Preview: Maryland men’s basketball looks to sweep Penn State to avoid a losing regular season

Maryland men’s basketball has finished with a losing record in the regular season just once in the last 30 years — the Terps finished below .500 in the 2021-22 season after Danny Manning assumed the interim head coach role following Mark Turgeon’s early-season departure.

After having its Senior Day spoiled by a second-half collapse against Indiana, Maryland (15-15, 7-12 Big Ten) will look to avoid a losing season as it travels to State College to play Penn State (14-16, 8-11 Big Ten) on Sunday.

The 2023-24 season has been nothing short of a disappointment for the Terps. After a dominant win over Nebraska Jan. 27 pushed Maryland to .500 in conference play and briefly restored its postseason hopes, the Terps have since spiraled out of control — they’ve lost seven of their last nine games, including three straight at home.

But Sunday represents an opportunity for Maryland to finish the regular season with a victory and perhaps provide a bit of momentum heading into next week’s Big Ten Tournament.

“This season didn’t go as well as we wanted,” Donta Scott said. “… But just trying to keep our energy high and looking forward to the Big Ten Tournament and making a run in that because I know we can do it.”

Maryland will enter Sunday’s matchup with a full week of rest, the most it’s had all season between conference games. Coach Kevin Willard said after the loss to Indiana that his team would receive two days off and get back to practice on Wednesday.

“Just gives these guys a chance to recharge and relax a little bit,” Willard said. “They have battled, they have played their ass off for me all year, they’ve had a great attitude.”

The Terps won their first matchup with the Nittany Lions Dec. 6, a 81-75 overtime win in College Park.

Penn State will be without leading scorer Kanye Clary in the rematch, who scored 25 points in the first game this season between the schools. Nittany Lions coach Mike Rhoades made a “coach’s decision” to dismiss Clary from the program Feb. 19. That leaves guard Ace Baldwin Jr. as their lone player averaging double figures.

Maryland should enjoy a significant advantage down low — Penn State is the worst rebounding team in the Big Ten with a -5.4 average margin. The Terps crushed the Nittany Lions on the glass in the first meeting, 53-31. Julian Reese dominated his matchup with former Terp Qudus Wahab, posting 24 points and 15 rebounds.

What Penn State lacks inside, it looks to make up for on the perimeter. The Nittany Lions attempt 3-pointers at the third-highest rate in the Big Ten, although they only convert at a 33.6 percent rate — 11th in the conference.

Penn State also boasts the best opponent 3-point percentage in the conference, holding opponents to just 30.9 percent from beyond the arc. Maryland is also strong at taking away the three — the Terps are second in the conference in that category, but they don’t make many themselves, holding the lowest 3-point percentage in the Big Ten at 28.5 percent.

State College has not been kind to the Terps, who have lost six straight at the Bryce Jordan Center. The Nittany Lions are far from a powerhouse, as last season was their lone NCAA Tournament appearance since Maryland joined the Big Ten. But their home building hasn’t been good for the Terps.

Maryland will need to overcome its Happy Valley woes in order to avoid its second losing season in the last three years. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. on Sunday.