After cruising to comfortable victories in its first three games, Maryland basketball faces its first true test in No.15 Marquette.
It’s an early season litmus test for both squads as Maryland and Marquette begin leg one of a home-and-home series in College Park.
The last time these teams faced off was in the Orlando Invitational in 2019, where Maryland dominated 84-63. Friday’s matchup should be a thriller in front of a raucous (and red) Terrapin home crowd.
Both teams come into this highly anticipated non-conference bout undefeated with 3-0 records.
Game information:
Teams: Maryland (3-0) and Marquette (3-0)
Tip time: 8 p.m. EST
Watch: FS1
Listen: Maryland Sports Radio Network
What to know about Marquette:
Central Michigan gave Marquette everything it could handle in its last time out. CMU cut Marquette’s lead to six with just over four minutes to go, but Marquette’s 26 forced turnovers were too much to overcome.
A possible warning sign for Marquette? Its struggles from long-range. The Golden Eagles shot 27.8% (10 for 36) from three against CMU and are currently 29.4% from distance on the season.
“Those are shots that our guys make in practice, [and] our guys will make in games… we believe in those guys,” Shaka Smart said postgame.
Against CMU, the guards led the way with Stevie Mitchell scoring a team-high 17 points, while Kam Jones and Chase Ross added 12 apiece. The million-dollar question for the Golden Eagles offensively is how it will fare without Tyler Kolek. Kolek had a near 30% usage rate in his senior season and replacing his production will be a tall ask.
Enter Kam Jones, a potential All-American. Jones (22.7 ppg) is the clear alpha of this squad and is as elite of a bucket-getter as you will find in college basketball. With Kolek gone, he is the Golden Eagles leading facilitator, averaging a career-high 6.3 assists.
The storyline to watch against Maryland is how Smart will deploy his big men. Both David Joplin (6’8) and Ben Gold (6’11) have size, but neither is a traditional big man; both make their living from distance. Joplin has launched 8.7 threes a game so far this season, and Gold has attempted seven a game.
Maryland’s bigs are polar opposites, so it will be a clash of contrasting styles. Smart may opt to lure the Maryland bigs out onto the perimeter to open up driving lanes.
Latest on Maryland basketball:
Maryland took care of business in its first three games: for the first time in Maryland basketball history, they won their first three games by 30+ points.
Against Manhattan, it was Derik Queen’s coronation – the five-star freshman exploded for 22 points and 20 rebounds in his first collegiate game. Against Mount St. Mary’s it was the Rodney Rice show – the Virginia Tech transfer caught fire with 26 first-half points. And senior big man Julian Reese shined in his last outing against FAMU with 21 points. But Marquette is a big step up in weight class for Kevin Willard’s squad.
And like Marquette, the Terps have not been flawless offensively. They have shot just 29.3% from three to date, and that may be problematic against a Marquette squad that will hound the Terps on the perimeter.
Maryland’s advantage on offense is evident: their size. Both Queen and Reese are capable of dominating on the interior, so expect Willard to feed the post early. Again, the chess match between these two coaches will be how they use their bigs on both ends. Expect Smart to send a double team if Queen and Reese are cooking early.
The Terps presence inside should make for plenty of open looks on the perimeter. The early returns on Rice (41.2% from three) and Ja’Kobi Gillespie (40% from three) have been promising, but the rest of the squad is shooting a combined 20.9% behind the arc.
The Golden Eagles will likely pressure the Terp guards in patented Smart-style. The Terps will need to avoid turnovers to stay on track offensively — CMU did not, as they struggled to get into their sets all night. Gillespie has not yet been tested, but Marquette will send Mitchell and a fleet of ferocious and quick guards to challenge him.
This is a crucial early season test for both teams, but the pressure is on coach Willard and this Maryland squad to show they are legit after last season’s disappointment. The Terps have won 12 straight non-conference home games. They will look to make it 13 in front of a rowdy and all-red home crowd Friday night.