BALTIMORE, Maryland March 14, 2015 - I suppose, in the end, it was just a matter of when the boom would be lowered. The game officials looked like they were itching to drop it last night when Maryland stopped a desperate Indiana team in the Big Ten Tournament Quarterfinals. In the big tough Big Ten, the three game officials were calling touch foul after touch foul, driving the players on both teams to the point of distraction. But the best was saved for the second half of today's Semi-final between Michigan State and the Terps. Maryland jumped out to a 23-7 lead, but it was a false lead in the sense that it was achieved without meaningful contribution from Dez Wells, Jared Nickens and Jake Layman. Of Maryland's usual offensive stalwarts in this amazing season, only Melo Trimble was on target. Michigan State was stone cold. As Trimble cooled and Wells got into a bit of foul trouble, State rallied and cut the Terp lead to 8 points, 33-25, at the half. The second half was back and forth until the men in stripes got into the act. Three times Maryland blocked Michigan State shots cleanly, and three times a foul was called on Maryland. Twice in battles for rebounds the officials called very lame fouls on Evan Smotrych. But the three worst calls - and these were so bad that they each brought into discussion the mindless practice of the officials in not discussing real bad calls in an effort to get them correct. First, a Michigan State player muffed a pass to him near the basket, and allowed the ball to go out of bounds. But the official, who figured the Spartan player would catch the pass and go right up for a shot, whistled a shooting foul. Did the other two morons just miss the play, also. No. This one was so bad that any one in the top row of the arena would have seen it, but neither of the other two stepped in. Fat chance anyone was coming to Maryland's aide today, no matter how stupid it made the trio look. Later, Travis Trice walked or double dribbled - what he did qualified for both - but all three officials failed to make the call. Then, Trice got out on a breakaway, but was caught from behind by Wells, who jumped at the ball instead of Trice and blocked the shot cleanly while entirely avoiding Trice. Nonetheless, the foul was called. It was shown over and over on TV but so what? It was clear by this time that getting the call right was not on the agenda for these game officials.
And so Maryland's eight game win streak ended, as did their run at the Big Ten Tournament Title in their first year in the league. The loss has the possibility of working in Maryland's favor if it serves as a catalyst for some tweaking of the player rotation by Coach Turgeon. It's hard to do those kind of things when your team is on a run. But now the run is over and it is NCAA Tournament Time. Here are my humble suggestions:
(1) More time for Michael Cekovsky and less time for Damonte Dodd. Dodd struggled terribly in both of Maryland's games in Chicago. He is ill at ease receiving passes, and regularly fumbles them, negating superior inside passes that should be leading to easy hoops. I don't think Dodd should be forgotten, but I think it is time - really, it has been time - to get the big man into the line-up far more than he has been. Cekovsky is not like the big men of days past. He plays like a man 18 inches shorter, and dribbles the ball like a power forward. He uses his height to make opposing players miss their shots, even when he doesn't actually block them. This keeps him from getting in foul trouble like other big men. Cekovsky played a huge role in Maryland's victory over Wisconsin. He is the future of Maryland's inside game. It is time that he get into the line-up, because he can be the difference in a game like Maryland lost today against Michigan State, where the Terps were constantly out-rebounded in late game situations.
(2) More time for Jared Nickens. The freshman guard has been scoring in double figures so often that it is hard to believe he rarely gets 20 minutes on the floor. He is actually a better outside shooter than Trimble, although the Terps' star point guard is better, now, on the drive and at the foul line. Nickens has an inside game, too - remember how well he took it to the net against powerful Iowa State? - but he hasn't had the chance to use it because Turgeon wants him to shoot the three. Next season, when Wells is gone, Nickens will have to make up a lot of the difference. Why not let him get started now. Turgeon loves Richard Pack, and don't think I have anything against the MEAC refugee. He hustles, and he plays like a senior - which he is - even though it is his first year on Maryland's team. Turgeon believes Pack can guard the other team's best offensive player. I'm not that convinced. Against the Spartans, Turgeon found out Pack could not stop Travis Trice. And it is also true that Nickens has looked bad at times in man-to-man defenses. Friday, Turgeon yanked Nickens a few seconds after he went into the game because he pulled a matador routine when a Hoosier drove right by him. But that will change when he gets more time and isn't looking at the scorer's table when he is in to see who is replacing him when he misses a shot. The fact that he has continued to make huge contributions is a tribute to the first-year player's ability and determination. Today against Michigan State was the first time in over a month that Nickens did not score. In a four-point loss, you need look no further than the column next to his name for the reason. If the lad can get ten points in just a few minutes, imagine what he would do in 25 minutes. Beat Michigan State, for one. I hate to say it, but I have a bad feeling Nickens might transfer. He doesn't look happy even though Maryland has been winning. I believe that Nickens should be getting more minutes an Pack less. Pack is gone after this season no matter what. Nickens should have three left. I'm not justifying any pouting. He is getting plenty of chances for a freshman. But in these days when good players play one year then head for the NBA, Nickens might feel like he hasn't been given the opportunity to show just how good he is. Nickens knows that five players from last year's team transferred, and he might feel it is part of playing under Turgeon, who has a reputation for getting on players who aren't playing up to his expectations. He has toned that down this year, and everybody talks about how happy the kids on the team are with him and with each other. Winning will do that. But Maryland is not so good that it can afford to let Nickens fall away. Once Wells and his amazing ability to gone, somebody has to pick up the slack. Trimble will not be able to do it by himself. In fact, the fact that both Trimble and Wells are scoring in bunches keeps other teams from throwing all of their defense at one or the other. When Nickens is hot from long range, it just confounds other teams' defensive strategy.
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