Rothstein Tabs Terps as Big Ten Sleeper, Ayala and Scott Named Breakout Candidates
Maryland has two glaring holes to fill heading into the 2020-21 season as head coach Mark Turgeon is tasked with replacing both Anthony Cowan and Jalen Smith. College basketball insider Jon Rothstein offered his Big Ten preview on Monday morning as skepticism on Maryland’s season outlook lingers.
Iowa is tabbed as the Big Ten preseason favorite with Wisconsin and Illinois rounding out the projected top three while Rothstein picked the Terps to finish tenth this upcoming season. The projection would serve as Maryland’s worst finish to-date in the Big Ten as Turgeon has guided Maryland to a top three finish in all but one year. Guard Eric Ayala and forward Donta Scott were also tabbed as two of Rothstein’s ten breakout players this season as Turgeon told All Terrapins in an exclusive interview that Ayala will need to become an even bigger scorer in his junior season.
“Eric had a great freshman year and played great against Michigan on senior day when we won the championship so Eric is a guy that can really score at that position,” Turgeon said. “He’s very comfortable there but we’re going to need him to score more or look to score and be aggressive that way with the loss of Cowan.”
As Ayala hopes to fill Cowan’s void, Alabama graduate transfer Galin Smith will serve as a key piece to fill the shoes left by Jalen Smith. The incoming senior turned heads through the team’s little time spent training earlier this summer as Turgeon noted he is “little faster, little quicker, little more explosive and a great kid.” While the Terps enter the season with plenty of question marks as they mesh together, Rothstein tabbed the Terps as his sleeper selection as junior Aaron Wiggins serves as the go-to scoring option on offense.
“It’s weird to think of the Terps in that type of light, but the facts are the facts: Mark Turgeon’s squad lost two of the best players in the Big Ten from last season in Anthony Cowan and Jalen Smith. That duo would have made Maryland a trendy Final Four pick had the NCAA Tournament not been cancelled last March due to COVID-19. In addition to those key departures, other teams in the conference have received more attention as well because there’s been several All-Big Ten caliber players who opted to return to school instead of beginning their professional careers. Nevertheless, Turgeon still returns four of his top six scorers from a year ago in Eric Ayala, Aaron Wiggins, Darryl Morsell, and Donta Scott, with Wiggins (10.4 points) in position to emerge as the Terps’ go-to guy as a junior. A big key for Maryland will be whether or not the NCAA grants an immediate eligibility waiver to Boston College transfer Jairus Hamilton, a 6-8 forward who could emerge as the Terps’ fifth starter. Hamilton averaged 9.5 points and 4.3 rebounds last season and would give Turgeon the type of skilled four-man that he craves to coach. If that happens and Chol Marial, Hakim Hart, and Alabama graduate transfer Galin Smith can provide quality insurance off the bench, this doesn’t necessarily have to be a “bridge year” in College Park. There’s still significant perimeter talent in this program.”
Full preview can be found here.
