With a trip to the Sweet 16 for the first time in nine years on the line, Maryland men’s basketball is feeling anything but nerves ahead of tipoff. All that stands between a trip to the second weekend is 12-seed Colorado State, who secured the eight-point win vs. Memphis on Friday as a double-digit favorite heading into the game.
“We’ve just got to go in there and keep doing what we’ve been great at all season,” freshman star Derik Queen told IBG.
Sunday marks the first-ever meeting between the two teams after the Rams shot over 42% from the field in Friday’s win vs. Memphis and nearly 80% from the free-throw line, but Kyan Evans' performance in the first round turned heads after hitting a program-record six threes for a game-high 23 points in the win, one of four to finish in double figures.
“They can shoot the ball really well. They get a lot of threes up so that’s definitely a focal point, defending that,” Rodney Rice told IBG.
“They share the ball. They’re well-balanced. Just a really good team. Good team defensively,” Queen added.
"They're a good team that shares the ball really well. They also shoot the ball really well. We just have to defend the three and continue to be physical and being the dominant team that we are,” Jordan Geronimo added.
But the fact that Colorado State was one of just five double-digit teams to advance into the Round of 32 doesn’t face Maryland, either.
“The numbers don’t mean anything. They can play obviously. They’re here. They obviously belong here, they won a game so we’ve got to go out and fight,” Rice said.
“We’ve won 26 games so we’ve been focused,” Queen added. “Even the games we lost, we’ve been focused. We’re all in college, grown. We’re old enough and we understand when it’s game time or film, we all have to lock in.”
“We just go out there and play. Points per game doesn’t really matter. We just try to play our game and not overlook anybody. Just try to stay steady and win a game,” Rice said. “We’re all going to compete, show effort and defend at a high level to try to get the win.”
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