Maryland expanded its lead to nearly 20 points Tuesday against Lafayette, and coach Mark Turgeon repeated in the second half what he’d done earlier.
Off to the scorer’s table went five subs – four freshmen and graduate student Logan Aronhalt. Soon, the Terps had their lead cut to 11, and the starters rapidly returned.
It was a learning experience for Turgeon, who is still figuring out just how to handle a 10-man rotation with six newcomers. And it might have provided a lesson for what not to do as the Terrapins (3-1) move forward.
Will there be wholesale line changes again? Perhaps. But it seems a bit less likely they will be common as Maryland moves forward, starting with Saturday’s date with Georgia Southern.
“I’ll rely on my gut,” Turgeon said Friday. “We were rolling, up 19, and I felt like they didn’t have the energy and felt comfortable with the decision to put those guys in. … You can do it in the first half sometimes and get away with it. We’ll see. I don’t want to back myself into a corner. Each day, I get a better feel for the team. Hopefully, I can sub a little better than I did [Tuesday].”
One of Turgeon’s issues is how to divvy up minutes appropriately, and just how to massage the combinations he uses in an equitable manner.
That could mean making one or two substitutions at a time rather than four or five. For the moment, it does not appear it will lead to a tweak of the starting lineup
“I don’t think any of my young kids deserve to start; therefore, I’m not going to punish anyone so my team will look different,” Turgeon said. “I’ll sub a bit different and maybe bring in a couple at a time instead of five.”
