For head coach Mark Turgeon and the Maryland Terrapins, the beginning of 2014-15 NCAA basketball season has been nearly perfect. For a coach in dire need of an excellent start, the 5-0 Terps already hold a win over then-No. 13 Iowa State Cyclones and have been clicking on almost all cylinders.
Unfortunately though, after three weeks of near flawless play, Maryland found out Thursday that shooting guard Dez Wells has fractured his right wrist. The injury occurred during the aforementioned win over the Cyclones, Wells had surgery to repair the fracture on Friday in Baltimore.
“We will certainly miss our team leader. … I am extremely disappointed for Dez,” Turgeon announced in a Friday presser.
Wells, who originally began his collegiate career at Xavier, has been a member of the Maryland roster for the past three seasons, leading the Terrapins in almost every offensive category. So far in 2014, Wells has starred, averaging 16.2 points per game and continuing his role as the offensive facilitator for coach Turgeon.
Despite the bad news, the injury happened at a manageable time, a short four week stretch that includes seven games, but only one against a ranked opponent or on the road.
Maryland, whose roster has shown great improvement from a season ago, will be tested as they hope replace Wells by committee, a group that includes the likes of Jared Nickens and Wade Miley. Both players are freshmen and have averaged 7.6 and 6.4 points per game respectively, contributing major minutes in their rookie campaigns.
Maryland begins its first-ever Big Ten basketball season on December 30 against Michigan State and hopes to have their senior leader back for conference play.
*Section Photo credit to Maddie Meyer, Getty Images; Featured Photo (above) credit to Charlie DeBoyce, The Diamondback
