Maryland and Seton Hall meet on Thursday in a battle between two of the nation’s best teams. Here are the three biggest storylines to watch.
The Maryland Terrapins and Seton Hall Pirates meet on Thursday night in what was expected to be one of the best games of December. Instead, this game is the story of two teams moving in opposite directions.
Maryland has solidified itself as a top 10 team with a 10-1 start, beating the likes of Marquette, Notre Dame, Illinois, and Temple along the way. Point guard Anthony Cowan has played like the star he is, averaging 16.5 points and 4.3 assists per game. Sophomore forward Jalen Smith (13.5 ppg, 10.2 rpg, 2.5 bpg) has been incredibly effective as well despite not taking a big step forward.
However, the Terps are coming off their first loss of the season last week against Penn State, after which head coach Mark Turgeon told reporters his team still needs to improve.
"“We have a long ways to go as a team. Sometimes when you keep winning, you don’t realize it. Coaches do. Hopefully, tonight with this loss, our guys will realize that we have a long way to go to get where we need to be. Number one is sharing the basketball a lot better than we’re sharing.”"
The same could be said for Seton Hall, who is sitting at 6-4 following double-digit losses to Iowa State and Rutgers, the latter of which game in blowout fashion. The Pirates have not picked up a marquee win after starting the season ranked in the top 15 and, to make matters worse, are extremely shorthanded due to injuries to Myles Powell (concussion) and Sandro Mamukelashvili (broken wrist).
A win would go a long way for Seton Hall, whose season is in danger of spiraling out of control. Maryland doesn’t have that danger but needs a win to further assert their place as a Final Four contender.
What else should you watch for on Thursday night? Here are the biggest storylines in the game: