Mark Turgeon's first Maryland basketball team had some flashes of what might be to come, but it will probably be remembered more for struggling down the stretch than anything else.
That must first be addressed, and the program's immediate future can be hit on at some other time, and it's quite bright. As for season number one after the Gary Williams era, it was more a feeling out period than anything else.
Turgeon is a good coach. He has a fine track record and he will win. Getting to where the team is more his than not required some of the struggles it went through this season. The result was some terrible early season losses (by 20 to Alabama, by 26 to Iona, at home versus 17-15 Illinois) and later at Georgia Tech.
However, the 466 minutes of experience gained by Alex Len, the late bright moments by Nick Faust, and that Terrell Stoglin still wants to be a Terrapin give the struggles of this season even more value moving forward.
Maryland finished the season 17-15 overall and 6-10 in the ACC. Here is the Terrapins' report card for this season's performance:
Maryland offense: Turgeon's first Terrapins' team epitomized mediocrity with the ball. At times, the Terps were efficient and excellent, but in other stretches they were hard to watch. Both usually happened at least once per half. Maryland finished 6th in the ACC averaging 68.7 points per game, 10th in field goal percentage (42.5), 6th from beyond the arc (33.9 percent), but dead last in assists. That was due, in part, to point guard Pe'Shon Howard missing the first and last months of the season. Grade: C-.
Maryland defense: Turgeon's teams at Wichita State and Texas A&M were known for their excellence on defense. His initial Maryland squad didn't have the same distinction. They were last in the ACC in scoring defense (70.7), 8th in field goal percentage defense (42.8), 7th in defending the perimeter (33.2 percent), 9th protecting the defensive boards, but a solid 5th in blocked shots, thanks mainly to Len. Grade: C.
Maryland intangibles: Turgeon got a full season on tape and improvements are sure to come. Len's playing time was a bonus, as some figured he was going to be ruled ineligible for the entire season. A year of Turgeon's system, a team that usually played hard, and getting ACC leading scorer Terrell Stoglin on the same page were all positives. Grade: B.
Maryland final grade: Any time Maryland basketball finishes out of the NCAA Tournament and with a losing record in the ACC it's just not a good sign for this very proud program. At times, it looked like a final winning record was too monumental a task for this group, and at times the Terps looked NCAA worthy. They fell in between. Grade: C-.
