Every practice, Maryland men’s basketball forward Michal Cekovsky knows he’ll hear coach Mark Turgeon’s voice booming if he makes a mistake.
Turgeon said he coaches Cekovsky harder than anyone on the team, so whenever the junior fails to finish around the rim or box out for a rebound, the sixth-year coach scolds him.
“He wants the best for me,” Cekovsky said. “He cares about me. He knows what he’s doing. When he’s on me, he’s pushing me.”
That intense training has paid off for Cekovsky, who has emerged as Maryland’s top post scoring threat while the squad has struggled to find a presence in the paint.
With forward Damonte Dodd out with a left MCL sprain, Cekovsky earned his first start of the season against Howard on Wednesday night. He tied a career high with 16 points on 8-for-9 shooting and was a catalyst for Maryland blowing the game open. Turgeon hopes to see Cekovsky continue to develop in the Terps’ contest against Saint Peter’s on Saturday at Xfinity Center.
“He probably hears my voice in his sleep,” Turgeon said. “Ceko was moving toward being a starter, the way he was playing. There’s a lot of potential there.”
Cekovsky, who averaged 2.3 points on 8.6 minutes per game last season in a crowded backcourt, missed Maryland’s first four contests with a sprained foot. After Cekovsky stayed in College Park for summer workouts, Turgeon said the Slovakian big man wasn’t playing at the same level when he returned for the win over Stony Brook on Nov. 22. Still, Cekovsky scored 11 points and displayed his development by dunking off lobs.
Four days later in Maryland’s one-point victory against Kansas State, Cekovsky notched 16 points. Those performances promoted him to become the sixth man in the Terps’ rotation before his third career start Wednesday.
“He paid his dues. He waited his turn,” Turgeon said Nov. 22. “He’s a much more confident person. He thinks it’s his time.”
Turgeon’s focus Wednesday was moving the ball around the court, yet Maryland failed to follow that plan early. At the under-eight media timeout of the first half, the Terps were shooting 4-for-14 from the three-point line. The Bison gained their first lead moments later.
During breaks, Turgeon called for his team to work the ball into the paint against its mid-major foe — particularly getting the ball to Cekovsky. Guard Kevin Huerter said Cekovsky was open, but the Terps weren’t aggressive in finding him.
That changed down the stretch in the first half. As a result, Maryland solidified its advantage.
Cekovsky tallied eight of his 10 first-half points after the 6:17 mark, capped by an alley-oop dunk, to propel the Terps to a 38-31 halftime lead. After Turgeon yelled at his squad again in the locker room, Cekovsky recorded four points in the first four minutes out of the break.
“I’m feeling more comfortable on defense and offense,” Cekovsky said. “My teammates did a good job finding me and passing to me around the rim. I’m getting better every game.”
Turgeon maintained Cekovsky can still improve. Though he has experienced foul trouble in some outings, Turgeon said the 7-foot-1, 250-pound bruiser has the potential to be one of the team’s best defenders. Plus, Cekovsky is building chemistry with teammates. Guard Anthony Cowan turned the ball over twice Wednesday while passing to Cekovsky, and Turgeon estimated Cekovsky could’ve had 22 points if he’d put himself in a better position.
Cekovsky anticipated he’ll hear from Turgeon in practice until he fixes those issues.
Cekovsky “has improved a lot since I’ve been here,” said Huerter, a freshman. “When he gets the ball, he can really do it all. He’s really effective when you get the ball down to him because he can score, and he’s so big that he can pass over anyone. He’s unselfish, so when you get the ball to him, usually good things happen.”
