ENGELKE: Spoiling a chance to start anew

How long is it going to take for Gary Williams to give Terrell Stoglin a chance in the starting lineup?

That was surely the question some fans were asking shortly after tip-off last night, when the Terrapin men's basketball coach seemingly had a perfect opportunity to give his freshman guard a starting nod.

UNC Greensboro was and still is winless this season, never coming within double digits against an opponent all year — not against East Carolina, not against Wofford and not even against Furman, which Penn State defeated handily by 21 points.

It's safe to say last night's 99-56 Terp victory was expected.

So don't put too much weight in the impressive stat lines of guards Cliff Tucker and Adrian Bowie. The Spartans are one of the worst teams in Division I, and it showed last night. Tucker's 13 points and Bowie's 16 likely say more about the Spartans' lack of talent than a sudden resurgence from the two seniors, who had dismal outings against Temple in the BB&T Classic.

Many fans hoped, and some media members believed, Sunday's game against the Owls could be Williams' tipping point. The Terps trailed by 15 at one point in their eventual 64-61 loss, with the backcourt of Bowie, Tucker and Sean Mosley combining for just eight points.

Stoglin, by comparison, scored 16 points off the bench for the Terps, who rallied behind their reserves to tie the score late before eventually falling at Verizon Center.

"We have to get better. We're not good enough offensively yet," Williams said after the loss to Temple. "We need plays like Pe'Shon [Howard] and [Stoglin] gave us tonight. We need guys to step up."

Williams said he didn't decide on a starting lineup for last night's game until Tuesday evening after a team practice. Instead of making decisions about the Terps' starting lineup based on just one game, Williams said he would opt to instead look at players' entire workloads.

But so far this season, Stoglin has made a bigger impact than either Bowie or Tucker. Against UNC Greensboro, Stoglin scored 18 points, the third straight game in which he has scored more than Tucker or Bowie.

"He really believes in himself, and you can't shake him," Williams said of Stoglin. "I think he's got a chance to be an outstanding player along with a couple of our other freshmen."

Last night's game would have been the perfect opportunity for Williams to give Stoglin, who has been thriving at point guard, a place in the starting five. A chance for the freshman to gain some experience and build confidence by playing with the other Terp starters from the opening tip certainly wouldn't have hurt.

"I considered everything," Williams said when asked if he had seriously contemplated changing the starting lineup. "I watched a lot of video and things like that. A lot of times, it's a gut feeling."

This isn't about Bowie or Tucker being shunned. It's about how the two seniors — right now, at this juncture in the season — look like more viable options coming in off the Terps' bench.

Neither has proved he can handle a full-time starting gig just yet. With ACC play fast approaching, Stoglin warrants the same kind of chance to lead the Terps that he's shown he deserves.

jengelke@umdbk.com