Ohio State vs. Maryland: 2020-21 college basketball game preview, TV schedule
Maryland basketball (10-9, 4-8 Big Ten) start their two-game homestand against the No. 7 Ohio State Buckeyes (15-4, 9-4 Big Ten), who have won four out of their last five.
TV Schedule: Monday, February 8, 9 p.m. ET, FS1
Where: Xfinity Center in College Park, MD
Maryland basketball will play the Buckeyes for the first time this season, and they need to be on their A-game to face another ranked opponent in the Big Ten. While the Terps NCAA Tournament hopes are hanging in the balance game-to-game, the Buckeyes are firmly planted in the tournament picture. In Joe Lunardi’s latest bracketology, they are slotted as a second seed in Region 4.
The last time these two teams played one another, the Buckeyes outlasted the Terps 79-72 behind 26 points and six rebounds combined for Aaron Wiggins and Eric Ayala. Luther Muhammad was the Buckeyes leading scorer with 22 points (4-of-8 from the perimeter) and five rebounds. Kaleb Wesson had 15 points and nine rebounds.
Chris Holtmann has his Buckeyes playing some of their best basketball late in the season. E.J. Liddell has replaced Wesson as the Buckeyes’ playmaker in the paint. He leads them in scoring with 15.4 points and 6.9 rebounds per game. He is followed by Duane Washington Jr., who averages 14.6 ppg, and Justice Sueing’s 10.9 points and 5.7 rebounds per game.
Based on what I’ve seen, Liddell is a big body who can get post position and hurt an opposing defense from there and behind the three-point line as well. Zed key is a problem also. He did an excellent job blocking out on Luka Garza in the Buckeyes win on Thursday. The Buckeyes are ranked seventh in the NET and have an 8-3 record in quadrant one.
If he gets comfortable, he can make plays offensively too. Kyle Young and Justin Ahrens have played well this season, and Ahrens is an x-factor for this team. If he gets hot from the perimeter, the opponent is in trouble.
Maryland basketball will have their hands full with this team. The good thing is they have beaten multiple ranked opponents this season. They are outmatched in the post. The Buckeyes have the edge in that regard, and if the Buckeyes win, it will because they scored more points in the paint and secured more rebounds.
Galen Smith may start the game and be primarily responsible for guarding Liddell. Throughout the season, he has been tasked with covering the Big Ten’s top big men. In Maryland’s 55-50 loss to the Penn State Nittany Lions, they struggled to shoot the ball from the field and the perimeter, which is the reason why the game remained close throughout. That was a game they needed to win. The Terps are ranked 40th in the NET and have a 4-9 record in quadrant one.
For the Terps to win this game Monday night, Ayala, Wiggins, and Darryl Morsell will need to set the tone from the outset. Ayala has been putting up big numbers in the scoring column as of late. He’s had two 20-point performances in the last four games, and that needs to continue if the Terps are going to find themselves in the NCAA Tournament.
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Maryland basketball needs to win the battles on hustle plays. That means they have to get out on the fast break, finish their opportunities, force turnovers, and convert them into points, and their bench needs to perform well. Ohio State has too many playmakers on an underrated team. They beat Maryland on the road by eight.
Prediction: Ohio State 80 – Maryland 72