Maryland Basketball: 2018-19 season preview for the Terrapins

By Brian Rauf | Sep 17, 2018

ORLANDO, FL - MARCH 16: Maryland Terrapins cheerleaders perform during the game between the Xavier Musketeers and the Maryland Terrapins in the first round of the 2017 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Amway Center on March 16, 2017 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) /

4 of 5

NEW YORK, NY – MARCH 10: Tournament MVP Kyle Guy #5 of the Virginia Cavaliers celebrates with teammates after defeating the North Carolina Tar Heels 71-63 during the championship game of the 2018 ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament at Barclays Center on March 10, 2018 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images) /

Non-conference schedule

Nov. 6: Delaware
Nov. 9: at Navy
Nov. 12: North Carolina A&T
Nov. 16: Hofstra
Nov. 18: Mount St. Mary’s
Nov. 23: Marshall
Nov. 28: Virginia
Dec. 8: vs. Loyola Chicago (at Royal Farms Arena in Baltimore)
Dec. 11: Loyola (Md.)
Dec. 22: Seton Hall
Dec. 29: Radford

Maryland has an intriguing non-conference schedule that should tell us a lot about them before they hit the heart of conference play.

The Terps ramp up with six relatively easy games before they welcome former ACC rival and preseason top-five team Virginia as part of the ACC-Big Ten Challenge. The Cavaliers have consistently been the best defensive team in the country under head coach Tony Bennett and are expected to be that again with a majority of their major contributors returning. This will serve as an early measuring stick game for Turgeon & Co.

After their brief two-game set of conference matchups to start December, Maryland has perhaps their most intriguing non-conference game against Loyola Chicago. The Ramblers memorably made the Final Four a year ago thanks to their stout defense and balanced scoring, and return three starters from that team. Maryland probably has more pure talent than Loyola, making this a good opportunity for them to show they’re headed in the right direction.

The Terps will close the non-conference portion of their schedule with two more teams that made the NCAA Tournament last season in Seton Hall and Radford. Maryland figures to beat Radford fairly easily, but Seton Hall will be an interesting game. Both teams are hoping to make the Big Dance and this game could have major bubble implications come March.

Home/Maryland Terrapins