Anthony Cowan, Kevin Huerter and Justin Jackson have made an immediate impact since joining the Maryland men’s basketball team this season, so much so that it’s been hard to keep the freshmen trio off the floor. They each log at least 26 minutes per game, and that mark has only increased in conference play. Coach Mark Turgeon has carefully picked times during games to rest his first-year players.
But when the sixth-year coach sat his younger players in the first half of the Terps’ 77-71 win at Ohio State on Tuesday night, his reserves provided solid minutes, which Turgeon said kept everyone fresh. That increased energy helped Maryland fend off the Buckeyes after a late-game surge.
“Ceko gave us his best minutes, L.G. Gill gave us good minutes, Jaylen Brantley gave us toughness, Jared had the big four-point play,” Turgeon said. “Ivan wasn’t Ivan tonight, but he still helps us out offensively.
“It’s nice to have that depth.”
With two games in four days — Maryland secured an 85-78 road win against Minnesota on Saturday — Huerter said Turgeon “was trying to find rest wherever we could.” The sixth-year coach started by giving his players Sunday to rest. He then made sure not to overuse his starters.
Aside from Cowan, Maryland’s starters played between 12 and 14 minutes in the first half. Guards Jaylen Brantley and Jared Nickens and forward L.G. Gill took up the leftover time, combining for 23 opening-frame minutes.
After the Terps got out to a 15-10 lead, Turgeon replaced his freshmen trio with Nickens, Brantley and forward Michal Cekovsky at the 14:14 mark. Cowan came back in soon after, but Huerter and Jackson didn’t return until four-and-a-half minutes later. When they returned, Maryland still held a one-point advantage.
“Just to have bench production really helps,” said guard Melo Trimble, who played 14 minutes before halftime.
The duo also sat for more than three minutes at the end of the first frame, as Gill and Nickens took their spots on the floor.
Almost immediately, Ohio State forward Marc Loving fouled Nickens on a 3-point attempt. The 6-foot-7 sharpshooter drilled the triple from the top of the key, marking his 11th make in 16 attempts in Big Ten play. The same result occurred a few possessions later, sans the foul, to give the Monmouth Junction, New Jersey, native seven first-half points.
After struggling during nonconference play, Nickens has drilled his 3-pointers against conference opponents in limited action.
“It’s great,” Jackson said. “Even off the court, Jared is always putting an arm around me, always giving me advice, always telling me, ‘Next play.’ Just giving me little feedback here and there. And on the court I’m very proud of him. He’s doing great things.”
Maryland entered the break with a six-point lead, and Turgeon liked his team’s chances to win even more than the scoreboard would suggest. While the Terps players received a few breathers throughout the frame, Ohio State guard Jaquan Lyle and forward Jae’Sean Tate each played 18 minutes. The Buckeyes’ two leading scorers would be tired down the stretch, Turgeon thought, so he pushed for his team to take advantage.
“I was like, ‘Guys, we’re going to be fresher than them. We’re going to be deeper than they are,'” Turgeon said. “It’s more of a mental thing to get our guys thinking that way.”
Turgeon couldn’t rest his starters much after the break. Despite scoring the first four points of the period to go up double digits, Ohio State came within three with about 10 minutes remaining. Huerter and Jackson paced the Terps by playing 18 minutes after intermission, while Cowan and Trimble logged 16 each.
Their contributions were enough to propel Maryland to its seventh straight win, a feat that may not have happened if not for the second team providing the starters with some much-needed rest early on.
“We practice against each other, and we expect them to come out and do things like that,” Trimble said. “We needed it [Tuesday].”
