#223 R.P.I. Virginia Tech @ #78 R.P.I. Maryland:

 

Maryland is 10-4 in College Park and 15-14 overall, so this is a must win game for any Terrapin post-season chances what with rugged looking season closing home date vs. uva up next. As the Terrapin margin of error is officially 40 minutes, and some would have me say it’s actually (already) less than that.

So whatever the homesteading Terps best shot is, that is the shot that I expect coach J’s and company to catch right between the O&M eyes on Tuesday night at 8pm. And yet there is something vaguely Miami about this Terrapin hoops squad. I’m not saying we are surely within their range, though they are not quite beyond our depth; either.

This is not exactly an offensive juggernaut of a Maryland hoops team, though they are fully healthy (no injury report); and we all know that the host Atlantic Coast Conference team tends to win about 7 times in 10. There is that…

Backcourt: (returning starters=1 of 2)

• Dez Wells: (pic: below) have you ever seen Dez Wells and Jamal Gordon in the same room at the same time? Me neither, and that aside, Dez is prolly the best player on an average to decent Maryland hoops team overall. And he once was a top player on Xavier before transferring over. Dez is a hustling, penetrating, brickhouse (6’5’’ 223 lb.) Swing who has the look of an extremely bankrupt mans Mitch Richmond to me. Dez can put the biscuit in the basket and his prone to an offensive outburst when his outside shot is falling. Lindy’s described Dez as the “…emotional and physical general” of Maryland and I for one am inclined to agree. A good first step with enough jumps and more than enough strength says so. Kinda has the look and feel of an overloaded Wing slasher who gets you 14.8 ppg with 4.5 rebounds and a surprisingly second-best 1.1 steals. As this is a player with an offensive reputation, not the other way around. 183% more FTA’s than any other Terp would seem to agree and 80% at such does not suck. If Dez comes back, and if his 30.8% 3-point stroke ever improves, this mug would be one tough cover come late 2015. IF not, he’s an overseas Pro, NTTAWWT.
• Seth Allen: although this Seth may beg to differ on who is the #1 turtle this season vis-à-vis Mr. Dez up above. Seth’s numbers ain’t too shabby at 13.9 2.1 and 2.9 in terms of points, board and assists, respectively. Seth leads Maryland in dimes (assists) and in 3-point percentage (at 38%). And while that is a nice publication consumable, it also tells you that this is a rather blasé Maryland offensive unit. This from a kid with a history of left-foot fractures in tow (coach God bless on that), and likewise with a history of left-hand fractures as a Koufax or as a lefty. A fractured career you might say; though make no mistake, any kid with a remaining 40’’ vertical is a freaky kid –as it’s only about once  a season that I get to cite anyone north of forty-inches in hops. That’s not half bad work for such a medical dossier, all the more so when you recognize that Seth is more parts Shooting-G and less parts true-point; even though he has slid over to the One this season. In attempted relief of last seasons biggest weakness, at the Point; so if nothing else that tells you that Seth is a team-first kinda guy, and you can’t have too many of those. Even if this is a Woodbridge, Va. kid that I would have liked to have seen stay in-state.

  

 Frontcourt: (starters back=1 of 3)

1. Jake Layman: Jake is a natural born scorer, who is diverse enough to help at several spots and small enough (2o5 lbs. at 6’8’’) to need to grub at more than a few spots on top of that. Jake nets you 11.8 ppg and finds his way to 4.8 rebounds. Jake is more athletic than he looks and he has honorable 3-point range (at 37.4%). Obviously this kid needs to mix in a steak, a protein shake or three, and some weight-room time. Although, he is said to possess the highest basketball I.Q. on the Terrapin club, and yes, he may look like a lower-shelf Ken Doll with plasticized hair. Ken is from an athletic looking family, and he has won a Gold Medal in the FIBA Americas U18 games. And he does lead Maryland in blocks (o.9 per contest) and how often can you leanest frontcourter ever get to say that?
2. Charles Mitchell: the book on Mitch’ reads that he is a uber competitive hustling wide-body (6’7’’, 255 lbs.) who plays bigger than he is. Nice hands, nice touch on the low-block though he lacks athleticism taken as a whole. Does get on the glass rather well to be in his rookie year of adulthood at age 18; a team leading 6.7 rpg, to go with 6.9 points on 51% shooting form the floor validates as much. Wears #0 to honor his mother; you do the maths. Does maneuver better than you would expect in and around the basket, as he has that eye for interior spacing or what we would call field-vision if this were a football preview. Even if his numbers have only show modest gains over his rookie season a year ago.
3. Evan Smotrycz: Former Patrick Swazye and Charlie Sheen savvy (Michigan) Wolverine who sat out 2012-2013 due to transfer rules and reg’s. Evan was a transfer that Maryland was counting on for “immense” help. So far you ask? Not so much. As Evan has put up a respectable 11 ppg and 6.1 rpg though that’s not exactly “immense”. As his 3-point shooting has dropped by nearly 6% since he left Ann Arbor and now currently resides at 36% and change. Evan is a skillful player, though he does lack raw quicks; so one can beat him to his chosen offensive spot. Therefore Evan’s game does appreciate some screening help, both subjectively and objectively alike; as shot creation is not exactly his forte. That being said, it is conspicuous that Evan spent a full two seasons in Prep School after High School; making it tough to opine that there is a good reason for that. Although Evan is nothing if not mature, as this is his 6^th season one way or another beyond his last scholastic game.

Bench: (depth=1, with 2 playing spot minutes)

• Nick Faust: Nick is the primary Terrapin bench sub in a rotation that is much closer to 6 ballers in a close game than it is to the nominal or minimum traditional depth of 3 subs off the bench. (1 G, 1 F, 1 Center); as Nick typically plays what could very easily be described as starting minutes on any given night. Which speaks to the versatility of the Terrapin Top-6 every bit as much as it speaks to the lack of depth/production from the Terps bottom-10; (yes, Maryland has a staggering 17 man Roster this year). Speaking of Nick, Nick is a nasty player around the rim and he will posterize you if given the chance. Nice 3-point range and has the zero-dribble old-school catch-n-shoot vibe to his game. Has a history of back and shoulder problems which have reduced his productivity at College Park however; Godspeed on that. Needs does not have much of an intermediary game, as he is all rim or way downtown; though he has added an astounding 30 lbs. of muscle to his formerly wiry frame; so you know he is not a foreigner to hard-work. Nick nets you 9.8 ppg, with 3.7 boards and 2.o dimes in relief, even if he needs some shot selection help at times.
• Damonte Dodd: Dood is the only true frontcourt sub’ down in the paint for coach Turgeon this season. Dood is a well developed 6.9 and 244 lbs. worth of 18 year old P/F; who some services had listed as a true-Center out of High School. Right now Dodd employs two shots, dunk and dunk. As his overall offensive game is a bit undercooked at the moment; though he is an industrious kid who plays hard and blocks some shots as he is said to now be 6’10’’ in height. And yet 14% (no, that’s not a typo) from the charity stripe tells you just how raw his offensive game is without a doubt. .7 ppg, 1.5 rpg, and o.5 blocks in limited minutes if you are keeping score at home.
• Roddy Peters: Rod’ gets a handful of minutes per half and not much else. Though he was mentioned on all kinds of pre-season break-out or all-A.c.c. rookie watch lists. Blazing fast Pt.Gurad who’s nickname might as well be: “the blur”. ***** or 5-star recruit who was not far removed from being all-world this time last year. Roddy has excellent court vision and pretty nice size if you really wanna make him into a fulltime One (Pt.G). Solid mid-range J as well, and you don’t see that all that often anymore. Gets you 4.4 ppg and drops 2.2 assists, though is bricky 16% from downtown is rather Masonic indeed.

Illation, conclusion (s) and OPT digits:
32^nd in offensive rebounding is an interesting thing as these Windex Terps attempt to match-up with our new found junk 2-3 Zone defense. Maryland is a 66.8% FT team, the have a negative Turnover Margin (-.4) and they have a suspect looking associated Assist to Turnover ratio (262^nd) best. It’s not that Maryland is a hose of a team; they are a team that is within reach. Coach J.J.’s tears at his last pressor not withstanding.

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 Virginia Tech enters this contest +1 on rest and that never hurt anything late in the year as the Terps are forced to play this one on less than a 48 hour turnaround. This on the heels of having played an extra period over in Death Valley vs. Clemson last time out; and yes, that could easily be code for tired legs.

***

This is not an unwinnable game; and it will prolly be our last best shot at a men’s hoops W for about 8 months. VT has something of a shot here; and I might even pick us to win if this were at home. As Maryland is only shooting 37.8% in their last five games whereas our beloved Hokies are only allowing 37.2% over the same time-span. And if you cheered for Sheriff Lobo or if Sheriff Buford T. Justice is your man, you’ve come to the right place, as this game has double-nickels or 55 written all over it, in fact I’ll go for four-of-a-kind and pick a 55 knot at the end of regulation, and just enough outta the home team to squeak by after that.

 

(55% confidence interval)
Virginia Tech=59, Maryland=64, (in 1OT)

“LETS GO!”

“Hokies!”

 bourbonstreet**