COLLEGE PARK, MD – JANUARY 06: Melo Trimble #2, Jake Layman #10, and Diamond Stone #33 of the Maryland Terrapins look on from the bench in the second half against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Xfinity Center on January 6, 2016 in College Park, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
NCAABy Michael Grant on

There is still time and a lot can change in this violate college basketball season. But based on what we know now, No.10-ranked Maryland is starting to resemble the Jeb Bush of Final Four contenders – an early frontrunner that could be knocked out before things really get going. The Terrapins, No.3 in both preseason polls and in the top 10 all season long, has wobbled down the stretch to March.

If you’re a results-over-process person, you might conclude that all that matters is that Maryland (23-5, 11-4 Big Ten) escaped Sunday with 86-82 home victory over Michigan. It remains in the hunt for a Big Ten conference championship, trailing Indiana (22-6 12-3) and Iowa (20-6, 11-3).

If you’re a process-over-results type, then you’re concerned. Maryland recently lost at home to Wisconsin, at Minnesota (egads!). The Terrapins could have easily stumbled against Michigan team so depleted you wouldn’t have been surprised if John Beilein had Jim Harbaugh suit up.

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“You lose two in a row, it felt like two months,” Maryland coach Mark Turgeon said. “Let’s don’t forget who we are, what we are about,” he added. “A lot of coaches would love to be 23-5, love to be 23-5 and have the players that we have. I just try to be real positive.”

Maryland has one of the best starting fives in the country, highlighted by sophomore guard Melo Trimble and freshman big man Diamond Stone. That lineup helped the Terrapins roll out to a 15-1 start – 4-0 in the Big Ten. Since then, we’ve seen cracks. This squad was taken to overtime at home by Northwestern last month before winning 62-56.

Maryland has issues that need to be resolved or at least camouflaged in order for the Terrapins to reach the Final Four for the first time since winning the 2002 national championship. Ken Pomeroy rates Maryland No.20 while Jeff Sagarin has the Terrapins at No.17.

You don’t need to be Sherlock Holmes to discover Maryland’s No.1 problem. A preschool hallway monitor could figure that out. The Terrapins handle the basketball as if it’s smothered in Vaseline. They rank 291st in the nation in turnovers per possession (17.4 percent). And according to www.numberfire.com, that figure has been even worse in Big Ten play.

Over the past three games, Maryland has 45 turnovers leading to 55 points by its opponents. On Sunday, 12 first-half Maryland turnovers helped the Wolverines rally from a 16-point deficit to close within 41-36 at halftime.

One of the turnovers looked too easy. Michigan’s Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman swiped the ball from a Robert Carter who was attempting an inbound pass to Trimble. Another turnover happened when forward Jake Layman grabbed a rebound and immediately coughed it up, resulting in a Michigan three-point play late in the second half.

Turgeon smiled in disbelief.

“I don’t like turnovers and I don’t like layups,” the coach said after the game. “The only time I did smile is when Jay Layman got the rebound, threw it to their guy and they got a three-point play. You can’t write that.”

Turgeon can’t be smiling at the recent struggles for Trimble. Over the past five games, the sophomore has looked nothing like the Big Ten’s preseason player of the year.  Trimble is 10 for 48 from the field with 20 turnovers during that span. Against Michigan, he had seven turnovers and was limited to one first-half basket.

Trimble has been so bad, some have speculated about his health. Trimble sustained a hamstring injury last month and CBS analyst Doug Gottlieb and Big Ten Network’s Jon Crispin have both openly wondered if Trimble is still hurt. Whether it’s ailing legs or something else, Maryland needs Trimble at his best to make a Final Four run.

“What I see beneath the surface, there is a frustration there,” Crispin told the Washington Post. “The problem is that teams have keyed on him so much, and the expectations are so high . . . the lull is even more dramatic when the expectations are so high.”

If Maryland cuts down on turnovers and Trimble returns to form, the Terrapins should be formidable in the NCAA tournament. Their biggest strength is their defense, ranked 14th in the nation in the Pomeroy defensive efficiency ratings. They also lead the Big Ten in blocked shots per game (5.8) and are fourth in field-goal percentage allowed (39.9).

And yet, even the vaunted Maryland defense was vulnerable against Michigan. The Wolverines shot 47.1 percent, (18 of 32 in the second half). They connected on 13 of 27 from beyond the arc and totaled 22 assists on 32 field goals.

All these concerns add up. It leaves you with enough information to doubt Maryland. One Associated Press pollster didn’t even vote for the Terrapins this week.

Maryland will try to prove itself next month. But for now, the Terrapins have given everyone a reason to be skeptics.

About Michael Grant

Born in Jamaica. Grew up in New York City. Lives in Louisville, Ky. Sports writer. Not related to Ulysses S. Grant, Anthony Grant, Amy Grant or Hugh Grant.

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