ANALYSIS/OPINION:
Robert Carter had a career game, scoring 25 points, in Maryland’s impressive 100-65 win over Ohio State at the Xfinity Center on Saturday.
Rasheed Sulaimon hit nine of 10 shots, scoring 22 points, as the Terrapins’ second line of attack on the helpless Buckeyes.
But the player Ohio State coach Thad Matta spoke of in awe after the game was Melo Trimble.
“When you have a point guard like Trimble, you welcome in three guys of that talent level and I think that he probably deserves a ton of credit because he has a very unique ability to keep everybody happy,” Matta said.
Yes, even on a day where Trimble, averaging 13.7 points per game and 5.7 assists, scored just eight points, the sophomore point guard is still the player that college basketball has fallen in love with — the smart, fearless, smiling assassin who, after a start that included three turnovers, settled down to give out nine assists and set the tone for the blowout victory.
Trimble, a 20-year-old former Bishop O Connell High School star, carries the fortunes of Maryland (16-2, 5-1 Big Ten) this season, whether it is as the leading scorer or the table setter.
“What a great game for Melo,” Terrapins coach Mark Turgeon said. “He seemed a little out of kilter, but nine assists, didn’t turn the ball over after the first eight minutes of the game, and it was good to see him get to the rim. He had that burst today, and that was good to see.”
Trimble’s role as distributor was a departure from the habit the Terrapins had fallen into of late — relying on him to carry the team’s offensive load and to sink the winning shot when needed, as he did last week when he nailed a 3-pointer with 1.2 seconds left in a 63-60 win over Wisconsin.
There were no such heroics the following game in a 70-67 loss to Michigan in Ann Arbor, stopping Maryland’s nine-game winning streak, as Trimble had just two points and three assists.
When he turned the ball over early Saturday against Ohio State, there appeared to be a hangover from that Michigan game, but he played his way out of it by relying on his teammates like Carter and Sulaimon to carry the load.
“Melo had a couple of turnovers because they were taking things away,” Turgeon “But, being the great point guard that he is, he started to recognize the situation.”
The situation was that Maryland needed Trimble, the passing point guard — a role he loves.
“I guess the first couple of minutes, I thought about the last game, but then when I started to get going with my assists I just kind of lost that memory,” Trimble said. “It shows that not one man needs to score a lot of points on this team to win. Tonight wasn’t my night to make a lot of points, so making the open pass was key.
“The part of my game I am most proud of is my passing,” he said. “A lot of people didn’t think I could pass, and I am surprising a lot of people. Like today.”
Maryland basketball radio analyst Chris Knoche wasn’t sure Trimble was that kind of guard when he first saw him in practice as a freshman.
“First time I saw him was here in practice, I thought he might be more [of a] two guard than point guard,” Knoche said. “And, I think he was at the time, but he is a quick learner. He has that sort of incandescent quality to him that is hard to articulate, but you know it when you see it.
“He is selfless, and that automatically endears you to a guy playing the right way,” Knoche said. “He has the thousand-megawatt smile. He’s an assassin as a player, he hits big shots night after night. All those things folded into one. Sadly, guys like that in this day and age don’t stick around too long, so I’m trying to, like most Maryland fans, trying to appreciate him while he is here.”
He is appreciated by his opponents. Matta credited him Saturday for the way the Terrapins played, and before the Michigan game, Wolverines coach John Beilein compared Trimble to one of his former great players, the 2013 national player of the year, Trey Burke.
“When Wisconsin hit the three to tie the game the other day, it was like Trimble just comes down the court and there was no panic all,” Beilein told reporters. “It reminded me of a guy we had as well. It’s just, ’OK, I guess I just got to win now,’ and he did it. So, he, obviously, like Trey Burke, is a tremendous player.”
And Saturday, Trimble showed everyone how tremendous this Maryland team can be.
“We really shared the ball at a high level and really looked like a team against offensively,” Turgeon said.
⦁ Thom Loverro is co-host of “The Sports Fix,” noon to 2 p.m. daily on ESPN 980 and espn980.com.
• Thom Loverro can be reached at tloverro@washingtontimes.com.
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