Now worry-free, Padgett has proved worth Terps’ wait

James Padgett, for the first time in his three years in College Park, isn't afraid of what might happen next. Sure, he hears the frustrations of Terrapins men's basketball coach Mark Turgeon from the sideline as he forces a shot or loses his man inside, but that's OK.

Before, the Brooklyn, N.Y., product feared any slip-up in his play would send him straight to the bench. The pressures, both real and imagined, of former coach Gary Williams constantly hovered over him, and an ever-tentative Padgett played only a limited role in his first two years as he watched classmate Jordan Williams transform into an NBA draft pick.

But both Williamses are gone, and Padgett this season finds himself in an enviable role as one of just three frontcourt scholarship players on the roster. He'll likely play 20 minutes or more per game for the sheer reason that there's hardly anyone else available.

And for the first time in his career, Padgett has shown flashes of the player Williams recruited years ago — a rebounding machine who cleaned up in the paint after high school teammate and Indiana Pacers guard Lance Stephenson. On Tuesday, Padgett scored a career-high 16 points, hitting double digits for the third time in the early season for the Terps (3-3).

"I have a lot of confidence in myself," Padgett said. "I've waited two years watching others play. I've learned how to be successful so that when my time came, hopefully I could take advantage of it."

It's come, and he has.

On Tuesday against Illinois, Turgeon decided to take it straight to the paint against one of the tallest teams his Terps have faced all season, trusting Padgett would offer the team an early spark. At 6 feet 8 inches tall, Padgett had a difficult challenge in backing down 7-foot-1 Illinois center Meyers Leonard.

But on the second possession of the game, Padgett drew a foul on the Fighting Illini big man, and he sank both free throws. The next trip down, he drew another foul against another Illinois player and again hit both free throws. And if that weren't enough, Padgett scooped up an offensive rebound and scored over three Fighting Illini defenders on the team's fourth possession of the game.

Just more than three minutes into the game, Padgett had already tallied six points and a rebound — perhaps his finest stretch of play in a Terps uniform.

"His game is expanding a lot because he has more freedom to do the little things to help the team out," guard Sean Mosley said. "James was a talented guy as a freshman, and he can show people what he really can do. We're definitely going to need him."

"He has a lot of heart," guard Terrell Stoglin said. "He came out aggressive, he started us off and that's why we had the lead at the start. We were telling him in the locker room that he has to stay aggressive. He has to stay persistent."

Late in the second half, Padgett showed that heart. After catching a pass on the left side of the paint, Padgett made a low-post move as an intruding hand reached in. The ball bounced several times toward the foul line before the forward regained it, made a quick move to his right, scored a layup and drew the foul.

Could he have made that play last year? He might not have ever gotten the chance.

"I can get warm [this season], I can get into the flow of the game," Padgett said. "I can make mistakes and know that I'm going to come back in the game instead of sitting for the rest of it."

For all the success he's had this season, including an 11-point performance against Florida Gulf Coast in just 15 minutes of action, it's Padgett's rebounding that has Turgeon scratching his head.

Of Padgett's 35 boards this season, more than two-thirds (26) have been on the offensive glass. As it did in high school, much of his scoring has come on second-chance opportunities.

"I'm proud of James, but I expect a lot out of him and he can give us more," Turgeon said. "He has to learn how to defensive rebound. If you can do it on one end, you can do it on the other."

Still, Padgett has been a pleasant surprise for Turgeon and the Terps this season. Waiting patiently on the bench the past two seasons, he always knew his chance would come. Now he's just trying to take advantage of it.

"[I have] more confidence, more freedom and more ability to be the player I always was," Padgett said at the team's media day in mid-October. "I now have the opportunity to prove to people that I'm a good player."

ceckard@umdbk.com