Maryland’s life without point guard Pe’Shon Howard, out for the last week with a broken foot, is still expected to extend into January.
Moving on, though, isn’t the easiest process less than two weeks before the Terrapins’ season begins.
“It really set us back,” coach Mark Turgeon said. “You’re moving along. I was really starting to like the way we were doing things. Now it’s almost like you have to start all over.”
Terrell Stoglin and Nick Faust will split most of the time at the position Friday when the Terps face NAIA school Northwood in an exhibition game at Comcast Center. Neither, though, is in an ideal spot.
Stoglin practiced off ball until Howard, a fellow sophomore, was injured. Turgeon said Howard’s timeline for return is still 12 weeks, which would mean he returns in mid-January. Howard’s foot was placed in a cast Wednesday and is expected to remain there for at least three weeks. He also underwent a CT scan Thursday and is scheduled to see a foot specialist Monday.
Faust, meanwhile, is picking up point play on the fly as a 6-foot-6, 175-pound freshman.
“Terrell’s trying,” Turgeon said. “… I’m all over him. It’s no fun for him. He wasn’t very good this weekend when we scrimmaged, and he’s worked really hard on both ends of the floor. The guy it’s hard on is Nick. Nick’s our backup point. Nick wasn’t recruited to be a point.”
Regardless of what sort of split in playing time exists between the two, it’s clear both will need to be prepared in case of foul trouble.
“Nick’s doing a great job of being coachable and trying to learn more than one position,” guard Sean Mosley said. “He’s doing a great job of being that leader out there on the court when he’s playing the point guard position, but we still have to try to adapt to not having Pe’Shon in practice or in the game.”
Given the roster limitations — Turgeon has just seven scholarship players available — there are only so many realistic possible starting lineups Friday. Turgeon said Mosley will get a starting nod, and Faust and Stoglin probably will as well.
Turgeon also tempered expectations, though he acknowledged he would be concerned if the Terps struggled defensively after prioritizing that end of the floor all week.
“We’re nowhere near ready for a game,” Turgeon said. “We’re going to play one, anyway.”
Notes: Turgeon said Maryland is unlikely to appeal the NCAA’s Wednesday ruling that center Alex Len must sit out 10 games. The 7-foot-1 center practiced Wednesday for the first time since Oct. 14 after the NCAA resolved his eligibility based on amateurism guidelines.
“I think the NCAA did an unbelievable job of getting all the facts and piecing this together,” Turgeon said. “I think it’s more than fair of where they are. As of right now, I’d say no, but things could change.”
Len, a redshirt freshman who will have four years of eligibility, will play in Friday’s exhibition. He will be eligible to play for the Terps on Dec. 28 against Albany.
• Patrick Stevens can be reached at pstevens@washingtontimes.com.
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