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Maryland basketball will have a hole in the middle without Diamond Stone Maryland basketball will have a hole in the middle without Diamond Stone
(35 minutes later)
Maryland Coach Mark Turgeon has had a few days to reflect on last Saturday’s 70-57 loss to Wisconsin, the first time this season the Terrapins completely lost themselves. It couldn’t have been more clear than during the final seconds of the first half, when freshman center Diamond Stone lost control of his emotions while chasing a loose ball and pushed Badger forward Vitto Brown’s head into the hardwood. Maryland Coach Mark Turgeon has had a few days to reflect on Saturday’s 70-57 loss to Wisconsin, the first time this season the Terrapins completely lost themselves. It couldn’t have been more clear than during the final seconds of the first half, when freshman center Diamond Stone lost control of his emotions while chasing a loose ball and pushed Badger forward Vitto Brown’s head into the hardwood.
It was exactly the kind of play that Turgeon has no toleration for, and it defined an afternoon that was ugly on all counts. The coach suspended Stone for Thursday night’s game at Minnesota and closed the book on the most depressing episode of the season. Instead of stewing and dissecting game film of the performance, Maryland’s players opted to rinse it away and move on to the most critical stretch of the season. With four games remaining until the Big Ten tournament, Turgeon is focused on returning his team to its normal state against the Golden Gophers, who have lost 14 consecutive games. It was exactly the kind of play that Turgeon has no tolerance for and it defined an afternoon that was ugly on all counts. The coach suspended Stone for Thursday night’s game at Minnesota and closed the book on the most depressing episode of the season. Instead of stewing and dissecting game film of the performance, Maryland’s players opted to rinse it away and move on to the most critical stretch of the season. With five games remaining until the Big Ten tournament, Turgeon is focused on returning his team to its normal state against the Golden Gophers, who have lost 14 consecutive games.
[Stone suspended one game for flagrant foul][Stone suspended one game for flagrant foul]
“It’s getting late. It’s time for us to start picking it up a little bit, Turgeon said. “I know we’re 22-4. Not too many teams have won 22 games, but hopefully we’re playing the right way and getting better down the stretch.” “It’s getting late. It’s time for us to start picking it up a little bit,” Turgeon said. “I know we’re 22-4. Not too many teams have won 22 games, but hopefully we’re playing the right way and getting better down the stretch.”
In Stone’s absence, Turgeon will turn to a thinned front court. Junior Damonte Dodd is expected to get the start. He’ll be backed up by 7-foot-1 sophomore Michal Cekovsky, who picked up confidence with a 14-point performance in a win over Bowie State last week but played just three minutes in the loss to Wisconsin.In Stone’s absence, Turgeon will turn to a thinned front court. Junior Damonte Dodd is expected to get the start. He’ll be backed up by 7-foot-1 sophomore Michal Cekovsky, who picked up confidence with a 14-point performance in a win over Bowie State last week but played just three minutes in the loss to Wisconsin.
[D.C.region bracket projection: Terps slotted as No. 3 seed][D.C.region bracket projection: Terps slotted as No. 3 seed]
Stone’s suspension comes at a time when his offensive production remains prolific — he’s averaging 12.8 points per game and shooting 56.9 percent from the field — but his blossoming defensive play has been lauded by Turgeon in recent weeks. Stone is tied for fourth in the Big Ten with 1.4 blocks per game, including eight to help Maryland escape with a 70-65 win over Nebraska two weeks ago. His 5.4 rebounds per game rank third on the team behind small forward Jake Layman (5.6) and power forward Robert Carter Jr. (6.4). Stone’s suspension comes at a time when his offensive production remains prolific — he is averaging 12.8 points per game and shooting 56.9 percent from the field — but his blossoming defensive play has also been lauded by Turgeon in recent weeks. Stone is tied for fourth in the Big Ten with 1.7 blocks per game, including eight to help Maryland escape with a 70-65 win over Nebraska two weeks ago. His 5.4 rebounds per game rank third on the team behind small forward Jake Layman (5.6) and power forward Robert Carter Jr. (6.4).
Though Turgeon expects the Gophers to play small-ball and could counter by moving Layman to the stretch-four position and Carter to center, he will rely heavily on Dodd and Cekovsky to stay out of foul trouble. Stone accounts for 63 percent of Maryland’s minutes at center, according to the advanced statistical website KenPom.com, with Dodd earning 20 percent and Cekovsky 12 percent. Though Turgeon expects the Golden Gophers to play small ball and could counter by moving Layman to the stretch-four position and Carter to center, he will rely heavily on Dodd and Cekovsky to stay out of foul trouble. Stone accounts for 63 percent of Maryland’s minutes at center over the last five games, according to the advanced statistical website KenPom.com, with Dodd earning 20 percent and Cekovsky 12 percent.
[Bracketology: Who’s the overall No. 1 seed?][Bracketology: Who’s the overall No. 1 seed?]
Dodd started a majority of the team’s league games in December and January while Stone added polish on defense. While Stone doesn’t possess the same caliber of offensive skills as his freshman counterpart — he’s been held scoreless in his last three Big Ten games — he’ll be relied upon to remain a disciplined rim protector against Minnesota. Dodd started a majority of the team’s league games in December and January while Stone added polish on defense. While Dodd doesn’t possess the same caliber of offensive skills as his freshman counterpart — he has been held scoreless in his last three Big Ten games — he’ll be relied upon to remain a disciplined rim protector against Minnesota.
“You just got to come in and play real hard and just be the same person you are,” said Dodd, who is averaging 3.3 points and 2.7 rebounds in 15.4 minutes per game. “We just have to bounce back after the loss and be completely focused on defense and just playing freely. That’s what we’ve been trying to do” this week. “You just got to come in and play real hard and just be the same person you are,” said Dodd, who is averaging 3.3 points and 2.7 rebounds in 15.1 minutes per game. “We just have to bounce back after the loss and be completely focused on defense and just playing freely. That’s what we’ve been trying to do” this week.
Turgeon wasn’t necessarily disappointed with the Terrapins’ defensive showing against the Badgers — they rank third in the Big Ten in scoring defense (64.2 points per game) and fourth in field goal percentage defense (34.8) — but he continues to be perplexed by their occasional struggles at times with rebounding given their size. While Maryland ranks fifth in the Big Ten in rebounding margin (plus-4.5 per game), it was outrebounded 40-30 and was outscored 20-4 on second-chance points against Wisconsin. Turgeon wasn’t necessarily disappointed with the Terrapins’ defensive showing against the Badgers — Maryland ranks third in the Big Ten in scoring defense (64.2 points per game) and fourth in field goal percentage defense (39.8) — but he continues to be perplexed by their occasional struggles at times with rebounding given their size. While Maryland ranks fifth in the Big Ten in rebounding margin (plus-4.5 per game), it was outrebounded 40-30 and was outscored 20-4 on second-chance points against Wisconsin.
That inefficiency on the boards was compounded by another poor shooting performance. Maryland hit just 40 percent of its shots, including 35.7 from three-point range, and sophomore guard Melo Trimble finished just 1 of 14 from the field. Trimble has made just 3 of 26 shots from the field in his last two conference games, but Turgeon didn’t discuss the slump with his star after Saturday’s game. He just gave him a hug and told him he loved him and that “everything is going to be all right.” That inefficiency on the boards was compounded by another poor shooting performance. Maryland hit just 40 percent of its shots, including 35.7 percent from three-point range, and sophomore guard Melo Trimble finished just 1 of 14 from the field. Trimble has made just 3 of 26 shots from the field in his last two conference games, but Turgeon didn’t discuss the slump with his star after Saturday’s game. He just gave him a hug and told him he loved him and that “everything is going to be all right.”
Though Trimble is receiving daily treatment on his back and hamstring, which he injured during a game against Rutgers last month, Turgeon said the sophomore is nearly “100 percent” after the layover between games this week.Though Trimble is receiving daily treatment on his back and hamstring, which he injured during a game against Rutgers last month, Turgeon said the sophomore is nearly “100 percent” after the layover between games this week.
“We’re still in good shape. We worked really hard this week on a lot of things” Turgeon said. “We all know Melo is a heck of a player.” “We’re still in good shape. We worked really hard this week on a lot of things,” Turgeon said. “We all know Melo is a heck of a player.”
With Stone out Thursday, Trimble’s scoring production (14.2 points per game) becomes more paramount. Minnesota (6-19, 0-13) hasn’t won since Dec. 16 against Chicago State but has come dangerously close to picking up its first Big Ten win over the past several weeks. Seven of the Gophers’ past eight losses have been by eight points or fewer, including 75-71 at No. 4 Iowa on Sunday, 74-68 at then-No. 19 Indiana on Jan. 30 and 68-64 vs. then-No. 21 Purdue on Jan. 27. With Stone out Thursday, Trimble’s scoring production (14.2 points per game) becomes more paramount. Minnesota (6-19, 0-13) hasn’t won since Dec. 16 against Chicago State but has come dangerously close to picking up its first Big Ten win over the past several weeks. Seven of the Golden Gophers’ past eight losses have been by eight points or fewer, including a 75-71 loss at No. 4 Iowa on Sunday, a 74-68 loss at then-No. 19 Indiana on Jan. 30 and a 68-64 loss against then-No. 21 Purdue on Jan. 27.
“We’re not looking at the opponent. We’ve preparing the same way we would for any opponent ,” Maryland guard Rasheed Sulaimon said. “Right now we’re just focused on how we can be better.” “We’re not looking at the opponent. We’ve been preparing the same way we would for any opponent,” Maryland guard Rasheed Sulaimon said. “Right now we’re just focused on how we can be better.”