Maryland Basketball: Terps showing improvement from three

The Maryland basketball team hasn’t exactly been lighting the net on fire from beyond the arc during nonconference play.

Over the past few games, the Terrapins have shown drastic improvement in that department.

Maryland had one of their best performances this season from the perimeter against Jacksonville State on Monday. The Terps ended up hitting 64.7 percent (11-of-17) of their shots in a 92-66 win.

Five different players made at least one three and three made multiple connections from beyond the arc. Guard Melo Trimble paced the team as he hit four of his five attempts from long-range.

After the game, coach Mark Turgeon credited his team with being more selective with their shots. They weren’t settling for the first available shot.

The proof was definitely in the pudding as the Terps didn’t attempt a shot from beyond the arc until nearly halfway through the first half.

Maryland made good on their first attempt when guard Dion Wiley connected on a three. Wiley used a beautifully-designed screen from Michal Cekovsky to get a wide-open look.

The Terps were deadly over the first 20 minutes as they made their first six attempts from three. Five of those took place in the first half and Trimble had three of those makes.

Over the prior four games, Trimble had hit just 25 percent (5-of-20) of his shots. He missed a total of 10 threes in games against Oklahoma State and Pittsburgh.

Only two Terps that attempted threes didn’t have a field goal from beyond the arc. Surprisingly, those were guards Jaylen Brantley and Kevin Huerter, who had been shooting very well entering Monday’s contest.

On the season, Maryland is shooting just 33.1 percent from deep, which is 12th in the Big Ten ahead just Nebraska and Rutgers. However, over the past three games, the Terps are shooting 46.2 percent (30-of-65) from three and have shot 38.9 percent or better in each individual game.

It’s always been clear that Maryland gets the bulk of its scoring from their guards. If their guards are confident enough to hit shots from the perimeter, this is an even more dangerous roster.

One of the team’s best shooters could be Huerter. After a slow start, the New York native is hitting 45.5 percent (5-of-11) of his three-point attempts.

While he failed to hit either of his two three-pointers against the Gamecocks, he still looks very comfortable shooting the basketball. As Big Ten play draws closer, Huerter could be a very valuable assets for the Terps.

The Terps haven’t put everything together quite yet, but this is a group that is capable of hitting shots from beyond the arc. If they just get a little more consistent like these last few games, it’ll go a long way later in the season.