Maryland's solid defense
Can't help but be impressed with Maryland's defense so far. "Shooting is going to come and go, but if you play defense you'll always be in the game," said guard Adrian Bowie.
I wrote a story for today about Maryland's improved conditioning which, I think, has helped with their press and overall defense.
The Terps are yielding lots of benefits from conditioning. They're putting more pressure on the ball, for one. "If you put good pressure on the ball, it's not easy to find open guys inside," coach Gary Williams said.
Maryland also seems to have more energy for rotating to spots left vacant by double-teams.
Of course, Maryland's press won't be able to control games in the ACC the way it has in portions of the non-conference schedule. The ACC teams will certainly handle the pressure better.
But the Terps are hoping their press will at least tire out their ACC foes. Fatigue down the stretch can lead to turnovers and missed foul shots.
Entering this afternoon’s game against Charlotte (5-6), the Terrapins (10-2) ranked second in the ACC in scoring defense at 60.5 points per game and were holding opponents to 39 percent shooting – including 28 percent on three-point attempts.
