NCAA Basketball: Preview for the 2018 ACC/Big Ten Challenge

No. 7 Virginia @ Maryland – Nov. 28

Maryland teams have left the Virginia Cavaliers’ with bad experiences in the past so it should be no different when the Maryland Terrapins host them in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. The Cavaliers will travel to College Park to face an up-and-coming Terrapins club led by guard Anthony Cowan.

Cowan is coming off a sophomore season where he averaged 15.7 points, 5.1 assists and 4.4 rebounds per game. The loss of Kevin Huerter will hurt but it also opens the door for Darryl Morsell to get more time. Morsell averaged 8.7 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.0 assists as a freshman in 2017-18.

The Cavaliers will enter this game as the favorite and with good reason. They boast a solid backcourt of Kyle Guy and Ty Jerome. Guy led the team in scoring (14.1 points per game) while Jerome led them in assists per game (3.9). De’Andre Hunter‘s role should expand in 2018-19 as well. He averaged 9.2 points and 3.5 assists per contest in 33 appearances off the bench.

Don’t be surprised if the Terrapins crack the top 25 prior to their game against Virginia. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Cavaliers lose here, either.