Maryland Basketball: Why Terps Will Reach NCAA Tournament

Despite a poor start, the University of Maryland basketball team will still have a good season.

This seems like a bold statement for a team with only a 5-3 record to start the year. Losses to Alabama, Illinois, and a blowout by Iona already haunt the early season profile.

The good news for the Terrapins? Help is on the way.

The team has been without sophomore Pe'Shon Howard, who has missed the entire season with a foot injury. While losing a player who averaged 5.4 points per game last season should not be a huge loss, it can be argued that Howard is the most important person on the team.

Howard plays point guard, a position that no one else on the roster was able to fill.

Terrell Stoglin tried it, but he is better at creating opportunities for himself rather than other people. This is still useful, but he is better suited to play shooting guard. 

Freshman Nick Faust had been starting at the position this season, but it is not his natural position, and it seems to be too hard of a transition in the young man's first collegiate year. So far he is shooting only 27.1 percent from the field, including 20 percent from 3-point range.

Point guard is the most important position in basketball. The position is the quarterback of the court, as he needs to run the plays and basically be an extension of the head coach. This is why Pe'Shon Howard is so important.

Howard is a natural point guard who brings instant credibility to the position. He played for powerhouse Oak Hill Academy in high school, and was only the second three-year starter in the school's history.

He was able to distribute the ball to a very talented roster, as the team became one of the best in the country.

This offseason, Howard played in the star-studded Goodman League with some current NBA players. He provided some outstanding highlights in which he shows off his skills and passing ability. 

While he did not provide great statistics last season, the steadiness of Howard will be a huge turnaround for a team in desperate need of consistency. He is expected to return on Dec. 23. 

Besides Howard, Maryland will also gain a boost in another player that will soon make his season debut. On Dec. 28, freshman Alex Len will play from the first time in America.

The 7'1" center from the Ukraine was given a 10-game suspension from the NCAA because the organization could not verify Len's amateur status.

While Len is inexperienced, he has a soft shooting touch with decent handle. Most importantly, you cannot teach height, and he will provide size to a smaller team. 

The Terrapins have been showing some signs of improvement lately. James Padgett has been a monster on the offensive boards, and Terrell Stoglin looks like one of the best players in the ACC with his ability to score at will. 

However, the addition of these two players could make the team one of the better squads in a weak conference. 

As for the early season losses, Alabama and Illinois are quality, ranked teams. Iona has some losses but plenty of talent. The Gaels should be in the NCAA tournament at year's end.

Most importantly, the NCAA has a policy that they judge a team at full-strength. Therefore, if Maryland can show a large improvement when these players return, the losses will be all but forgotten.

The only thing the Terrapins need to do is listen to head coach Mark Turgeon, improve their defense and continue to work to get better every day. If this happens, we will see Maryland still playing come tournament time.