Preview: No. 13 Maryland men’s basketball prepares for marquee matchup against No. 7 Tennessee

No. 13 Maryland men’s basketball (8-1) prepares for the 2022 Hall of Fame Invitational against No. 7 Tennessee (8-1) at the Barclays Center on Sunday. 

The matchup is part of a four-game lineup for the event, but the headliner is between a pair of top 15 schools.

In its last game, Maryland ended its eight-game win streak to begin the season against Wisconsin. The loss was directly attributed to the Terps’ slow start to begin the game, uncharacteristic in the early stages of the season.

I think their physicality even on the offensive end kind of caught us by surprise,” coach Kevin Willard said. 

The Terps struggled to close out the game, shooting 2-18 in the final minutes. Wisconsin’s tall frontcourt gave Maryland issues all night on the defensive and offensive ends. Wisconsin’s ability to stretch the floor and pass the basketball at all five positions broke down the stifling Terps defense.

The Terps shot only 35% on two-point attempts and were held to just 18 points in the paint. Maryland has thrived around the rim this season, dominating in the paint, but Wisconsin’s interior defense was up to the task.

“I feel like it was our movement, they was in the gaps because we weren’t moving,” graduate student guard Jahmir Young said. “They were just walling us up, they weren’t gonna let us get easy baskets in the lane and just get all the way to the rim.”

Still, the Terps kept the game close and lost by only five. Young led all scorers with 17 points, and is averaging 15.3 points per game, the team-lead.

Young is joined in double-digits in scoring average by senior forward Donta Scott (14.7), senior guard Hakim Hart (12.8) and sophomore forward Julian Reese (12.3).

Tennessee is led by coach Rick Barnes, in his eighth season at the helm. 

Tennessee’s only loss on the season came against Colorado in a game that had a combined 34 turnovers. The Volunteers were outrebounded by nine and struggled mightily, shooting a season-low 25.4% from the field. 

However, Tennessee upset then-No. 3 Kansas in late November, the Volunteers’ signature win thus far.

Tennessee ranks number one in the country in adjusted defensive efficiency per Kenpom. The Volunteers also rank third in the country in opposing points per game, holding their opponents to an average of 51.2. 

On the offensive side, the Volunteers run an offense with lots of motion and incorporate screens to free up cutters and get the ball to their shooters on the perimeter. Their scoring is spread out among several players, but freshman forward Julian Phillips leads with 12.2 points per game. 

The former five-star prospect also leads the team in rebounds per game (5.7), and at 6-foot-8, displays the skillset of a wing. In an overtime win over USC in November, Phillips scored a career-high 25 points. 

Senior guard Santiago Vescovi leads the Volunteers in three-pointers made and trails Phillips in points per game (12.0). Tennessee’s guards excel on both ends of the floor, especially shooting beyond the arch and on the perimeter, forcing steals. 

Sophomore Zakai Zeigler and senior Josiah-Jordan James are impact players for Tennessee off the bench. Both guards receive valuable minutes providing a spark off the bench with their shooting ability, shooting over 30% from deep.

The game will begin at 4:30 and will take place at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.