Freshman is playing better at the position the second time around
When Terrell Stoglin was asked Tuesday about the pressure that comes with carrying the Maryland Terrapins, his expression didn’t change. More telling was the reaction of the player seated next to him, Nick Faust.
Recommended Stories
The freshman raised his chin, smiled and looked into the distance, appearing perturbed by the notion that the Terps’ fortunes rise and fall with the ACC scoring leader.
With the conference tournament starting Thursday in Atlanta, there’s no better showcase for Faust to change the perception. Eighth-seeded Maryland (16-14) faces No.?9 Wake Forest (13-17) at noon.
| Up next |
| No. 8 Maryland vs. No. 9 Wake Forest |
| When » Thursday, noon |
| Where » Philips Arena, Atlanta |
| TV » Ch. 20 |
| Radio » ESPN 980 |
“My desire is to make it all the way to the championship,” Faust said. “Being the underdogs, a lot of teams are going to look past us. There’s just an open window of opportunity.”
One of those teams could be top-seeded North Carolina (27-4), which will play the winner of Maryland-Wake Forest in the quarterfinals. Last week in Chapel Hill, the Tar Heels overwhelmed the Terps 88-64. But Faust had the best game of his career (17 points, five rebounds, four assists), hitting seven of 11 shots as he rose to the challenge of the fast pace and elite company.
The performance illustrated Faust’s vast improvement from his first trial as the Terps’ starting point guard. With Pe’Shon Howard out for the first nine games with a broken foot, Faust averaged 7.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.2 steals per game, shooting 28.8 percent from the floor and 18.5 percent from beyond the arc.
In the last seven games — after another Howard injury — Faust has averaged 13.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.7 steals per game, hitting 45.6 percent from the floor and 45.8 percent from beyond the arc.
Based on Faust’s first go-round at the point, Maryland coach Mark Turgeon was hesitant to turn the job over to the Baltimore native when Howard suffered a season-ending torn ACL five weeks ago.
“I screwed around and didn’t do it right away. By the end of the Duke game, I realized he was going to be our point guard the rest of the year,” Turgeon said Monday on his radio show. “He’s so much better this time around — his maturity.”
On Monday, Faust was named to the ACC all-freshman team despite the struggles that came with being forced into an uncomfortable position. At 6-foot-6 and with ball-handling skills which at times are “loose,” according to Turgeon, Faust is best suited to the wing.
“I think Nick’s going to be the best perimeter defender in the league, bar none,” Turgeon said.
“I think he’s that good. He won’t have to run point as much next year. He can concentrate on being a scorer and a defender.”
But before that happens, Faust has one more game at the point and — if all goes well — maybe more.
