By Scott Clipp
Senior staff writer
Before the start of the season, coach Gary Williams and his players talked constantly about consistency.
The Terrapin men’s basketball team wanted to put an end to the maddeningly up and down play it suffered through last season – play that left them out of the NCAA tournament for the first time in 12 years.
And through nine games, the Terps (7-2, 1-0 ACC) haven’t been entirely consistent, but players said there is certainly a different feel at Comcast Center this season.
The No. 17-ranked Terps notched their most important victory of the season Sunday night, upending then No. 6 Boston College in the ACC opener for both teams.
“We beat the No. 2 team in the country last year, but we weren’t able to sustain that level of play at any time during the year,” Williams said. “We can’t just say we’re a good team. We were a good team against Boston College. We proved it that night. Now we have to come into practice this time off and do a great job to keep going from there.”
The win sent the Terps into a 12-day layoff with perhaps their most impressive win since knocking off Duke in February of last year. Now, they will try to use it as a springboard into the bulk of their ACC season.
“The only way I can look at it is 1-0 in the league and a win against a top-10 team,” said senior Nik Caner Medley, who is averaging 11.2 points per game. “I think that’s a good place to be. We still remember the two games loss, but we’re improving.”
The Terps resume their schedule Dec. 23 against American, starting a four-game stretch in which they can work out some kinks against weaker opponents. After American, the Terps host Delaware State, VMI and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.
One of the Terps’ concerns through nine games has been their play in the first half. They’ve started slow in several games, leaving large first-half deficits.
But against Boston College, the Terps quelled their poor play early on. They shot 47 percent in the first half, keeping up with the Eagles, who shot a torrid 57 percent before the break.
“We make a progression everyday,” senior guard Chris McCray said. “I think we did a better job as starters [against Boston College], starting the game off. That’s definitely a plus because that gives guys coming in for us extra incentive to go out and play hard. We’re definitely progressing.”
The next four games will also give junior guard D.J. Strawberry a chance to become more comfortable at point guard.
Strawberry – whose natural position is on the wing – has shown he can handle the point guard duties at times, but has also displayed his inexperience.
In the Terps’ loss to No. 15 George Washington, the Colonial pressure swallowed up Strawberry. He turned the ball over seven times and couldn’t get the Terps into their half-court offense.
Strawberry’s progression at point guard will be tested when the Terps get into their ACC schedule next month. After they face Miami in Coral Gables, Fla., on Jan. 7, Strawberry will get his first shot at running the point at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Jan. 11.
“It’s hard making him a point guard because some of the great things he does, he just does it,” Williams said. “He’s a great anticipator, but when you play point guard, you can’t be that way with the ball. You have to be the guy who gets everybody to their spots.”
The Terps are also beginning to see an emergence in the post. Junior Ekene Ibekwe matched a career-high with 21 points against Boston College. The performance came just a game after fellow forward Travis Garrison posted a career-high with 23 points against Western Carolina.
“Last year, we got some good wins early in the season,” Caner-Medley said. “The question for this team is are we mature? Are we going to continue to work hard? We’re going to. There is no question about it.”
Contact reporter Scott Clipp at clippdbk@gmail.com.
