Terps coach concerned with effort in Puerto Rico After a rugged trip to Puerto Rico, where Maryland went 1-2 with blowout losses to Alabama and Iona, coach Mark Turgeon was embarrassed — for his team and himself.
“We didn’t even look like we were coached down there,” Turgeon said. “I’m not doing my job with these guys. They’re not making my job easy.”
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When Maryland (2-2) plays host to Florida Gulf Coast (2-3) on Friday night, Turgeon will look for more commitment and much better ball-handling. The Terps had 26 turnovers and just nine assists in the 89-63 loss to Iona on Sunday, while the Gaels had 10 turnovers and 22 assists.
| Up next |
| Florida Gulf Coast at Maryland |
| When » Friday, 7 p.m. |
| Where » Comcast Center |
| Radio » 980 AM |
“That’s why I was so upset about Sunday because I don’t think we did our best,” Turgeon said. “We wasted a day.”
Friday’s game represents a chance to make amends and take a step forward before the Terps take on tough foes Illinois (4-0) on Tuesday in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge and Notre Dame (4-2) on Dec. 4 in the BB&T Classic.
“We’re looking to Friday definitely to get the loss out of our head,” guard Sean Mosley said. “It’s something we can learn from. Every game is a learning experience.”
Turgeon said Wednesday that Mosley is the team’s only player he can trust to be consistent in practice and games. Mosley was one of the few bright spots in Puerto Rico, scoring 37 points in the final two games. He hit eight of 14 shots from 3-point range, the best long-distance shooting stretch of his career.
Sophomore guard Terrell Stoglin had a career-high 32 points in the Terps’ lone victory over Colorado but struggled in the other two games, including an 0-for-9 effort against Alabama.
“Terrell’s really trying,” Turgeon said. “Terrell really wants to win. He doesn’t know how to win. It starts with practice.”
Turgeon said Maryland can’t take any game for granted. He said the Terps could lose them all. What he is striving for is improvement. He didn’t see any in Puerto Rico.
“I’ve had teams that lost more than we won. But by the end of the year, they were a good team. I imagine this team is maybe gonna be the same,” Turgeon said. “I gotta hang my hat on something. I can’t hang it on anything right now.”
