Maryland Basketball: What We Learned from Terps’ Win over Georgetown
Nov 17, 2015; College Park, MD, USA; Maryland Terrapins guard Jared Nickens (11) and Maryland Terrapins forward Jake Layman (10) reacts after defeating Georgetown Hoyas 75-71 at Xfinity Center. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
The Maryland Terrapins improved to 2-0 on this young college basketball season, following a thrilling victory over the Georgetown Hoyas on Tuesday night. The Terps are currently ranked No. 3 in the country and that ranking certainly appeared to be in jeopardy at times during the game, as the Hoyas gave Maryland everything they could handle. There were plenty of bright spots that came out of the victory, but there are also some noticeable aspects of their game that can be improved upon.
Here’s what we learned from Tuesday’s game.
This is a resilient bunch
The Terps had their backs up against the ropes on multiple occasions. They took some serious blows, but rolled with the punches and were able to fight back late in the second half. No matter how talented of a team you have, every night out isn’t always going to be a cake walk. Maryland found that out on Tuesday. This game will definitely be a learning experience for this young team.
Dion Wiley will be missed
Once it was announced that Wiley would miss the entire season after undergoing knee surgery, there was instantly some concern. Although Wiley didn’t stand out as much as Melo Trimble or Jared Nickens as a freshman, he was still expected to be an integral part of the rotation again this season. The Terps’ backcourt depth took a slight hit as a result. This could come back to haunt Maryland, but perhaps, it won’t matter as much as many people believe.
Georgetown is still pretty good
After Georgetown was stunned by Radford in their season opener, many were criticizing the Hoyas, arguing that they may be overrated. However, the way they played against Maryland, all doubt should be erased. They went into an electric environment and held their own against one of the best teams in all of college basketball. Don’t sleep on this team.
Next: Terps win nail-biter over Georgetown
Layman needs to work on consistency
Jake Layman is one of the unquestioned leaders of this Maryland basketball team. However, he is prone to having an off night. In Tuesday’s game, he struggled mightily early on. He could not buy a bucket and never really seemed to be able to find a rhythm. He improved as the game went along, but he simply cannot afford to struggle in such big games.