Maryland basketball has only played two Division I opponents so far this season. However, I have watched these three games with a magnifying glass to see what Maryland has done well and what they need to improve on.

The Good

-The on-ball defense has been really good — specifically the defense from the freshmen playing big minutes. Anthony Cowan has an absurd 2.7 steals per game rate, pick-pocketing the daylights out of opposing point guards. And we can’t talk about stellar defense without bringing up Kevin Huerter’s game-clinching are-you-kidding-me block to down Georgetown:

-Ivan Bender has quietly played really well with a fractured wrist. As a freshman last year, the Bosnian power forward barely played at all, and when he did, it was not always pretty. Averaging 12.7 minutes per game, Bender has scored five points and grabbed 5.3 boards per contest and has not been a liability on defense. He’s done a decent job filling in for Damonte Dodd when Dodd is off the floor — decent enough that we will let his 41.7 free throw percentage slide.

-Offensively, the Terps have kept the ball moving. The numbers will not show, but Maryland has not had the stagnant offense that fans have seen in years past. It’s still really early, but the balanced stat sheet is encouraging for the development of this young roster. Plus, Jaylen Brantley looks much more comfortable running the offense this year and is not afraid to shoot the rock. This is all very encouraging for Terp nation.

The Bad

-The three-point shooting has been abysmal. A 26.5 percent rate is no excuse for a team with plenty of long-range talent. Melo Trimble has only hit 2 of 9 three pointers, and three-point specialist Jared Nickens has only hit 3 of 16 of his deep balls. Huerter, though, is hitting nearly half of his attempts.

-Melo Trimble’s turnover rate is too high for comfort. With Anthony Cowan in the lineup, Trimble has had the ball less, and it has been an unusual adjustment for someone who is perceived to be one of the best players in college basketball. But with this adjustment, his turnover numbers should be way lower. With nearly three turnovers per game, he needs to do a better job taking care of the ball.