No. 8-seed Maryland men’s basketball falls to No. 1 overall seed Alabama in round of 32, 73-51

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — For Maryland males’s basketball, Saturday’s postseason alternative introduced the upside of its greatest win in years.

The Terps confirmed they’d the wits to compete with No. 1 general seed Alabama for about half-hour, however the latter earned that designation for a purpose.

Whereas a lot of the eye is concentrated on Alabama’s high-powered offense and celebrity freshman Brandon Miller, who completed with 19 factors, the Crimson Tide’s protection — or lack of Maryland offensive manufacturing — was the story of Saturday’s recreation.

With sophomore ahead Julian Reese hindered by foul bother, the Terps by no means appeared fluid of their units. Credit score goes to Alabama, which has the third-best adjusted defensive effectivity in Division I, however the Terps knew they wanted a gargantuan effort to knock off the event’s prime canine.

Exterior of Reese’s inconsistent minutes, no Terp emerged as a go-to scoring choice. Graduate guard Jahmir Younger was held beneath his season common. Seniors Donta Scott and Hakim Hart stumbled in (perhaps) their final recreation for simply seven mixed factors. Graduate guard Don Carey (eight factors) was strong in his function, however he was by no means going to be Maryland’s essential man.

The Terps in the end fell, 73-51, after making simply 35.2% of their pictures, lacking their alternative so as to add to March’s already-cemented chaos. Maryland wrapped up a profitable 22-13 season within the spherical of 32, way over many imagined for head coach Kevin Willard in yr one.

“We’re within the second spherical of the NCAA Event in [363] days,” Willard stated. “It’s a very good first step. I imply, we have now much more steps that we have to take as a program, and we’ll get there. However like I stated, if you happen to had instructed me I might be enjoying within the second spherical inheriting 5 guys on the roster, I might have instructed you you’re nuts.”

Maryland didn’t make monumental noise this postseason, however its trajectory factors to a optimistic future.

This yr’s dance supplied loads of bedlam main as much as Saturday’s remaining recreation between the Terps and the Crimson Tide. Two No. 1 seeds had already been despatched dwelling packing, with Massive Ten champion Purdue falling to minuscule 16-seed Fairleigh Dickinson and reigning nationwide champ Kansas falling to Arkansas within the second spherical.

Might the Terps, enjoying with home cash towards the event’s prime squad of their dwelling state, throw one other power on prime of the heap of already-crumbled Goliaths?

Maryland answered the bell of whether or not it might compete early, making its first 4 pictures and leaping out to a 9-2 lead. Reese scored 4 factors and blocked a shot, however was compelled to take a look at after choosing up his second foul lower than three minutes into the sport. The Terps’ success is usually depending on whether or not Reese can keep on the ground, which he wasn’t in a position to do early.

“The second name was a horrible foul name,” Willard stated. “And you’ll’t take a finest participant out of the sport when the sport was bodily because it was, and it was a horrible name. It modified our entire recreation plan. We had been going to pound it inside, pound it inside. That’s what we’ve been doing for the final two months of the season. We’ve performed by way of Julian. We’ve performed on the excessive put up by way of Julian. We play down low by way of Julian. He attracts fouls. He attracts double groups.”

The Crimson Tide and the Terps then went on simultaneous five-minute scoring droughts, with no factors scored from the 14:14 mark till 9 minutes and 25 seconds remaining till halftime. A muck-it-up model of play undoubtedly favored Maryland — Alabama has the fifth-fastest common offensive possession size within the nation, whereas Maryland has the second-slowest common defensive possession size nationally — nevertheless it might solely final so lengthy.

Reese got here again within the recreation on the under-12 media timeout to attempt to spark a stagnant Maryland offense, As a substitute, he picked up his third foul with 8:50 remaining within the half.

Regardless of the shortage of a monitor meet, Alabama began to get occurring each ends. The Tide grabbed a 21-17 lead with about 4 minutes left within the half, forcing a Maryland timeout after it made simply two of its prior 15 pictures. Maryland missed its subsequent 5 pictures however sunk its final two of the half.

The Terps shot 30.8% within the first body, however their defensive depth allowed them to enter halftime with only a five-point deficit at 28-23.

Maryland withheld Alabama punches to begin the second half, however the Crimson Tide’s personnel began to overpower all. Miller — probably the greatest gamers in the whole nation — began heating up with two 3-pointers to increase Alabama’s result in 40-30 by the under-16 media timeout.

Again on the ground for the primary eight minutes of the half, Reese made an affect with 5 factors. He picked up his fourth foul — an pointless one — with a bit over 12 minutes to play, forcing him again to the bench in a nine-point recreation.

Maryland’s defensive depth saved it considerably afloat, nevertheless it was extra of the identical on the opposite aspect of the ground. Alabama prolonged its result in as excessive as 17 factors with 8:48 to play, and the outcome was wrapped up regardless of Maryland’s finest efforts.

Alabama guard Jahvon Quinerly, who tormented Maryland with 14 factors and 11 assists in Alabama’s win over Maryland within the 2021 spherical of 32, completed with a game-high 22 factors.

The Terps made 39.3% of their second-half pictures, higher than their first-half mark, however not sufficient to battle till the tip in a recreation of this caliber.

Younger, Maryland’s finest participant all season lengthy, checked out with about two minutes remaining. He shared a fast, doubtless appreciative chat with Willard earlier than embracing his teammates and returning to a somber Maryland bench.

“Actually simply reflecting on the yr,” an emotional Younger stated of the second. “I really feel like we had an incredible yr and simply pleased with this group general, so simply replicate on it. It was plenty of feelings on the time, however I used to be actually simply reflecting on the second and the yr that we’ve had.”

Three issues to know

1. Reese in foul bother. It’s exhausting to not surprise how totally different the sport would have been had Reese performed nearly all of the primary half. Maryland outscored Alabama by six with Reese on the ground in his 4 first-half minutes; the Crimson Tide outscored the Terps by 11 within the body with Reese out.

“Early within the yr I had the identical points on foul bother,” Reese stated. “The mindset I strive to enter once I’m within the recreation is hold the identical power. Don’t lose any focus or don’t get down on myself and hold enjoying my recreation. And I really feel like if I don’t shrink back from contact or physicality then I’ll be good. I really feel like once I get fouls, I received to maintain the identical physicality and simply hold enjoying. I perceive that simply comes with it. And simply leaves some performs alone. Like over-the-back name and like, simply don’t gamble, don’t swipe down on some issues. Simply received to be taught from that and construct on.”

2. Lack of offense. Maryland didn’t generate wherever near what it wanted to knock off the Crimson Tide. It wanted its finest gamers to be at their finest abruptly — which has been seen a number of instances — however that might be fairly the problem towards a frightening Alabama group. Maryland, which has not been afraid to let it fly all through the season, tried simply eight 3-pointers, which is questionable when making an attempt to land a significant upset.

3. Maryland saved the sport at its tempo however didn’t capitalize. The Terps wanted to maintain Saturday’s recreation considerably low-scoring to have an opportunity on the upset. Alabama got here in averaging 81.9 factors per recreation; the Terps surpassed that mark simply thrice towards high-major opponents. Alabama was held almost 9 factors beneath its common, a optimistic facet in a recreation plan that didn’t absolutely click on.

“To be trustworthy with you, I feel you’re going to must play that technique to beat them,” Willard stated.