No. 7 Maryland heads into the season with a loaded roster and high expectations

Photo courtesy of Maryland Athletics.

After having the third-ranked recruiting class in the Big Ten and making their way up to No. 7 in the Associated Press Top 25 preseason poll, Maryland men’s basketball have a lot to prove when their season tipoff Tuesday night.

The Terps will host the Holy Cross Crusaders at 7:30 p.m at Xfinity Center.

Last year's 69-67 second round loss to LSU in the NCAA tournament left the team desiring to take the next step. The last time Maryland advanced past the second round was in 2016 when they lost 79-63 to No.1 Kansas in the Sweet Sixteen.

Although former Terps’ power forward Bruno Fernando was drafted 34th overall in the second round in by the Atlanta Hawks this past offseason, the rest of Maryland’s core is returning. Head coach Mark Turgeon is confident in the depth that his team has this season.

“I would probably say it's my deepest team,” Turgeon said. “But we haven't played a game yet, so we will see. I think two or three guys have separated themselves as great players, and I think four through 11 they're kind of all the same, but they're all really good players.”

Here are a few things to watch for prior to tipoff.

1. Will Anthony Cowan’s last year at Maryland be his best?

Averaging 15.6 points and 4.4 assists per game and earning a second team All-Big Ten nod last season, the senior point guard is looking to continue his role as the team’s leader and finish his career at Maryland as one of the all-time greats in program history.

Originally declaring for the NBA draft after his junior year last season, Cowan made the decision to return for his senior year. Cowan attributed his decision to wanting to help the team advance as far as they can before he wraps up his career as a Terp.

“I want to win, that’s been my main goal this whole time,” Cowan said. “They can say it’s all about the points and assists. But at the end of the day we haven’t won anything so we have to get that.”

Along with sophomore forward Jalen Smith, Cowan was recently named to the 2020 Citizen Naismith Trophy Player of the Year watch list, an award given to the top college players around the country. They are just two of 50 players to be recognized with the honor.

Cowan leads the team in points, assists and steals the last two seasons and is one of 20 watch-list candidates for the 2020 Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award.

He will make his 100th consecutive start Tuesday night.

2. Is this Aaron Wiggins breakout year?

According to Turgeon, no player worked harder in the offseason than sophomore guard Aaron Wiggins.

“[Wiggins] and Anthony are probably in the best shape on the team,” Turgeon said.

Wiggins had a decent season as a freshman, averaging 8.8 points and shooting over 41 percent from three. While he was a solid contributor as a role player, Turgeon is expecting Wiggins to take a leap after increasing his minutes. He is counted on to become an impact player day in and day out.

“We sat down right when the season ended and I said ‘Aaron if you play like you did as a freshman as a sophomore, than we’re not going to get any better,’” Turgeon said. “So it’s been a mindset since the first time we met when the season ended that he was going to be a big part of our offense this year.”

In their latest mock draft, NBA Draft Room projects Wiggins to be picked with the 51st pick in the second round if he were to declare for the NBA draft after this season. If he can take the next step that Turgeon and his teammates envision him taking, the 6’6 guard may find himself being drafted in the first round come next June.

3. Who will be Turgeon’s starting five?

Turgeon has yet to commit to a set starting five for the season. He is still shifting players around and trying to find the best rotation he can. While it is almost a safe bet that Cowan, Smith and sophomore guard Eric Ayala will keep their starting spots from last season, the other two spots may be up for grabs between three players.

Wiggins, junior guard Darryl Morsell and sophomore forward Ricky Lindo all have the ability to make an immediate impact. Last season, Morsell started in 31games, Wiggins started in four and Lindo did not start in any.

Projected Lineup: Cowan, Ayala, Morsell, Wiggins, Smith

4. Will Jalen Smith solidify himself as a top NBA prospect?

As of now, Smith’s projected draft slot for the 2020 NBA draft is scattered throughout the first round board. From being projected to be drafted ninth overall by Stadium to being projected to be drafted 29th by USA Today, it is clear that many draft analysts across the nation see Smith as a player who will have an impact in the NBA.

The sophomore averaged 11.7 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.2 blocks a game, earning a Big Ten All-Freshman nod. His 225 rebounds were the fifth most in program history. While Smith averaged 17 points and 10 rebounds in the NCAA Tournament last season, including a posterizing dunk that went viral on social media, Turgeon was still convinced that the lengthy forward had some improving to do in the offseason for him to be able to reach his elite ceiling.

“There are a lot of things we worked on,” Turgeon said. “I think he really improved his game. I think his confidence is continuing to grow and he is feeling comfortable being out there.”

Turgeon said that Smith’s perimeter defense improved a lot in the offseason, most notably from playing a lot of one-on-one with Cowan. Smith also bulked up and added around 35 pounds since his freshman season, which should help him become more of a defensive presence in the post as well.

Smith was named a preseason All-Big Ten selection, a Karl Malone Award Watch List honoree and a Third Team Sporting News Preseason All-American during the offseason.