INDIANAPOLIS — It had been awhile since we’d seen this version of the Terrapins men’s basketball team.
In recent weeks, Terps fans mourned what seemed like the crumbling of a once-charmed season. The team dropped four of their final six games, appearing frustrated and overwhelmed.
Coach Mark Turgeon couldn’t quite put his finger on what wasn’t working. But it was clear that something was wrong.
Friday night at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, hardly anything went awry for the Terps offensively. Behind 26 points from forward Jake Layman, the Terps fended off a late Nebraska rally to pull out a 97-86 win.
Nebraska shot 47 percent from the floor, but the Terps converted 60.3 percent of their shots. They took a 54-37 lead into halftime and never looked back.
Cynics will point to the fact that the Cornhuskers were playing their third game in three days. Optimists will note that Nebraska was feeling good about itself after eliminating No. 6-seed Wisconsin, which earned a 72-61 win over the Cornhuskers on Feb. 10.
But no one can deny how impressive Turgeon’s team looked Friday night. I’m sure coach Tom Izzo, whose No. 2-seed Michigan State team will play the Terps in one of Saturday’s semifinals, would agree.
Here are my postgame grades:
Guard Melo Trimble: A-
Perhaps Trimble’s biggest problem during his shooting slump was his anemic three-point shooting. Friday, he went 4-for-8 from long range en route to 16 points. He added eight assists and seven rebounds in a complete performance.
Guard Rasheed Sulaimon: B
On a night when several Terps starred, Sulaimon took a backseat. He still added 10 points and six assists, including a dime off a nifty move in the paint that resulted in a vicious dunk from center Diamond Stone in the second half.
Forward Jake Layman: A+
The senior did an interview with the Big Ten Network after the contest. It was warranted. In perhaps the best game of his college career, Layman scored 26 points on 8-for-13 shooting and hauled down two key rebounds when Nebraska threatened late. He converted his first five shots, too.
Forward Robert Carter Jr.: B
Carter’s perimeter defense left something to be desired, but he was his normal efficient self on offense, scoring 13 points on 4-for-8 shooting.
Center Diamond Stone: A+
The rookie should use tonight’s game footage as a highlight tape for the NBA. He turned Nebraska’s paint into a personal launch pad for the rim. Nebraska coach Tim Miles said Stone is already NBA-ready after the freshman scored 23 points, grabbed eight rebounds and wowed fans with numerous powerful dunks.
Guard Jared Nickens: B+
Nickens played 16 minutes and scored eight points. He might’ve played more had he not picked up two fouls early in the first half.