After a 9-3 start, Maryland is on a five-game winning streak that includes back-to-back conference road wins and a 78-75 win against No. 22 Indiana on Friday.
This could be due, in part, to Andrew Terrell finally getting a scholarship. But a large part of the Terps’ success can be attributed to the double-double machine Bruno Fernando.
Through 17 games, Fernando has nine double-doubles, which is tied for 14th in the nation.
That total is second in the nation among all underclassmen and third in the Big Ten.
Fernando was a force in the paint in the comeback against the Hoosiers Friday night, a game in which the Terps trailed by as many as 14 points in the first half. He finished 11-for-12 from the field with 25 points and 13 rebounds.
He’s recorded five double-doubles in the last six games, averaging 16.8 points per game and 12.0 rebounds per game in that span. The only game that wasn’t a double-double was his 10-point, nine-rebound performance against Rutgers on Jan. 5.
On the season, Fernando is averaging 14.8 points per game and 10.3 rebounds per game, which is second and first on the team, respectively.
Fernando is one of only 21 players in the nation averaging a double-double with points and rebounds; he joins Wisconsin’s Ethan Happ and Minnesota’s Jordan Murphy as the only Big Ten players to do so.
At about the halfway point in the season, Fernando is on track for 16 double-doubles this year.
If he manages to keep up these numbers, Fernando will likely be considered for several end of the year honors, and hopefully will lead the Terps through their tough remaining conference schedule with a tournament-worthy resume. And after that, with scouts salivating, it could be time for the big man to turn pro.
