Preview: No. 8-seed Maryland men’s basketball set to begin its big dance journey against No. 9-seed West Virginia

No. 8-seed Maryland men’s basketball opens up the first round of the 2023 NCAA Tournament against No. 9-seed West Virginia on Thursday.

In coach Kevin Willard’s first season, the Terps earned an at-large bid for March Madness, making their return to the dance. Willard is the only coach to bring Maryland to the tournament in his first season. In doing so, the Terps drew a 2015 tournament rematch versus the Mountaineers. 

The 2015 tournament matchup was the last time the two teams met and West Virginia spoiled Maryland’s championship hopes, defeating the Terps, 69-59, in the second round. 

“These kids bought into our culture, they bought into our style,” Willard said. “They’ve been one of the best teams to coach because they have a great attitude and they work hard.”

The Terps began the year 8-0 but struggles on the road derailed their season slightly at the midpoint. But unprecedented success at home allowed them to finish fifth in the Big Ten despite going 2-9 on the road. 

Maryland’s biggest strength is its defense, holding opponents to 63.2 points per game. Despite being undersized, a big reason for that is the emergence of sophomore forward Julian Reese and his ability to match up against other big men. 

The Terps have corrected their shooting struggles that followed them throughout the season. In their last six games, the Terps have shot 44% from three, while their season average is 33%. Graduate student Don Carey is a big reason why, as in his last six games, he’s shooting 49% from deep and has scored double figures in every game. 

Seniors Donta Scott and Hakim Hart add leadership as they’re on their third tournament team. They’ve been integral to Maryland’s success this year, making an impact in all facets of the game. 

“It definitely means a lot,” Hart said. “During our college career, this is what you try to do the most. You try to win championships. It definitely means a lot to be here again.”

Second team All-Big Ten nominee Jahmir Young has been the heart and soul of Maryland’s offense all year. He averages 16.1 points per game and has scored in double digits in all but four games this season, but struggled offensively during the conference tournament, posting a 21% field goal rate in the Terps’ two games. 

Still, he’s ready for his debut in the big dance.

“Just growing up wanting to be out here, just watching March Madness, just knowing how many people are going to be watching,” Young said. “The excitement that builds up just to play in it. I just feel like we are going to be excited to get out there and compete.” 

The Mountaineers began its conference season 0-5 but coach Bob Huggins rallied his team to close out the season strong. Huggins is the winningest active Division One head coach in men’s college basketball with 935 wins.

“There’s a reason he’s a Hall of Famer,” Willard said. He hasn’t stuck with the same style year in and year out. He’s adapted to his team extremely really well.”

West Virginia enters as winners of three of its last four, most notably defeating No. 3-seed Kansas State at home in its final game of the regular season. Its one loss during the stretch was to No. 1-seed Kansas during the Big 12 Tournament. 

The Mountaineers have an experienced lineup with several scorers on offense. Five players average at least 9.5 points per game, and all are seniors. They also have a deep rotation with 10 players receiving at least 10 minutes a game. 

West Virginia’s biggest strength is its offense, which ranks 15th in adjusted efficiency among Division One schools, per Kenpom. 

Guard Erik Stevenson is the primary option, averaging a team-high 15.5 points per game. The South Carolina transfer is a 38% three-point shooter with 77 made threes on the year. He’s averaging 22 points on 45% shooting from the field in his last seven games. 

Forwards Tre Mitchell and Emmitt Matthews Jr. are the primary scorers down low, averaging 11.6 and 10.4 points per game, respectively. Guard Kedrian Johnson is third on the team in scoring but his impact is felt strong on the defensive end. Johnson has a knack for forcing turnovers with 58 steals on the season, averaging out to 1.8 per game. 

An area of struggles for West Virginia is its rebounding. Only two players average more than five rebounds a game, and none average at least six. Its 33.85 rebounds per game average ranks 240th nationally. 

“For us against West Virginia, we have to be really good in transition defense and really good on weak-side rebounding,” Willard said.

Tip-off is set for 12:15 at the Legacy Arena in Birmingham.