With less than 15 minutes to play in Maryland’s only exhibition game of the 2018-19 season, the Terps were in full control, but were still waiting on the play that would spark them to pull away from Division II opponent Lynn University.
Then, freshman forward Jalen Smith pulled up from three-point land.
The McDonald’s All-American knocked down the three from the top of the key, and hit another one from the right wing on the next possession, to help the Terps to a 100-67 victory over Lynn.
Here’s our three takeaways from the win.
Three-pointers from unlikely faces
Smith ended the game 2-of-3 from downtown, but it wasn’t just the lengthy freshman who showed off his range. Sophomore guard Darryl Morsell, who made only three of his 25 three-point attempts last season, buried his first two shots from beyond the arc in the first six minutes of the game. He finished 2-for-3 from deep and racked up 12 points.
Sophomore forward Bruno Fernando, who attempted only three shots from long range last season, has seemingly added another asset to his game. Fernando converted his lone three-point shot against the Fighting Knights on Tuesday night, and looked eager to shoot more as he sometimes popped instead of rolled after setting screens at the top of the key.
If Fernando can fully add that shot to his game, it will help the Terps stretch the floor, and should vastly improve the big man’s impending NBA draft stock.
Maryland started two of its freshmen
Maryland’s freshman class includes five players who could see serious minutes this season, but the question was how many of those five would find themselves in the starting lineup.
Smith and guard Aaron Wiggins got the start for the Terps, along with Anthony Cowan, Fernando and Morsell. Wiggins finished with 13 points on 5-of-9 shooting and handled the ball a good amount, even when Cowan was also on the floor.
Smith looked like a good compliment to Fernando in the post, as the 6-foot-10 freshman finished with a game-high 22 points on 8-of-10 shooting. Smith was able to run the floor easily with Maryland guards and showed finishing ability at the rim. He also hit a smooth fadeaway jumper in the first half that showed off his versatility.
Guard Eric Ayala saw the most meaningful time off the bench among the freshmen. He scored nine points in 22 minutes and was not afraid to attack the basket when he had the ball in his hands.
Serrel Smith and Ricky Lindo, who are the two wild cards in this class, both showed flashes off the bench. Lindo provided length both in and outside the paint while Smith was active on defense despite only scoring four points.
If Smith and Lindo can give Mark Turgeon solid minutes off the bench this season, it will allow Cowan to finally get a little rest and the Terps to be a much deeper team.
Anthony Cowan can get a little rest this year
It’s no secret that Cowan was on the court a lot last season. He led the Big Ten in minutes played, averaging 37 minutes per game. He played 26 minutes against Lynn, but the real story was how often Ayala and Wiggins handled the ball.
Ayala looked comfortable running the point guard position for the second unit, while Wiggins sometimes brought the ball up with Cowan on the floor, allowing Maryland’s junior point guard to work off the ball.
As a distributor, Ayala looked very comfortable distributing the ball, and was able to command the offense with Cowan on the bench. If Turgeon can trust his freshman point guard, and can bring Cowan’s minutes down closer to 30-per-game, the Terps star should be rested and be more effective in crunch time when it matters most.
