Maryland men’s basketball vs. Michigan preview

Maryland males’s basketball returns to School Park for a Thursday evening rematch towards Michigan at 7 p.m.

Maryland (11-6, 2-4 Massive Ten) and Michigan (10-7, 4-2) will meet for the second and ultimate time within the common season Thursday because the Terps hope to erase the embarrassment they skilled the primary time the Massive Ten foes met in Ann Arbor on New Yr’s Day. Michigan destroyed Maryland, 81-46.

Maryland head coach Kevin Willard stated there was nothing optimistic to remove from the poor effort. Whereas Maryland would have beloved to bury that movie following the loss, it should dig it as much as study the way it can flip the tide towards the Wolverines the second time round.

Maryland is 2-0 in convention dwelling video games this season and 0-4 on the street, so returning to XFINITY Heart Thursday ought to bode properly for the Terps.

What occurred final time

When these two groups met in Ann Arbor, Michigan, earlier this season on Jan. 1, it was an absolute beatdown from Michigan. It was, and sure will stand as, essentially the most forgettable Maryland efficiency this season, and possibly in Willard’s whole tenure.

Michigan beat Maryland by 35 factors, Maryland’s largest loss because it joined the Massive Ten.

The Terps didn’t rating a degree till six minutes into the sport and made their first discipline purpose eight minutes in. Maryland completed the primary half with 13 factors and ended the sport with 46, each of that are season lows. Not a single Terp scored in double figures as Maryland shot 26% from the sphere.

Hunter Dickinson went off for 32 factors and his main defenders — Julian Reese and Patrick Emilien — each fouled out. After the sport, Willard took full accountability for the embarrassing efficiency. Maryland should have a totally totally different recreation plan and depth degree for Thursday’s rematch, which it probably will given its failures on the street and success at dwelling this season.

What’s occurred since

Dropping by 35 factors to a crew that isn’t that rather more proficient than Maryland is probably going as dangerous because it will get for the Terps. So contemplating how ugly Maryland’s loss was, issues have improved for Willard’s group since then.

Maryland went on the street to Rutgers a couple of days later, the place it fell to the Scarlet Knights in one other disappointing offensive displaying. Nonetheless, Maryland seemed stout defensively and was aggressive in a troublesome street ambiance.

The Terps then returned dwelling and picked up a much-needed win towards then-No. 24 Ohio State. Most lately, Maryland misplaced to Iowa in Iowa Metropolis, transferring to 2-4 within the Massive Ten and 0-4 in convention street video games.

Michigan has adopted the same path since its emphatic win over Maryland — taking good care of enterprise at dwelling however struggling on the street. Since New Yr’s Day, Michigan beat Penn State and Northwestern at dwelling however misplaced to Michigan State and Iowa on the street, the latter of which went to additional time.

The Wolverines, just like the Terps, are thought-about a bubble crew for the NCAA Match with just below two months till Choice Sunday.

Three issues to look at

1. Frontcourt depth. Patrick Emilien is predicted to be out “awhile” with an ankle sprain, Willard stated following the Iowa recreation. That makes Maryland’s skinny frontcourt even thinner. Emilien supplied high quality minutes off the bench as a backup huge, changing Julian Reese when he inevitably bought into foul hassle — Reese averages essentially the most fouls per recreation within the Massive Ten. Now, Maryland has restricted choices. Willard tried giving Pavlo Dziuba and Caelum Swanton-Rodger sporadic minutes towards Iowa, however neither of these two are cheap long-term choices. Final time Maryland performed Michigan, each Reese and Emilien fouled out. Maryland could also be pressured to go small at occasions towards the Wolverines, which might create matchup issues for the Terps.

2. How will Hunter Dickinson carry out? The Michigan star and DeMatha product’s beef with Maryland and its former coach is well-documented. Whereas the drama is primarily one-sided and generated utterly by Dickinson himself, Thursday’s recreation would be the first time Dickinson will play in School Park with followers in attendance. He’s probably in for a impolite awakening from the Maryland trustworthy. The dangerous information for Maryland followers is there seems to be an additional juice from Dickinson every time he performs the Terps. He dominated Maryland final recreation, and the Terps’ personnel is proscribed in its choices to throw Dickinson’s approach. Maryland’s recreation plan will certainly be totally different this time round towards the Massive Ten Participant of the Yr candidate, however he could hush Maryland’s crowd pretty typically Thursday.

3. Can Maryland begin making threes? Maryland’s offensive recreation plan of limiting its 3-point makes an attempt has labored the final two video games and led to higher offensive performances. Towards Michigan and Rutgers, Maryland shot a mixed 47 threes and scored a complete of 96 factors. Towards Ohio State and Iowa, Maryland shot a mixed 29 threes and scored a complete of 147 factors. Maryland’s higher offensively when it assaults the rim and limits its 3-point makes an attempt, however that solely works towards groups with out high quality bigs. Towards Michigan, Maryland should regulate and discover methods to get Dickinson away from the basket. It’s going to additionally must make threes at a greater clip than it has this season. If Maryland goes to attain towards larger groups, the second-worst 3-point taking pictures crew within the Massive Ten goes to have to begin making photographs.