Throughout Darryl Morsell’s freshman year with Maryland men’s basketball, coach Mark Turgeon said he thrust him into “tough situations.” The guard was forced to adapt to the college game while playing out of position and missing more shots than he hit — a lot more.

Morsell went 3-for-25 on three-point attempts last season. As he watched his shots continually clank off the rim, he said his confidence waned.

And with numerous injuries to the Terps’ frontcourt, Morsell was forced to play considerable time as a power forward, a position the 6-foot-5 Baltimore native wasn’t familiar with.

But there’s something different about Morsell entering his second year in College Park, aside from a fresh buzz cut and a new number. Upon draining the last shot of the scrimmage at Maryland’s open practice Tuesday, Morsell matched the number of 3-pointers he made during his entire freshman campaign.

Morsell’s 12 percent shooting from beyond the arc was a blemish he wanted to scrub from his game. And as he knocked down try after try in the Terps’ open practice, it appeared his offseason efforts had paid off.

“That’s kind of like the knock on me right now, my shot,” Morsell said. “That definitely motivated [me] to work on it and improve one of my weaknesses.”

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Late last year, when teams were leaving Morsell wide open on the perimeter, he often didn’t take the open look, instead looking to drive to the rim or pass out of it. Morsell attempted only five 3-pointers — none of which he hit — in the final 11 games despite averaging 33 minutes during that stretch.

Morsell’s near-constant bricking was impossible to ignore. He shot four times from beyond the arc against Purdue in December and missed them all. He went 0-for-7 from the floor in a blowout loss to Ohio State in January. He managed two points in Maryland’s season-ending defeat to Wisconsin in the Big Ten tournament.

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“It did hurt my confidence. That’s probably why I didn’t shoot it as much,” Morsell said. “I put in work last year on my shot as well, but it just wasn’t falling in the games. So I think it kind of hurt my confidence shooting the ball.”

Morsell, though, believes this season can be different. He has a year of experience under his belt and said he got advice from other players who once struggled in their rookie years.

In a sense, Morsell was a victim of circumstance. He joined a shallow Terps team that was plagued by injuries almost immediately, and while he was excited to help the team any way he could as a freshman, he’s excited at the prospect of playing the bulk of his minutes in the backcourt this season.

“Nothing against Darryl, but I thought Darryl would have been a great sixth or seventh man last year,” Turgeon said. “He’s back to his natural position. I think he’s going to be a lot more confident.”

During Maryland’s preseason trip to Italy, Morsell had the chance to test his shooting in live action. He said he hasn’t changed much in his stroke, but has focused on releasing the ball at a higher point.

That preparation led him to make four 3-pointers during one of the team’s wins on the tour. Guard Anthony Cowan jumped and bumped Morsell in the air after one of the triples closed the first half.

“That was the launching point,” Morsell said. “That was the first time in a game I had done it. The practice leading up to Italy, I was making shots, but being able to do it in a game, it gave me confidence.”

So as Morsell’s second year with Maryland begins, he takes heart in his newfound range.

“I expect to make every shot,” Morsell said. “I don’t think anything can stop my confidence this year.”