Preview: No. 25 Maryland men’s basketball visits surging Nebraska

Photo courtesy of Maryland Athletics

Maryland men’s basketball (18-6, 8-5 Big Ten) slipped to No. 25 in the AP rankings after splitting its two games last week, securing a  90-81 rebound win Sunday against Rutgers. 

The Terps will travel to Nebraska for a Thursday rematch with the Cornhuskers (16-8, 6-7 Big Ten) at Pinnacle Bank Arena.

The teams faced each other at Xfinity Center on Jan. 19. While Maryland won 69-66, the game was tied until sophomore guard Rodney Rice drilled a 3-point shot with 22 seconds left in regulation.

The loss was Nebraska’s fourth in a six-game losing streak, which included a 104-68 thrashing by Purdue. But the Huskers bounced back, winning four straight since the losing streak ended, including a 77-71 statement win on the road at No. 16 Oregon.

Fifth-year guard Brice Williams drives Nebraska, averaging 19.4 points per game. He’s led the team in scoring in each of the last five games, highlighted by 28 in the Oregon win.

Maryland’s star freshman center Derik Queen shined Sunday in front of nearly 50 NBA scouts, logging 29 points, 15 rebounds and five assists. He’s the first Big Ten player with at least 25 points, 15 rebounds and five assists in a game this season, earning Freshman of the Week honors from CBS Sports.

“We’re all in a race for Freshman of the Year,” Queen said when asked about his friendship with Rutgers stars Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper. “I just wanted to set myself apart.”

Rice and fifth-year wing Selton Miguel complemented Queen’s offense, shooting a combined 50% from three-point range.

Senior forward Julian Reese fouled out with 4:37 left on Sunday, ending with just four points. Still, the Terrapins figure to heavily utilize Reese against Nebraska. Reese boasts the team’s best averages (17.3 points and 9.6 rebounds) away from College Park. He led the team in scoring in three of the last four road games and will look to pick up his fourth-straight road double-double.

Struggles on the road have been consistent thus far in the Kevin Willard era. The Terps are 8-22 as visitors since Willard took over in the 2022-23 season, picking up back-to-back road wins for the first time in his tenure in late January.

The Terps are 13-4 all-time against the Cornhuskers, losing just in their prior eight matchups. The two never faced each other before Maryland joined the Big Ten for the 2014-15 season.

Thursday’s tipoff is set for 8:30 p.m. on the Big Ten Network.