Maryland Terrapins Could Juggle Starting Five in Upcoming Games

As I talked about in my last article, the Maryland Terrapins have struggled early in games, often having to come back late in the first half or in the second half to earn the win.

On Sunday, the Terps fell behind Temple, and although they mounted a great second half comeback, they still lost 64-61.

Much of the Terps slow starts can be attributed to their starting lineup which, aside from Jordan Williams, has really underperformed. Dino Gregory is playing about up to expectations and really is not on the floor for his offensive skills, but the three starting guards are all underperforming.

Sean Mosley was supposed to take over a big scoring roll for the Terps but instead is only averaging 8.3 points per game, putting him fourth on the team in scoring.

Cliff Tucker started off the season well, scoring in double-digits in the Terps first six games. Unfortunately, in the last three games Tucker has managed a combined 10 points. Tucker may be better suited coming off the bench and Gary Williams may have realized this, as Tucker only played 18 minutes in the game against Temple.

The final guard who has struggled is Adrian Bowie, the senior point guard for the team. The replacement of Greivis Vasquez and Eric Hayes was something many Terps fans were worried about going into the season, but Bowie was expected to step up and try to fill the void.

Although still a valuable asset to the team, he has struggled at the point, dishing out only four assists a game while turning it over almost three times a game. Bowie, like Tucker, may be better suited coming off the bench and providing a spark for the Terps.

With all this in mind, Gary Williams faces a tough decision in what lineup to send out on the floor at the beginning of the game. In the first crucial minutes, Williams needs players who can score and at least keep Maryland from falling behind early.

One player that has really excited fans of late is Terrell Stoglin, who is averaging a shade under 10 points per game in just 16 minutes of work. When Stoglin comes on the floor, things just seem to flow better and although he is only a freshman, he already seems to understand the offense.

Another freshman who may be starting soon is Pe'Shon Howard. Howard already made a name for himself to Maryland faithful with his clutch shot with three seconds left against the College of Charleston.

Howard is a player who makes spectacular plays and seems to try harder than every other player on the floor; this is the kind of player that Gary Williams loves to mold into a star, and the sooner he is on the floor starting, the sooner this process can begin.

So with all this in mind, I personally think that the best starting lineup the Terps can put on the floor right now is to keep Williams, Gregory and Mosley starting, and to add Howard and Stoglin.

This group definitely is the future of Maryland basketball and the sooner they can get on the court and gel, the better.

Comment below and let me know what combo you think gives the Terps the best chance of winning now and in the future.

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