Maryland coach Mark Turgeon doesn’t know much about Valparaiso, his team’s opponent in the opening round of the NCAA tournament.
“I watched a little bit of their game, I think it was the conference championship game,” Turgeon said Sunday. “I watched like 10 minutes of that game.”
Turgeon might not know much about the reigning Horizon League champions, but he does know this: A team that won 28 games and got into the NCAA tournament is dangerous. Regardless of conference status or seed, the Crusaders will be a challenge. Turgeon knows his team will have to be ready.
That process will begin in earnest Monday, when the fourth-seeded Terrapins will begin watching film of Valparaiso. They will have four days to prepare before playing in Columbus, Ohio, on Friday in their first NCAA tournament game since 2010.
For Maryland and its fans, it may be tempting to dwell on Sunday’s selection show, in which the Terrapins were shockingly underseeded, or look ahead to a possible Sweet 16 matchup against unbeaten Kentucky, the tournament’s No. 1 overall seed. But Turgeon is concerned with neither.
“The most important thing for us right now is Valpo. They’re a heck of a team, they won 28 games,” Turgeon said. “We don’t play until Friday. But one step at a time. Let’s do the best we can against Valpo and hopefully figure out a way to beat them and get to the final 32.”
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Turgeon expanded his rotation in March to prepare for the grind of the Big Ten tournament, but he may decide to shorten his bench as the NCAA tournament progresses and there is sufficient time to rest between games. To make a significant run, the Terrapins will need strong performance from a core group, led by freshman point guard Melo Trimble, who leads the team in scoring, assists and steals.
Only two players on Maryland’s roster have prior NCAA tournament experience. Senior guard/forward Dez Wells made it there as a freshman at Xavier, while senior Evan Smotrycz participated in the tournament during his days at Michigan. For the rest of the group, taking the court in a win-or-go-home scenario on college basketball’s grandest stage will be a new experience.
Turgeon also views it as a step forward for the program.
“Unfortunately in our business, everything’s about this NCAA tournament,” Turgeon said. “I think we’ve won 85, 86 games in my four years here, but we haven’t played in this tournament. To be a part of this tournament is huge. It’s huge for all aspects of our program — recruiting, fan base, everything. It’s really big. So we’re unbelievably excited. Not a lot of people had us playing in this tournament before the year started, so to be a part of it is a great accomplishment for us and it’s hopefully a great start for a lot of years to come.”
Maryland Terrapins
Seed: No. 4 in Midwest Region
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Record: 27-6, 15-4 Big Ten
Bid: At-large
Last appearance: 2010, Lost in second round, 85-83, to Michigan State
First opponent: No. 13 Valparaiso (28-5)
Others in region: No. 1 Kentucky, No. 2 Kansas, No. 3 Notre Dame
Top players: Senior guard/forward Dez Wells (15.4 ppg, 5.4 rpg), freshman guard Melo Trimble (16.3 ppg, 3.1 apg)
Strengths: Offensive balance. The Terrapins have a blend of slashers and shooters, plus the ability to create matchup problems with Wells and junior Jake Layman. Trimble also has the ability to single-handedly take over the game.
Weaknesses: Interior post defense. When sophomore center Damonte Dodd falls into foul trouble, it’s up to either 6-foot-9 Evan Smotrcyz or inexperienced freshman Michal Cekovsky to protect the rim.
• Tom Schad can be reached at tschad@washingtontimes.com.
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