Big Ten Basketball: Minnesota vs. Maryland preview, prediction, TV schedule

The Maryland Terrapins host the Minnesota Golden Gophers in a key Big Ten basketball matchup on Wednesday.

TV schedule: Wednesday, Feb. 22. 8:30 p.m ET, Big Ten Network.

Arena: Xfinity Center, College Park, Maryland.

Prediction: Maryland 73 Minnesota 71

The top of the Big Ten has been a dogfight all season long. And this matchup between the Terrapins and Golden Gophers will go a long way in helping shape the seedings for the conference tournament.

24th-ranked Maryland (22-5) has gone from sitting alone atop of the league’s standings at the beginning of the month down to third. The Terrapins have lost three of five after their 71-60 road setback to the 11th-ranked Wisconsin Badgers on Sunday.

Maryland is in relatively good position as the Terps own a 10-4 conference record. The Terrapins are currently one game behind co-leaders Wisconsin and Purdue (11-3). They are a game ahead of fourth-place Northwestern (9-5) and two games in front of the teams fighting for fifth place. There are four games left in the regular season.

Maryland plays three of their next four games at home, where they are 12-3. Following their game against the Gophers, the Terps host Iowa before traveling to Rutgers. They close the season at home against Michigan State. The Terrapins are 4-0 against their upcoming foes, which includes an 85-78 victory over Minnesota on Jan. 28.

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Richard Pitino’s team (20-7) is back on track following a tough stretch in January. The Golden Gophers have won five in a row, and are now tied for fifth place in the conference with Michigan State at 8-6 following their victory over Michigan (83-78 OT) on Sunday. The Gophers host Penn State and Nebraska after their game against Maryland. They close the season at No. 16 Wisconsin.

Maryland leads the all-time series with Minnesota 6-1. The Golden Gophers are 0-2 against the Terrapins outside of Minneapolis and 1-2 under head coach Richard Pitino.

Back to the Terps’, though, their defense has carried Maryland for most of the season. But it was the Terrapins’ D that let them down in their loss to Wisconsin on Sunday.

Maryland took a 33-27 halftime lead as the Terps held the Badgers to 28 percent shooting in the first half. However, they couldn’t do anything right on either end of the floor in second half as the Badgers shot 51.5 percent. Nigel Hayes scored 14 of his 21 points in the second half to help Wisconsin outscore Maryland 44-27 in the last 20 minutes. The Terps were whistled for 25 fouls and out-rebounded 44-27, including 18-5 on the offensive end.

Maryland ranks 59th in the nation, permitting 66.9 points a game although they have given up at least 70 points in each of their last seven games. The Terps rank fourth in the Big Ten in defensive field goal percentage and second in three-point field goal defense.

Offensively, point guard Melo Trimble is essentially the sole point generator. As a result, Trimble has been highly inefficient throughout the season. The 6’3″ junior has picked up his production the last two games, tallying 59 points and six assists while making 21-of-34 shots (61.4) from the floor. Overall, the Big Ten Player of the Week is averaging 17.6 points along 3.6 rebounds in 3.5 dimes a game.

Melo Trimble may not have won any #GRAMMYs, but he is up for the @NaismithTrophy and @WoodenAward! #StayMelo https://t.co/FawlV1Nz7q
— Maryland Men’s Basketball (@TerrapinHoops) February 13, 2017

Freshmen Justin Jackson and Anthony Cowan are the other Terps averaging double figures with 10.8 and 10.2 points a game. Jackson leads the team with 6.4 rebounds while Cowan tops the squad with 3.7 assists.

Meanwhile, Minnesota has reached the 20 victory mark for the first time since Pitino’s first season in 2013-2014.

Minnesota has outscored their opponents by nearly seven points a game though their scoring margin is down to a plus-1.6 in Big Ten play. The Gophers have played five overtime games in conference action. They are 3-2 in the extra periods, which includes a double overtime game against Iowa on Feb. 8.

Junior point guard Nate Mason, who has poured in 30 points twice in league play, leads four players in double figures with 15.0 points a game. Mason has upped his production during Big Ten play, producing 16.7 points and 5.1 assists per game.