Jake Layman: The X-Factor for the Maryland Terrapins
Jake Layman, the 6’9 forward has been huge for the Terps this season. He has been making big plays when the team most needs him on both ends of the floor, and he has proven that hard work pays off. Layman is now on the Karl Malone Award watch list according to an article from umterps.com. He has been a mainstay at getting double figure point totals for most of the season, except for three games. In fact, against Nebraska, he hit double figures for the 24th time in 27 games. That doesn’t happen for a lot of players and it just proves that he performs consistently at a high level; and those performances don’t go unnoticed.
I refered to him as the X-factor for the Terps once before and it really it true. Beyond the scoring the Terps receive from Dezmine Wells and Melo Trimble, Layman gives Maryland an added dimension because he can take the ball inside, shoot behind the three-point line, and serve as a solid rebounder as well.
The national attention he is receiving by being on put on the Karl Malone Award watch list further proves how great of a player he is. There is stiff competition at the power forward spot around the NCAA and on this list. Some big names include: Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (University of Arizona), Aaron White (Iowa), Montrezl Harrell (Louisville), and Perry Ellis (Kansas).
Despite the stiff competition, Layman has been a staple in helping the Terps prove that bringing them into the Big Ten conference and then performing well is not a fluke at 22-5 (10-4 in Big Ten).
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Jake Layman is going to be a key piece for the Terrapins moving forward into NCAA Tournament time. There he will really be able to prove to executives, scouts and coaches at the next level that he would be able to contribute to an NBA team. He has the right skill set to do so.
CSN Baltimore’s Daniel Martin believes that Layman and the Golden State Warriors would be a good fit, should he decide to declare for the NBA draft and forego his senior season. I’m inclined to agree with Martin’s pairing.
Layman would be a great addition to a fast-paced offense like Golden State. He has the ability to fit in with how they run their offense because he can shoot the three-ball and run the floor. The only thing I believe he needs to do is bulk up a little bit more to be able to drive the lane and take contact at the NBA level. He’s barely over 200 pounds and needs to be at least 215-230 to withstand the contact that NBA players endure when “taking the ball to the cup,” as they say.
In the meantime, he has the rest of the NCAA regular season to worry about — helping his team get a good seed in the NCAA Tournament and surprising everyone by getting a Big Ten championship.
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