Maryland men’s basketball will host Georgetown on Friday, Nov. 7, at 6 p.m. in its first home game of the season.
The Buzz Williams era officially began with an 83-61 victory against Coppin State on Nov. 3 in the season opener in Baltimore. The Terrapins will look to continue their success against the Hoyas in front of what is expected to be a big crowd in College Park.
Maryland has won four of its past five matchups against Georgetown, most recently a 76-75 win on Nov. 15, 2016. Overall, the Terrapins hold a 38-27 series lead. Here are three things to look for in their matchup against Georgetown:
Who will be healthy?
Maryland battled injuries throughout the preseason, limiting how it can prepare. Myles Rice and Solomon Washington are both dealing with ankle injuries and missed the season opener against Coppin.
Isaiah Watts and David “Diggy” Coit missed the UMBC exhibition but came off the bench against Coppin. Player availability will be a key factor against Georgetown.
Which non-Texas A&M transfer will step up?
Williams brought four former Aggies to College Park as part of a complete roster overhaul –Andre Mills, Pharrel Payne, George Turkson Jr. and Washington — but the supporting cast will be just as important.
Freshman guard Darius Adams, a consensus top-25 recruit and five-star prospect, scored 16 points in his college debut against Coppin and looks poised for a major role.
Rice, once healthy, is expected to slot into the starting lineup. Coit returned from an ankle injury to score 13 points, pull down four rebounds and dish out four assists in his debut against the Eagles.
“I was out for a couple weeks with an ankle injury, so knowing that I was coming off the bench I didn’t know how much I would play,” Coit said. “I know that my role is important to the team, whether that’s starting or coming off the bench. I’m going to be a great leader, teammate, playmaker, scorer — I want to showcase what I can do on the court at all times.”
Can Maryland’s defense continue to get better?
Williams expects Georgetown to attack the paint and get to the free-throw line early. The Hoyas shot 27-for-39 from the stripe in their 87-70 win against Morgan State on Nov. 3.
“Can we defend without fouling will be a big part of whether we can win a game — not just Georgetown, any game,” Williams said. “We fouled more times on Monday night than Coppin fouled us. That’s not a good start. We’re going to have to defend without fouling because a lot of our fouls come from not being able to guard the ball, so we just foul and it leads to free points for the opponent.”
Williams hopes the defense improves not only from Monday’s performance but throughout the season.
“We’re hoping that if we can keep the focus on us, using the opponents to grow our foundation, that when we get to game six, or game eight, or game 28, there’s remnants that we built it from a sustainable standpoint,” Williams said.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Maryland Athletics