When the public address announcer read his name, with the Xfinity Center dark and music blaring through the speakers, Dez Wells leaned down and kissed the floor. He paused, letting the moment sink in, then lifted his head, running between two lines of teammates with low-fives as he does before every home game.
Wells scored 13 points to lead No. 14 Maryland past Michigan, 66-56, on Saturday afternoon, but he and his senior teammates will likely not remember individual stats. What will always stand out from this afternoon are the moments before tip-off, when each of the Terrapins’ seven seniors walked to mid-court with family members and received a framed jersey bearing his name.
“It was a special day, you know, for this program and for each and every senior that was out there,” Wells said. “It was a special moment for all of us. And I’m glad we got the win, because that’s what we’ll remember about this day 10-15 years from now.”
A transfer from Xavier, Wells choked back tears as he met coach Mark Turgeon with a bear hug and raised his jersey to a loud ovation. Jon Graham, walking alongside his father and Maryland great Ernie Graham, was equally emotional as he took the court.
Altogether, the program honored seven senior players and four senior managers — Benjamin Eidelberg, Jameson Martinez, Alex Petrone and Rainer Tandaju — in the lengthy pregame ceremony. The proceedings took so long that the television broadcast was slightly delayed.
“It was really hard to do in six minutes,” Turgeon said. “We made ESPN wait, which doesn’t happen very often.”
Shortly thereafter, Wells and Graham joined Evan Smotrycz and Richaud Pack in the starting lineup against the Wolverines. Freshman Melo Trimble, who finished with a game-high 19 points, was the only non-senior in the lineup.
For other seniors, their moment in the spotlight didn’t come until the end of the game. With less than a minute left and the win secured, Turgeon pulled his regulars from the game. Little-used players Trevor Anzmann, Spencer Barks, Varun Ram and Jacob Susskind entered. The crowd roared. Soon, Anzmann found himself behind Michigan’s trap, standing alone on the edge of the 3-point line. The crowd roared again, urging him to shoot, but Anzmann did not.
“It’s amazing they didn’t shoot the ball there,” Turgeon said. “I told them not to shoot, and then after the game I said, ’Trevor, why didn’t you shoot?’ But they’ve listened all year. It’s been a fun group so far.”
Turgeon also inserted Graham into the game in the final minute just so he could take the forward out again, thereby giving him a standing ovation.
When asked about the impact these seniors will leave at Maryland, Turgeon said he will always remember them as good people, beyond quality players. But with two games, the Big Ten Tournament and the NCAA Tournament remaining, he added that it’s too soon to judge their impact on the court. Wells agreed.
“I can’t answer that,” Wells said. “You guys will remember how you want to, and that’s for you guys to debate. We’re just going to go out there and do what we have to do.”
• Tom Schad can be reached at tschad@washingtontimes.com.
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