hammons, Purdue
Jarrod Uthoff, Iowa
Bronson Koenig, Wisconsin
BREAKOUT STAR: Nate Mason, Minnesota
Mason was an unheralded, three-star recruit when he signed with the Golden Gophers out of Arlington Day in Florida, but the freshman turned in an impressive inaugural season in the Twin Cities, averaging 9.8 points and 2.8 assists. With Andre Hollins and Dre Mathieu moving on, this will be Mason’s back court to anchor. Don’t be surprised to see him develop into an all-Big Ten caliber guard before he’s done playing.
Tom Crean (AP Photo)
COACH UNDER PRESSURE: Indiana’s Tom Crean led my list of “Coaches on the Hot Seat” this preseason, but with the recent thumb injury to starting guard Kendrick Nunn, even more pressure is on Illinois head coach John Groce to have a good season with an injury-riddled roster.
ON SELECTION SUNDAY WE’LL BE SAYING … : Maryland gives the Big Ten a credible title contender and don’t be surprised if a handful of other teams advance to the second weekend and beyond.
I’M MOST EXCITED ABOUT: How truly wide open most of the Big Ten is entering this season. While it was easy for me to slot Maryland at No. 1 and Rutgers at No. 14, the rest of the conference’s preseason order was up for heavy debate. That should make for a fun season in which a lot of new faces will impact the conference race.
FIVE NON-CONFERENCE GAMES TO CIRCLE ON YOUR CALENDAR:
1. Maryland: Many believed that Maryland’s top-10 national ranking last season was largely in-part to some lucky finishes. This is the year for the Terps to prove their winning ways weren’t a fluke.
2. Michigan State: If Michigan State continues its free-throw shooting and is able to replace Trice and Dawson, there are plenty of playmakers and perimeter shooters on the roster to form a dangerous roster.
3. Indiana: Indiana returned most of its top players, but its bench is also better this season as graduate transfer big man Max Bielfeldt came over from Michigan. Bielfeldt, senior shooter Nick Zeisloft and junior forward Collin Hartman are all upperclassmen and give the Hoosiers a bit more versatility off the bench than last season.
4. Purdue: Purdue has arguably the deepest frontcourt in the country now that Swanigan is aboard and it’ll be intriguing to see how their interior offense looks this season. While 3-point shooting and turnovers was a bit of a struggle for Purdue last season, the hope is that Kendall Stephens, Dakota Mathias and Cline will have even more room to let it fly now that more post scoring is in the equation.
5. Wisconsin: Wisconsin has never finished worse than tied for fourth during the Big Ten regular season under Bo Ryan, so this feels like the perfect spot for the “rebuilding” Badgers. No, this team is not nearly as talented as the memorable back-to-back Final Four teams, but Hayes and Koenig are back and Ryan has a way of having his players immediately ready to play. Wisconsin won’t beat themselves, that’s for sure. Redshirt freshman Ethan Happ has drawn solid reviews this fall.
6. Michigan: Finally healthy, John Beilein’s team is still very dangerous as long as the core nucleus stays on the floor and the big men are up to par. Derrick Walton Jr., Spike Albrecht and Caris LeVert were all recovering from various injuries this offseason and Zak Irvin is also back. That core four is still lethal on the offensive end and the Wolverines added some bigger floor spacers in transfer Duncan Robinson and German freshman Moritz Wagner.
7. Ohio State: College basketball will miss the creative flair that D’Angelo Russell brought to the game but the Buckeyes brought in talented guard JaQuan Lyle to help replace him. This will be a very young team for Thad Matta as most of the roster is made up of freshmen and sophomores. The versatility of the frontcourt could be key as Marc Loving, Virginia Tech transfer Trevor Thompson, Keita Bates-Diop and Jae’Sean Tate all bring unique skills.
8. Iowa: It’ll be interesting to watch old and new mesh in Iowa City as the Hawkeyes bring back four starters and surround them with mostly newcomers. Iowa’s returning backcourt of senior point guard Mike Gesell and Peter Jok and Anthony Clemmons can be counted on but returning frontcourt starters like Jarrod Uthoff and Adam Woodbury face additional pressure now that Aaron White and Gabriel Olaseni are gone.
9. Illinois: Illinois is undoubtedly talented, but they’ve been smoked by the injury bug under Groce as they’ll begin this season shorthanded. Point guard Tracy Abrams is once again done for the year while talented guards Jalen Coleman-Lands and Kendrick Nunn are battling injuries that could force them to miss time. Graduate transfers could be huge for Illinois as they brought in center Mike Thorne and point guard Khalid Lewis to provide immediate assistance.
10. Northwestern: Northwestern is one of the Big Ten’s most intriguing teams after a bevy of close losses and returning all of last season’s roster minus one player. Tre Demps and Bryant McIntosh are a formidable backcourt while senior center Alex Olah has developed into on of the league’s better big men. The question comes with the next step for the rest of the team as sophomores like Vic Law and Scottie Lindsay will be expected to take positive steps this season.
11. Minnesota: There are plenty of questions surrounding Minnesota this season outside returning starters like Nate Mason, Joey King and Carlos Morris. The Golden Gophers are going to rely on a lot of unproven players to provide scoring while the defense has to get better after finishing 13th in scoring defense in the league last season.
12. Penn State: I’m a firm believer in head coach Pat Chambers after watching Penn State run through a wall for him at last year’s Big Ten tournament. He just has to bring in the proper talent to compete with the big dogs of the Big Ten. Sophomore Shep Garner had a solid inaugural Big Ten campaign and senior Brandon Taylor is back as well. A lot of young talent is on the roster at Penn State and a potential top-10 recruiting class looms
13. Nebraska: Nebraska had a disastrous campaign last season and there isn’t much talent back from that team. Senior Shavon Shields could have a monster year, but he’s the only proven returning player for the Huskers. Freshmen like Edward Morrow Jr. and Glynn Watson could be expected to contribute immediately along with Kansas transfer Andrew White.
14. Rutgers: Eddie Jordan’s team will certainly have more length and athleticism but they’re going to lean heavily on the talented duo of newcomers Corey Sanders and junior college forward Deshawn Freeman. Outside of Sanders, Freeman and senior guard Bishop Daniels, Rutgers doesn’t have a lot of proven Big Ten talents.
