During the middle of conference play, Terrapins men’s basketball coach Mark Turgeon faced a tough decision every night. With sophomore Jared Nickens struggling to make shots, Turgeon was hesitant to take out his starting guards. Melo Trimble and Rasheed Sulaimon usually sat for just a few minutes, constantly logging the most time on the floor among the Terps.
When Turgeon met with reporters Saturday before the final regular-season game, that constant dilemma appeared a thing of the past. Three days earlier, Nickens tied for second on the team with 14 points in an 81-55 win over Illinois. That starring performance came less than a week after Nickens poured in 10 points on 3-for-6 shooting in an 83-79 loss to No. 15 Purdue.
With Nickens hitting shots again and making strides on defense — in addition to backup point guard Jaylen Brantley gaining confidence — Turgeon no longer has to worry about the No. 14 Terps’ guard depth heading into Sunday’s game at No. 12 Indiana, the Big Ten regular-season champions. While Sulaimon will likely guard Hoosiers star Yogi Ferrell, Nickens and Brantley could play a vital role.
“It’s huge for us,” Turgeon said of Nickens’ improved play. “There was a time there when it was really hard for me to even sub on the perimeter, and now Jaylen and Jared are both playing well and helping us.”
Nickens developed a reputation as a sharpshooter last season. His 39 percent shooting percentage on 3-pointers ranked third on the squad, and he was fourth in scoring with 6.1 points per game. But after a solid start this year, Nickens lost his shooting touch.
Even with the recent uptick, Nickens is 18-for-64 (28.1 percent) on 3-pointers in conference play and shooting 32.1 percent from the field.
During the slump, Nickens started spending more time at the gym perfecting his stroke. Forward Robert Carter Jr., often saw Nickens in the gym hoisting shots and using a shooting gun. The machine surrounds the basket with a net, and after a make or miss, fires the basketball back at the shooter.
The shooting gun helped Nickens get in a rhythm during those extra sessions and the net around the basket forced him to put more arc on the ball.
“It’s all paying off now,” Nickens said Saturday.
Nickens is 8-for-14 from the floor in the past two games and has a combined 24 points. And as the 6-foot-7 swingman has found his shooting touch, he’s also improved defensively.
“Jared’s doing it on both ends,” Turgeon said. “He’s doing it defensively and making shots.”
Sunday, Nickens will be part a perimeter defense tasked with shutting down Ferrell, who’s fourth in the Big Ten with 17.6 points per game. Ferrell is the focal point of the Hoosiers’ high-powered offense that ranks first in the conference with 82.8 points per game.
The Terps hope Nickens height helps disrupt the Hoosiers’ guards.
“He’s long, so just being active in the passing lanes,” Carter said. “Making people pass the ball around him, getting deflections.”
A couple weeks ago, Turgeon might not be relying on Nickens’ contributions in a matchup against the Big Ten regular-season champions. Now, Nickens is a viable option off the bench.
“I’m just glad it happened,” Turgeon said. “We’ve been waiting for it.”
