All I Want for Christmas :: Maryland Terrapins Mix

Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

2. A New Look Maryland Basketball Team that Comes Back Hungry

Why, why do the Terps always seem to break my heart?

This year is an “NCAA tournament or bust” kind of year. That was the expectation for the coaches, the players, and the fans.

As of right now, the NCAA tournament seems out of reach and quite possibly the NIT as well IF this team continues to play the same after they return from Christmas break.

Maryland sits at 7-5 with bad losses from Boston University at home, George Washington in the BB&T classic, and Oregon State at home. The only win this team can be happy with is its ACC road victory against Boston College.

With only two more non-conference games left, Maryland fans everywhere are wondering what team will show up for ACC play?

They must beat Tulsa and North Carolina Central and then take the next step as a team heading into the ACC schedule.

So far, there has not been consistent play from the point guard position, and Maryland is continuing to feel the ripple effect of losing 7′ 1″ center, Alex Len to the NBA.

This team is still trying to figure out themselves . The coaches are still trying to figure  out this team.

Maybe this ship will right itself when point guard Seth Allen returns in January. Consistent point guard play will allow Dez Wells to find his groove and take some pressure off.

But, what about the big men? Will Shaquille Cleare or Charles Mitchell become a consistent inside presence that can be counted on every game?

There are a lot of questions that need to be answered about this team. And right now, nobody has the answer.

Hopefully the loss to Boston University on their home court has rattled some cages. We can only hope to see more intensity and hunger from this Terps team that seemed to have all the pieces together for an NCAA tournament run.

Two solid wins to finish out 2013 is a must for fans to have any confidence in this team going into ACC play. Here’s to hoping Testudo Clause brings us a late Christmas present!