Maryland
Maryland men’s basketball vs. South Alabama preview
After losing three consecutive games, Maryland men’s basketball picked up its second win of the season against UMBC on Tuesday. Following a relatively competitive opening 10 minutes, the Terps dominated en route to a 92-68 victory.
The Terps will next host South Alabama on Saturday, in what projects to be another convincing win. The game will start at 7 p.m. and air on Big Ten Network.
South Alabama Jaguars (4-3, 0-0 Sun Belt)
2022-23 record: 19-16, 9-9 Sun Belt
In five seasons at South Alabama, head coach Richie Riley has yet to win fewer than 17 games in a single campaign. Last season, Riley led the Jaguars to a 19-16 record, which included 11 wins in their final 14 games. South Alabama made it to the Sun Belt Conference Tournament championship game for the first time since 2009, but lost to Louisiana, 71-66.
The Jaguars are currently on a three-game winning streak, with all three wins coming at home.
Players to know
Isiah Gaiter, senior guard, 6-foot-3, No. 2 — Gaiter transferred from Assumption, a Division II program, before the season and has since been the Jaguars’ offensive focal point. He is averaging a team-high 16.4 points on 58.6% shooting from the field. Gaiter is also averaging 4.6 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.1 steals per game.
Marcus Millender, freshman guard, 5-foot-11, No. 4 — While Gaiter scores the most points on the team, Millender facilitates the offense. He leads the Jaguars with 4.7 assists per game, also contributing 10.9 points of his own per game. He has been an elite 3-point shooter this season, making 46.7% of his threes.
Julian Margrave, sophomore forward, 6-foot-10, No. 12 — Margrave is the Jaguars’ second leading scorer, averaging 12.3 points per game. His biggest impact comes with his ability to space the floor, as he is shooting 50% from beyond the arc.
Strength
Depth. South Alabama has started seven different players this season, five of which average double-digit points. It also has three other players who average at least five points per game. In comparison, Maryland only has two double-digit scorers: Jahmir Young and Julian Reese.
Weakness
Rebounding. The Jaguars rank near the middle of the Sun Belt in almost every statistical category except rebounding. They rank second-to-last with 33.6 rebounds per game and last with 7.1 offensive rebounds per game. Forward Thomas Howell leads the team with 5.9 rebounds per game.
Three things to watch
1. Another weak opponent. For the second consecutive game, Maryland should win handily. While the Terps will be playing South Alabama for the first time in program history, the Jaguars have a 1-11 all-time record against Big Ten teams.
2. Donta Scott is in rhythm. After a difficult first two games, Donta Scott has since been Maryland’s third best player. Over the last three games, Scott is averaging 11.3 points and 3.7 rebounds per game while shooting 42.9% from three. He scored a season-high 14 points against UMBC.
3. Defense causing chaos. The Terps displayed their full-court press against UMBC and benefited greatly. Maryland forced a season-high 23 turnovers, which directly resulted in 24 points.
“We need to press a little bit more aggressively to create some easy buckets,” Willard said following Tuesday’s game. “When you get a couple easy buckets early, it just gives you a little bit more confidence and you’re able to wear them down a little bit.”
Maryland
Breezy, wet and cooler by late week in Maryland
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Maryland
Ex-Maryland teacher sentenced to 30 years for having sex with student — but will only spend one year behind bars
A disgraced Maryland teacher who had sex with a teenage student nearly two-dozen times was slapped with a 30-year prison sentence – but will only serve one year behind bars for the crime.
Melissa Marie Curtis, 32, was handed the three-decade sentence with all but 12 months suspended for engaging in sexual acts with the 14-year-old while she was a teacher at Montgomery Village Middle School in 2015, Fox 5 DC reported.
Curtis — who was 22 at the time — had sexual intercourse with the minor more than 20 times between January and May 2015 — with illicit trysts occurring within the school, her car and several residences, including her mother’s home in Montgomery County, according to court documents obtained by the outlet.
The convicted perv also gave the eighth-grader alcohol and marijuana, the Montgomery County Police Department said.
Prosecutors said the pair were often left alone together after the young teen volunteered for an after-school program Curtis headed, according to court docs.
Police launched their investigation in October 2023 when the victim came forward with the abuse allegations.
Curtis, of Upper Marlboro, was a teacher for approximately two years and had also taught at Lakelands Park Middle School, cops said.
The sicko teacher turned herself in to police on Nov. 7, 2023, and was charged with sexual abuse of a minor and multiple counts of third- and fourth-degree sexual offenses.
She pleaded guilty June 20 to three counts of third-degree sex offenses in June, Fox 5 DC reported.
The sexual predator is required to register as a sex offender for 25 years and will be barred from having any unsupervised contact with minors other than her own children.
The judge also sentenced Curtis to serve five years of probation.
Maryland
Iowa Hawkeyes Make Horrible Decision Ahead of Maryland Game
Kirk Ferentz and the Iowa Hawkeyes are set to face off against the Maryland Terrapins this weekend in their second to last regular season game of the year.
Ahead of this week’s game, Iowa holds a 6-4 record. They have had a couple of very disappointing losses over their last four outings. Losing to Maryland would simply compound upon what has already been a rough all-around stretch of games.
Unfortunately, heading into this week’s matchup, the Hawkeyes have made a horrible decision.
As most fans know, quarterback Brendan Sullivan has been lost for the season due to injury. That led to a new starting quarterback being need this week.
Ferentz and Iowa opted to turn back to Cade McNamara as their starting quarterback.
That decision is a bad one. McNamara has played poorly all season long and fans were desperately hoping for a change away from him long before the decision was actually made.
Why is the decision to revert back to starting McNamara a big mistake?
Jackson Stratton, the team’s sophomore quarterback, has shown the ability to throw the football well in very limited time. He also has a legitimate chance to be the team’s starter for the next two years.
Going back to McNamara does absolutely nothing for the program. He will be leaving following the 2024 season and has shown nothing on the field to warrant playing time. Seeing what the Hawkeyes have in Stratton is a major need and getting him valuable playing time could help him succeed in 2025.
Stratton has received very little playing time. Last week, he completed three of his six pass attempts against UCLA for 28 yards. On the ground, he chipped in a 14-yard run.
Those numbers should have made Iowa give him a chance. At the very least, they could confirm or deny that he’s capable of being the starter next season.
Giving the starting job back to McNamara only guarantees one thing. Fans are about to see more missed passes, frustrating decisions, and a lack of an ability to move the football through the air.
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