clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Georgia Tech Basketball: Maryland Q&A with Testudo Times

Georgia Tech kicks off ACC play today, against the Maryland Terrapins in College Park. We sat down with Alex Kirshner of Testudo Times to preview the matchup.

Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports

FTRS: How would you describe Maryland's offensive style? Are they more of a shooting team, a larger team with a major post presence, or somewhat of a mix?

TT: That's sort of the problem with this team, so far. There really isn't an offensive identity. Maryland has tons of talented wings who can both slash and shoot, but their season so far has featured an uncomfortable amount of disconnect and lousy shot attempts. Evan Smotrycz, a junior power forward, is a tremendous scorer, but he's more a stretch four than a post presence, and the only other inside scorer of any repute is sophomore Charles Mitchell, who continues to be something of an energizer off the bench. There are some good pieces here, but I don't think they've established a firm offensive identity yet.

FTRS: It looks like Maryland's only real signature win so far in OOC play was against Providence. How content are fans with the progress of the team so far this season, and what are their expectations for the next two-plus months of conference play?

TT: Reactions have varied, but it's not wrong to be disappointed. Maryland had a hard-knock loss against UConn and got run out of the gym against Ohio State in Columbus. That's "meh," but then again, they've had brutal losses at home or nearby against the likes of Oregon State, Boston University and George Washington -- all respectable teams, but not teams they should ever come close to letting beat them.

FTRS: If Maryland is to get beaten, what does the winning formula typically look like?

TT: The Terrapins have sometimes been prone to beating themselves. They sometimes turn the ball over and take awful shots, and when they do, they lose. The talent on this team, all in all, is strong, but we've seen the Terps make a lot of unnecessary mistakes before and pay for it.

Thanks to Alex and the crew at Testudo Times for the help! You can check out our responses to their questions here.