Coach Mark Turgeon Thinks Time Will Solve Maryland Terps Turnover Problem

The Maryland Terps have gotten off to a slow, and some would say somewhat sloppy start to their 2017-2018 season. They currently have a decent overall record at 7-3, but a record of 1-1 in the Big 10. The Maryland Terps have a long season to go and with a young team, even Coach Mark Turgeon doesn’t seem to have a solid plan of what to do about the turnover problem. With the Terps averaging 17 turnovers per game, something will have to change for the young Maryland Terps team to have a winning season.

Over the last two years, a great number of Maryland Terps who were the biggest stand-outs on the court have either graduated or left early. Of those who left early, none have a job in the NBA, and critics largely say they entered the NBA draft without the necessary polish necessary to make the leap to the next level. This is especially true of Melo Tremble, who still hasn’t given up on his NBA dream.

But while Tremble might be currently having a hard time, he was a leader on the court at Maryland, and that is one of the things missing right now for Coach Mark Turgeon, whose Maryland Terps are lacking a certain amount of cohesion.

Coach Turgeon says he is aware of the issues the Maryland Terps are having at this time, and the Diamondback put a fine point on it, saying that only 14 other Division I teams have a worse turnover margin than the Terps. And it’s not just happening to the subs. In the recent game against Illinois, star sophomore guard Kevin Huerter got the ball slapped away when he switched hands on his dribble from left to right. Though Maryland beat Illinois by one, the Terps incurred 25 turnovers in the game.

Coach Turgeon believes that the turnover problem is a product of the Terps’ early-season schedule, and won’t continue in the future, without providing an explanation on what might change to stop the turnovers.

“Sunday’s game had a lot to do with the environment and who we were playing. But there are a lot of correctable ones.”

In the Terps’ game against Illinois, both teams played a below-par game, with their offensive showings in the second half being called “near-comical,” but this doesn’t explain the Terps’ loss to Purdue, which verged on embarrassing.

Coach Turgeon again blamed the environment, which, sadly for the Maryland Terps, won’t be changing for the rest of the Big 10 season.

“Sometimes, we get going too fast. It’s the environment and who we’re playing, the length of somebody’s zone [defense] or the speed and quickness of the other team.”

Coach Mark Turgeon’s Maryland Terps basketball teams have been known to struggle against a zone defense, and that has played out considering that the turnover problem is much worse when playing against the zone.

“We’ve played so many crazy defenses. We haven’t really been able to settle in. Purdue played straight [man-to-man], and we only had seven turnovers.”

Coach Mark Turgeon admitted that he was drained after the Terps barely eked out a win over Illinois. The Washington Post said that Turgeon ran his hands along the cinder block wall as he walked back to the locker room after the game at State Farm Arena.

“I’m exhausted. Anthony Cowan. Holy smokes.”

Coach Turgeon was speaking of the Terps’ sophomore point guard, and his winning free throw with a second left in the game. And Anthony Cowan has faith that the Maryland Terps can overcome anything they set their minds to.

“This is a group that never quits.”

Maryland Terps sophomore forward Justin Jackson admits that the Terps are still trying to coalesce.

“You can’t win when you have a lot of turnovers, so that’s something we’re really working on as a team. We’re still getting used to each other. Chemistry is still growing every game. It’s still early, so we [Terps] still have time to improve it.”