Throughout the season, Maryland men’s basketball guard Jaylen Brantley has talked with his teammates and coaches to raise his confidence. A conversation with guard Melo Trimble in practice last week was especially crucial.
Despite Brantley struggling at times, Trimble told his counterpart he trusts him with the ball and encouraged him to keep shooting. So throughout the week before the Terps’ game against Oklahoma State on Saturday night, Brantley spent extra time in the gym putting up shots, staying until he got on a hot streak.
The practice paid off. Brantley scored a season-high 12 points off the bench in Maryland’s 71-70 victory over the Cowboys, marking the second time this season he’s scored in double figures.
“The kid is a flat-out winner,” coach Mark Turgeon said. “We had no chance without him.”
Last season, Brantley averaged 2.3 points and 8.1 minutes per game. At one point, he lost his spot in the rotation. In his first season with the Terps, after transferring from Odessa College in Texas, Brantley said he didn’t understand the intensity he needed to bring to practice each day.
This year, Turgeon said Brantley is one of the best practice players with a renewed energy the sixth-year coach hadn’t seen from him. Before the season, Brantley came to practices early for extra shooting. He’s also more vocal during training.
Knowing Trimble and guard Anthony Cowan would take up most of the backcourt minutes, Brantley didn’t know what his role would be this year, so he focused on his effort in workouts.
“Jaylen played [Saturday] like he practices every day,” Turgeon said. “He practices hard and is a leader. He believes, and he never stops talking.”
Brantley played 15.9 minutes per game to start the campaign, the majority of which have come off the ball after serving as his teams’ main scorer before college. The Springfield, Massachusetts, native said it’s hard to find driving lanes while sharing the ball with Trimble and Cowan. However, Trimble encouraged Brantley to be more aggressive Saturday.
Forward Damonte Dodd also boosted Brantley’s drive. The pair played against each other when Dodd attended Massanutten Military Academy in Woodstock, Virginia, and Brantley played for Notre Dame Preparatory in Hampton in 2012. Dodd reminded Brantley how he once went on a scoring streak to beat Dodd’s team.
“I told Jaylen, ‘You’re one of the best guards in the conference. You just have to go out there and play,'” Dodd said. “That’s what he did tonight. He gave us a huge spark off the bench. Everyone knows he can play.”
Saturday, Brantley shot 4-for-11 and drove to the basket more than usual. While Trimble ended 0-for-5 from the three-point line, Turgeon said Brantley was his “option.”
Perhaps Brantley’s largest contributions came during the Terps’ 13-0 run to take a 61-60 lead with six minutes and 27 seconds remaining. Trimble was on the bench for the beginning of the spurt while Brantley and Cowan facilitated the offense. To cut Oklahoma State’s lead to six, Brantley drove baseline, positioned himself in front of Cowboys forward Leyton Hammonds on the block and finished an off-balance layup.
Defensively, Brantley helped limit guard Jawun Evans, who is tied for the sixth-most points per game in the nation (23.6), to 16 points. He switched off guarding Evans with Cowan and Trimble and provided help whenever Evans found an opening.
“Brantley, that one was probably a little curveball that I swung and missed on,” Oklahoma State coach Brad Underwood said. “Give him credit. You get consumed with some of their other guys, and he did what a good player should do — step up and give them the opportunity. He took the most of it.”
With about three minutes to play, Brantley faked a pass to the top of the key, drove to the basket and sank a layup with contact before draining the free throw, giving Maryland a 66-64 advantage. When the 5-foot-11, 170-pound guard stood up after falling on the foul, Trimble gave him a hug.
“The boost that Jaylen gave us, I see it every day in practice,” Trimble said. “It’s a confidence booster for anyone to have a game like that … in that kind of situation. For him to go out there and showcase that was something that we’re always excited to see.”
