Maryland men’s basketball is finally here! The Terps started their season on a nice note, earning a 76-61 win over Stony Brook at the Nassau Coliseum on Friday night.
It seems silly to make broad judgments about the team based on one game — Maryland probably won’t go undefeated this year, unfortunately — but when has something being silly ever stopped Terps Watch before?
Here are some overreactions to Maryland men’s hoops, based on an incredibly tiny one-game sample size.
Maryland is going to be dreadful at shooting threes
Maryland was 2-for-14 on threes last night in New York. Kevin Huerter and Dion Wiley were the only players to knock down a 3-pointer, while Anthony Cowan and Justin Jackson combined to go a rather ugly 0-for-7 from deep. Last season’s worst three-point shooting effort was 18.2 percent against Oklahoma State, so starting this year with a 14.3 percent dud does not inspire much confidence.
Justin Jackson is going to become an elite rebounder
Justin Jackson picked up 10 or more rebounds three times in 33 games last season. He’s on pace to reach double-digit rebounds in every game this year. Jackson kicked off a season that will be spent trying to prove he’s worth a lottery pick in the NBA Draft by showing his improved rebounding skills. He grabbed 14 boards for a new career high against Stony Brook. If Jackson is a constant presence on the offensive and defensive glass, that can only mean good things for Maryland.
I just tried to toss a piece of paper in the recycling bin and missed and Justin Jackson got the rebound
— Terps Watch (@TerpsWatch) November 11, 2017
When Bruno Fernando is on the court, he will get the ball
The freshman from Angola took more than 50 percent of Maryland’s shots when he was on the floor. That’s a lot. For reference, last year Melo Trimble took 28.4 percent of Maryland’s shots when he was on the floor. Fernando hogging the ball this much is unlikely to last the whole season, but Maryland could end up feeding the big man quite a bit when he is on the court.
BRUUUUNOOOOOOO pic.twitter.com/7TJuU8hVF2 — Terps Watch (@TerpsWatch) November 11, 2017