Of all times this season for a Maryland losing streak to get started, the home stretch certainly wasn’t it. But after losing at home to Wisconsin and now on the road to Minnesota, things are officially concerning in College Park.
Minnesota, previously winless in conference play, took it to Maryland in every which way and gave ammo to all of those doubting the Terps and their head coach, Mark Turgeon. With road games left against Purdue and Indiana, UMD could be looking at a six-loss conference record in a year where they were favored to win the conference.
So, what’s the problem with the team?
It all starts up front with Melo Trimble, who might still be dealing with his hamstring injury or just might be hitting the slump of all slumps. But without him, Maryland lacks a third guard who can help take pressure off of Rasheed Sulaimon on the perimeter. Sulaimon has been fantastic, but on nights when Trimble can’t find his groove, the Terps simply don’t have the man power to punish teams for their mistakes.
On the inside, they missed Diamond Stone against Minnesota, as Damonte Dodd once again showed that he’s simply not a reliable offensive threat for the team.
On paper, Maryland’s starting five is as talented as any in the country. But when one of those pieces fails to meet expectations, Turgeon’s group doesn’t have the depth to overcome it. This Maryland losing streak could be nothing, sure. But most likely, it’s the outright sign of why more people can’t trust this team in March.
