Complete basketball, guard play and Hakim Hart: Three Takeaways from the Maryland men’s basketball win over Rutgers

(Photo Courtesy of Maryland Athletics.)

It took nine games to do it, only Maryland (11-9, 3-6 B1G) finally won back-to-back conference games. At the point in the season where information technology seemed equally if all hope was lost, the Terps' most recent wins accept reignited faith that this 2022 squad has the potential to save this yr'south underwhelming campaign.

Even if the squad does crash and burn all again, equally more ranked opponents await in the coming days, the past few games have still been a significant sign of progress and always present resiliency.

With a, 68-60, win over Rutgers, Maryland made its case as a potential Big Ten threat.

Here are three takeaways on the victory

1. Maryland is finally playing complete basketball.

Friday's friction match against Illinois was the first time that Maryland had won both halves against a Big 10 opponent.

While Rutgers did slightly outscore Maryland in the second one-half, the Terps were able to maintain a healthy distance from their opponent throughout the majority of the contest. The same couldn't exist said when they played Rutgers 10 days prior, when the Terps blew an 11-point halftime lead and went on to lose by 11 points.

Maryland'due south win tin exist credited to their eighteen-2 run that spanned for eight minutes early in the starting time one-half. Simply before the nether-four timeout in the first one-half, the Terps possessed a twenty-signal lead.

While Rutgers gradually clawed back, the Ruddy Knights never found themselves to exist any closer than a three-possession game.

Following weeks of disappointment, Maryland is finally putting bus Danny Manning's philosophy into fruition.

"In practice, nosotros've been talking most playing tip-to-horn," said Manning. "I thought nosotros came out and were able to exercise that for a practiced 36 minutes today."

2. Maryland's backcourt is playing some of its best basketball.

When Fatts Russell commencement transferred to Maryland, the combination of his play along with Eric Ayala prompted considerable optimism.

While the 2 have had flashes, information technology didn't seem as if the baby-sit philharmonic reached their true potential.

The Terps visit at Piscataway was a prime number example of how Maryland could perform if both players heated up at the same time. Together, they notched 45 points, xi rebounds, and six assists.

Maryland'southward disappointing first half of the flavor has shown scattered flashes from individual players, but rarely 2 at the same fourth dimension.

"This is one of the few games that we've had two guys get off like this offensively throughout the course of the season," Manning said. "Unremarkably information technology'due south ane guy going off and then a few other guys contributing their normal average. So, when you get two guys to score like this, we're a dangerous squad."

Throughout the game, the ii striking tough shot after tough shot – shots that likely would non have gone downwards on a worse day. This was especially true in the 2d one-half. Russell and Ayala shot viii-16 while the rest of the team shot only 2-eleven.

3. Hakim Hart'south impact goes beyond the stat sheet.

Russell and Ayala might get near of the praise for what they were able to accomplish offensively on paper, but information technology was what Hakim Hart achieved defensively that led to the Maryland victory.

If the team wanted to leave Rutgers with a win, they needed to stop Ron Harper Jr., who put upwards a career-high 31 points in a Rutgers win the last time he faced Maryland. To avoid a like fate, the Terps looked to the defensive services of Hart.

He delivered.

"Hakim's been guarding the best player every night," said Russell. "He takes pride in that."

Harper managed to score only xvi points on xvi shots. His 0-iv shooting from beyond the arc was the first time he did non hit a iii-point shot in conference play.

Subsequently the game, coach Manning could not sing Hart's praises plenty, as he declared him to exist the team's unsung hero.

"Hakim is a guy who – he'south the harbinger that stirs the drink," said Manning. "He'southward the gum that holds it together. He makes the right play. He makes large shots. He guards. [He] just [has a] keen understanding and feel for the game."

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Source: http://wmucsports.net/complete-basketball-guard-play-and-hakim-hart-three-takeaways-from-the-maryland-mens-basketball-win-over-rutgers/

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