As February fires up in college basketball, there are no secrets. Most teams are halfway through their conference schedules, which is now 20 games in the Big East, Big Ten and ACC, and about two-thirds of the way through their regular season slate.
So, even if you try, you can’t fool teams looking at tape by this time of year. And the sample size is large enough that if you have a weakness in your rotation or on your roster, everybody knows. Conversely, if your team has an identity and does things well, that can’t escape one’s attention.
Right now, Maryland (13-8, 5-5 Big Ten) is halfway through its conference slate and enjoying six days off between games against Nebraska and Michigan State — fellow members of the conference’s middle class — while also being mentioned in the hunt for NCAA Tournament berths (ESPN’s Bracketology has the Spartans a No. 9 seed in its latest ratings, while the Cornhuskers are one of the last four teams to make the field).
Blame a flurry of November losses to Davidson, UAB and Villanova, during which the Terps shot 16-72 from three (22%) for keeping them an extended winning streak away from being on the bubble. But while their three-point shooting issues (currently 333rd in Division I) have been easy to see, so has this team’s ability to defend.
Nobody in the conference contains opponents better than Coach Kevin Willard’s crew.
“We’re the number one defensive team in the Big Ten — and it’s not even close right now. I think it’s three whole points on KenPom (ratings system),” Willard said after the Terps beat the Cornhuskers 73-51. “As bad as we’ve been offensively, for these guys to come out and play the defense we have just tells you something about the character of these kids.”
The learning curve has been a steep one for the two freshman seeing major minutes, but Jamie Kaiser Jr. feels he and the team are beginning to turn the corner.
“As a team that’s been really our thing because we struggled scoring the ball early, so we just hung our hat on defense all year and now that the offense is clicking, we’re really starting to see how good we can be,” Kaiser said. “Personally, it took me a while to get used to the defense. My teammates know that, but I’ve been really getting used to it and the game’s becoming a little easier for me now.”
Seven of the Terps’ final 10 regular season games will be against teams they’ve already faced, no guarantee in a college basketball world where the 14-school Big Ten doesn’t offer a true round-robin like the 11-school Big East.
But one feels that progress is being made and the Maryland team taking the floor Saturday in East Lansing will be much better than the one that faced the Spartans almost two weeks ago.
“I’ve been saying all along that this team is going to be better and better as the season goes on. What we saw in November wasn’t even close to what we’re gonna (do), and I still think that we’re gonna get better,” Willard said. “Offensively we’re going to get better, and if we continue to play defense the way we’re playing, I’ll play against anybody.”
Starting Five
Up Top: UConn is No. 1 again on my ballot and overall, followed by Purdue and North Carolina. My biggest variances this week have No. 15 Texas Tech seventh, No. 23 Oklahoma 13th, and No. 9 Marquette 16th. Toughest omissions: Alabama, TCU, South Carolina and San Diego State. Small school shout-outs: Dayton, FAU, New Mexico, Indiana State and Richmond.
Going Inside: George Washington (14-7, 3-5 Atlantic 10) has dropped four straight and caught the top two teams in the conference (Richmond and No. 21 Dayton) one week apart. The common thread: GW has allowed 80+ points in each of those losses.
How do they turn things around?
“I think the challenge is how many good defenders are on the floor,” Coach Chris Caputo said after the team’s loss to La Salle. “Because ultimately, you’re going to have to make people miss. It’s not scheme, it’s not anything, it’s like, there’s just guys that when their hands get the near the ball on jump shots, that player misses.”
The slope stays rather slippery in February as they won’t have a game against a school with a losing conference record until they visit Saint Louis on Feb. 24.
“It’s not for a lack of trying, but you know what?” Caputo said. “You’re only doing a good job if what you try works. So, we’ll keep working at it.”
Perimeter Play: If there’s one team GW can take a defensive lesson or two from, it’s Virginia (16-5, 7-3 ACC). The Cavaliers allow a conference-low 57.4 points per game (7.9 points fewer than Notre Dame) and have allowed three foes in January (Virginia Tech, NC State, Louisville) to 15 points or fewer in the first half while building what is now a five-game winning streak.
While Reece Beekman leads this team in scoring, assists and steals, he’s getting plenty of help from the likes of 6-foot-8 guard Ryan Dunn (three double-doubles in conference play) and Isaac McKneely (20 points against Georgia Tech on Jan. 20).
Wednesday’s win against Notre Dame puts U.Va. into sole possession of third place in the conference, and the Cavaliers luck out by facing No. 3 North Carolina and No. 7 Duke once apiece. Saturday, the Hoos visit a Clemson team that might be under .500 in the ACC but was once ranked as high as No. 13.
Who’s Open: Saturday at 6 p.m., one of the best local rivalries is renewed when Richmond (16-5, 8-0 Atlantic 10) visits VCU (13-8, 5-3). The Spiders have been the surprise of the A-10 after being picked 11th in the preseason, while the Rams were the second-hottest team in the conference before blowing a 20-point lead at St. Bonaventure on Tuesday night.
Expect a defensive duel as UR ranks second in the conference in scoring defense and turnover margin while Coach Ryan Odom’s team defends the three better (29%) than anyone else in the conference. For those curious, Chris Mooney’s Spiders are second.
Both teams have played the transfer portal well, with the Rams’ top scorer Max Shulga (15 points per game) following Odom from Utah State and ex-East Tennessee State player Jordan King (19 points per game) leading everyone in the A-10 after 21 games.
Last Shot: Georgetown (8-12, 1-8 Big East) meets No. 9 Marquette (16-5, 7-3) Saturday at 2 p.m. in a rematch of a December blowout (81-51), during which the Golden Eagles scored 28 points off 19 Hoya turnovers. Coach Shaka Smart’s team has won five straight and leads the conference in turnover margin.
The Hoyas priority is finding a way to contain Tyler Kolek (14 points per game plus a conference-best seven assists per contest) while finding a way for Jayden Epps to get his shot (the sophomore’s 19 points per game lead the Big East, but he shot 5-17 and 1-8 from three against Marquette in December).
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