Preview: Maryland men’s basketball hosts No. 17 Wisconsin on “Gold Rush” night

Photo courtesy of University of Maryland Athletics

After a narrow victory over Nebraska on Jan. 19, Maryland men’s basketball stood at 14-5 and improved to a 4-4 record in the conference. Having won three of their last four, the team’s hopes for a March Madness birth were growing. 

However, the following two games on their schedule left the Terp fanbase in a state of dread: two road games against two tough opponents. Having not won a road game at that point in the season, it seemed the Terps were doomed to fall back behind the eight ball. 

Instead, the Terps now sit at 16-5 and 6-4 in the Big Ten following a blowout of No. 18 Illinois in Champaign on Thursday and a last-second victory over Indiana in Bloomington on Sunday. Not only were they the first road wins of the season, but it marked the first time in the Kevin Willard era that the Terps achieved consecutive road conference victories. With them, they claimed sole possession of fifth in the conference, breaking a five-way tie that included Indiana.

The effort was fueled by senior big man Julian Reese, who averaged 20.5 points per game and 13.5 rebounds during the week. Against Illinois, he achieved career-high single-game marks in both points (27) and assists (17). Such numbers earned him the nomination for Naismith Player of the Week.

Freshman phenom Derik Queen also had an excellent week alongside his frontcourt running mate, averaging 16 points and six rebounds in the two victories, earning him his third Big Ten Freshman of the Week award. 

Although the Terps remain unranked, they finish unofficially at No. 27 with 116 votes, behind only Michigan with 129. It’s their highest ranking since December 30, when in two consecutive weeks they missed the list by a spot. However, they’ve notably achieved a ranked spot in the NET and KenPom.

Since KenPom’s inception (2004), every national championship team has been ranked in the top 57 in offensive efficiency and the top 37 in defensive efficiency. The Terps are one of just 22 teams to currently be both.

Now, their time to break through and prove themselves as a top team in the country may finally be upon them, as they return home to host the No. 17 Wisconsin Badgers (16-4, 6-3 Big Ten) in the annual “Gold Rush” game. 

The Badgers, who rank just one spot ahead of the Terps in the Big Ten, enter Wednesday night’s game having won four of their last five, most recently a dominant 83-55 victory over Nebraska. The team shot almost 46% from beyond the arc (17/37). In the season as a whole, Wisconsin has been dominant from long range, averaging 10 made per game and also setting the Big Ten single-game record for three-point attempts made with 21 against Iowa on Jan. 3. The Badgers have scored 80+ points in 13 of their 20 games this season.

Despite their offensive output, they aren’t a particularly strong defensive team. They rank tied for 327th out of 364 qualifying teams in steals per game with just 5.4. If the Terps can limit turnovers, a shootout might be imminent. 

Although it’ll be a tough test, the Terps at home are difficult to beat. Despite Wisconsin having won five out of the last six matchups, the Terps have won five of nine matchups in College Park since joining the Big Ten. With a student body recently back from winter break donned in all gold, it may be the ranked team that faces the uphill battle on Wednesday night. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. and can be viewed on the Big Ten Network.