Maryland Basketball: 3 keys to victory over Clemson in ACC/Big Ten Challenge

Maryland basketball needs to force turnovers, not give the ball up

Maryland has had an issue with careless turnovers early in games. If they want to take control, limiting those is going to be important. They can’t afford to have the ball stand still because that’s a situation where turnovers can take place. When the ball moves, good things happen. If Brownell and the Tigers decide to apply a pressure defense, the Terps will have to be prepared for that.

The Terps turned the ball over 16 times against the St. Peter’s Peacocks. That was their highest total to date. The 2-2-1 zone press has been successfully implemented into the Terps game plan and when the ball crosses half court they have done a great job of closing in on the ballhandler.

Defense is going to be a major factor in this game because we’ll get to see if the press can work against better competition. Clemson isn’t a top tier team in the ACC. They were a middle of the pack team last season. Even still, the Tigers are going to be a good team to try this out on before Big Ten play starts later this month.

Another thing to pay attention to will be how Clemson deals with the Terps size and length inside. Galin Smith did a great job holding his own on both sides of the floor against Navy. He’s someone I see making defensive plays against the Tigers. Chol Marial as well given his 7-foot-2 frame.