Preview: Maryland men’s basketball gets set to take on Rutgers

Maryland men’s basketball (10-4, 1-2 Big Ten) prepares for a conference matchup on Thursday, as the Terps take on Rutgers (10-4, 2-1 Big Ten) in Piscataway. 

The Terps were outmatched their last time on the court, brutally losing to Michigan, 81-46. Maryland was stunned from the tip-off as the Michigan offense picked its defense apart, and Maryland displayed a dreadful shooting performance, compounding its struggles.

The Terps had no answer for junior center Hunter Dickinson, who torched Maryland’s defense for 32 points on 13-16 shooting from the floor. The 7-foot-1 skilled big man wasn’t just a force on the offensive end, as he made his presence felt on the defensive end with 12 rebounds and two blocks. 

The Wolverines were on fire, as they began the game on a 17-0 run and closed out the half on a 9-0 run. On the other hand, the Terps scored a season-low 13 points in the first half, handing the game away in the first 20 minutes. 

“Michigan played great and Hunter [Dickinson] was terrific, but we can’t come out with the energy that we’ve come out with,” coach Kevin Willard said.

Not a single Terp reached double figures in scoring. As a team, Maryland shot a horrific 26.5% from the field and connected on just five of 25 attempts from three. The only starter that made more than two field goals was senior guard Hakim Hart, who went 3-8 from the field.

The Terps were a liability on the defensive glass, surrendering a +19 advantage. Senior forward Patrick Emilien and sophomore forward Julian Reese both fouled out in the second half as Maryland committed 24 fouls to Michigan’s 11.

“This was a total failure by me to try to get a team somewhat ready,” Willard said. “I don’t think there’s anything I can say besides I totally let down this program and these kids so this is on me this is a total, total failure.”

The loss was the largest Maryland has suffered since joining the Big Ten in 2014.  

The Terps are now 0-4 in games in which they are down at halftime, and have trailed by 17 or more in three of those games this season. 

Williard has expressed confidence all season about Maryland’s ability to shoot, yet the Terps ranks 296th among Division One schools in three-point shooting percentage (30.8%). Hart is the only starter shooting the three-ball at a clip over 30% (38.8).

Although senior forward Donta Scott scored just five points, he tied No. 49 on the all-time scoring record for Maryland, with 1,103 career points. Scott also moved up in the rebounding ranks to No. 32 all-time.

Rutgers enters the matchup on a four-game win streak, including a road upset against No. 1 Purdue its last time out.

Senior guard Cam Spencer hit the go-ahead three with 13 seconds left to seal the deal for the Scarlet Knights. Spencer is Rugters’ second-leading scorer on a per-game basis (12.9) and is a sharpshooter from behind the arc, shooting 43.8% on the year. He’s also a pest on the perimeter, averaging 2.6 steals per game, tied for 10th-best in the nation.

Junior center Clifford Omoruyi anchors the defense down low for Rutgers. The 6-foot-11 junior leads his team in points per game (14.8) and rebounds per game (9.8), in addition to his 1.7 blocks per game average. Omoruyi has recorded five double-doubles in 14 games this season.

Two other key players for the Scarlet Knights are senior guard Caleb McConnell and junior forward Aundre Hyatt, who both come off the bench. The Rutgers offense has been balanced all season, with four players averaging 10 or more points per game — including McConnell and Hyatt — and another three averaging seven or more points. 

Rutgers’ defense is one of the best in the nation. Among all Division One schools, its 55.2 opponent points per game ranks fifth, and it also ranks third in adjusted defensive efficiency, per Kenpom.

With a strout defense and a steady offense, Rutgers has the seventh-highest average scoring margin (+17.3) among Division One schools. Even in games Rutgers has lost this season, it has remained competitive, losing by seven or fewer points in all four losses.

A weakness for the Scarlet Knights is their shooting from three, as they average just 5.6 threes made per game, which ranks 315th in the nation.

Maryland is just 3-10 all-time against Rutgers in the schools’ head-to-head matchups. The programs last met Jan. 25 when Rutgers came away victorious, 68-60. 

The game will tip-off at 6:30 and will take place at the Jersey Mike’s Arena.