Maryland Basketball: Biggest Things We've Learned About Terrapins in 2014-15

In three months, the perception of Maryland basketball has changed dramatically.

After being mostly overlooked since the start of the season, the Terrapins got off to a fast start on the nonconference schedule and climbed high in the national polls. A rough patch has seen them drop a bit, but a 68-66 home win over Indiana kept the squad in a tie for second place in the Big Ten with an 8-4 record.

With a 20-5 overall record and some impressive wins, there seems to a pretty good chance this group is dancing on Selection Sunday.

There are still a lot of games left to be played, but the past 14 weeks have already taught us a lot about head coach Mark Turgeon and his current team. Here is a look at the biggest things we have learned about the Terps so far this season.

Never Overlook Team Chemistry

Jamie Squire/Getty Images

After finishing with a 17-15 record last season, Maryland saw five players transfer out of the program, each of which being a key member of the rotation.

While there were some calling for coach Mark Turgeon's head at that point, it's clear to see the squad is much better without them.

Obviously, it helps adding players like Melo Trimble, but the real difference is chemistry. The 2013-14 squad had players who seemed only interested in stats and would often force shots. On the defensive end, there would be few rotations and not enough team play.

The 2014-15 version has done a better job at playing as one on both ends of the court, and it has led to a huge turnaround.

Every team goes through its ups and downs, but the current group seems more prepared to handle adversity, and it will lead to even more success as the season continues.

Road Games Are Tough in Any Conference

USA TODAY Sports

After going 2-8 in true road games last season as part of the ACC, it seems playing on the road isn't any easier in the Big Ten.

The Terrapins started off well this year with wins at Oklahoma State and at Michigan State, two wins that will look nice on the resume come March. The January win over Purdue is also better than initially expected as the Boilermakers edge toward an NCAA tournament bid.

Unfortunately, things haven't been as great lately with three losses in a row away from home and four defeats out of the past five.

As far as RPI is concerned, none of these are really bad losses, with all four coming against opponents in the top 50. Of course, those games were much worse than they look on paper, as each of the past three were pretty much blowouts where Maryland was out of contention from the start.

On the plus side, the road schedule eases up a lot with the final games coming against Penn State, Rutgers and Nebraska, three teams with a combined 10-26 record in the Big Ten this season. However, it would be foolish to expect any of these to be easy wins.

The Terps have to find a way to be more prepared in road games, or they will be in trouble.

Too Much Reliance on Freshmen Can Be Scary

Patrick Semansky/Associated Press

A key part of Maryland's success this season has been the strong play of the freshman class. Melo Trimble has played like an all-conference point guard, while Jared Nickens, Dion Wiley and Michal Cekovsky all got out to strong starts to the year.

When this group was playing well, it seemed almost unstoppable during the nonconference season.

However, the problem with freshmen is they are sometimes inconsistent and oftentimes hit a wall as the year continues. This happens with young players at every level of sports as they deal with the increased grind.

As good as Trimble has been this season, he has had some spotty performances, including an 0-of-8 showing against Ohio State. Wiley and Nickens have almost disappeared in games with zero-point efforts after being consistent bench performers earlier in the year.

Meanwhile, Cekovsky seems to no longer be a part of the regular rotation.

Maryland is clearly better when this group is active and playing at its best. As long as these first-years all stay and improve, the future is bright in College Park. Still, this season will continue to see ups and downs based on the play of the inconsistent freshmen.

Interior Defense Goes a Long Way

Leon Halip/Getty Images

When Maryland was playing at its best earlier in the season, so was Damonte Dodd. The 6'11" sophomore was a blocking machine who could also pull down rebounds with the best of them.

Although this ability seemingly disappeared with Dodd looking lost for much of the conference season, he came back with a strong performance against Indiana, blocking four shots in 13 minutes in the home win.

With Michal Cekovsky struggling to get onto the court and Jon Graham only able to do so much as an undersized center, Dodd's presence in the middle of the defense is vital.

Fans have certainly seen the perimeter defense become a major issue in recent weeks, but a lot of that is due to the need to help on penetration while leaving men wide open from three-point range. With a strong rim protector, the players would be able to stay on the outside and keep everyone covered.

This is what makes teams like Kentucky so successful defensively.

Evan Smotrycz has become a good on-ball defender in the post, but Maryland needs Dodd's shot-blocking presence. The Terps were better with him on Wednesday night, and he needs to remain a factor on that end of the court going forward.

Dez Wells Can Still Be a Hero but Doesn't Have to Be

Jamie Sabau/Getty Images

In his first two years at Maryland after transferring from Xavier, Dez Wells was the man. He led the team in scoring and had the ball in his hands in pretty much every key possession late in games. Whether he made shots or missed, it was still the best option for the offense.

While this was necessary on otherwise poor teams, he doesn't have to be that person anymore.

Melo Trimble is now the team's leading scorer at 15.5 points per game, while Jake Layman has also turned himself into a weapon, averaging 13.6 points per game. Either of these players is capable of making a big shot when needed.

Wells is still a major factor on the team and has proven himself in big situations, including a game-tying three against Michigan State and a go-ahead putback against Northwestern. However, this doesn't mean he has to be the one taking a shot late in close games.

The problem is he often forces tough looks while sitting among the Big Ten leaders in turnovers at 3.2 per game. The senior has 15 turnovers in the past three games while often struggling to stay in control on the court.

Jeff Ermann of 247Sports summed up one tough possession against Indiana, tweeting, "Hero ball there by Dez Wells. Roughly 27 dribbles, three spins and a turnaround jumper missed. Trimble looked frustrated, understandably."

Wells has had some excellent games featuring some incredible moments this season. That being said, he has to realize at times there are other players on the team capable of shouldering the load. If he can do that while still turning on the switch when needed, Maryland will be in great shape.

Wanna talk Terps, college basketball or anything else in sports? Follow Rob Goldberg on Twitter.