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Terps 81, Bucknell 52
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AP Photo/Nick Wass
Three-sentence recap
The Terps held Bucknell to 32% shooting and overcame a rough start end up with a 29-point season-opening victory over the visiting Bison. Landon Milbourne scored a game-high 16 and Cliff Tucker added a career-high 14. Both teams struggled in the first half, with Maryland missing its first eight shots and Bucknell making only seven of 28 shots in the period.
Some observations from the first game
The starters: Milbourne, Braxton Dupree, Greivis Vasquez, Eric Hayes and Tucker
-Tucker looks great: Tucker appeared nervous at first, missing his first three shots, but after the sophomore guard re-entered later in the first half he was maybe the best player on the floor. He ended up with 14 points, five rebounds and two steals in only 19 minutes. He’s smooth, very athletic and a fantastic finisher around the rim.
-Greivis still has two sides: Bad Greivis took several bad shots, going only 5-16 from the field. Good Greivis notched six assists with only one turnover. He is who he is so, like Brett Favre, you take the talented playmaking and scoring along with the sometimes erratic play.
-Adrian Bowie is much improved: Bowie scored 12 points and also chipped in three assists (only one turnover) and two steals in 20 minutes. Hayes played okay (three points, five rebounds, three assists) but Bowie was better. Like Tucker, Bowie is an athlete who can finish in traffic (he almost hurdled a Bucknell defender for a nifty layup and foul) and make plays on his own.
-Jin Soo Kim needs more practice time: The freshman has only been practicing with the team for a week, so despite his 20-point explosion against Northwood expectations must be tempered. Kim scored five points in 15 minutes and drew the biggest cheer of the night when he buried a three late in the second half. But, Kim also struggled on the defensive end. He was slow to move his feet to stop penetration and jumped at several ball fakes. He has a great looking shot, though.
-Braxton Dupree must improve his hands in the post: Dupree played pretty well defensively, but needs to go up stronger with the ball on offense. He lost the ball on the way up a few times and wasn’t much of an offensive threat.
-Sean Mosley will be alright: He didn’t have the greatest game tonight (three points on 1-5 shooting, four rebounds, four assists) but the freshman from Baltimore showed a lot of heart and effort, especially on the defensive end. He went crashing onto the scorer’s table trying to chase down a loose ball early in the second half. He fought tough for rebounds on both ends, too.
Some stats
-Fast break points: MD-16, Bucknell-0
-Points in paint: MD-42, Bucknell-22
-Turnovers: MD-11, Bucknell-20
-Free Throws: MD-16/22, Bucknell-11/23
Final word
I hesitate to make too many sweeping statements about the team based on one game against a clearly inferior opponent…
Ok, now that I’ve hesitated long enough, I’ll go ahead and make them. The young kids, especially Tucker and Bowie look legit. Milbourne is vastly improved. Vasquez is an establish commodity. The key is if Dupree can step up (or Burney, Gregory or Goins, all of whom were nondescript tonight).
Up Next:
Youngstown St., Tuesday, Nov. 18, 8 p.m. at the Comcast Center
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