Jordan Geronimo knew exactly what he was doing when he ran out of the Xfinity Center tunnel and back to Maryland men’s basketball’s bench against Rutgers on Feb. 9.

It was just minutes after an elbow to the face knocked out one of the fifth-year’s front teeth, which was recovered from the bloody floor and put back into his mouth in the Terps’ locker room.

The forward thought he’d have to stay there for the rest of the afternoon. Then, the team doctor shocked him, asking if he wanted to return to the floor. Geronimo didn’t hesitate.

“[Coach Kevin Willard] asked me if I was good to go in because the bigs were in foul trouble,” Geronimo said. “Some blood and saliva came out my mouth when I was speaking to him. I think it scared him, so he didn’t put me back in the game.”

Geronimo knew simply returning to the bench and telling his coach he was ready would ignite his teammates — a role he’s thrived in, despite his minutes being as sporadic as anyone on the team.

Now, after spending chunks of the season outside of Willard’s rotation, Geronimo has become one of the coach’s most trusted subs.

He missed five games with a bruised hamstring between late November and early December and it took him about two weeks to feel like himself after returning.

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The timing of his injury was awkward, because it came while Willard started to figure out the team’s rotation. Fellow forward Tafara Gapare had his three highest-scoring games during Geronimo’s absence and began separating himself from Geronimo.

In his fifth game back from injury — a Terps loss at Washington on Jan. 2 — Geronimo notched a season-high 10 points along with six rebounds and three blocks.

“It’s a reminder for myself that I’m still here, I’m still available and I could still contribute for my team whenever my name is called,” Geronimo said.

The outing felt like it could be the turning point in his season. But in Maryland’s next four games, Geronimo never tallied more than two minutes.

Willard told Geronimo he wanted to see him return to dominating practices with energy and buying back into his role as a defender. The coach finally gave Geronimo another chance on Jan. 19, when he played 11 minutes against Nebraska.

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“If we need energy, we need defensive stops, he’s our guy,” Willard said after the Terps’ win over the Cornhuskers. “I thought Jordan was phenomenal the last four minutes of the first half, and then really changed the complexion of the game in the second half.”

Geronimo’s playing time has varied since then, but he’s averaged 10.5 minutes in Maryland’s last four games — two of which while Gapare was ill. The Newark, New Jersey native recorded multiple blocks in all four Big Ten games where he’s tallied double-digit minutes.

Geronimo has played more power forward this season than last year, when he also spent time on the perimeter. More than one-third of his shots a year ago came from beyond the arc — where he was 8-for-46 — compared to about one-tenth of his shots this season.

While Geronimo’s playing time has dramatically decreased from a year ago when he started 26 games, his effectiveness has taken a leap.

“When he comes in, he brings us a defensive spark, dunks that get the crowd going,” sophomore guard Rodney Rice said. “We appreciate JG.”