TV Schedule: Saturday, January 23, 1 p.m. ET, BTN
Where: Williams Arena and Sports Pavilion in Minneapolis, MN
Maryland basketball has been swept by the Wolverines this season. The Terps prevented Hunter Dickinson from dominating, but the Wolverines’ other top scorers took over. Isaiah Livers and Franz Wagner combined for 35 points, 11 rebounds, and six assists. Dickinson secured six rebounds, scored three points, and blocked three shots in the 87-63 win.
Donta Scott was the high point man for the Terps with 13 points and two steals, while Eric Ayala, Aaron Wiggins, and Darryl Morsell combined for 31 points. This was Ayala’s first game back from a groin injury, and he played well. Hakim Hart started the game at point guard and recorded eight points and four rebounds.
His play this season has been excellent. As Mark Turgeon said, Hart didn’t come to Maryland to play point guard, but he managed to run the offense well and score when opportunities presented themselves.
The last time these two teams played one another, Morsell hit a game-winning three at the top of the perimeter to seal the 74-73 victory. He finished with 13 points and nine rebounds. Maryland’s stars, Anthony Cowan Jr. and Jalen Smith, combined for 26 points, 18 rebounds, and nine assists.
The Terps haven’t had the best luck with stopping big men in the conference this season. Minnesota has two excellent ones in Liam Robbins and Both Gach, who can shoot efficiently on all three levels and rebound the ball. Gach was a recruiting miss for Turgeon and the Terps this offseason.
Marcus Carr leads the Golden Gophers in scoring and assists with 20 points and five assists per game. He and Gabe Kalscheur are the players that make the Golden Gophers offense run smoothly. The Golden Gophers do a great job of getting dribble penetration to find open players to score or kick out for open threes. That action is something that the Terps struggled with mightily against the Wolverines.
The Terps will need to prevent the onslaught of threes from raining down upon them. Yes, there will be times when Minnesota gets away with open shots due to efficient ball movement. As long as the Terps shift well in their zone defense and do their best to stop dribble penetration, they should have a chance to win.
Offensively, they have to score early and often. Passing the ball around the perimeter and wasting valuable shot clock time won’t cut the mustard. Quick, efficient ball movement is the key. They were out-assisted 20-9 against the Wolverines.
Maryland basketball will have to do everything right if they want to beat Minnesota on the road. There is a reason why the Golden Gophers started the season 6-0, have beaten the two best teams in the Big Ten (Iowa, Michigan), and find themselves ranked. They beat Maryland basketball nine to move to 12-0 at home.
Prediction: Maryland 65 – Minnesota 74