This is my favorite time of year because college basketball is starting. For those of you who don't already know, I am a huge Maryland Terps fan. Please read the article below about the Maryland Men's basketball team and answer the questions about the article. Please make sure you put your name on your Blog before you submit.
No. 1: MARYLAND TERRAPINS
Last Season: 28-7, 14-4 Big Ten
Eighteen months ago, Maryland coach Mark Turgeon was coming off a 17-15 season and five-transfer summer that had even the most die-hard Terrapins fans -- OK, especially the die-hard Terrapins fans -- wondering where things could possibly go from there.
Why, straight to No. 1, of course.
It has been a remarkable -- and remarkably fast -- turnaround for Turgeon and his Terps, whose already stunning ascent to 28 wins and a No. 4 seed a season ago was followed by an offseason chock-full of good news, future lottery pick center Diamond Stone and graduate transfers.
Robert Carter and Rasheed Sulaimon joined returners Melo Trimble and Jake Layman, as well as a well-rounded cast of role players and vets.
Suddenly, in a season without an overwhelming preseason favorite, Maryland has the nation's most talented and most balanced roster. When your program flips the script so quickly, why play the shrinking violet?
"I like the No. 1 better than anything else, to be honest with you," Mark Turgeon told ESPN's Andy Katz in September. "It's really helped us. People look at us differently. And we've really embraced it." -- Eamonn Brennan
Best Case: The Terps are as good as they have been since the first decade of this new century. Maryland won 28 games last season, the most since Gary Williams cut the nets down in Atlanta in 2002. If the Terps defend with a purpose, Maryland has the talent to get back to the Final Four. The past season, Maryland had the best defense in the Big Ten and held opponents to just 39.5 percent shooting from the floor. Last year, Melo Trimble was one of five freshmen with six or more win shares for his team, along with Karl-Anthony Towns, D'Angelo Russell, Jahlil Okafor and Tyus Jones (all first-round NBA draft picks). With Trimble being fouled (Maryland had the fourth-best free throw rate in the nation) and Jake Layman hitting shots and making aggressive plays, bolstered by quality transfers and an impact freshman in Diamond Stone, coach Mark Turgeon could climb the ladder Williams did.
Worst Case: Maryland is now the hunted, which is a different mentality altogether. Will the Terps be hungry to face that challenge and spotlight every day? Will Maryland continue to win the close ones? The Terps were 12-1 in games decided by six points or fewer, with the only loss coming to Tom Izzo and Michigan State in the Big Ten Tournament. If Maryland doesn't have enough gas in the tank, mentally and physically, at the end of the season, it could see an early exit from the NCAA tournament.
"They have incredible depth. It's a good problem to have, but there's a concern whether Turgeon can keep everyone happy. Jake Layman came back to be a first-round pick. Diamond Stone is a big-time recruit who many think will and should be a one-and-done guy. It's going to be interesting. Melo Trimble also needs to become a leader with Dez Wells gone -- and these guys aren't creeping up on anyone. There's a lot of pressure on them."
1. Who is Maryland's new freshman center?
2. Name 2 players for Maryland that are graduate transfers.
3. Why did the article say that Maryland had the best defense last year in the Big Ten?
4. What was Maryland ranked in free throw shooting last year in the nation?
5. Based on what you read, do you think Maryland will win a National Championship this year? Why or why not?
12 comments:
Ryad Malti
1.) Diamond Stone.
2.) Robert Carter and Rasheed Sulaimon.
3.) Because it held opponents to just 39.5% shooting from the floor.
4.) Maryland was the 4th best in Free Throw Shooting Percentage.
5.) I think Maryland could win the National Championship this year. This is because they have all the talent and the stats to contend for a title this year. However, they lost some impact players like Dez Wells, but I still think with the better, more experienced Jake Layman and Melo Trimble, they can grind for a championship.
1 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
2 Shaqquan Aaron, Jalen Adams,
3 bc they have Michigan.
4 35, 597, 790, 75.6
5 yes
Liam Bezzam
1.Diamond Stone is the freshman center for Maryland.
2.2 gradaute transfers from Maryland are Robert Carter and Rasheed Sulaimon.
3. The Terps had the best defense because they helld their opponents to 39.5% from the field and they defend with a purpose.
4.Maryland ranked 4th in free-throw shooting rate last year.
5. I believe the Terps have a great chance to win a national championship this year because they have a very balanced team with talented players, they are agressive on both ends of the floor and they are very confident.
1. Who is Maryland's new freshman center?
Diamond Stone.
2. Name 2 players for Maryland that are graduate transfers.
Robert Carter and Rasheed Sulaimon
3. Why did the article say that Maryland had the best defense last year in the Big Ten?
They held opponents to 39.5% shooting last year.
4. What was Maryland ranked in free throw shooting last year in the nation?
Fourth best free-throw percentage in the nation.
5. Based on what you read, do you think Maryland will win a National Championship this year? Why or why not?
I think Maryland will be a possible contender for the National Championship, however it seems like everyone thinks they know that Diamond Stone will be a huge success on the court. Despite his massive size, any player is prone to suffering at the college level and on top of that he is a freshmen (very young, has ALOT to learn). Plus I'm a UCLA fan. Go Bruins!
Nayeer Ullah
1- Diamond stone
2- Robert Carter and Rasheed Sulaimon
3- Because they defended with a purpose and limited opposing teams to shooting 39.5 percent
4- Fourth best free throw rate
5- No because my Blue devils just had the top rated recruiting class for this season and they have arguably the best coach in Coach K.
Haydn McGriff
Anthony Vondas
1) Diamond Stone
2) Robert Carter and Rasheed Sulaimon
3) holding opponents to a 39.5 fg percentage
4) 4th
5) I think they will win the national championship this year simply because of their abundance of talent. After a great season last year, some of their best players (Trimble and Layman) return and several key additions (Stone, Carter, and Sulaimon) arrive.
Conor Sullivan
1. Who is Maryland's new freshman center?
Diamond Stone.
2. Name 2 players for Maryland that are graduate transfers.
graduate transfers Robert Carter and Rasheed Sulaimon
3. Why did the article say that Maryland had the best defense last year in the Big Ten?
They held opponents to 39.5% shooting last year.
4. What was Maryland ranked in free throw shooting last year in the nation?
Fourth best percentage in the nation.
5. Based on what you read, do you think Maryland will win a National Championship this year? Why or why not?
Maryland will win a National Championship because Melo is a beats and Diamond is a monster plus they have the length Athleticism and best Bench in college I think
Gabriel Barnaby
1. Diamond Stone
2. Robert Carter and Rasheed Sulaimon
3. Because they held opponents to just 39.5 percent shooting from the floor
4. Maryland had the fourth-best free throw rate in the nation
5. They have a good chance of winning because of their great lineup, great defense, and great free-throw shooting
1. Diamond stone
2. Rasheed Sulaimon and Robert carter
3. They held their opponents to a 39.5 percent fg average
4. Ranked fourth in the nation for free throw shooting
5. They would have a chance of winning but duke is going all the way again.
Paul Lavallee period 4
SARA COHN
PD 1
1. Diamond Stone
2. Robert Carter and Rasheed Sulaimon
3. They held opponents to just a 39.5% shooting from the floor last year.
4. They were ranked 4th
5. I think Maryland has a very good chance of winning the National Championship this year because of their amazing teamwork and talent. Plus their good looks don’t hurt either ;)
Quinn Gale
1.Diamond Stone
2.Rasheed Sulaimon and Robert Carter
3.They held their opponents to just 39.5% shooting from the floor
4.They were ranked fourth
5. I think Maryland could win this year because of their great teamwork and how aggressive they play on both ends of the flour
1. Diamond stone
2. Robert carter and Rasheed sulaimon
3. 39.5%
4. 4th
5. Yes cuz Maryland is the best
-zack Thompson
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