- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 390,147
- Reaction score
- 43
SEATTLE — One storyline heading into the NCAA Tournament was Maryland men’s basketball’s unfamiliarity with this stage. Senior power forward Julian Reese and fifth-year senior small forward Jordan Geronimo were the only two players on the roster who had participated in the postseason.
Maybe such experience is overrated. After a shaky first several minutes, the No. 4 seed Terps thoroughly dismantled No. 13 seed Grand Canyon, 81-49, on Friday afternoon at Climate Pledge Arena.
And the players who made their NCAA Tournament debuts contributed mightily to the result. Junior point guard Ja’Kobi Gillespie compiled 16 points, three assists, three rebounds, and two steals, graduate student small forward Selton Miguel scored 13 points, and freshman center Derik Queen racked up 12 points, 15 rebounds, three assists and two blocks for his 15th double-double of the season.
Sophomore shooting guard Rodney Rice was one point shy of joining his fellow starters in the double-figure club. And even sophomore shooting guard DeShawn Harris-Smith came off the bench to accumulate 11 points on 5 of 5 shooting and four rebounds.
Veterans and newcomers alike played vital roles in sending Maryland (26-8) to Sunday’s second-round matchup with No. 12 seed Colorado State (26-9) at 7:10 p.m. Gillespie was one who enjoyed his debut in the NCAA Tournament.
“I’m just grateful to finally get here after three years,” the Belmont transfer said. “This is really exciting. It’s what I’ve dreamed of.”
Here are three takeaways from Friday’s outcome.
The Terps struggled early against Grand Canyon (26-8), making only two of their first 12 shots. Those two buckets? Both by Reese.
In fact, the Randallstown native and St. Frances graduate scored the team’s first six points, eight of its first 15, and 10 of its first 20. His showing helped settle his teammates’ nerves and provide a sense of composure.
“I kind of try to be that guy, just calming everything when things aren’t going well or guys were just getting a little jitters out,” he said. “I think I was that guy again today, and that’s all that was needed.”
Reese scored 12 of his team-high 18 points and grabbed six of his nine rebounds in the first half when Maryland raced to a 33-13 advantage before taking a 42-28 lead into halftime. Coach Kevin Willard said that he thought Reese, an All-Big Ten honorable mention selection, should have been voted to one of the top three teams and the all-conference defensive team.
“So I challenged Ju this week to show the type of player he is,” Willard said. “I think the problem with Ju — and it’s a great problem to have — is that he’s been so consistent in his career through ups and downs, good games and bad games. I know the big fella is going to show up, and he showed up for four years. Early on, there were definitely some nerves, but I knew getting the ball inside to him, he was their safety blanket, too. So he did a great job of being physical and getting the basketball and getting a couple buckets and just calming everybody down.”
When Harris-Smith connected on only his sixth 3-pointer in 29 attempts this season with 3:32 left in the game, Queen and Gillespie pulled up their jerseys in celebration. And when Harris-Smith made a layup while drawing a foul for a potential three-point play with 1:30 remaining, Queen had to be restrained by Miguel.
Those reactions symbolize how strongly the Terps feel about Harris-Smith, who ended a nine-game drought without a point. After starting 30 of 33 games last winter, he willingly accepted Willard’s decision to give Harris-Smith’s starting spot after four games to Rice and has concentrated on utilizing his defensive skills to help the team.
“I feel like my mindset’s the same,” Harris-Smith said. “Just go out there and play as hard as I can and have fun, be confident. That’s the mindset if I’m starting or coming off the bench. I feel like we’re winning, and we’re in a really good spot – better than we were last year. So I’m just happy to be on this team and play with these guys.”
Harris-Smith’s performance was not lost on the contingent of red-clad fans behind the Terps’ bench who chanted “D-H-S” when he returned to the bench in the second half. That affection extends to Willard, who recounted how the player encouraged the coach to keep having faith in the starters who helped the team rally to a 79-78 last-second win at Indiana on Jan. 26.
“He has grown tremendously as a person although the year hasn’t gone as good as he wants,” Willard said. “I think he’s really grown. He’s starting to figure it out, and he’s starting to become the player that he knows he can be because he’s been a great leader all year.”
Maryland vs. Grand Canyon in NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament | PHOTOS
In the one-and-done scenario that is the NCAA Tournament, the Terps knew their season could have ended Friday against Grand Canyon. But they would not be denied, and Queen, a Baltimore resident, said that he and his teammates know this time is a special one.
“Maryland missed [the postseason] last year, and then we had to get it this year because we have seniors on our team,” he said. “We have two freshmen, and we all want to experience it. We might never get a chance to experience this again. So we go out there and work hard every day and just play to get here.”
Shortly after an 81-80 loss to Michigan in the Big Ten Tournament semifinals a week ago, Willard expressed how important it was for the players and coaches to capitalize on the opportunities before them. He acknowledged repeating that mantra in the leadup to Friday’s game.
“The message was, ‘This might be the last time you step on a basketball court,’” he said. “For Ju, Derik, for our seniors, you never know when you get this opportunity. And they’ve worked extremely hard. They’re the best group I’ve ever coached, but you don’t not take advantage of opportunities. That was it. I just wanted to remind them that this is it. If you lose, we go home, and everything starts all over again. So I think these guys really understood that, and they’ve played that way all year.”
Have a news tip? Contact Edward Lee at [email protected], 410-332-6200 and x.com/EdwardLeeSun.
NCAA Tournament second round
No. 4 seed Maryland vs. No. 12 seed Colorado State
At Climate Pledge Arena, Seattle
Sunday, 7:10 p.m.
TV: TBS
Radio: 105.7 FM
Continue reading...
Maybe such experience is overrated. After a shaky first several minutes, the No. 4 seed Terps thoroughly dismantled No. 13 seed Grand Canyon, 81-49, on Friday afternoon at Climate Pledge Arena.
And the players who made their NCAA Tournament debuts contributed mightily to the result. Junior point guard Ja’Kobi Gillespie compiled 16 points, three assists, three rebounds, and two steals, graduate student small forward Selton Miguel scored 13 points, and freshman center Derik Queen racked up 12 points, 15 rebounds, three assists and two blocks for his 15th double-double of the season.
Sophomore shooting guard Rodney Rice was one point shy of joining his fellow starters in the double-figure club. And even sophomore shooting guard DeShawn Harris-Smith came off the bench to accumulate 11 points on 5 of 5 shooting and four rebounds.
Veterans and newcomers alike played vital roles in sending Maryland (26-8) to Sunday’s second-round matchup with No. 12 seed Colorado State (26-9) at 7:10 p.m. Gillespie was one who enjoyed his debut in the NCAA Tournament.
“I’m just grateful to finally get here after three years,” the Belmont transfer said. “This is really exciting. It’s what I’ve dreamed of.”
Here are three takeaways from Friday’s outcome.
When Maryland needed a lift, Julian Reese did the early lifting
The Terps struggled early against Grand Canyon (26-8), making only two of their first 12 shots. Those two buckets? Both by Reese.
In fact, the Randallstown native and St. Frances graduate scored the team’s first six points, eight of its first 15, and 10 of its first 20. His showing helped settle his teammates’ nerves and provide a sense of composure.
“I kind of try to be that guy, just calming everything when things aren’t going well or guys were just getting a little jitters out,” he said. “I think I was that guy again today, and that’s all that was needed.”
Reese scored 12 of his team-high 18 points and grabbed six of his nine rebounds in the first half when Maryland raced to a 33-13 advantage before taking a 42-28 lead into halftime. Coach Kevin Willard said that he thought Reese, an All-Big Ten honorable mention selection, should have been voted to one of the top three teams and the all-conference defensive team.
Related Articles
- College Sports | Navy women’s basketball set to play at Old Dominion in first round of the WNIT
- College Sports | Navy football offense coordinator Drew Cronic says Mids need to ‘stay on the hunt’
- College Sports | How to watch Maryland vs. Colorado State: March Madness game time, TV, odds and more
- College Sports | Who will Maryland hire as its next athletic director? Here are some possible candidates.
- College Sports | Kevin Willard’s power play becomes more potent with each Terps win | ANALYSIS
“So I challenged Ju this week to show the type of player he is,” Willard said. “I think the problem with Ju — and it’s a great problem to have — is that he’s been so consistent in his career through ups and downs, good games and bad games. I know the big fella is going to show up, and he showed up for four years. Early on, there were definitely some nerves, but I knew getting the ball inside to him, he was their safety blanket, too. So he did a great job of being physical and getting the basketball and getting a couple buckets and just calming everybody down.”
DeShawn Harris-Smith’s outing was huge. Just ask his teammates.
When Harris-Smith connected on only his sixth 3-pointer in 29 attempts this season with 3:32 left in the game, Queen and Gillespie pulled up their jerseys in celebration. And when Harris-Smith made a layup while drawing a foul for a potential three-point play with 1:30 remaining, Queen had to be restrained by Miguel.
Those reactions symbolize how strongly the Terps feel about Harris-Smith, who ended a nine-game drought without a point. After starting 30 of 33 games last winter, he willingly accepted Willard’s decision to give Harris-Smith’s starting spot after four games to Rice and has concentrated on utilizing his defensive skills to help the team.
“I feel like my mindset’s the same,” Harris-Smith said. “Just go out there and play as hard as I can and have fun, be confident. That’s the mindset if I’m starting or coming off the bench. I feel like we’re winning, and we’re in a really good spot – better than we were last year. So I’m just happy to be on this team and play with these guys.”
Harris-Smith’s performance was not lost on the contingent of red-clad fans behind the Terps’ bench who chanted “D-H-S” when he returned to the bench in the second half. That affection extends to Willard, who recounted how the player encouraged the coach to keep having faith in the starters who helped the team rally to a 79-78 last-second win at Indiana on Jan. 26.
“He has grown tremendously as a person although the year hasn’t gone as good as he wants,” Willard said. “I think he’s really grown. He’s starting to figure it out, and he’s starting to become the player that he knows he can be because he’s been a great leader all year.”
Maryland vs. Grand Canyon in NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament | PHOTOS
Maryland is running on borrowed time, which provides enough motivation
In the one-and-done scenario that is the NCAA Tournament, the Terps knew their season could have ended Friday against Grand Canyon. But they would not be denied, and Queen, a Baltimore resident, said that he and his teammates know this time is a special one.
“Maryland missed [the postseason] last year, and then we had to get it this year because we have seniors on our team,” he said. “We have two freshmen, and we all want to experience it. We might never get a chance to experience this again. So we go out there and work hard every day and just play to get here.”
Shortly after an 81-80 loss to Michigan in the Big Ten Tournament semifinals a week ago, Willard expressed how important it was for the players and coaches to capitalize on the opportunities before them. He acknowledged repeating that mantra in the leadup to Friday’s game.
“The message was, ‘This might be the last time you step on a basketball court,’” he said. “For Ju, Derik, for our seniors, you never know when you get this opportunity. And they’ve worked extremely hard. They’re the best group I’ve ever coached, but you don’t not take advantage of opportunities. That was it. I just wanted to remind them that this is it. If you lose, we go home, and everything starts all over again. So I think these guys really understood that, and they’ve played that way all year.”
Have a news tip? Contact Edward Lee at [email protected], 410-332-6200 and x.com/EdwardLeeSun.
NCAA Tournament second round
No. 4 seed Maryland vs. No. 12 seed Colorado State
At Climate Pledge Arena, Seattle
Sunday, 7:10 p.m.
TV: TBS
Radio: 105.7 FM
Continue reading...
