Battling on the boards top priority for Terps
When Maryland plays Wednesday night at No. 6 North Carolina, the Terrapins look to rebound in two different ways.
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Working the boards will be a priority as North Carolina (25-4, 12-2) leads the nation in rebounding margin at plus-11.4. Working out of a lull is another objective as Maryland (16-12, 6-8) is coming off a poorly timed 63-61 loss at Georgia Tech, which is tied for last place in the ACC.
| Up Next | ||||
| Maryland at No. 6 UNC | ||||
| When » | Wednesday, 7 p.m. | |||
| Where » | Dean E. Smith Center, | Chapel Hill, N.C. | ||
| TV » | ESPN | |||
“Seven and seven sounds a lot better than six and eight in the league,” Maryland coach Mark Turgeon said. “We got after them [in practice] yesterday. We’ll get after them today. We’ll do the best we can tomorrow.”
Maryland shot 34.5 percent against Georgia Tech and had just seven assists. The numbers were better than the Terps’ previous road loss, 71-44 at Virginia, in which they shot a season-low 26.9 percent and had just three assists. But considering the opponent and the nine-point lead they wasted, there were few positives to take from Atlanta.
“This time of year, our guys know what it was,” Turgeon said of the stakes as tournament time approaches. “I don’t want to kick a dog when it’s down.”
A win in Chapel Hill against his former mentor at Kansas, Roy Williams, would be the best victory in Turgeon’s first season at Maryland.
It won’t be easy against a Tar Heels squad with a frontcourt of potential NBA Draft lottery picks — 7-foot Tyler Zeller (15.7 ppg, 9.3 rpg), 6-11 John Henson (14 ppg, 10.4 rpg) and 6-8 Harrison Barnes (17.7 ppg, 5.2 rpg).
“It’s height, athleticism, and want to,” Turgeon said. “It’s length, with Henson and Zeller, and speed. Both have great feet. A lot of people think big, strong guys are better rebounders. That’s not it. To me, the best rebounding teams are the teams with speed, and they have that too.”
In addition to the imposing and athletic frontcourt, Turgeon pointed out that North Carolina has a pair of long, active wing guards in 6-7 Reggie Bullock (8.3 ppg, 4.8 rpg) and 6-6 P.J. Hairston (6.1 ppg, 2.3 rpg).
In a season in which Turgeon has yet to find a starter to depend on in the frontcourt, Maryland’s rebounding has been sketchy. It also has been a major key. In games in which they have lost the rebounding battle, the Terps have gone 2-10. When they’ve won or tied on the boards, the Terps have gone 14-2. In the first meeting, Maryland was outrebounded by North Carolina 44-37 and lost 83-74.
“It’s amazing. That’s all we talk about going in — transition defense and boxing out. That’s all we’re talking about starting yesterday until the game ends,” Turgeon said. “Every time we can mention it, we’ll mention it. Sometimes you just can’t do anything about it. What I ask is that every time a shot goes up, we at least hit a body. If they still get it, we’ll shake their hands afterwards.”
