Maryland Basketball: Why Terrell Stoglin Is an All American Candidate in 2012-13

The date was November 17th, 2011.

The University of Maryland completed their first game in more than 20 years without future Hall of Fame coach Gary Williams just four days prior. They defeated UNC-Wilmington by nine. Now, awaiting in newly acquired coach Mark Turgeon's path, No. 15 nationally ranked Alabama.

Not the Crimson Tide that garnered a modest No. 9 seed in the 2012 NCAA tournament. This team, in November, had no players suspended, no players hurt and no issues with team chemistry.

Terrell Stoglin finished with six points on 0-9 shooting from the field, and Maryland was walloped by 20. The projected breakout sensation in the ACC managed to enlighten his Terp Nation crowd with six free throws.

Six free throws.

After such a demoralizing, lackluster effort to begin his sophomore campaign, the 6'1'' combo guard said enough was enough. The next day, the Colorado Buffaloes faced off against the Terrapins, ready to revitalize their ailing program after an NCAA Tournament snub in 2011, and the departure of top-10 NBA draft selection Alec Burks.

Stoglin put up 32 points, sinking 12 buckets on 21 attempts. He hit four three-pointers as Maryland rolled over Colorado by seven points.

The Tucson, Ariz., native never looked back. Against eventual NCAA tournament teams, Stoglin's point totals for the remainder of the 2011-12 season read: 17, 31, 27, 20, 16, 20, 13, 14, 16, 25, 30. Impressive tallies for a player stepping into the leadership role of a program losing their coach, best player and the majority of their recruiting class for that season.

Stoglin topped the ACC scoring race at 21.6 points per game, beating out potential NBA lottery pick Harrison Barnes by an average of over four points per game. His efforts warranted inclusion on the All-ACC second team and was named team MVP by his teammates at Maryland.

Stoglin often gets criticized for averaging 1.9 assists per game last season, an extremely low number for a player who probably took the ball down the floor more often than any other player on the Maryland roster. With an enhanced squad for next season, headed by Shaquille Cleare and the six-piece 2012 recruiting class, those critics will be silenced.

With numerous assets for Stoglin to mesh with in 2012-13, there is no reason to think that the undersized junior can't excel his game to new heights and reach All-American status, and here's why:

His Skill Set

Terrell Stoglin can score from anywhere on the court.

He shot a respectable 39 percent from three-point range as a sophomore, which includes a hefty amount of late-game heaves in an effort to bring Maryland back from a deficit.

Stoglin is a crafty ball handler who can easily maneuver his way around most defenders to attack the basket. He is elusive on the dribble and is virtually unstoppable once you let him in the lane.

If Stoglin has at least a step on a defender during a fastbreak, you can forget about catching him. His speed his almost unmatchable and is very smart when choosing whether to finish the break himself or dish it off to a trailing teammate.

His on-ball defensive capabilities showed improvement toward the end of last season. His quick feet and ability to recover if he is beaten will always make him tough to score on.

But, most of all, Stoglin gets to the tin whenever he wants. He absorbs contact and finishes the play after the whistle is blown on a consistent basis.

The Supporting Cast

Terrell Stoglin needs a true point guard more than anything else if he wants to be an All-American. Nick Faust and Pe'Shon Howard attempted to fulfill that duty last season, but neither possessed sufficient lead-guard skills. 

A two-headed monster of Sam Cassell Jr. and Seth Allen have come from high school to repair that hole at point guard. With two fantastic distributors at Stoglin's disposal, a 25 PPG season is not too far-fetched.

Worries about Stoglin's assist total need to calmed as well, as Maryland's front court has been bolstered with size and talent.

7'1'' Ukrainian Alex Len returns for his sophomore season after an exceedingly underwhelming freshman year. As a newcomer stateside, Len had jeopardized his amateurism eligibility due to professional contracts he had signed in Ukraine. Therefore, Len was suspended the first 10 games of last season by the NCAA clearinghouse, and ultimately never got his act together throughout the remainder of conference play.

Len boasts NBA lottery potential, because of his combination of size, athleticism and range. If Len can polish these skills and bulk up over the offseason, he will become the featured recipient of many Terrell Stoglin assists.

Freshmen big men Shaquille Cleare and Charles Mitchell join senior power forward James Padgett as important keys to Stoglin's success as well. Cleare is a huge body who can clear the lane for Stoglin to do what he does best: drive to the basket. Mitchell and Padgett will be staples in the post for Stoglin to look to when he is in need of help.

If Stoglin can successfully utilize his support, which would be a vast improvement from last season's selfish attitude, he will compete with Louisville's Peyton Siva, Michigan's Trey Burke, and Murray State's Isaiah Canaan for the coveted guard spots on the AP All-American rosters.

The Coaching

Mark Turgeon isn't used to losing.

Before filling Gary Williams' huge shoes in College Park, Turgeon spent four season at College Station at Texas A&M. There, he won at least 24 games in all four years he coached. 

Turgeon can turn any basketball program around, as he hopes to do with Maryland, starting with the team's most important player. 

In a radio interview on ESPN980, Turgeon had this to say of Stoglin's development:

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"He came a long way as a basketball player, but has a long way to go as a basketball player. I heard he said in the paper that I'm hard on him; well, that's what I get paid to do. I made him a lot better basketball player this year. I think Terrell Stoglin would benefit from playing for Mark Turgeon another year, to go third-person on you."

"

Turgeon understands the talent buried under Stoglin's immature basketball IQ and is willing to go to tremendous measures to unleash it and create an All-American.

The Expectations

Terrell Stoglin wisely elected to return to Maryland for his junior season, but Stoglin was seriously considering leaping to the 2012 NBA Draft pool.

Stoglin was not projected to be selected.

Despite his decision to back out of the draft, the whole process of determining his future shows that he is confident he can become an NBA player.

Even for the leading scorer in one of college basketball's top conferences, those are some incredible expectations and goals.

If Stoglin wants to ensure himself of being drafted in 2013, he will push himself throughout the offseason, so he can emerge into national prominence during the 2012-13 season. Pressure is mounting upon his shoulders to not only repeat his ACC scoring title, but improve on his inconsistent sophomore season.

Stoglin knows he has work to do to merit NBA respect, and producing an All-American caliber season may be needed to gain that respect.

The Bottom Line

Terrell Stoglin will be an All-American in 2012-13 because of supreme scoring ability, an improved supporting cast and the drive provided by his coaches and peers.