Preview: Maryland men’s basketball prepares for 2022 Basketball Hall of Fame Tip-Off Tournament

Maryland men’s basketball enters the 2022 Basketball Hall of Fame Tip-Off Tournament as one of four teams. The Terps begin the tournament with a matchup against Saint Louis, and will either face Providence or Miami on Sunday. 

The Terps’ defensive intensity has been a major bright spot for them through three games this season. That intensity will be put to the test this weekend against established offensive talent. 

Maryland’s pestering defense forced eight steals en route to 15 forced turnovers against Binghamton its last time out, a big reason for the Terps’ 76-52 win. The defense has made scoring on offense much easier as Maryland added 19 points off turnovers, compared to Binghamton’s zero. 

“I think we’ve come out really good at defensive intensity,” coach Kevin Willard said. “These guys are sticking to what we want to do. From a gameplan standpoint, I think they’ve been really good. I think we set the tone early with our defensive intensity, so I’ve been really pleased.”

Once again, sophomore forward Julian Reese got it done on both ends of the floor. Tying his career-best in points with 19, he also pulled down seven rebounds to go with two blocks and a steal.

Reese is taking advantage of his size by playing with a physicality, posting up more and often throwing down dunks on top of defenders.  

“I can definitely tell a difference [in physicality] within the stats and on the court,” said Reese. “First game I didn’t really do those types of things. We watched that in film, we took that into accountability and I just made sure I did it the next game and now I just feel like it helped my game overall.”

Saint Louis began its season riding off an impressive 23-12 campaign a season ago in that season the Billikens finished fifth in the Atlantic 10 conference.

This season, Saint Louis has replicated its 3-0 start from a year ago, this time with a big win over Murray State on opening night and most recently a gritty win over Memphis. 

Coach Travis Ford is in his seventh season at the helm for the Billikens and is facing greater expectations than any of his previous teams in the program. Saint Louis was picked to finish second in the Atlantic 10 preseason poll. 

Through three games, junior guard Yuri Collins once again leads the nation in assists per game (12). Collins averages 14 points per game, the second most of any Billiken.

After missing the entire 2021-22 season with a torn ACL, senior guard Javonte Perkins returned to Saint Louis for his final year of eligibility. Perkins averages 12 points per game and is a threat from deep, as he’s cashed in on seven of his 14 three-point tries this season. 

Sophomore guard Gibson Jimerson leads the team in points (18.7) through three games. Coming off of back-to-back games shooting over 55% from three, Jimerson has contributed elite shooting to a balanced Billikens offense. 

Saint Louis is a much bigger threat on the offensive side of the floor than the defensive, as the Billikens rank No. 21 in offensive efficiency and No. 72 in defensive efficiency among all Division One schools.

Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. on Saturday at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. 

The following day, the Terps will either be contending for a championship or fighting for third place, either against Providence or Miami.

Providence made history last season with its first Big East title in program history, as coach Ed Cooley has turned the Friars into a dominant program. Cooley was named to the 2022 Werner Ladder Naismith Men’s Coach of the Year Watch List.

Last season, Providence entered the NCAA Tournament as a No. 4-seed and advanced as far as the Sweet Sixteen. This season’s Friars team is a deep one, as six players average over 10 points. 

Sophomore transfer from Kentucky, forward Bryce Hopkins, leads the team with 14.7 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. Two other members of Providence’s frontcourt, graduate student Clifton Moore and redshirt senior Ed Crosswell, can also score at will as they both average double-digit points per game.

Miami went on an improbable Elite Eight run in the NCAA Tournament last season, the first Elite Eight trip in program history. Coach Jim Larrañaga has led the Hurricanes to five NCAA Tournament appearances in his 11 years at the helm.

The Hurricanes have a plethora of talent. Junior guard Isaiah Wong and sophomore guard Nijel Pack were both named to the Wooden Award watch list, and sophomore forward Norchad Omier was named to the Karl Malone award watch list.

However, Jordan Miller leads the Hurricanes in points (15.7). The 6-foot-7 senior guard is an elite offensive threat and also a great defender and rebounder. Miller averages 7.7 rebounds and 2.7 steals per game this season. 

Providence lands at No. 24 and Miami lands at No. 47 in the NET rankings. 

The championship game will be played at 1 p.m. while the third-place game will tip at 3:30 p.m. Both games will occur on Sunday.