Ohio State (5-2, 0-0 B1G) vs. Maryland (7-1, 0-0 B1G)
When & Where: Dec. 4, 2024 | 6:30 PM | Xfinity Center
TV: BTN | Jason Horowitz (pxp), Robbie Hummel (analyst)
Radio: One Maryland App | 105.7 FM (Baltimore) | 980 AM (DC) | SiriusXM channel 372
It's been a good start to the season for head coach Kevin Willard and the Maryland men’s basketball, now standing at 7-1 with their lone loss coming in a nail-biter to now fifth-ranked Marquette. Marquette is also the only top-60 KenPom opponent Maryland has seen so far, but that will change on Wednesday night when Ohio State comes to the Xfinity Center in the Big Ten opener in the second Quad One game of the season. With the all-time matchup tied at 11, Maryland will look to end a two-game slide against the Buckeyes in the first of two matchups this season with the return game set for Feb. 6.
Let's take a look at where both teams stand heading into this crucial matchup:
Ohio State
Days removed from a crushing overtime defeat against Pitt at home, the Buckeyes will look to get back in the win column before hosting Purdue for their conference home opener on Sunday. Still, the Buckeyes have gotten off to a very good start with junior guard Bruce Thornton and Meechie Johnson, who is back in Columbus after one season with the Gamecocks, leading the way. Thornton currently has an offensive rating of 151.3, good for 12th in the country – compared to Derik Queen at 4th – while scoring a team-high 16.4 points per game. Johnson has been one of the best scoring guards in the country while shooting over 53% from three. Freshman point guard John Mobley Jr. is second on the team in scoring after posting double figures in every game this season before finishing with seven in Sunday’s overtime loss vs. Pitt. Johnson and Mobley are one of five Buckeyes averaging double figures to open the season alongside Devin Royal (12.4), Micah Parrish (11.1). and Johnson (10.6), while both Johnson and Parrish are shooting over 41% from three.
As a team, the Buckeyes are 16th among all teams in overall adjusted offensive efficiency, shooting over 50% from the field in four consecutive games, while their defensive efficiency ranks 34th in the country after limiting opponents to just 35.8% shooting. Since their opening game against Texas, however, their best win is Evansville, ranked 241st in KenPom. They also fell at Texas A&M and suffered an overtime loss at home to Pitt in their last game. The Buckeyes are also without big man Aaron Bradshaw who is currently not with the team. Ohio State currently ranks 17th in KenPom overall currently, and a win in College Park would see them rise undoubtedly.
The biggest question for Maryland heading into Wednesday has been whether the six Quad Four games preceding the Big Ten opener were enough to prepare them, and that’ll be tested on Wednesday against one of the Big Ten’s best scoring offenses, one of three teams shooting over 50% from the field. In addition to Ohio State, Purdue is the only other conference team shooting above 40% from three.
Maryland
The Terps need this game badly, to show that their 7-1 start against mostly inferior competition is not a fluke. It's easy to see that this team has a considerable more amount of depth than last year's, and that depth will be tested on Wednesday. The Terps best win to date is 61st-rated (KenPom) Villanova, and that was a narrow one-point win in a game the Terps trailed by double digits at halftime. Other than that, Maryland's best win is Bucknell. The story of the Terps season so far is Derik Queen. Who, despite some freshman mistakes, looks like the most talented player to attend Maryland since Jalen Smith. Queen should be able to take advantage of Ohio State's lack of size without Aaron Bradshaw. He has also helped Julian Reese look like a better player in his senior season. Additionally, Ja'Kobi Gillespie has looked very good at point guard taking over for Jahmir Young. Maryland as a team is shooting the ball much better from outside the arc – Gillespie, Selton Miguel and Rodney Rice are shooting a combined 37% from three to start the season. The Terps' scoring defense ranks ninth nationally allowing just 58.6 points per game, marking the best for the program since 1960.
Prediction:
The loss of Aaron Bradshaw for Ohio State can't be overstated. The Buckeyes' four most-used players are all 6-foot-6 or shorter, meaning Queen should be given ample opportunities to score down low. As long as the Terps can make enough shots, the combination of Queen and the Xfinity Center crowd should be enough to take down the Buckeyes.
Maryland 64, Ohio State 60
Reese Stat Watch:
Julian Reese enters Wednesday 48th all-time in scoring (1,117) and is six points from tying Duane Simpkins, nine points from tying DJ Strawberry and 19 points from tying Brad Davis in the record book.
Reese (133) also tied and passed Tahj Holden (132) for tenth all-time in career blocked shots after posting two in Sunday’s blowout win vs. Alcorn State. Reese enters Wednesday three blocks away from tying Travis Garrison for ninth all-time.
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