No. 8 Maryland women’s basketball vs. Illinois preview

No. 8 Maryland ladies’s basketball is rolling on the proper time with the Huge Ten Match and finish of the common season inching nearer. Possibly the loss to Iowa a couple of video games in the past was simply what the Terps wanted to rekindle the hearth they generated early within the season — it actually appeared that manner after it almost held a Huge Ten crew scoreless in 1 / 4 Thursday.

The Terps (20-5, 11-3 Huge Ten) have a litany of upperclassmen who’re the most important contributors to this system. On their senior day — second senior day for some — it could present added motivation to get a top quality win.

Sunday’s sport is ready for a 1 p.m. tipoff on the XFINITY Middle.

Illinois Preventing Illini (19-6, 9-5 Huge Ten)

Head coach Shauna Inexperienced is model new to the Huge Ten and in her first 12 months on the helm has her mostly-youthful crew sitting in the midst of the pack at this juncture of the season. Her earlier teaching expertise was within the Atlantic 10 Convention teaching the College of Dayton, the place she received 5 regular-season titles.

Gamers to know

Genesis Bryant, junior guard, 5-foot-6, No. 1 — Bryant is the star of the Preventing Illini. Nevertheless, it stays to be seen if she will probably be accessible for the sport after she performed 10 minutes and scored three factors at Nebraska on Thursday; she left after sustaining an harm. Bryant averages almost 15 factors per sport and has began 14 video games this season.

Makira Cook dinner, junior guard, 5-foot-6, No. 3 — Cook dinner is a giant purpose why Illinois shoots so properly. She leads the crew with 18 factors per sport and if Bryant is out towards Maryland, search for Cook dinner to have the ball in her arms a lot of the sport.

Kendall Bostic, junior ahead, 6-foot-2, No. 44 — Bostic is probably probably the most well-rounded participant on the Illinois roster. She averages a double-double with 10 factors and as many rebounds per sport. Couple that together with her great 64.9% discipline aim proportion, and Bostic is a legit offensive risk who will probably defend Diamond Miller or Abby Meyers.

Power

Lengthy-range capturing. Illinois leads the Huge Ten in 3-point capturing, and perimeter protection has been one thing the Terps have been engaged on of late. Nevertheless, they’re the second-worst crew at defending the 3-pointer, permitting groups to shoot just below 34%. Illini guard Genesis Bryant is second within the Huge Ten in 3-point proportion capturing 43.8%.

Weak spot

Probably no Bryant. If Bryant doesn’t play towards Maryland, it leaves a obvious gap the Terps might want to exploit early. If she performs and isn’t absolutely recovered, it may damage the Illini greater than if she doesn’t play in any respect. If she is actually out for the sport, Illinois should run the offense by way of different means.

Three issues to look at

1. Senior day. Maryland’s seniors and graduate college students will probably be honored earlier than the sport for his or her contributions to this system. For some, it’s their second senior day and the ultimate curtain name of their faculty careers. Meyers, who was at Princeton earlier than Maryland, instructed reporters Wednesday that she feels fortunate to have one other senior day and it doesn’t occur to everybody. Meyers has been probably the most spectacular scorers for the Terps this 12 months, capturing 38% from 3-point vary.

2. The Northwestern sport was telling. Two issues that caught out towards Northwestern are that freshman guard Bri McDaniel made probably the most of her minutes and is deserving of extra. Her career-high 14 factors demonstrated she will be able to contribute when her confidence is there. The opposite factor is that Maryland performs a great zone protection. It’ll be attention-grabbing to see how its zone method works towards a higher-level crew within the convention.

3. Yet another spherical. After its sport towards Illinois, simply Michigan State, Iowa and Ohio State are left on the docket for Maryland. These subsequent few video games have loads of postseason implications for each the Huge Ten and the NCAA tournaments. If Maryland is awarded a top-four seed for March Insanity, Maryland will host the primary and second spherical in Faculty Park.