STATS
PROJECTED STARTERS
G: 4 Seth Allen (6-1, 190, FR) 8.2 ppg, 2.8 apg
G: 5 Nick Faust (6-6, 205, SO) 9.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg
F: 32 Dez Wells (6-5, 215, SO) 12.2 ppg, 4.6 rpg
F: 35 James Padgett (6-8, 235, SR) 6.4 ppg, 4.4 rpg
C: 25 Alex Len (7-1, 255, SO) 13.8 ppg, 8.3 rpg
STAR WATCH
Alex Len -- After averaging 6.0 points and 5.4 rebounds per game as a freshman, Alex Len has
developed into Maryland’s most consistent scoring threat as a sophomore.
Len is averaging 13.8 points per game, which ranks first in the ACC among centers and 12th overall. His 8.3
rebounds per game rank fifth. Len also ranks second in the league with 2.2 blocks per game.
Maryland Notables
STORYLINE
• Maryland returns home to face a ranked opponent for the second time this season as 14th-ranked North Carolina
State visits Comcast Center Wednesday at 7 p.m.
The Terps, who are coming off back-to-back losses for the
first time this season, last faced a ranked team in the season opener against then-No. 3 Kentucky. Maryland and
NC State will be meeting for the 150th time, with the Terps holding a slim 76-73 edge in the series, which dates
back to 1925.
• In its losses to Florida State and Miami, Maryland struggled shooting the ball but remained within striking distance
in both games.
Despite shooting 36.7 percent against Florida State, the Terps had what would have been
a go-ahead 3-pointer blocked in the waning seconds.
At Miami, Maryland trailed for much of the game but cut the
lead to three in the second half before the Hurricanes pulled away. Dez Wells and Alex Len carried the load by
combining for 34 points on 13-of-24 shooting.
• Though the Terps shot under 40 percent in each of the last two games, they’ve shot it well on the season as a
whole. Maryland ranks 20th nationally in field goal percentage (.483) and shot better than 45 percent in 11 of the
12 games prior to Florida State.
• Maryland ranks first in the ACC and third nationally in field goal percentage defense, having held its opponents
to 35.3 percent shooting from the field in 16 games.
The Terps have held all three ACC opponents under 38
percent, and on the year have held 12 of 16 opponents under 40 percent.
• In each game this season, Maryland has also built an advantage on the boards. Miami became the first opponent this season to grab 40-plus rebounds, though the Terps still finished with a 48-44 advantage on the glass.
Maryland’s plus-11.6 rebounding margin ranks second nationally behind only Colorado State (plus-14.1).
Maryland-NC State Series History
• Maryland leads the all-time series, which dates back to 1925, 76-73. The Terps have a 38-21 advantage in home games, including 5-1
at Comcast Center.
• Last season NC State won 79-74 in Raleigh to snap a nine-game
Maryland winning streak. The Terps have won the last four meetings
in College Park, with the last loss coming on Jan. 23, 2005.
Quick Hitters
• The 13-game winning streak Maryland went on this season is
tied for the second longest in school history, trailing just the 14-game
streak the Terps went on in 1931-32. Maryland also went on a 13-game win streak in 2001-02, the year they went on to win the national
title.
• It was also the 11th time in school history Maryland has put together
a 10-game winning streak. In the past 30 years, Maryland has
gone on a 10-game winning streak on six occasions, and in each of
the previous instances it has gone on to play in the NCAA Tournament.
• Logan Aronhalt is averaging one 3-point field goal made for every
6.9 minutes on the floor. By comparison, the ACC leader in 3PT FGs
made, Scott Wood of NC State, makes one every 12.3 minutes on the
floor.
• Charles Mitchell earned ACC Rookie of the Week honors on Dec.
31 for his play against Delaware State on Dec. 29. Mitchell came off
the bench to score 19 points and grab 14 rebounds, both career highs.
Mitchell is the second Terp to earn weekly ACC honors; Alex Len was
Player of the Week on Nov. 12.
• Seven of the 10 players in Maryland’s regular rotation are underclassmen
and 80 percent of Maryland’s scoring (59.9 of 74.8 points
per game) is coming from underclassmen. In the win over Virginia
Tech, 81 of Maryland’s 94 points came from freshmen or sophomores.
Additionally, Maryland’s top four scorers are underclassmen.
• When Seth Allen, Jake Layman and Shaquille Cleare drew starts
against UMES, it marked the first time Maryland started three true
freshmen since Dec. 28, 1993, when Keith Booth, Matt Kovarik and
Joe Smith did vs. Hofstra.
• Maryland has assisted on 63.5 percent (275 of 433) field goals this
season. The Terps had recorded double-digit assists in each game this
season until recording a season-low four at Miami.
• The Terps have made more free throws than the opponent has attempted
this season (240 to 229). Maryland is 10-1 when making more
free throws than the opponent.
• At least eight players have scored in 14 of Maryland’s 16 games
this year. The exceptions are vs. George Mason and at Miami, when
just seven players scored.
Rare Performance
• When freshmen Seth Allen and Jake Layman both reached the
20-point plateau against Virginia Tech, it marked a rare performance.
Prior to Allen and Layman’s 20-point games, a freshman had scored
20 or more points in a game just 10 times since 1994-95 – with none
of those occurring in the same game. In fact, the last time two different
freshmen scored 20 or more points in a game in the same season was
1992-93 when Exree Hipp and Johnny Rhodes did it.
Hot Shooting
• Maryland ranks second in the ACC behind NC State and 20th nationally in field goal
percentage with a .483 mark. Despite poor shooting nights against Florida State and Miami,
Maryland has shot above 40 percent in 12 of 16 games this year and above 50 percent in nine
games.
• The last time a Maryland team shot better than 48 percent on the season was 2001-02,
when the Terps connected at a .482 mark. Since the 1990-91 season, just four teams have
done it: (also 1994-95, .498; 1998-99, .495; and 2001-01, .484).
Field-goal Percentage Defense
• Maryland leads the ACC and ranks third nationally in field goal percentage defense at .353.
The Terps have held 10 of the last 12 opponents under 40 percent shooting, with Stony Brook
and IUPUI being the exceptions.
• Since 2000, five Terrapin teams have held the opponent under 40 percent shooting. Of
those five, four went on to at least the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Super Subs
• Maryland’s bench has been an asset all season, as the Terps’ non-starters have outscored
the opponents non-starters in 14 of 16 games (exceptions are Kentucky & George Mason).
• On the year, Maryland’s bench has a 440-185 (27.5 to 11.6 per game) advantage over the
opponent. The biggest advantage Maryland has had this season was against UMES on Dec. 5
(55-7).
• Though he has started two games, Seth Allen has been the biggest contributor by averaging
8.5 points per game when he doesn’t start. He has reached double figures in each of the
past four games when coming off the bench (had 4 points in a start at Miami).
• Logan Aronhalt has also been a consistent contributor as a long-range specialist. He is four
3-point field goals made shy of qualifying for the ACC lead, but his .519 mark from beyond the
arc would lead the league. He has made at least one 3-pointer in 14 of 16 games this season.
On Assists
• Though the Terps had a season-low four assists at Miami, they rank 10th nationally and second
in the ACC with 17.2 per game. Pe’Shon Howard, Seth Allen, Nick Faust and Dez Wells all rank
in the top-15 of the ACC in assists per game.
• Maryland’s 28 assists against LIU Brooklyn were nine more than the team’s season-high of
19 last year. In fact, the last time a Maryland team had more assists in a game was in the 2002-
03 season, when the Terps had 29 on two occasions. The Terps also had 28 assists in a game
on 2/9/11 vs. Longwood and 12/31/05 vs. VMI. The school record for assists in a game is 37.
• Howard’s 13 assists vs. LIU Brooklyn are tied for the fourth-most in a single game by a
Terp. The only better performances are: Greivis Vasquez (2008) and Terrell Stokes (1998) with
15; and Steve Blake (2002) and Terrell Stokes (1996) with 14.
Force on the Boards
• Though the rebounding advantage over the last three opponents is just a combined plus-10,
Maryland leads the ACC and ranks second nationally in rebounding margin at plus-11.6 per
game. Just Colorado State (plus-14.1) ranks above that. Maryland is the only ACC school with
a double-figure advantage in rebounding margin; North Carolina is second at plus-6.6.
• The Terps have built advantages on the boards in all 16 games this season.
• Alex Len and Charles Mitchell are the biggest factors in that; Len averages 8.3 rpg and
Mitchell averages 6.3. Len ranks fifth in the conference and Mitchell ranks 17th, including third
among freshmen.
• Len ranks third in the conference with 3.1 offensive rebounds per game, and the Terps are
averaging 13.5 offensive rebounds per game as a team, second in the league behind North Carolina (15.7).
• Mitchell made an impressive debut by grabbing 10 rebounds in his first career game, against
No. 3 Kentucky. That’s the most rebounds by a Maryland freshman in his debut since Buck Williams
had 13 against Bucknell in 1978. Williams went on to lead the ACC in rebounding that year
(10.8 pg) en route to capturing ACC Rookie of the Year honors.
Looking Like a Turgeon Team
• Maryland has resembled a team with the characteristics of some of Mark Turgeon’s best
teams. Of the five seasons Turgeon has led his team to a NCAA Tournament, his teams have
held the opponent to a low field goal percentage in addition to enjoying a rebounding margin and
averaging at least 12.3 assists per game. Through 16 games this season, the Terps are excelling
in each of those categories.
Who’s Next?
Head coach Mark Turgeon and his staff signed a consensus top-20 recruiting class this season
with freshmen Seth Allen, Shaquille Cleare, Jake Layman and Charles Mitchell.
The influx of talent gives Maryland the opportunity to extend a streak of being recognized for
having talented young players in the program - for three years in a row, a Terp has been on the
ACC All-Freshman Team. Prior to Nick Faust last year, Terrell Stoglin was honored in 2011 and
Jordan Williams was honored in 2010.
Maryland athletics contributed to this report.