A few days ago, I wrote the Maryland men’s basketball team needed to pen an apology to Ohio State after the Terps rattled off another road win — a 77-71 roll in Columbus Ohio, on Jan. 31 — with little regard.
That’s because forward Justin Jackson spent the night swishing threes, and the Terps shot almost 50 percent from the field, at times boasting a double-digit lead.
Ohio State coach Thad Matta’s frustration reached its peak when he had to catch his gum as it flew out of his mouth while shouting in the huddle.
Well, get the stationery and envelopes ready again, Maryland, because you have to make Matta and the Buckeyes just as furious on Saturday. The outlook for the rest of the season depends on it.
“We’ve been together. We’ve played with energy. We’ve played for each other. We love each other,” coach Mark Turgeon said. “It just didn’t have that feel [Tuesday]. We got to get that feel back before Saturday. This team has done some amazing things. It really has this year. It hasn’t been a perfect 72 hours. We’ll get it back. We’ve done too many good things to not get it back.”
This time, the Terps aren’t trying to preserve an undefeated road record. The disjointed effort in Tuesday’s 70-64 loss at Penn State ended that run. They’re not trying to keep their spot atop the Big Ten standings, either, as two straight defeats have pushed them below Wisconsin.
Instead, Turgeon’s squad must win to ensure its hopes for a conference tournament bye and a respectable NCAA tournament seed remain alive. Plus, the Terps’ following two games — at upstart Northwestern and No. 7 Wisconsin — threaten to turn a two-game slip into a full-blown slide.
“It’s time for us to get better,” guard Melo Trimble said.
That’s not to say Jackson has to drop 22 points on 67 percent shooting from the field and grab 12 boards for another double-double, or that Trimble must channel his acrobatics and control for a late personal run to polish the outing.
Maryland just has to ensure its lackadaisical preparation and disorganized execution doesn’t seep into Saturday.
Trimble can’t be afraid to drive through contact when his shots aren’t falling. Guard Anthony Cowan can’t settle for 3-pointers after missing his last 11. Big men Michal Cekovsky, Damonte Dodd and Ivan Bender can’t fumble possessions at the rim or battle foul trouble and put the Terps at a size disadvantage.
“We’re good enough to win any game we step on the court and play,” guard Kevin Huerter said, “if we all show up and play.”
They’ll have to do that with their season’s trajectory hanging in the balance against a hungry, vengeful Buckeyes group that wouldn’t have accepted the Terps’ remorse if they had offered it.
Matta’s probably going to have a fresh piece of gum, and Maryland must make him lose it again.
The Ohio State players will want to return the agony with a win on the Xfinity Center floor, so Turgeon’s players have to ensure a somber plane ride home.
Otherwise, the Terps should apologize to themselves for wasting an upstart conference run with a three-game slide entering the season’s toughest stretch.
