Big Ten Basketball: Analyzing each team’s 2021-22 opening night matchup

Quinnipiac at Maryland

Maryland will be returning 56 percent of last season’s playing time and added over 27 points from the two transfers who will start, plus two other transfers that will be coming off the bench for substantial minutes. The Terrapins open the season looking more like the No. 21 ranking in the AP Preseason Poll and less like the honorable mention in the Busting Brackets preseason power rankings. On Tuesday at 7 pm (ET) the Terrapins tip-off versus a Quinnipiac team that is returning 85 percent of their playing time from a team that finished eighth in the MAAC.

Potential warning signs: If Quinnipiac score over 60 points on Tuesday it will be a clear warning sign that the newly formed Terrapins are not on the same page defensively. While it would not be entirely unexpected, it should be concerning to head coach Mark Turgeon. The highest-ranked opponent Quinnipiac played last season was Iona, a team they had vastly different results against, losing 48-72 and winning 74-70. The Bobcats also shot 40 percent from the field, a number they should not eclipse versus the Terrapins.

For continued success: If Coach Turgeon and the Terrapins are going to remain a top twenty-five team and have a chance to compete with the top teams in the Big Ten, it is going to have to go through their three-guard front. Donta Scoot and Georgetown transfer Qudus Wahab are not to be discounted, but due to the lack of depth coming off the Terrapins’ bench, the established scorers from last season need to carry the offensive load.

New point guard and Rhode Island transfer Fatts Russell averaged 15 points on twelve shots with a 34 percent success rate. Eric Ayala and Hakim Hart will be the returning Terrapins who will lead the team emotionally and offensively.