Men’s basketball No. 24 Ohio State vs. Maryland: Match preview and predictions

The conference play tension has officially started and the No. 1 men’s basketball team Maryland Terrapins (10-5, 1-3) this afternoon in College Park.

The Buckeyes fell 2-1 in Big Ten play after a heartbreaking loss to No. 1. 1 Purdue in Columbus Thursday night. The Boilermakers emerged with a 71-69 win while Ohio State slumped to its second home loss of the season.

Ohio State led 36-33 at the break, but both teams maintained a slender lead throughout the second half. And unfortunately for the Buckeyes, their elite and clean display against possibly their toughest opponent of the season came not long after a costly late Justice Sueing substitution that gave Purdue the ball, shot and three point play to stay ahead. good.

New forward Brice Sensabaugh continued his phenomenal run with a team-high 21 points and five rebounds on the night. The only other player to score in double figures was senior forward Sueing, who scored 15 points on the night. It didn’t help that junior forward Zed Key left the game with zero points in four minutes after suffering a sprained shoulder. In a two-point game, the scoring volume must have missed.

New midfielder Felix Okpara fills in effectively from a defensive perspective (guarding 7-foot-4 Purdues center and conference top scorer Zach Edey, no less). It was an impressive display in 31 minutes from a player who has averaged under 14 this season. Overall, Ohio State has eight steals and four blocks against Purdue.

Ohio State shot 50% from the field, including 43% from three-point range. Unfortunately, the Boilermakers dominated the Buckeyes over the glass, beating Ohio State 37-27. Purdue also won the offensive rebound battle, 16-9.

That last turnover was a painful way to end a game, especially as the Buckeyes who have struggled with turnovers at multiple points this season have only seven against Purdue compared to 14 for the Boilermakers.

It was an early look at the two favorites for a Big Ten crown and, while Purdue came out victorious in the first round, the Buckeyes definitely have February 19 circled on their calendar for their rematch at West Lafayette.

However, the Buckeyes can’t get revenge too soon, as they have to take care of business this afternoon against a Maryland squad that is struggling for traction with the start of conference play.

Preview

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The Terps can be a dangerous team, but a squad that started 8-0 with wins over Miami (FL) and Illinois has now lost five of its last seven games. And Maryland is still looking for its first win of 2023, having lost to Michigan (81-46) and Rutgers (64-50) on the street. Overall, Maryland is 10-5, including 1-3 in conference play.

Maryland matches up with the defense-minded team Ohio State has faced in Big Ten play so far this season. The Terps were particularly adept at defending long balls, allowing only 29% of opponents’ three-point attempts. Offensively, Ohio State made 38% of its attempts.

Maryland is fifth in the conference in scoring defense, allowing 63.3 points per game. Ohio State’s other conference opponents so far this season, Rutgers, Northwestern and Purdue, are first, second and fourth, respectively, in the category, so the Buckeyes at least have some experience facing similar defensive squads.

On the other hand, offensively, Maryland averaged more than 71 points per game. In an unsettling turn for the team, the Terps have scored just 96 points in their last two games. Dan the Terps are 13th in the conference in three-point offense, connecting on just 31% of their shooting from distance.

Senior guard Jahmir Young, who came to Maryland after three seasons with Charlotte, led the Terps in scoring with 13.9 points per game. Senior Donta Scott and Judge Hart have also averaged double-digit scoring for Maryland so far this season. Scott was hot at the start of the season but cooled off with the start of Big Ten play.

In Maryland’s final game against Rutgers, the Terps shot just 41% from the field as Young led the team with 13 points. Senior guard Don Carey, a transfer from Georgetown, was the only other Maryland player to score in double figures with a dozen points on the night. While Maryland and Rutgers competed in rebounds and steals, the Terps had 20 turnovers to Rutgers 13.

A second straight double-digit loss was a blow to a squad that had a difficult future ahead of it (after Ohio State, the Terps hit the road in Iowa, returned home to face Michigan again, then had to head to Purdue).

Leading Maryland off the bench is Kevin Willard, who is in his first season at College Park after spending 12 seasons at Seton Hall. Willard, who played college ball at Western Kentucky and Pitt, has experience with turning, having previously repaired the ship during his time at Iona and Seton Hall and won conference coach of the year awards in both.

Forecast

Tommy Gilligan-US TODAY Sports

Once again this season, the Buckeyes find themselves facing solid defensive opponents in the conference. Twice already, Ohio State has emerged as the top in two very different streams of play (a narrow buzzer hitter versus Rutgers and a hugely dominant win against Northwestern).

Maryland has the overall series against the Buckeyes 10-9. Last year, Ohio State split its game two with Maryland with each team playing its home games. Donta Scott led the Terps in the first fight, losing at Columbus, with 25 points and six rebounds.

Despite the loss against Purdue, Ohio State seems to be playing better and better basketball as a team. Leading the way is Sensabaugh, who has won the Top Ten Freshman of the Week award for three consecutive weeks and established himself as one of the conference’s top players. The newcomer is seventh in the conference in scoring, averaging over 16 points per game, and led Ohio State in scoring in six of the last seven games.

The Buckeyes have climbed to No. 11 nationally and No. 2 in offensive efficiency according to Kenpom. Importantly, the Buckeyes finally appear to be back to full strength heading into 2023 with the return of Gene Brown and Isaac Likekele to the lineup, but it’s not helping to be without one of their leading scorers for much of Thursday’s game. It was announced Saturday afternoon during the Michigan vs. Michigan State game on FOX that Key, who is averaging 12.4 points and 7.8 rebounds per game, will not play today against the Terrapins.

Maryland, meanwhile, sits at No. 41 per Kenpom which is still respected. However, Maryland’s recent slump may be just the right measure. With a first-year head coach and without a top scorer from last season, the Terps were picked to finish 10th in the conference in the preseason. They climbed as high as No. 13 in the country after their impressive start to the season, but the offensive struggles that have surfaced in recent weeks have exposed some loopholes that will only become more prominent as conference play continues.

The track recently seems to be in Ohio State’s favor (yes, even with the loss to the Boilermakers) but, as we’ve seen, road play in the Big Ten is no joke. We also can’t ignore the fact that both of Maryland’s recent double-digit losses have come in tough road environments.

And Ohio State can’t be short on taking on a shaken squad desperate to get back on track before things get out of hand.

ESPN BPI: Ohio State 55.4%

Time: 1:00 PM ET

TELEVISION: ESPN

LGHL score predictions: Ohio State 74, Maryland 67