Terps Have Handle On Situation

Many questions remained unaswered about this year's Maryland squad, but at least one area in which the Terps appear to be sound is ball control. While Maryland ranks ninth in the ACC in assists (14.8 per game) and seventh in steals (8.2), the Terps appear to be gaining and sustaining possession of the ball effectively.

Maryland trails only North Carolina in the ACC when it comes to turnover margin. The Terps, on average, force 4.58 more turnovers than they allow (the Tar Heels are +7.42). More importantly, though, Maryland is taking care of the ball once it creates those turnovers on defense.

The Terps are averaging the least amount of turnovers per contest (12.1) of any team in the conference and their assist/turnover ratio (1.2) ties them for third with North Carolina State. Only North Carolina (1.6) and Boston College (1.3) have higher marks in that category.

On an individual note, junior guard Eric Hayes holds the second best assist/turnover ratio in the ACC, trailing only North Carolina's Ty Lawson. Hayes holds a 2.2 ratio (Lawson's is 5.3). Junior guard Greivis Vasquez ranks tied for fifth with a 2.0 mark.

So what do all these numbers mean? Well for one thing, they demonstrate the Terps' ability to control the ball once it's in the their possession. It also, at least partially, reflects the level of competition against which the Terps competed for most of December.

From what you all have seen so far, how would you evaluate the ball-handling abilities of Maryland's three primary point guards -- Hayes, Vasquez and Adrian Bowie?