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Maryland Scouting Report

  • Writer: Sam Bourne
    Sam Bourne
  • Dec 27, 2023
  • 6 min read

This Maryland team entered the year with high expectations within the Big Ten, but have struggled to start the season. Maryland touts a 7-4 record overall and 1-1 conference record after winning five straight games. They are a talented team led by second team All-Big Ten point guard Jahmir Young and returning starters Julian Reese and Donta Scott.


Terps Mulling Offense

Maryland currently sits at a 104.9 adjusted offense that ranks 158th in the country according to Kenpom. Their offense has been held back by poor shooting throughout the lineup that has led to uninspiring performances. However, they have performed well in terms of offensive rebounding, limiting turnovers, and getting to the free throw line.


Maryland Offensive Tendencies

The offense for the Terps runs through Jahmir Young and Julian Reese. Both are effective scorers in isolation opportunities but work best in actions together. The ancillary pieces around Young and Reece are mostly new for head coach Kevin Willard. This, along with the lack of cohesiveness, has been accounted for by running more designed sets compared to last year.


Maryland Offensive Set

Floppy Action

Indicators

  • Young doesn't bring the ball up

  • Young is out of the game, run for Harris-Smith


How to Defend

  • On ball defender trailing

  • Screen defender playing drop on the curl

  • Passer dropping hard into the gap




Horns Gut Zoom

Indicators

  • Horns set

  • Bigs passing between each other, Reese getting the ball.


How to Defend

  • On ball defender shooting the first screen, choosing above or below the handoff

  • First screener helping to cover Reese rolling

  • Second screener playing a semi-drop



Horns Stagger Ghost Pindown

Indicators

  • Horns start into a stagger screen

  • Maryland ran this set a ton in the two meetings last year


How to Defend

  • Play it straight up, not afraid to go under the pin down

  • Big staying close enough to Reese to push out his post catch

  • Help off of non-shooters


Iverson Diagonal Post Screen

Indicators

  • Wing entry

  • Reece/Scott doing nothing at the elbow


How to Defend

  • Big playing tight to Reese

  • Guard physical with Reese

  • Other big sagging into Reese's space




Iverson Pitch and Go

Indicators

  • Same setup as the diagonal post entry but Reese floats to the opposite block


How to Defend

  • Big deep drop

  • Guard going trailing

  • Opposite wings dropping to help defend Young snaking




Iverson Elevator

Indicators

  • Reese is on the low block, Young replaces him at the elbow.


How to Defend

  • Guard staying attached to Young

  • Closeout to his high side to takeaway the shot and force him right




Iverson Chin Zoom

Indicators

  • Reese starts in the same spot as the diagonal post set, but instead he receives the entry pass.


How to Defend

  • Switch the guard to guard screen and trail the screen

  • Second big tagging the roll and focusing on not allowing Reese space

  • Other big in a drop



Iverson Double Ball Screen

Indicators

  • Scott going to set the ball screen for a player that is not Young


How to Defend

  • Young's defender has to be ready to navigate the Reese step up screen

  • Reese's man playing drop

  • Weakside has to be shrink the floor quickly to tag Reese



Fake DHO Isolation

Indicators

  • Young off ball with the guard clearing to the same side


How to Defend

  • Guard takes away middle

  • Big staying deep

  • Help defenders clogging the lane





Ghost Isolation

Indicators

  • Young starting off ball and comes off a pindown

  • Scott faking a screen


How to Defend

  • On ball defender has to ignore the ghost screen and force Young to change directions

  • Help defense shrink the floor into Young's space



Spain Pick and Roll

Indicators

  • Two bigs in the middle of the floor with wings in the corners

  • Used in ATO situations


How to Defend

  • Step up screen is a deep drop with the guard going under

  • Popper is helping on the short roll before recovering

  • Wings being ready to trail a DHO if the ball goes to Scott



Side Spain Action

Indicators

  • Young starting in the corner

  • Geronimo clearing to a corner


How to Defend

  • Young's defender has to stay connected to help the big

  • Big is playing in a semi-drop able to contest the floater

  • Other big is IGNORING Geronimo




Young Middle Pick and Roll

Indicators

  • A non-Reese player sets a ball screen, it will be a diversion for something involving Reese and/or Young


How to Defend

  • Young's defender, feet on the three point line and stay in good neutral position.

  • Big dropping with help behind to tag Reese early




BLOB Series Reese Isolation

Indicators

  • Reese on the opposite block


How to Defend

  • Big denying the entry pass










BLOB Zoom Cross Screen

Indicators

  • Young on the weakside corner with Reese on the same side


How to Defend

  • Big staying tight to Reese

  • Guard needs tag Reese before recovering to the perimeter

  • Young defender going under both screens

  • HO should be a hedge



BLOB Diagonal Screen the Screener

Indicators

  • Reese on the STRONG side elbow

    • They will run GUT zoom in this orientation. The difference is the ball is entered to Young in the corner


How to Defend

  • Defend this the exact same way Villanova defended it

  • Big is in good positioning and the guard is being physical with Reese




Player Profile

#1 - Young 18 pts/ 4 asts/ 4 rebs

  • Relentless going to the rim in transition and in the half-court

  • Going left he wants to get to the rim or jump backwards to draw a foul

  • Right hand drives he will get to the rim if it is wide open, but often stops to pull up in the mid range

  • He is really good about splitting gaps and he draws a ton of fouls when defenders reach or lack balance

  • They run a ton of plays for him, he has a really good connection with Reese in two man game

#10 - Reese 15 pts/1 ast/ 10 rebs

  • On the left block, Reese is ultra physical forcing his way into a left hand layup

  • The right block, middle of the floor with a left hook or drive right and jump back to his left

  • Effective as a short roller and quick drives wanting to come back to his left hand

  • Line drive free throw shooter that generates long misses

#5 - Harris-Smith 8 pts/5 asts/3 rebs

  • Wants to drive left all the time, will go right but is slower going right

    • Likes to stampede closeouts to try to get to his left hand

  • He is a solid passer and ball handler but struggles to hit shots

#24 - Scott 9 pts/1 ast/ 5 rebs

  • He is good driving and posting with his right hand getting to the middle of the floor

  • He gets more aggressive hunting his shot the more he makes

  • He will set screens and pop for threes

  • The second best shooter on the team, shoots approximately 4 threes per game

#22 - Geronimo 7 pts/ 1 ast/ 3 rebs

  • Spot up shooter that has made 1 three this season

  • Offensive rebounder

#2 - Long 5 pts/1 ast/ 1 reb

  • Quick guard who can get to the rim

#12 - Keiser 4 pts/0 ast/ 2 rebs

  • He wants to shoot threes but doesn't have the confidence or speed to drive effectively

#35 - Swanton-Rodgers 2 pts/ 0 ast/ 2 rebs

  • He is a solid screener and rebounder

  • Will not get a lot of opportunities in the flow of the offense but will clean up misses

#11 - Batchelor 2 pts/ 0 ast/ 0 rebs

  • Shooter


Defensive Keys

  1. Limit Young and Reese to less than 25 points

    1. Positioning

      1. Force Young to his right hand

      2. Play Reese neutral before contact and stay on his right shoulder after contact

    2. DO NOT FOUL

      1. Hands out, do not lean forward

      2. Ready for the jump stop and sideways jump from both players trying to generate contact

    3. Help defenders allow no space to drive or post up

  2. Force more than 14 turnovers

    1. Help defense be really active and aggressive when players get into the paint

    2. Solid on ball defense that starts with intelligent closeouts (dominate hand, staying down)


Maryland Defense

Defensive Principles and Style

  1. Man to Man (non-switching)

    1. Ball screen coverages

      1. Involving Reese is a prototypical drop coverage

      2. Other screeners will switch handoffs or ball screens

    2. Off-ball

      1. Non-switching screens or interchanges

      2. Gap defenders are good at stunting and recovering to bait passes

    3. On-ball

      1. They will be aggressive on the ball especially if the ball handler does not value his dribble

    4. Post

      1. They will double on the dribble from one pass away

      2. Reese will try to play with one foot around/front trying to tip the entry pass

      3. Smaller players are going to front the post

  2. Man to Man (switching)

    1. Ball screen coverages are the same as the non-switching defense

    2. Off-ball is switching everything trying to play more in the passing lanes

    3. I have only seen them play this switching style after makes when they do not press

  3. 2-2-1 press to a 2-3 zone

    1. Goes to this defense after almost every make

    2. 2-2-1 Press

      1. The guards are looking for perfect traps and staying in front of the ball handler

      2. Wings are taking away middle or offensive wing

      3. Big is staying deep

    3. They play a normal 2-3 zone in the half court

      1. The wings play extended denying passes to the corner and helping on the wing

      2. The middle will cover the high post around the free throw line

    4. At ~10 seconds left in the shot clock, they switch to man


Predicted Matchups

Braden Smith - Jahmir Young

Lance Jones - Deshawn Harris-Smith

Fletcher Loyer - Donta Scott

Kauffman-Trey - Jordan Geronimo

Zach Edey - Julian Reese


Offensive Keys

  1. Handle the pressure early to expose their defense late

    1. Get into an offensive action with 23 seconds left on the shot clock every possession

    2. Less than 14 turnovers

    3. The post players not throwing long passes, perimeter players moving to create short passes

  2. Scoring quickly on their zone

    1. Again, get into offense early

    2. Overload the defense and give the weakside wing nobody to guard (corner, wing, high post, 2 guards)

    3. Work the ball into the corner (high post pops to the three point line and backside guard cuts behind)

    4. Drive the ball against favorable matchups (Keiser, Scott, Geronimo)

  3. Stay aggressive for forty minutes

    1. There should be a drive on almost every possession

    2. Cut hard and rebound even harder, trying to be intelligently physical with Maryland

    3. Strong against ball pressure and still having the mental endurance to manipulate the defense


 
 
 

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