Maryland men’s basketball has won eight of its last nine games after beginning the season 1-3, and the recent success comes at a good time with Big Ten play restarting.
However, a litmus test looms as Maryland hosts No. 1 Purdue at Xfinity Center on Jan. 2.
The Terps (9-4, 1-1 Big Ten) took down Purdue last season, 68-54, in front of a sellout home crowd. Thousands of fans stormed the court to celebrate a monstrous upset win against a top-three team. Maryland nearly knocked off Purdue a month earlier in a game that went down to the wire in West Lafayette.
The Terps have challenged the Boilermakers in recent years, but head coach Kevin Willard says that Purdue is a much different team this year.
“They have three guys coming off the bench that started for them last year,” Willard said after the Terps’ 75-53 win against Coppin State on Dec. 28. “That’s unheard of for a team that won the Big Ten. Now they’ve got three starters coming off the bench. The guards are much improved. Obviously, everybody knows about Zach [Edey].”
The Boilermakers are 12-1 overall and 1-1 in the Big Ten and are guided by guards Braden Smith, Fletcher Loyer and Lance Jones. All three players average at least 10.8 points per game and are formidable shooters, having all connected on 20 or more 3-pointers this season.
Edey, the reigning Naismith Player of the Year, presents a unique challenge for opponents. His 7-foot-4, 300-pound frame is a mismatch for just about every center at the collegiate level.
Edey is averaging a career-best 23.2 points per game and 2.4 blocks per game through 13 games this season. Willard says opponents can’t shut down a player like Edey, and when asked what he thought the key to limiting him would be, Willard replied with, “Pray.”
Big man Julian Reese held his own in his last two meetings against Edey, holding the Purdue center to 18 points on 8-of-16 shooting in the Terps’ win on Feb. 16. He also out-rebounded Edey in the same game. During Maryland’s 58-55 loss against Purdue on Jan. 22, Reese scored 19 points on 8-of-11 shooting.
The Terps got off to a bumpy start this season due in large part to two losses in the Asheville Championship. After the win against Coppin, Willard said his team would’ve had much more success in the Asheville if the tournament had taken place in late December rather than early in the season.
“The continuity and minutes have been good. I think guys have gotten comfortable with their roles and where shots are coming,” Willard said of his team’s recent play. “I think they’re much more comfortable right now with how to play and what to do than they were, say, a month ago.”
Guard Jahmir Young did not play in the Terps’ game against Coppin, and Jahari Long seized the opportunity by recording a career-high 15 points. Young was sick with the flu but has since returned to practice and will play against Purdue.
Young went for a career-high 37 points during a 69-60 win at UCLA on Dec. 22 the last time he was active. He was 13 of 19 from the floor, including 4 of 6 from three, and led the team with seven rebounds. Maryland lost to the Bruins, 87-60, a year ago.
“That’s probably the best game so far in my college career,” Young said. “I had a rhythm going early, just the will to win, just motivation from last year as well, so it was just a combination.”
Forward Donta Scott has improved as of late after struggling to begin the season. He is averaging 14.7 points per game during his last three contests. Scott, who has a lot of experience playing in conference games, says he’s excited for another year of Big Ten basketball.
“We’re starting off with a really good team and starting off with the No. 1 team in the country and nothing else but to be excited, nothing else [but] to be amped up to get ready to play Big Ten and take on some of the best in the country,” Scott said.
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