There was a point midway through the second half of Maryland’s borderline noncompetitive 67-53 loss to top-ranked Purdue on Tuesday night when the whistle blew to stop play, a loose ball foul called in the wake of Jahmir Young’s latest three-point attempt bonking off the rim. The ball settled into the hands of Terrapins freshman Jamie Kaiser Jr., who did what shooters do, even if play was stopped: He let a little leaner roll off his fingers toward the rim.
Maryland
Perspective | Maryland men’s basketball has a fundamental problem
If Maryland is going to advance to the NCAA tournament in Coach Kevin Willard’s second season — and remember, it’s 2½ months till Selection Sunday, so anything can happen — it’s going to have to win tough Big Ten games to offset early-season losses to Davidson and UAB. (Yuck.)
But to win those games in a rigorous conference, the Terrapins are both going to have to grow up and flat-out shoot the ball better. In their first marquee home game of the season, they looked green and — and this is a major problem — couldn’t shoot straight.
“They looked a little nervous,” Willard said frankly, just outside the Terps’ locker room Tuesday night. “They played a little nervous. And that affects your shooting dramatically. Dramatically.
“You’re a little bit more amped up. You’re moving a little bit quicker. We have a couple guys who move a little slower when they’re nervous, and now they’re bobbling the ball. As a coach, sometimes you have to sit back and recognize that you have to wait. They have to go through it. You can’t tell them not to shoot it, because eventually they’re going to have to learn to shoot it.”
They have to learn, and quickly, because the Big Ten schedule comes at them fast, and they’re playing from behind: 9-5 overall, 1-2 in the league.
How to win going forward? You can move the ball effectively and efficiently. You can defend aggressively from baseline to baseline. You can play hard every second. But at some point, the ball has to go through the hoop.
For the Terps, it just hasn’t. Here are Maryland’s rankings nationally in some basic statistical categories before hosting Purdue: 227th in free throw percentage, 298th in field goal percentage and — get this — 335th in three-point percentage. After going 6 for 11 from the line, 21 for 63 from the floor and 5 for 22 from behind the arc against the Boilermakers, their percentage dropped in every category. The ugliness now: 69 percent from the line, 40.9 percent from the floor and an astonishing 27.2 percent from three.
Consider that most of that body of work wasn’t against Purdue and Indiana and UCLA but Rider and Coppin State and Nicholls State and Alcorn State, and it’s troubling. The shots the Terps will get Sunday at Minnesota and then against Michigan and then at Illinois and Northwestern — they’ll be more contested than those they got in November and December. They’re going to have to make more of them anyway.
Take Purdue as a contrast. Now, that’s not fair, because the Boilermakers have 7-foot-4 Zach Edey, a presence unmatched from coast to coast. But Purdue is the No. 1 team in the country because of its résumé — wins over Gonzaga, Tennessee, Marquette, Alabama and Arizona, a gantlet more difficult than an NCAA tournament run — as well as its roster, which is a scary combination of deep and experienced.
But the Boilermakers are also to be feared because they have multiple players who can perform the most fundamental task in the sport: shooting the basketball. Purdue entered the Maryland game boasting six players who make more than a third of their threes. The Boilermakers then knocked down 9 of 20 against the Terps. That’s lethal.
It’s easy to be wowed by Purdue’s exceptional ball movement, which frequently flows through Edey in the post, often multiple times in a single possession. It appears endless and almost always leads to an open shot. But open shots don’t make themselves. Someone’s got to knock them down.
So does good ball movement make better shooters? Or do the Boilermakers just have a bunch of marksmen around a dominant big man?
“It’s both,” Purdue Coach Matt Painter said. “I mean, you’ve got to have skill when you’re with someone like [Edey].”
Shooting is, of course, a skill. It should be coached and practiced, but there are also some players who just have it. Do the Terps have anyone who qualifies? Senior guard Jahmir Young, who returned to the lineup after battling an illness, can shoot, and at times he appears to be the Terps’ only offensive hope. In scoring 26 against Purdue, Young made 12 of 23 shots. The rest of the Terrapins went — close your eyes — 9 for 40. That’s 22.5 percent. That won’t cut it.
“We missed seven wide-open threes in the first half,” Willard said. “So I don’t know how much more we can do when you get a wide-open shot. I mean, I’ll try to put a play in to get a wide-, wide-, wide-open shot. Maybe that will help out.”
Facetiousness aside, the Terps’ season kind of hangs on this issue. Kaiser is a good example. He was recruited as — you guessed it — a shooter. “Jamie’s a great shooter,” Willard said. Yet after making 2 of 6 threes against Purdue, he’s 13 for 56 from deep on the year — 23.2 percent.
It can be a complex equation to get a skill that a player inherently has to come out when it actually matters.
“This is the first time he’s had to play defense,” Willard said. “The first time he’s had to box out, the first time he’s doing all this other stuff. Then you put the magnitude of the crowd at the games and playing against the number one team in the country for the first time in his career. Now he gets an open look. He just hasn’t been through it. You know, I can make a four-footer on the practice green all day long. When you put me in the member-guest, I’m missing it.”
It’s January. The Terps aren’t on the practice green. They’re not even in the member-guest. The tour schedule has started. They have to make those four-footers, some of the eight-footers and some bombs.
“We’ll definitely be a different team in February,” Willard said.
Trust him. But also know that for that to happen, someone — sorry, a few Terrapins — will have to start putting the ball in the basket more confidently and consistently. Basketball can be analyzed and broken down in all manner of ways. For the Terrapins, don’t overlook the most basic: Can they get the ball to go through the hoop?
Baltimore may be under an extreme heat alert, but residents can dream about autumn, as tickets are now on sale for the Maryland Fall Home & Garden + Craft Show returning to the Maryland State Fairgrounds in October.
This three-day celebration of home and garden takes place from Friday, Oct. 16 through Sunday, Oct. 18 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day. Expect hundreds of exhibitors, local makers, home improvement experts, family-friendly experiences and celebrity guests. The show offers everyone the chance to explore the very latest in home improvement, landscaping, outdoor living and decor, the chance to take part in hands-on experiences, and do some holiday shopping all under one roof.
This year’s show will have more than 300 exhibitors, including more than 100 crafters from around Maryland in the Makers Market. There will be unique exhibits, stage presentations and a special appearance by Chase Morrill, Ashley Morrill-Eldridge and Ryan Eldridge from Magnolia Network’s hit series “Maine Cabin Masters.” The three will have two Main Stage appearances, one on Friday, Oct. 16 at 4 p.m. and the second on Saturday, Oct. 17 at 12 p.m.
“As temperatures start to drop and the holiday season comes into view, the Maryland Fall Home & Garden + Craft Show is a place to gather ideas, meet local experts and get inspired before the busy season begins,” said Dave Paul, show manager, in a statement. “Whether attendees are planning a home project, looking for outdoor living ideas or getting a head start on holiday shopping, the show brings together resources and experiences for every kind of homeowner, maker and DIY enthusiast.”
In addition to the Makers Market and stars of “Maine Cabin Masters”, the Maryland Fall Home & Garden + Craft Show will have a petting zoo, a Kids Market where attendees can shop from local children, and much more.
Tickets are available online and at the door. Prices are as follows:
Online:
- Adults: $8
- Senior Citizens (60+): $6
- Children (ages 6-12): $4
- 4-Pack Online: $30 for four tickets, valid for one admission each and one day only
At the door:
- Adults: $10
- Senior Citizens (60+): $8
- Children (ages 6-12): $4
- Friday & Saturday: $4 after 4 p.m. at the door only
Special Offers:
- Active and retired military personnel, veterans, firefighters and police officers receive free admission all weekend, along with one guest, with valid ID at the box office.
- Attendees who show a CharmPass app, Light RailLink ticket or eligible transit pass at the box office receive free admission any day of the show. One admission is available per pass.
The Maryland State Fairgrounds is located at 2200 York Road in Lutherville-Timonium.
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Maryland
Maryland police arrest alleged bank robber wielding stolen cat: ‘Tried to use her as an accessory’
Law enforcement agencies are accustomed to dealing with cat burglars – but now a Maryland police department is saying it grappled with a cat-wielding bank robber.
The Prince George’s county police department said its officers arrested a man suspected of stealing a cat and then taking the animal with him to a PNC bank branch in the local community of Beltsville to rob the establishment on Monday morning.
“The cat was returned” after the suspect was arrested, the police department said in a statement to the Guardian on Tuesday. The agency said no injuries were reported, and it declined to name the suspect or release additional details, saying the case – bound for a spot in the annals of bizarre reported US crimes – remained under investigation.
Nonetheless, a social media post from rescue shelter Beltsville Community Cats provided more information.
A Beltsville Community Cats Facebook page post on Monday identified the cat at the center of the alleged botched caper as Magnolia, a three-and-a-half-month-old tuxedo kitten. The shelter recounted how the suspect first snatched Magnolia from her “adoption habitat” at Beltsville’s Pet Supplies Plus store, took her across the parking lot to a PNC branch, and “tried to use her as an accessory in [an] attempted robbery”.
“He asked the bank manager to hold the kitten while he wrote a note, then handed the note to a teller demanding all the cash,” the post continued. “Thankfully, the robbery was unsuccessful, the suspect was arrested, and Magnolia was found safe and sound in the bank manager’s office, where the two had bonded over their shared ordeal.”
Pet Supplies Plus store employees told the NBC affiliate in nearby Washington DC that Magnolia’s cat napper had come in daily for about two weeks and focused on the kitten each time.
Finally, on Monday, he managed to use a key to open a cat adoption area and whisked Magnolia away, store employees said to the outlet, WRC.
Store manager Aaron Kurkowski told WRC that Magnolia’s thief “came in and saw none of my team was nearby the front – and he just went right to her and ran right on out”.
According to WRC, Stephanie Stullich of Beltsville Community Cats then received a call from a pet store employee who alerted her to Magnolia’s plight.
That prompted Stullich to run over to the store, where she said to WRC that she “immediately saw all of these police cars and … thought, ‘Wow, that’s a heck of a response for a stolen cat’.”
“But then I realized they all were going down to the bank,” Stullich recalled to WRC. “They came back out a few minutes later and said, ‘Yes, there is a cat inside the bank.’”
Two days before her catnapping, Magnolia was the subject of a Beltsville Community Cats Facebook post inviting people to see her at Pet Supplies Plus and consider adopting her.
Magnolia as of Monday was still waiting to be adopted, Beltsville Community Cats said in its post detailing the bank robbery.
The non-profit organization offered members of the public the opportunity to apply to adopt Magnolia by emailing rescue@beltsvillecats.net.
Beltsville Community Cats’ post also joked that Magnolia’s “brief ‘life of crime’ is behind her” – except for undoubtedly “stealing” hearts, treats, toys and cuddles wherever her forever home may be.
Why a fire blanket is a must-have for every kitchen
Learn how a fire blanket can smother flames safely and protect your home from grease fires.
A dog jumping onto a kitchen counter accidentally turned on a toaster and ignited nearby combustibles, sparking a fire that killed three pets inside a Belcamp, Maryland, home, according to multiple reports, citing local fire officials.
The blaze broke out July 10 while the unidentified family was away, prompting neighbors to rescue two dogs before fire crews arrived, WBAL‑TV and Fox 45 reported.
The Abingdon Fire Company responded at 5:35 p.m. ET to the home and brought the fire under control in about 20 minutes, according to the fire station’s Facebook post. There were no human injuries, but investigators reported extensive fire, soot, smoke and water damage throughout the single‑family home, Fox 45 reported.
Ring home security video captured the moments before the fire. Investigators said the footage showed one of the family’s dogs climbing onto the counter and pawing at items near the toaster, helping deputy state fire marshals determine the fire’s point of origin and ultimately rule its cause as accidental.
Three pets – a dog named Dakota and two unidentified cats – died in the blaze, according to Fox 45. Two other dogs, Bo and Addie, were rescued by neighbors. The family’s bearded dragon survived after spending 24 hours in critical care, officials said.
Neighbors rescue two dogs from burning home
Fire officials said Bo was the dog seen on video inadvertently turning on the toaster. The appliance ignited nearby materials, allowing the fire to spread rapidly through the kitchen before crews arrived.
Neighbors who saw smoke coming from the home reached Bo and Addie before conditions worsened.
Officials detail damage to home
Officials estimated the home sustained about $150,000 in structural damage and roughly $50,000 in damage to its contents, though some assessments place the total loss closer to $200,000, Fox 45 reported. Firefighters prevented the blaze from spreading to neighboring properties, but the interior of the home was heavily damaged.
Reporter Anthony Thompson can be reached at ajthompson@usatodayco.com, or on X @athompsonUSAT
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