Preview: Maryland men’s basketball prepares for matchup against Saint Peters

Maryland men’s basketball (8-3) looks to snap its three-game losing streak on Thursday, when the Terps take on Saint Peters (6-5) in College Park.

After an 8-0 start in which the Terps garnered national praise, being ranked as high as No. 13 in the AP poll, Maryland has lost three in a row. Following a crushing defeat against then-No. 16 UCLA, the Terps have dropped out of the top 25.

The Terps were dominated by the Bruins in almost every aspect of the game. Midway through the second half, UCLA reached a 38-point lead, while Maryland never led at any point during the game.

“I think you got to give UCLA credit, they just kicked our ass,” coach Kevin Willard said. “I don’t think we had a chance to really be physical. I think by the time we wanted to be physical we were probably down 25. So just this is more about I think UCLA came in and they played much better.”

Maryland’s dreadful start — in which they went down 26-7 within the first 12 minutes — only got worse as UCLA’s defense continuously pickpocketed and intercepted the ball, which led to points in transition. UCLA’s transition offense scored effortlessly in the paint, often in spurts, which created long runs. 

“I feel like we didn’t take a second to readjust when we’ve seen people jump in the passing lanes,” senior forward Donta Scott said. “And when you don’t adjust to certain things in the game, they can have a big effect on you throughout the game.”

Virtually all of Maryland’s starters had an off night shooting on offense and defending the rim on defense. To make matters worse, sophomore forward Julian Reese missed the entire second half with a shoulder injury he suffered after being elbowed while jumping for a rebound. 

Graduate student guard Jahmir Young struggled to find his shot with only three points on 0-8 shooting and five turnovers. Young leads the Terps in scoring, averaging 14.5 points per game.

The Terps’ lone bright spot was the play of junior guard Ian Martinez, who set a career-high in a Maryland uniform with 16 points on four of five shooting from three, helping salvage an abysmal night shooting as a team. 

“Him getting more minutes probably will be the norm going forward,” Willard said. “I think one of the reasons is we’ve been struggling a little bit defensively to start games, so he’s been practicing great.”

Last season, Saint Peters made history with its Cinderella run in the 2022 NCAA tournament, picking up a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference title along the way. The Peacocks became the first No. 15 seed to reach the Elite Eight.

Although this season they feature a new head coach and a reconstructed roster, the Peacocks are a program on the map. 

This season, Saint Peters is led by first-year coach Bashir Mason. Mason entered the 2022-23 season as one of the most decorated young coaches in the country. 

At Wagner, Mason led the Seahawks to a 21-6 overall record and an appearance in the Northeast Conference title game, marking the third time Wagner won 20 or more games in one season during his tenure.

Mason also became the second coach in the conference’s 40-year history to win three Jim Phelan Coach of the Year honors during his decade-long stint at Wagner.

The top six scorers from Saint Peters last season all transferred. The top two scorers this season are senior guard Isiah Dasher and sophomore guard Jaylen Murray, both of whom are returning guards from the 2021-22 squad. 

Dasher is the Peacocks main scorer, averaging 13.9 points per game, and scored a career-high 29 points against Quinnipiac last time out. The past two outings for Dasher have produced career nights in which Saint Peters has enjoyed two wins in close games. 

Murray is the Peacocks second leading scorer, averaging 13.6 points per game. Murray is their best three-point shooter, shooting an impressive 52.9% from deep. Coming off the bench, the 5-foot-11 guard has been efficient despite high volume. 

Senior guard Latrell Reid is also among the few returners from last year, and has performed well this season. Reid leads the Peacocks in rebounds (6.8), assists (4.5) and steals (1.6) per game. 

Maryland and Saint Peters have only met once, most recently in 2020 when senior guard Hakim Hart totaled a career-high 32 points in a Terps win.

The game on Thursday will tip-off at 6:30 and will take place at the XFINITY Center in College Park.