Steve Davis: Terps Are Legit National Champion Contenders
Another home game, another win for Maryland.
They don't always make it pretty, but they figure out a way to get it done. So, before we get to any concerns, let's get to the good. They're starting 5 is really talented. On any given day, any of the 5 can light it up. Melo is great, obviously, and the Terps have a hard time winning even if he doesn't play great. Robert Carter is a dynamic scorer and can run off a bunch of points at any time, like he did at the beginning of the Ohio State game. Sulaimon is streaky--no doubt about it--but when he is on, he too can take over part of a game. Diamond Stone is still young, but he is a physical presence, and he is incredibly talented at the line, a huge bonus for a big guy. Jake Layman may be inconsistent when it comes to scoring, which frustrates fans this late in his career, but he is really versatile and is a tremendous defender.
Now, my one big concern, the Terps are thin on the bench, particularly in the backcourt. They just don't have a backup for Trimble. There's a couple of issues with that. If he gets in foul trouble, the Terps are doomed. If he continues to have to play 38 minutes a game, you have to be worried with back to back games in the Big Ten tournament and then 2 games in 3 days in the NCAA tourney that he might wear out. I think it's a little late to think that Brantley or Rahm will be a suitable back-up for Trimble, so the Terps will just have to hope that he can handle a heavy workload and they can manage when he isn't on the court for a couple minutes at a time.
If that doesn't become an issue, they can play with and beat anyone.
