Mark Turgeon spoke candidly about the upcoming season at the Coaches vs. Cancer benefit breakfast Tuesday, which was attended by about 50 of the team's top boosters.
Turgeon was in good spirits, telling stories of on-campus parking mishaps, personal experiences with boosters, and even his GPA at Kansas.
He went on to talk about what he expects from each of his players, and began with the man he'll lean on most.
"Dez Wells has really grown up and has matured quicker than anyone else I've ever been around," Turgeon said. "And he's been through a lot."
With reports indicating that Wells will take over for an injured Seth Allen at point guard, it's obvious that Turgeon has developed immense trust in Wells.
Turgeon's comments at the breakfast came just hours before Allen broke his foot in practice Tuesday afternoon.
"Seth Allen has really improved defensively and now he even passes the ball every now and then," he joked. Fans won't get a chance to see that until January.
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| Allen broke his foot in practice Tuesday |
"Nick's got to be our best perimeter defender. In a scrimmage against a very good Big East team, he held their best scorer to 1-for-7 shooting."
The team played Villanova in a closed scrimmage, so it can be infered that Faust had Ryan Arcidiacono's number. Arcidiacono hit 71 three-pointers last season, averaging 12 points-per-game.
"Chuck [Mitchell] and Shaq [Cleare] have improved their bodies a lot and Jake Layman has turned it around in the classroom. He's become a better student with the new haircut."
Layman is now sporting a traditional look and has left the freshman flow behind.
Turgeon talked glowingly about 6-9 freshman Damonte Dodd, "He's really coming fast. I'm not sure he knows what he's doing yet, but he plays fast and really runs the floor. And he's not a pre-Madonna like you see so often."
Turgeon also mentioned that Michigan transfer Evan Smotrycz will play a big role on the 2013-2014 Maryland team, as he figures to crack the starting lineup, especially after the Allen injury.
The Maryland coach went on to mention some higher profile names that won't be suiting up in red, black and gold this winter.
"I'm trying to get Obama up here for the Oregon State game," he said. Michelle Obama's brother, Craig Robinson is the head coach for Beavers, which is why many believed the game was scheduled in College Park, just miles away from the D.C.
Turgeon went on to reminisce about a recent conversation he had with Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski. Turgeon said Krzyzewski takes pride in being the most hated man on Maryland's campus.
Duke and Maryland will have one last conference showdown in Durham on February 15.
The Terps open their season on Friday, November 8 against No. 19 Connecticut at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
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