Projected Maryland basketball starting lineup for 2020-2021.
A new era has now begun without Anthony Cowan Jr. and Jalen Smith, but all is not lost Terps fans. Eric Ayala, Darryl Morsell, and Aaron Wiggins will be anchoring the team as they make this transition. This is a very good sign for Head Coach Mark Turgeon who struggled to reel in top transfers this offseason. The 2020-21 season is going to be a test for the program but also an opportunity for a few players to shine.
The Coronavirus pandemic halted the momentum that Maryland basketball was hoping to build upon after winning a share of the Big Ten Title. This was a season filled with come from behind victories, heroics from Cowan Jr., and a nine-game winning streak that gave Maryland fans and players a lot to be excited about. Here are the updated projections for the 2020-21 starting lineup.
Projected Maryland basketball starting lineup: Eric Ayala, PG
Eric Ayala is the man now. He has been given the key to run the team. This season, people will be able to see what Ayala is made of. The past two seasons that he was paired with Cowan Jr. prepared him for what he will have to take on as the point guard of this team.
Last season, Ayala’s scoring ability from in close was impressive during non-conference play and people shouldn’t forget that he can score in the paint. He has made his mark as a three-point shooter but that’s not all he can do.
Even when he had that stretch of games where his shot was off, he eventually got it back to where it needed to be with belief in himself and his team’s confidence in him. After Maryland basketball beat the Illinois Fighting Illini 75-66 on the road, Ayala got his rhythm back, via the Washington Post.
"“Personally, I just stick it out,” Ayala said after the 75-66 win. “I know the shots are going to fall. But having them believe in me and instilling that confidence, I wanted to do it for them, too. That’s why it was like, ‘Thank God, I did it for my team.’”"
For Ayala, it was a matter of his effort being there, but the shots just weren’t falling. After his 12 points, five rebounds and three assists in that game, he scored in double-figures three times including 19 points in the win against Michigan. Ayala will take another step as an upperclassman after building on the momentum of the 2019-20 season.