It isn’t easy for coach Mark Turgeon to find guard Varun Ram on the bench. He has to crane his neck, looking past scores of future professionals, seldom contributors and even video coordinator Mark Bialkoski. There, sitting among a group of walk-ons, is Ram.
After Turgeon calls his name, Ram walks to the scorer’s table inside Xfinity Center as Terps fans roar. “Varuuuuuun” echoes throughout the building. But the 5-foot-9 guard hardly looks like a daunting threat to opposing teams.
Despite his stature and limited role for much of the season — he averaged less than three minutes through the first 16 games — Turgeon has given Ram 14 minutes in back-to-back Big Ten contests. And Ram’s defensive prowess and tenacity has caught the attention of his teammates.
“He’s like the energizer bunny,” guard Rasheed Sulaimon said. “He’s going to pick you up at full court, he’s going to zigzag you and he’s going to give you his all. His energy is infectious. He just gives us a spark.”
Entering the 2015-16 campaign, many expected guard Jaylen Brantley to serve as star guard Melo Trimble’s backup. And through nonconference play and the start of the Big Ten slate, Brantley played that role.
But the junior college transfer seemed to struggle adjusting to the speed of the Division I game, never quite gaining Turgeon’s full trust. In the Terps’ first loss of the season to North Carolina on Dec. 1, Turgeon played his starting backcourt for 73 of a possible 80 minutes. Brantley and Ram combined for just two minutes.
So with the No. 3 Terps struggling at Michigan on Tuesday and Trimble in foul trouble, Turgeon inserted Ram with 12:15 left in the first half. And though the Terps went on to lose the game 70-67, Turgeon said he took something from that night at the Crisler Center.
“I learned that Varun is pretty important to us,” Turgeon said. “He can really help us. Gives us another really good defender on the floor; takes more pressure off Melo.”
Ram gained national notoriety in the NCAA tournament last season when Turgeon inserted him for the final 13 seconds against Valparaiso with the Terps clinging to a three-point lead. Ram stripped guard Keith Carter on the potential game-tying 3-pointer.
Trimble doesn’t think teams expect Ram to be as strong defensively because of his height.
“I don’t think they really notice how much of a really good defensive player he is until they’re out there with him,” Trimble said. “He is a very good key to our team.”
As Ram has taken on a larger role this past week, he’s had to play more offense with the starters than he has all season. He missed both his attempts at Michigan and went 1-for-4 against the Buckeyes, converting a 3-pointer that electrified the Terps faithful.
Before the Ohio State contest, Ram said his mentality will never be a scorer, but he did concede that he does need to hit open shots.
“When you’re on the floor with all these future NBA players, you want to make sure they’re the ones shooting the ball,” Ram said. “They’re so good. But at the same time, you have to be ready to take an open shot. The shots that I missed, I don’t think I was as ready to take. If I’m going to take a shot, I think it’s something I need to be mentally ready to step up and take a shot.”
Ram said at times it’s like the Terps are playing “4 on 5 on offense.” It’s an area he’s hoping to improve on as his role increases.
Nonetheless, the Terps are excited to see their shortest teammate move into the rotation.
“It’s the cool part about life. You work hard and things happen for you,” Sulaimon said. “He stuck with the process. He comes to practice and he makes us better each and every day. And when coach calls his number, he’s always ready. It’s just a testament to him.”
