Pe'Shon Howard's season is over after just getting started.
The gritty 6-3 guard was lost for the remainder of the season after sustaining an injury to his right knee in practice Thursday. Howard had rejoined the team in late December after battling back from a broken left foot. He was averaging 6.5 points, 3.7 rebounds and a team-high 3.7 assists per game.
The young and depth-shy Terrapins (14-10 overall, 4-6 ACC) can ill-afford to lose their floor general, especially in a tough upcoming stretch drive that includes a pivotal game at nationally ranked Virginia on Saturday, and then against Miami at home on Feb. 21. First, Maryland must fend off Boston College, just behind the Terrapins in the ACC standings, on Tuesday.
Howard's loss hurts the Terrapins at both ends of the court but really discombobulates an offense that was just beginning to find its way.
The Terps missed him Saturday in a 73-55 loss at Duke, Maryland's most lopsided defeat since November. With ACC scoring leader Terrell Stoglin moved back over to point guard against the Blue Devils, the Maryland offense went flat at some key junctures late, including tallying just one field goal over the final five minutes.
Duke's size on the perimeter often forced Stoglin to give up the ball against double-teams, and Turgeon sat him for a long stretch, displeased with his shot selection and unwillingness to keep teammates involved.
The big problem Saturday was just that, though, Maryland again couldn't handle Duke's size inside, the ninth-ranked Blue Devils forging a commanding 48-33 rebounding advantage that translated into a 21-4 edge in second-chance points.
And in fairness to Stoglin, his teammates didn't give him much reason to involve them, and those offensive issues will be a challenge for the Terps moving forward.
Howard's absence is a big blow for Maryland's postseason hopes. The Terrapins don't have a natural point guard on the roster and now they've got one less body to throw into the fray against a schedule that includes three more games with nationally-ranked opponents.
"We're heartbroken for Pe'Shon," said Maryland coach Mark Turgeon. "He has done everything we've asked of him this season and he was playing very well. Obviously, it has been a very tough year for him but he's a great kid."
Howard, who missed the first nine games of the season with his broken foot, tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. The Maryland sports medicine staff said he should make a full recovery after surgery sometime in the next couple of weeks.
NOTES, QUOTES
--The most disturbing by-product of injured G Pe'Shon Howard's absence was what happened to Maryland's low-post scoring game at Duke. Starters James Padgett and Ashton Pankey combined for just four points, and Berend Weijs and Alex Len added only six off the bench. Those four bigs -- shuttling between center and power forward -- combined to hit just 4-of-10 shots, not nearly enough chances in close. Padgett didn't help matters, just 2-of-6 at the free-throw line. Pankey was 0-for-2.
More depressingly for the Terps, only Len grabbed more than four rebounds (he had seven) against the Duke backboard onslaught. Miles Plumlee had a Duke-record 22 rebounds all by himself.
As much as Maryland has improved the last three months, the Terrapins still haven't learned to box out, and it's a shortcoming that has cost them dearly in conference play, much to Mark Turgeon's consternation.
--Before that game, statistically, Maryland had four players averaging at least five rebounds per game, something only one other Terrapin team (2004-05) has done in the last 15 seasons. James Padgett was chipping in 5.8 rebounds per game, followed by Alex Len (5.4), Ashton Pankey (5.1) and scrappy 6-4 senior Sean Mosley (5.0).
--The 18-point loss to Duke was the Terrapins' most lopsided ACC setback this year. They lost 84-70 at Florida State on Jan. 17, and had two bad showings in November in San Juan, losing 89-63 to Iona and 62-42 to Alabama, but generally the scrappy team has hung in most games, even against more talented foes.
QUOTE TO NOTE
"I don't know how we're going to do point guard, to be honest with you. We're going to try Terrell (Stoglin) and hope he can do a better job. I don't want to play Nick (Faust) there but Nick was pretty good tonight (vs. Duke). I tried Arnold (Richmond) there for a minute. Arnold plays point guard every day in practice so he has a feel. We couldn't even run a play. Terrell has been playing mostly the two, and so we couldn't even run a play." -- Coach Mark Turgeon, on trying to find a point guard.
THIS WEEK'S GAMES
--vs. Boston College, Feb. 16
The Eagles have been the ACC's lowest-scoring and worst rebounding team but they're dangerous, as the upset of Florida State last week shows. Freshman Lonnie Jackson and veteran Matt Humphrey are among the ACC leaders with 1.8 3-pointers per game apiece. The Terrapins perimeter defense has been weakened with the loss of Pe'Shon Howard.
--at Virginia, Feb. 18
The Terrapins get their first look at the ACC's top defense -- yielding just over 50 points per game. This one will be all about pace. The Terrapins will want to speed the game and they'll have to control the boards to do so. Virginia will build a fence around Terrell Stoglin and Maryland must limit versatile Virginia big man Mike Scott.
FUTURE'S MARKET
Freshman Nick Faust, who has been playing with increasing confidence, played 37 minutes at Duke, including time at point guard. He struggled in that role early this year when Pe'Shon Howard was out and he'll have to fill in there again when Terrell Stoglin needs a break. The 6-6, slashing swingman equaled a career high with 15 points at Duke, hitting 6-of-12 shots and adding a team-high eight rebounds. He also had a team-high four turnovers but he has improved in that regard and could be better to do a better job in the reserve point guard role, particularly with his ability to get to the basket.
PLAYER NOTES
--Terrell Stoglin was fourth in the nation in scoring heading into the weekend at 22.0 ppg, but he had just 13 at Duke, snapping his string of four straight games with 20 points or more. The sophomore bomber is the only ACC player this year with to have more than one 30-point game. Stoglin has had three, and his 16 20-point games are nearly double anyone else in the league but Duke held him to 4-of-16 shooting, 0-of-6 from 3-point range.
--Sophomore Mychal Parker, a budding sixth-man with Faust now back in the starting lineup, was a bright spot at Duke, hitting 3-of-4 shots, 6-of-6 at the line and scored 12 points.
--Senior Sean Mosley had four steals against the Blue Devils but struggled offensively, hitting just 2-of-9 shots (0-5 3-pointers). His three assists led the point guard-challenged Terps.
--Arnold Richmond, a walk-on freshman played a minute in the backcourt, snaring a rebound. It was his first action in 12 games.
