COLLEGE PARK — Maryland men’s basketball struggled against the zone, to shoot the ball and to get any bench production. But the Terps ironed out a few kinks by halftime to race past an inferior South Alabama team, 68-55, on Saturday night, in part because of Donta Scott’s best outing of the season.
Beyond the team’s primary duo of Julian Reese and Jahmir Young or the emerging two-way threat that is Jordan Geronimo, Scott seems to be fitting in to a more established role. That means more time playing the wing rather than the forward.
“I would blame me, not him, because we didn’t practice it and I’m trying to get him to do something,” Willard said of Scott’s positional slide. “We’ve had a week and a half of him practicing on the wing and he just seems so much more relaxed and he understands what he’s doing offensively.”
Willard took responsibility for his fifth-year senior’s slow start after having him bounce back and forth in shuffled lineups. The second-year coach said he’s sticking Scott at the wing for the rest of the year, which becomes an easier decision with Geronimo taking on a larger frontcourt load.
Scott, who had 19 points and seven boards in the win, said he’s happy to take on any position the team needs.
“The coaches help get me in the right spots in practice trying to guide me to the right area,” he said. “So I’m not just standing in an area where I can’t score or look and get assists. … It was a little challenging just getting used to it but it’s nothing I can’t handle.”
Here are some other observations from Saturday night’s game.
South Alabama got a leg up on Maryland early Saturday night because it forced the Terps to do something they have struggled mightily with this season: shoot from beyond the arc.
Scott made 3 of 8 attempts from 3-point range. Young shot 2-for-11. DeShawn Harris Smith and Jamie Kaiser Jr. were each 0-for-5. And Jahari Long missed both of his deep looks.
The Terps collectively finished 16.1% from 3-point range on the night, only slightly better than their 11.1% outing in a loss to UAB and slightly worse than a 16.7% showing in a season-opening win over Mount St. Mary’s.
The Jaguars’ zone kept three defenders in the lane at all times. They dipped underneath pick and rolls in the corners and at the free throw line, giving Terps shooters an extra foot of space to operate that they couldn’t capitalize on. All that left Maryland 3-for-17 from 3-point range in the first half before, as Scott said, making a more conscious effort to seek out gaps and push the ball inside.
“We got four or five early looks wide-open that we’re just struggling to make,” Willard said. “I do have confidence in these guys eventually that once we start making those, it’ll make life for Julian a lot easier. And I think everyone will be a little more relaxed. Right now, I think they’re just getting a little bit down on themselves and we have to fight through that.”
Geronimo transferred to College Park in April after three seasons at Indiana, self-identifying as someone who thrives in making hustle plays. That was evident as the senior forward notched a season-high 14 points while adding six rebounds and three assists against South Alabama.
“I’m just trying my best to emphasize that,” Geronimo said. “Offensive rebounds, getting on the floor, be a defense-first person.”
Geronimo started his second-straight game after coming off the bench in losses to UAB and Villanova. Saturday night’s performance showcased the steps he has taken since transferring in, battling in the interior and making the right reads from the wing.
“He’s getting used to the way we play,” Willard said. “We play totally different than Indiana does. Early on, a lot of his mistakes and a lot of my mistakes were just game slippage going back to what he played for three years. Now he’s playing a totally different system. I think he’s getting a good feel for what we’re trying to do defensively and what we’re trying to do offensively.”
Having Geronimo as a more consistent frontcourt presence beside Reese, from the team’s vantage point, allows Scott to play more freely along the wings. Thus, Willard’s offense adds a layer when opposing defenses spotlight one of the Big Ten’s best big men.
Willard was asked about the collective productivity of Reese, Young, Scott and Geronimo after they combined for all 68 of Maryland’s points. Not a single other Terp put the ball through the net.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen that before,” Willard said. “I just noticed that.”
Does that statistical anomaly make Willard more grateful for the four’s ability to carry the offense or nervous for the rest of the roster?
“We’re gonna rely on Julian, Dante and Jahmir a lot,” Willard said. “If Jordan can become another guy that’s getting 14 a game, [that’s great]. You got two guys with 19, another guy with 14 and a guy with 16. I have a lot of confidence in DeShawn too. He’s gonna come around. He’s doing so many things offensively, pushing the pace.
“The rest of those guys aren’t gonna get enough shot attempts at times to be huge factors offensively when those guys are getting most of the shots.”
The shot distribution shouldn’t be too alarming, despite the scoring imbalance. Take Harris-Smith, Long and Kaiser missing all of their shots as another statistical anomaly. Each can make shots and play support roles as the season wears on.
But the reliance on the top three or four guys might continue to be a sticking point when Maryland faces adversity the way it did Saturday.
Rider at Maryland
Tuesday, 7 p.m.
Stream: BTN+
Radio: 105.7 FM