By: Steven Dilsizian
Maryland Men’s Basketball team soundly defeated Stony Brook Seawolves 77-63 on Tuesday. The Terps may be 5-0, but have faced some early bumps along the way.
The Good: Welcome back Michal Cekovsky. The 7-foot-1 Slovakian native made his season debut Tuesday night after suffering a sprained foot before the season. Cekovsky filled in for the injured Damonte Dodd, who was recovering from a concussion prior to the game. In 16 minutes, Cekovsky made his impact felt, tallying 11 points in the win. If Cekovsky can maintain that level of play and Dodd can return healthy, Maryland will have some success with the big men down in the paint.
The Terps bench accounted for only two points against Towson. Maryland struggled most of the game in a 71-66 win over the Tigers. Against Stony Brook, the bench made their presence felt. The bench scored 33 points, in large part to Cekovsky (11) and Dion Wiley (13). Wiley struggled early in the season, but his success against Stony Brook could be his breakout game. Wiley went four for five from three-point range, and gave Maryland help in a category it desperately needs.
The Bad: Jared Nickens was a promising, young player for the Terps, and a reliable three-point threat. This season, Nickens has made only 4 of 20 attempts from three-point range. His struggles were evident again against the Seawolves. Nickens needs to start heating up if the Terps want to be considered a serious offensive threat.
The Ugly: The Terps big men fell into foul trouble early against Stony Brook. L.G. Gill and Ivan Bender had thre fouls while Cekovsky had two by halftime. By the end of the game, Gill had four, Bender had four, and Cekovsky fouled out. The forwards and centers need to become much more disciplined as the season moves on. Dodd did not play, but has faced foul trouble situations more times than not. This is a position that the Terps would not particularly call their strength, and foul trouble only makes that position flimsier than it already is.
The Terps head to the Barclays Center Classic to face off against Richmond (3-1), Friday at 9:30 PM. Listen LIVE from Madison Square Garden on WMUC Sports.
