Preview: Maryland men’s basketball looks to snap two-game skid at Ohio State

Maryland men’s basketball had won four of six games after dominating Nebraska Jan. 27 in one of its most impressive performances of the season. The Terps seemed to be on the verge of turning around a season that looked to be a lost cause.

But Maryland dropped two straight since then, its latest a home loss to Rutgers in what currently stands as the Terps’ third Quadrant 3 loss of the season. Maryland shot just 31 percent from the field and 11 percent from 3-point range on its way to a 56-53 loss, matching its lowest point total in a game in conference play.

“It was a lack of urgency all around, on the bench and from the starters,” Jahmir Young said after the loss. “That’s unacceptable with where we’re at in the season and what we have to do.”

Young became the third-fastest player in Maryland history to reach 1,000 career points as a Terp on Tuesday — a feat the fifth-year guard says is “canceled out” by the loss and his 3-for-17 performance.

Maryland now sits No. 84 in the NET and No. 59 in KenPom, putting Kevin Willard’s team far from being in position to get back to the NCAA Tournament. The Terps (13-10, 5-7 Big Ten) will look to get back on track Saturday when they visit Ohio State (13-10, 3-9 Big Ten).

Despite their poor conference record that has them tied for last place in the Big Ten, the Buckeyes (No. 71) rank higher than the Terps in the NET, which means the weekend’s matchup in Columbus will be a Quadrant 1 opportunity for Maryland.

Ohio State has lost eight of its last nine after starting 2-1 in conference play. Similarly to the Terps, the Buckeyes get the majority of their offensive production from three players — Bruce Thornton, Jamison Battle, and Roddy Gayle Jr. each average more than 14 points per game and account for nearly 60 percent of the team’s scoring.

Ohio State’s defense, which ranks No. 128 in KenPom adjusted efficiency, could present an opportunity for a lethargic Maryland offense to find a bit of success. The Buckeyes have allowed at least 70 points in all but one conference game. The Terps have reached the 70-point mark in just three conference games — all of which resulted in wins.

With Maryland’s poor perimeter shooting and lack of production outside of its three veteran stars, it’s tough for the Terps to survive the rare off night from Young, who shot a season-low 18 percent from the field on Tuesday.

“Jahmir has been so good, it’s tough to really critique anything he’s done,” Willard said on Tuesday. “But he has struggled a little bit at home and has been phenomenal on the road.”

Young is averaging 26.2 points in six Big Ten road games, with 20 or more points in all six games.

Maryland has lost its last three games in Columbus — its last win there was in the 2018-19 season with a roster that featured Anthony Cowan Jr., Bruno Fernando and Jalen Smith.

For a Terps team whose wheels seem to be coming off, there is almost zero margin for error. Maryland will likely need to be near perfect the rest of the way to restore any hopes of playing postseason basketball, starting Saturday in Columbus.

Tip-off is set for 4:00 p.m. EST from the Schottenstein Center.