Maryland men’s basketball vs. Minnesota preview (game two)

Maryland males’s basketball — sitting at 18-9 total, 9-7 in Huge Ten play and comfortably within the NCAA Match subject — returns house for a rematch in opposition to Minnesota on Wednesday.

Winners of seven of their final 10 video games, the Terps are taking part in a few of their greatest basketball of the season. After final week began with a 68-54 house win over Huge Ten chief and No. 3 Purdue, the signature second of the Kevin Willard period, it ended poorly. Maryland had a number of probabilities to shut out an inferior Nebraska workforce on the highway Sunday, however the Terps simply couldn’t get the job carried out, falling 70-66 to the Cornhuskers.

The Terps are nonetheless excellent at house in Huge Ten play. Wednesday’s recreation, which can start at 7 p.m. on Huge Ten Community, is Maryland’s penultimate house recreation of the season. The Terps have simply 4 video games remaining earlier than the Huge Ten Match commences.

What occurred final time

Maryland picked up its first convention highway win of the season on Feb. 4 through an 81-46 demolition of the Golden Gophers in Minneapolis.

The Terps had considered one of their best offensive performances of the season, lighting up the field rating with 1.33 factors per possession (per KenPom.com), 52.4% capturing total and 42.9% capturing from deep. Loads of offensive stability existed within the victory, with sophomore ahead Julian Reese, graduate guard Jahmir Younger, senior ahead Donta Scott and junior guard Ian Martinez combining for 54 factors.

Minnesota, alternatively, was depressing offensively. The Golden Gophers turned the ball over 16 occasions, resulting in 23 Maryland factors. Maryland’s strain and depth prompted points for Minnesota, which shot simply 11-of-24 on twos and 2-of-14 on 3-pointers.

The end result marked Maryland’s largest highway victory in its Huge Ten historical past. Minnesota beginning heart Dawson Garcia didn’t play with an ankle damage.

What’s occurred since

Maryland has gone 2-2 in its 4 video games since its first assembly in opposition to the Golden Gophers.

The Terps fell 63-58 at Michigan State on Feb. 7, a recreation the place the Spartans scored the primary 15 factors and held off a ferocious Maryland comeback.

After falling to the Spartans, Maryland returned house for a two-game homestand, which it swept. The Terps squeaked by Penn State, 74-68, on Feb. 11 regardless of 12 Nittany Lion 3-pointers. They held serve with their defeat of the Boilermakers 5 days later, a season-defining second for the Terps. Maryland’s loss to Nebraska final Sunday was its most up-to-date outing.

Minnesota’s loss to the Terps was the seventh leg of a 10-game shedding streak. The Golden Gophers had been extra aggressive in each their 68-56 loss to Iowa on Feb. 12 and their 76-69 defeat to Penn State on Feb. 18.

Minnesota may have fewer than 48 hours of relaxation after Monday’s 78-69 loss at Illinois. It was the Golden Gophers’ second loss to the Combating Illini in 2023.

Dawson Garcia has since returned for the Golden Gophers. The North Carolina switch is averaging 20.5 factors and seven.5 rebounds per recreation in two video games since coming again.

Three issues to observe

1. What is going to the rotation appear like? Whether or not it was looking for an offensive spark or optimum defensive matchups, Terps head coach Willard tweaked together with his rotations in opposition to Nebraska. Beginning capturing guard Don Carey performed eight minutes complete — zero within the second half — in opposition to the Cornhuskers, the second time in 4 video games he was benched after the primary half. Backup guard Jahari Lengthy seemed to be falling out of the rotation however performed 9 minutes in opposition to Nebraska, his most for the reason that first assembly in opposition to Minnesota. Sparsely-used redshirt freshman guard Ike Cornish additionally performed six minutes within the first half.

One would assume Willard’s rotation returns to his regular seven, however maybe Carey’s taking part in time will see extra of a shift shifting ahead.

2. Can Donta Scott get again on observe? Maryland’s energy ahead had a tough offensive efficiency in opposition to Nebraska, scoring 5 factors on 2-of-16 capturing from the sector — 1-of-8 from deep. Scott has shot a minimum of 50% from the sector in simply one of many Terps’ final seven video games. Contemplating his shot quantity, Maryland will want Scott to be extra environment friendly.

3. Will Hakim Hart’s sizzling capturing proceed? The senior guard has at all times been an underrated, indispensable offensive participant. Nevertheless, Hart had been on a troublesome capturing stretch, going 16 straight video games from Dec. 6 to Feb. 7 with out making a number of threes in a single recreation. Hart has since made a minimum of two threes in every of Maryland’s final three video games, capturing 57.1% (8-of-14) on 3-pointers. If he continues as a go-to sniper from deep, it should change Maryland’s offensive complexion for the higher.