Preview: Maryland men’s basketball continues play at home against Nebraska

Maryland men’s basketball (13-7, 4-5 Big Ten) prepares for game two of its homestand Saturday, as the Terps face Nebraska (10-11, 3-7 Big Ten) in College Park. 

The Terps tipped off their three-game homestand with a 73-55 win against Wisconsin. The home crowd at the XFINITY Center played a pivotal role in avenging a Dec. 6 loss to the Badgers.

Senior guard Jahmir Young led the way with his scoring, facilitating and rebounding. His 22 points were a game-high, and he also added eight rebounds and five assists. Young has scored 20 or more points in four out of the last five games. 

“I feel like they stole one from us when we played there, so we had to get them back,” Young said. “I feel like we had to punch them in the mouth from the beginning and I feel like we did that.”

Maryland had its best shooting performance in Big Ten play this season, and paired that with a balanced scoring attack with 38 points inside the paint. The Terps have now scored 30 or more points in the paint in four consecutive games.

Maryland also protected the basketball, with its third-straight game with single-digit turnovers. 

Defensively, the Terps had their best Big Ten game this season. Maryland boasted a plus-10 advantage in rebounds. 

Senior forward Donta Scott recorded a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds, and keeps moving up in both categories of Maryland’s record book. He now sits at No. 40 in all-time scoring and No. 28 in all-time rebounding. 

Maryland recorded 15 assists in the win, the second-most in any game all season. Senior guard Hakim Hart set a new career-high in assists with eight, and now holds the single-game season-high for assists this season for the Terps.

“I feel like we’re just getting a little bit back to the way we were playing earlier in the season with the ball movement,” coach Kevin Willard said. “And I think the size and physicality early on really caught us off guard.”

Young, Scott, Hart and sophomore forward Julian Reese combined for 63 of Maryland’s 73 points on the night. 

Maryland is 4-0 in conference games this season at the XFINITY Center and 10-1 overall at home. The Terps will look to improve upon that mark even further against Nebraska.

The Cornhuskers enter the matchup sitting near the bottom of the Big Ten, with the second-most conference losses. Nebraska has struggled to keep up in Big Ten play due to inconsistencies and injuries.

Only three Cornhuskers have appeared in all 21 games so far this season. Furthermore, in the span of a week, Nebraska lost two assets for the season that played valuable minutes. Senior guard Emmanuel Bandoumel and junior forward Juwan Gary both suffered season-ending injuries. 

Nebraska’s defense has taken a hit as a result. According to Kenpom, Nebraska ranks first among Division One schools in average adjusted efficiency of opposing offenses. Moreover, opposing teams have been successful sharing the basketball and finding open looks from three. Nebraska ranks No. 308 in the nation, allowing over eight three pointers a game, and No. 313 in assists, allowing nearly 16 per game. 

The Cornhuskers’ offense has also struggled, averaging 66 points per game while lacking consistent production from three (30.2%). Nebraska ranks No. 287 and No. 326 in those categories, respectively.

The main offensive threat for Nebraska is senior Derrick Walker, who has been Nebraska’s most consistent option averaging 13.6 points and 7.5 rebounds, both of which lead the team. The forward is also a capable passer, eclipsing four assists in eight games this year.

Another key player for the Cornhuskers is senior Sam Griesel. The 6-foot-7 guard averages 11.2 points per game and leads the team with 4.1 assists and 1.5 steals. 

Maryland is 10-3 all-time against Nebraska head-to-head and has won the last four matchups. The programs last met Feb. 18 when the Terps defeated the Cornhuskers 90-74.

The game will tip off at 4:30 p.m. and will take place at the XFINITY Center.