Ayala ready to replace Cowan for Maryland with some help from newcomers

Having to replace nearly 52 percent of Maryland’s scoring from last season will be no easy task this year for Terps head coach Mark Turgeon. It’s a challenge that’s made even harder by the fact that part of filling that void includes grooming a new point guard to take over for last year’s senior leader and top scorer, Anthony Cowan Jr.

But with an experienced junior guard like Eric Ayala back in College Park and some ball-handling reinforcements coming in by way of freshmen Marcus Dockery and Aquan Smart, Turgeon believes he has enough floor generals on the roster to get the job done.

“You really don’t replace Anthony, his toughness, his speed, just the bigger the moment the better he was, bringing it in every practice, playing well almost every game, not the greatest shooting the ball well in every game, but always bringing it. So you don’t replace that,” Turgeon said. “But we have a lot of great players. A lot of really good players that are willing to step into that role. So it won’t be one guy that does it.”

Ayala, a season after averaging 8.5 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game, got his first crack at starting point guard duties in the Terps’ season opener and shined, scoring a team-high 19 points, while adding five rebounds and three assists. Even more impressive was the fact that Ayala did not miss a shot, going a perfect 6-for-6 from the field and 3-for-3 from the charity stripe.

A Wilmington, Delaware, native, Ayala is entering his third season with the Terps and is a seasoned guard that Turgeon feels comfortable with letting run the team.

“Eric Ayala is going to be Eric Ayala,” Turgeon said. “Eric can really score the ball. Eric’s a really good passer. Eric has great size. Eric has continued to get better.”

One area where the Terps would certainly like to see Ayala get better is with his shooting efficiency. He shot just 35.8% from the field and 27.4% from three last year. Improving upon those numbers and his 2-to-1 assist-turnover ratio is a must if Ayala is going to be the leader Maryland needs him to be this season.

But the 6-foot-5, 200-pound junior won’t have to do it all alone.

With fellow upperclassmen Aaron Wiggins and Darryl Morsell providing outlets on the wing, Ayala will receive some point guard relief from the two backcourt newcomers — Dockery and Smart.

Dockery is a Washington, D.C., native who finished up his high school career at Brewster Academy in New Hampshire. He was more of a scorer than a distributor in high school, but he does have experience playing both guard spots.

Smart is slightly longer and more athletic than Dockery. He is more of a true point guard with solid court vision and appears to be the more college-ready defender, which could lead to him spelling Ayala a bit earlier in the season than Dockery.

“You have [Marcus] Dockery and Aquan Smart, who are probably closer to Anthony [Cowan] because they’re fast, they’re competitive. Aquan is really a fast, elite-level athlete who can do a few of the things Anthony did. I think he can be an elite defender for us.

“Aquan is a heck of an athlete. He’s fast, he can cover ground quickly...It’s just getting him to let me coach him, let our coaches coach him, get an understanding of how important everything is, but not take away from the type of player he is. He’s good on the break. I think he can be tremendous, one of the better defenders not only in the Big Ten, but in the country as his career goes on. He can really heat up the ball, which is making Eric [Ayala] better everyday in practice. So we feel good about him. We really do. Athletically he’s ready...He’s a good player and we’re fortunate to have him, we’re looking forward to coaching him. He’s ready and he’s going to help us.”

Both freshmen have caught Turgeon’s eye early and have him confident in their ability to step in and contribute right away. Between their skill sets and the steadiness Ayala brings to the table, Maryland could certainly be in a worse spot when it comes to replacing a star point guard for the second time in the Turgeon era.

“Melo [Trimble] left and we figured it out, and now Anthony [Cowan] has left and we have to figure it out again. But I have confidence in our backcourt and that we have really good players that are going to do a great job for us,” Turgeon said.

Turgeon said he feels fortunate that he only has to really incorporate two freshmen into his rotation this season and he feels even more fortunate to have leaders like Ayala on the squad to help them get acclimated.

“[Dockery and Smart] are bright kids and they’re working really hard. And I have great leadership. I have older guys that want them to be good and do a great job of helping me coach them,” Turgeon said.

The Terps (1-0) will next take the court Friday when they host Navy. The game is set to tipoff at 3 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on Big Ten Network.