Maryland hosts Vermont on Saturday in a non-conference battle that may be closer than some think. Will the Terrapins be able to hold off Vermont?
TV Schedule: Saturday, November 13, 2:00 PM ET, Check local listings
Arena: XFINITY Center, College Park, Maryland
On Saturday the No. 21 Maryland Terrapins (2-0) welcome the Vermont Catamounts (1-0) to College Park for an early-season game that pits perennially one of the best low-major teams in the country who have been the measuring stick in America East for the last decade taking on a Big Ten team that is looking to build off last season’s NCAA Tournament appearance. This game should be a good test for both teams this early on.
This is the second stiff road test for John Becker’s Vermont squad in two games. Vermont began their season on Thursday against a very good Northern Iowa team and the result was a 71-57 win. Vermont is an experienced team with eight seniors on the roster and two of them Ryan Davis and Ben Shungu are All-Conference players.
Unfortunately for Vermont, they were without Davis against Northern Iowa due to an illness and came away with an impressive win. Shungu picked up some of the slack with 19 points and seven rebounds, but it’s complementary pieces like seniors Justin Mazzulla and Isaiah Powell that will help Davis and Shungu be even more successful. Mazzulla, Powell, and newcomer Kam Gibson played well shooting 13-26 from the field against Northern Iowa as they gear up for this game against Maryland, but not having Davis hurt against the Panthers.
Maryland exceeded expectations last season by making the Big Dance and was hit hard by departures in the offseason as 37 points per game left their rotation, but Mark Turgeon hit the transfer portal to fill in the holes. The Terps welcome six transfers including big names like Fatts Russell (Rhode Island) and Qudus Wahab (Georgetown).
Russell gives Maryland a dynamic point guard that can do it all and Wahab adds a defensive presence in the paint, something Maryland struggled with on the defensive end. Maryland wasn’t without talent on their roster. Senior Eric Ayala returns as do juniors Donta Scott and Hakim Hart, making Maryland a threat in the deep Big Ten.
The Terrapins enter the game after winning their first two games of the year against Quinnipiac and George Washington and the newcomers have blended in well. The six transfers have scored 80 points in those two games and the Terps have been better defensively, forcing 25 turnovers and outrebounding their opponents by a 93-67 margin in two games.
Russell while exciting can be a bit inconsistent and the one way I could see Maryland have a difficult time with Vermont is if Russell is off. But, the pieces that Russell will be playing with at Maryland are an upgrade over what he had at Rhode Island. For Vermont, expect them to rely heavily on Shungu and Davis, but will it be enough to pull the upset?
While Vermont is a dangerous team, coming off a fantastic win over Northern Iowa, dealing with the size and athleticism on this Terrapins roster will ultimately prove to be too big a test for the Catamounts. I expect Ayala, Hart, and Scott to have big games and Wahab will make it difficult for Vermont to attack the rim. Look for Maryland to come away with a home win against a solid Vermont squad.
Prediction: Maryland 74, Vermont 62