Dec. 6, 2012

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Each week during the 2012-13 season a Maryland student-athlete, who has shown excellence on and off the playing field, will be selected as the Solomon Eye Associates Terp of the Week. This week's Solomon Eye Associates Terp of the Week is Dez Wells from the men's basketball team. Wells led Maryland to a pair of wins away from home by setting a new career high for points in each game. He scored 23 in a 77-57 win at Northwestern and 25 vs. George Mason in a 69-62 win.

Dez Wells came to Maryland with an impressive resume. A member of the Atlantic 10 All-Rookie Team, Wells averaged 9.8 points and 4.9 rebounds per game in his freshman year at Xavier. In addition to his impressive stats, he also brought something the Terps were lacking: NCAA Tournament experience.

Through his first five games as a Terp, Wells adjusted to his new teammates and surroundings with solid all-around play, averaging 9.8 points per game and 5.2 rebounds per game.

But it wasn't until Maryland's first road game - at Northwestern on Nov. 27 - that Wells showed off his explosive ability to score points in bunches.

"He flipped a switch," said head coach Mark Turgeon, "and got real aggressive."

Against the Wildcats, Wells poured in a career-high 23 points on a remarkable 9-of-11 shooting, leading Maryland to a 77-57 win.

"Whatever my team needs from me, that's what I'm going to provide," said Wells. "Whether that's getting 20 rebounds or sitting on the bench, I'll do whatever they need me to do."

Wells' team needed him in the BB&T Classic against George Mason. He scored the team's first eight points to get Maryland off on solid footing. Wells excelled the rest of the game, and less than a week after setting a career high, he topped himself, notching 25 points in the game.

For Wells, though, the personal accomplishments were not important. Though Maryland's win over George Mason was its sixth in a row, he remained focused on improving as a team each and every day.

"Coach Turgeon always tells us not to listen to people when they tell us how good we are," Wells said after the George Mason win. "He knows we can be a really, really good team, and we haven't even scratched the surface on our potential as a team."

Wells is doing everything he can to propel Maryland to the next level. Although the team is young, boasting only two seniors, Wells believes the team's dynamic will keep it winning.

"We've only been here about two months with these guys, so we've got a lot of learning to do as far as chemistry. But we're getting a lot better every day. ... In January is really when you should judge how good we are."