All-Mark Turgeon Maryland Teams: Reflecting on 10 Years of Terps Hoops

Mark Turgeon has been the head men’s basketball coach at Maryland for 10 years. Recently, he signed up for several more seasons in College Park, too. At least another few years of him heading the program are likely, regardless of how some fans feel.

In the decade since he replaced Gary Williams, Mark Turgeon has built several tournament teams, won a share of the Big Ten regular season championship, has sent a handful of players to the NBA and took the program to its first Sweet 16 in 13 years. Without question, there have been some seriously talented players to come through College Park during his reign.

The 10-year mark is a perfect time to look back at some of the best of the best to have played under Turgeon at Maryland. I teamed with up eight other Maryland alums to create the Maryland All-Mark Turgeon Teams, with all nine of us submitting our First, Second, and Third Teams considering all players who played for Turgeon at Maryland since 2011. A player was given five points for every placement on someone’s First Team, three points for a Second Team nod, and one point for a Third Team selection. Then, I tallied up all the points and determined the results.

Our esteemed voting roll included myself, Michael Stern, Jared Goldstein, Lamar Johnson, Jake Brodsky, Ben Jones, Alex Flum, Daniel Oyefusi, and Liam Beatus – all graduates of Maryland within the last four years. Some of us covered the team at times in college, others were only a fan. But all of us don’t like Duke.

Let the nostalgia begin.

This article was originally published April 27, 2021. Recently, Turgeon and Maryland parted ways, ending his tenure at almost exactly one decade in College Park. It feels appropriate to resurface this piece now that it’s essentially a full collection of Turgeon’s players at Maryland.

Maryland All-Mark Turgeon Teams

* = unanimous selection

First Team

G Anthony Cowan (2016-2020, 14.5 ppg, 4.5 apg, 3.9 rpg, 130 games started, 2x All-Big Ten, Big Ten All-Defense)

“Always felt he was kind of playing in the shadow of Melo as a local point guard who stayed home but he as a pillar of stability for the program. The Michigan State game where he scored 11 straight is stuff of legends.” – Daniel

“He was Mr. Consistent of the decade in my eyes. The MSU game was filthy and he somehow wasn’t a let down after Melo left. He got robbed of a magical tourney run carried by him and Stix.” – Jake

“And he did this all at my height, which was very impressive. I don’t care what he was listed at, he’s 5’9″.” – Jared

“Cowan’s your ideal college basketball player from a fan’s perspective.” – Liam

“Steadily progressed as a player in each of his four seasons, which is what you live to see as a college basketball fan. I was always a big believer in him, even when some of the fan base gave him grief his sophomore year, which I felt was unwarranted and a misunderstanding of the team’s situation. His senior season in particular was special. His play with Jalen Smith is my favorite duo I’ve ever seen at Maryland. Cowan is a player I will never forget.” – Justin

*G Melo Trimble (2014-2017, 15.9 ppg, 3.9 apg, 3.7 rpg, 84.3 FT%, 3x All-Big Ten, Big Ten All-Freshman)

“Remember when we were supposed to suck and then beat Iowa State and Wisconsin and a bunch of other teams almost exclusively because he could takeover late in games? That was sick.” – Jared

“Michigan State and Wisconsin come to mind. He’ll always be a favorite because he made them put Upper Marlboro (where I’m from) as his hometown on national TV.” – Lamar

“Dez saved the program, Melo put them back on the map. Clutch as hell and a local player. He probably should’ve left after year one but I’m glad we got him for longer.” – Jake

“There’s a reason Trimble is the only unanimous First Team selection. He is 2010s Maryland basketball.” – Justin

G Dez Wells (2012-2015, 14.3 ppg, 2.6 apg, 4.8 rpg, 49.2 FG%, 2013-14 All-ACC, 2013 All-ACC Tourney, 2014-15 All-Big Ten)

“The Northwestern comeback, saving the program and being the fire to Melo’s ice.” – Lamar

“That rebound and put back. Holy shit.” – Michael

“RIMS OUT WELLLLLSSSSSS!” – Jared

“ALL’S WELL, THAT ENDS WELLS.” – Justin

G/F Jake Layman (2012-2016, 10.2 ppg, 1.1 apg, 4.8 rpg, 36.2 3PT%)

“He was more consistent than extraordinary which is why he was a First Teamer in my book. He’s also a Turge favorite and a four-year guy.” – Lamar

“One time I was wearing Timbs at an availability and went up to his chin. Was the tallest media member there, felt like I belonged on the court, not asking about it.” – Jake

“I remember he used to carry around his girlfriend’s dog in a lil bag everywhere.” – Lamar

“Was great at the top of the 1-3-1 zone and full-court press that I always wished Mark Turgeon would have used more when Layman was on the team. I think Wells, Trimble, and Cowan were all better college players and meant more to Maryland, which is why I had them on the First Team over him, but Layman was excellent. He could shoot, his length really bothered teams defensively, he rebounded pretty well, and did a good job of creating space for the offensively with his movement and range.” – Justin

F Jalen Smith (2018-2020, 13.5 ppg, 0.8 apg, 8.6 rpg, 1.8 bpg, 2019-20 All-Big Ten, Big Ten All-Defense, Big Ten All-Freshman)

“GROWN MAN SLAM! Plus that triple he hit against LSU to set up that final play was huge even if ultimately fruitless.” – Lamar

“I liked him much he cared. Hometown kid. Always humble but also knew he was good enough on the court to be a difference marker and wanted to win.” – Jared

“Probably was always gonna go to Maryland but the fact that he did as a five-star recruit and followed through on the two-and-done potential is all you can ask. Supremely fun player to watch who could cash threes, dunk and swat people.” – Jake

“Just amazing. Really any time he wore his heart on his sleeve was my favorite, like screaming at the Indiana crowd, crying after the freshman year loss.” – Michael

“My favorite Terp in the years since I enrolled at Maryland. His ability on the court was unreal – rarely made any mistakes at all, one of the most reliable shooters Mark Turgeon has had while also being his best post player yet. Outstanding rim protector, outstanding post defender, outstanding rebounder, outstanding vision and an outstanding motor. But his passion and fire made him that much more special. College sports are nothing without heated competitiveness, and sometimes that means pointing at scoreboards or claiming an opponent’s court as your own. Oh, and he’s local. If you love Maryland and what this school’s culture has been for decades, how could you not love this guy with all of your heart?” – Justin

Second Team

G Eric Ayala (2018-2021, 10.6 ppg, 2.3 apg, 3.3 rpg, 41.1 FG%)

“He dunked on some guy from ND last year. I was unaware that he could do that and I almost fell off my barstool.” – Jared

“Have always liked his game. Thought he came in with a very mature style that complemented the stars in his first two years. Liked the way he stepped up as a scorer in his junior year. In terms of memories, the reverse layup he had against Illinois as a sophomore was dope. And the way he went off against UConn in the first round. He’s also one of those guys who seems to really care an he’s always been good with the media, so that’s extra points in my eyes.” – Daniel

“Won’t take over the game often like Cowan and Trimble once did but is a nice distributor and a much improved shooter.” – Liam

“If he leaves after this year, his Second Team selection here is really going to be carried by a strong two months at the end season/his time at UMD.” – Jake

“I was sometimes a critic of Ayala until this season. His decision making has improved massively from when he was a freshman, which was the biggest flaw I saw in his game. I think how well he did in this exercise is clouded by a bit of recency bias, but he did have a good junior year and an especially good close to the season. I also wonder how much playing the off-ball guard helped him this last season compared to in seasons past. If he were to stick around and do it again next season, then I think a spot on the Second Team would possibly be warranted.” – Justin

G Kevin Huerter (2016-2018, 12.0 ppg, 3.0 apg, 5.0 rpg, 39.4 3PT%)

“The Syracuse barrage from deep and a legendary ‘Turgeon doesn’t miss shots’ defense of big Mark after what ended up being his last game.” – Lamar

“Always low key on the court. Sneaky good and was honestly shocked that he left when he did. Will always appreciate the Red Mamba.” – Michael

“It’s a shame he killed the combine as a sophomore because he’s clearly more talented than any of us realized, and his junior year in CP could’ve been something special. The classic Turgeon recruit who they got early and held as his stock picked up nationally. He’s representing the squad well in Atlanta with Bruno.” – Jake

“A calming force on the floor, even at times when the rest of the team was obviously panicking. His understanding of the game was supremely high, especially for a freshman, and he almost always gave the best and most in-depth quotes of any player on the 2016-17 team that I covered my senior year. You could tell he was often anticipating the game multiple steps ahead of time, and when you combine that with his physical talent, you get an excellent college player and a multi-year NBA career.” – Justin

G Aaron Wiggins (2018-2021, 11.0 ppg, 1.6 apg, 4.6 rpg, 36.1 3PT%, 2019-20 Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year)

“Second half of this year he just carried the team.” – Michael

“Extremely skilled but never played like the man until late this past season. Best bag of tools a Mark Turgeon guy has had forreal. Underutilized to an extent but personally feel that was as much his hesitancy as Turgeon’s mistake.” – Lamar

“Yet another underused star, hindered by the incompetence of Mark Turgeon.” – Jared

“Lowkey a disappointment of a Terps career for how talented he was. If he had great coaching he could’ve been an All-B1G talent. He’s so smooth driving to the hoop and he really is an exciting finisher when he wants to be. It’s fitting his best game came in that blowout loss. Enjoy the league lol.” – Jake

“One of the most skilled players in recent memory. Wish it had clicked sooner but loved watching his game. Feel like Wiggins suffered the same fate as Huerter. Probably the most skilled on the team but not best at the time. Can’t fault Turg for keeping the ball in Cowan’s hands more. His shot was still shaky this past season and it finally clicked when Mark Turgeon told him to stop shooting and just drive.” – Daniel

“Wiggins has grown with every passing season, and he will be a special four-year player if he stays. I love his finishing ability around the rim, his jumper is smooth, and his defensive ability on the ball and in passing lanes is fantastic. He can serve as a good rim protector, too, especially in transition. In his earlier Maryland days, his shot selection and decision marking needed work, but he has improved in both areas very nicely.” – Justin

F Bruno Fernando (2017-2019, 12.0 ppg, 1.4 apg, 8.7 rpg, 1.6 bpg, 2018-19 All-Big Ten, Big Ten All-Defense, Big Ten All-Freshman)

“He HATED rims.” – Jared

“Elite energy guy.” – Jake

“Every time I turned around he was waving his arms up hyping up the arena.” – Alex

“I think one of my favorite Bruno plays is the hi-low pass he had his sophomore year when he looks like he’s about to take a bad three and leaves his feet, then rifles it to Stix for an easy dunk.” – Lamar

“Bruno was an elite rim protector and had some tools in his bag on offense.” – Liam

“When I watch college basketball, I want to see kids running themselves into the ground and screaming at the top of their lungs about a dunk in the first half. That was Bruno Fernando’s MO. His biggest weakness was passing out of double teams and maintaining possession of his dribble in traffic, but otherwise there wasn’t much to critique. Vicious rebounder, terrifying in the paint offensively and defensively, unending motivation. He was a total difference maker in my opinion, which is why I had to put him on my First Team.” – Justin

C Alex Len (2011-2013, 9.7 ppg, 0.8 apg, 7.0 rpg, 2.1 bpg, ACC All-Defense)

“He has that game winner against NC State. That was cool.” – Jared

“His impact on the program by being a fluke top 5 pick is way bigger than his impact as a player, but that’s okay.” – Jake

“Left too soon to leave a lasting impact on the court, but him becoming a top draft pick undoubtedly helped Mark Turgeon recruit the rest of the decade. Still, he was a good player who was very effective on the glass and protecting the rim especially. He also shot 11.1% from three (1-of-9) for his career, which doesn’t really matter for a 7-foot-1 center but it still funny.” – Justin

“He was the first player I knew when I was considering going to Maryland. He said he doesn’t watch Maryland anymore because they left the ACC, but he’s still in the Maryland pride video.” – Michael

Third Team

G Rasheed Sulaimon (2015-2016, 11.3 ppg, 3.5 apg, 3.5 rpg, 42.2 3PT%)

“Sniper! Quietly a sick shooter, stupid quick but often turned it over. Wish he played on a younger Terps team.” – Liam

“Young Bean! Maybe the best 3-and-D guy Turge has had.” – Lamar

“I just like that he came to us from Duke and then was better for us.” – Jared

“Rich man’s Richaud Pack.” – Jake

“He was a great defender, and I think what he did in his one season was worthy of a Second Team nod. He was the glue guy for that team that I think would have likely entirely collapsed without someone like him on it. His defending, his passing, his shooting, and his steady play were important as a foundation for that team. As a glue guy type of player myself, I have to show appreciation for one of my own.” – Justin

G Darryl Morsell (2017-2021, 8.7 ppg, 2.2 apg, 4.0 rpg, 45.0 FG%, 2020-21 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, Big Ten All-Defense)

“Best memory: hitting the three obviously. But also wanting to keep playing when he broke his face/shoulder.” – Michael

“Total glue and motivator of the team for the past four years. You could see his energy from the moment he took the court in an exhibition game as a freshman. He was an extension of Mark Turgeon on the court as a senior and a big part of why this past year’s team kept fighting through adversity.” – Alex

“Local guy who wasn’t the biggest, tallest, fastest or most talented but gave everything he had for this program. The Minnesota game ruined my gamer but was an all-time moment. He literally willed Maryland to like two or three extra wins this past season. One of the more exciting players to watch in recent memory off his passion alone. I enjoyed watching him play defense just as much as I enjoyed some of Maryland’s better offensive players perform over the years.” – Daniel

“So appreciative of him as a Terp. Passion through the roof. Always max effort. That being said, he was tough to watch at times on offense.” – Jared

“Amazing glue guy. Also awesome to see his confidence bounce back after being an abysmal three-point shooter his freshman year. He never became amazing at it but a lot of players would’ve folded and Minnesota will always have flashbacks. Stellar defender and really enjoyed watching the DPoY campaign Maryland ran for him.” – Lamar

“Another glue guy whom you have to love if you love Maryland. His shooting is the black mark, but he made up for it in a massive way on the defensive side of the ball and consistent aggression. At times when the rest of the team was timid and low on confidence, Morsell was always the one to try to shift the momentum and barrel his way to the basket to get something, anything going. For always making the ‘hustle plays,’ he will remain a Maryland cult hero for years to come.” – Justin

F Justin Jackson (2016-2018, 10.3 ppg, 1.2 apg, 6.5 rpg, 38.6 3PT%)

“He was a game changer his freshman year.” – Michael

“He was their best rebounder and for stretches just the best player on a really talented team his freshman year. He was a guy who always made the most of his touches.” – Liam

“Better than his 25% three point percentage as a sophomore showed, but not 43% from three good either. I feel as if him playing hurt for that first half was worse than just sitting the year. Him leaving after that hurt his case as an All-Mark Turgeon player for me. I think there were better options at that position from a program career standpoint.” – Lamar

“In terms of talent, I think he could have been better than Cowan over multiple years but it’s hard to place him much higher than Third Team off one year.” – Daniel

F Robert Carter (2015-16, 12.3 ppg, 1.9 apg, 6.9 rpg, 55.4 FG%)

“Please stop shooting the jumper and go be dominant inside. But also his 19′ jumper was like the signature play of Turg’s offense that year.” – Jake

“Best set of post moves for someone who never wanted to be in the post,” – Lamar

“My hot take from that season: the lineup should’ve been Melo, Sheed, Layman, Stone at the 4 in the pick n’ roll with Melo, Carter at the 5 in the post.” – Jared

“I have nightmares of Carter ignoring the paint, where he was virtually automatic, for contested jumpers beyond the three-point line where he shot 33%. He was a good player, don’t get me wrong. I put Carter on my Third Team. But he is the quintessential example of the issues Mark Turgeon had as a coach at that time.” – Justin

C Diamond Stone (2015-16, 12.5 ppg, 0.4 apg, 5.4 rpg, 1.6 bpg, Big Ten All-Freshman)

“39 points versus Penn State was cool to see in person and him committing to Maryland was hype. Those are really the only two times he was worth the hype. Very solid offensive player but not great on the other end.” – Lamar

“Penn State fans think he was really good and everyone else knows he stinks.” – Liam

“Although he didn’t do much for the program, like Len his impact can be felt in recruiting. He was one of the first elite national recruiting battles that the Terps won, besides Dez Wells. He also helped the team establish a pipeline in Wisconsin that they’re still mining, most recently for James Graham.” – Jake

“Most exciting moment of his career was committing to Maryland. Justin called me when I was on a date and I didn’t care. It was all downhill from there.” – Michael

“I was very excited about Stone committing. In hindsight, I shouldn’t have been, but what was 20-year-old me to know? Other than the one game against Penn State, he was not worth interrupting Michael’s date for.” – Justin

All-Mark Turgeon Maryland Teams Voting Final Standings

Individuals’ All-Mark Turgeon Maryland Teams

Justin Meyer

First Team: G Anthony Cowan, G Melo Trimble, G Dez Wells, F Jalen Smith, F Bruno Fernando

Second Team: G Rasheed Sulaimon, G Kevin Huerter, G Aaron Wiggins, G/F Jake Layman, F Robert Carter

Third Team: G Eric Ayala, G Terrell Stoglin, G Darryl Morsell, F Justin Jackson, C Alex Len

Jake Brodsky

First Team: G Anthony Cowan, G Melo Trimble, G Dez Wells, G/F Jake Layman, F Jalen Smith

Second Team: G Eric Ayala, G Kevin Huerter, G Aaron Wiggins, F Bruno Fernando, C Alex Len

Third Team: G Rasheed Sulaimon, G Terrell Stoglin, F Justin Jackson, F Robert Carter, C Diamond Stone

Michael Stern

First Team: G Melo Trimble, G Kevin Huerter, G Dez Wells, G/F Jake Layman, F Jalen Smith

Second Team: G Anthony Cowan, G Eric Ayala, G Aaron Wiggins, F Robert Carter, F Bruno Fernando

Third Team: G Jaylen Brantley, G Rasheed Sulaimon, G Darryl Morsell, F Justin Jackson, C Alex Len

Jared Goldstein

First Team: G Melo Trimble, G Kevin Huerter, G/F Jake Layman, F Jalen Smith, F Bruno Fernando

Second Team: G Anthony Cowan, G Dez Wells, G Aaron Wiggins, F Robert Carter, C Alex Len

Third Team: G Eric Ayala, G Rasheed Sulaimon, G Sean Mosley, G Darryl Morsell, C Diamond Stone

Daniel Oyefusi

First Team: G Anthony Cowan, G Melo Trimble, G Dez Wells, F Jalen Smith, F Bruno Fernando

Second Team: G Darryl Morsell, G Kevin Huerter, G/F Jake Layman, C Alex Len, C Diamond Stone

Third Team: G Terrell Stoglin, G Eric Ayala, G Aaron Wiggins, F Donta Scott, F Justin Jackson

Alex Flum

First Team: G Anthony Cowan, G Melo Trimble, G Kevin Huerter, G/F Jake Layman, F Jalen Smith

Second Team: G Eric Ayala, G Dez Wells, G Aaron Wiggins, F Bruno Fernando, C Alex Len

Third Team: G Rasheed Sulaimon, G Terrell Stoglin, G Darryl Morsell, F Robert Carter, C Diamond Stone

Lamar Johnson

First Team: G Anthony Cowan, G Melo Trimble, G Dez Wells, G/F Jake Layman, F Jalen Smith

Second Team: G Kevin Huerter, G Darryl Morsell, G Aaron Wiggins, F Bruno Fernando, C Alex Len

Third Team: G Eric Ayala, G Terrell Stoglin, G Rasheed Sulaimon, F Robert Carter, C Diamond Stone

Liam Beatus

First Team: G Anthony Cowan, G Melo Trimble, G/F Jake Layman, F Jalen Smith, F Bruno Fernando

Second Team: G Eric Ayala, G Kevin Huerter, G Dez Wells, F Justin Jackson, C Alex Len

Third Team: G Seth Allen, G Aaron Wiggins, G Darryl Morsell, G Rasheed Sulaimon, F Robert Carter

Ben Jones

First Team: G Melo Trimble, G Kevin Huerter, G Dez Wells, G/F Jake Layman, C Alex Len

Second Team: G Anthony Cowan, G Darryl Morsell, F Jalen Smith, F Bruno Fernando, C Diamond Stone

Third Team: G Eric Ayala, G Rasheed Sulaimon, G Aaron Wiggins, F Justin Jackson, F Robert Carter