Wisconsin (16-4, 6-3) at Maryland (16-5, 6-4)
When & where: Jan. 29, 2025 | 7 PM ET | Xfinity Center
TV: BTN | Jason Horowitz, Robbie Hummel, Andy Katz
Radio: One Maryland App | 105.7 FM (Baltimore) | 980 AM (DC) | SiriusXM channel 372
Betting: Maryland -5.5 | O/U: 153
The annual Gold Rush game has arrived as Maryland and Wisconsin will face off Wednesday in College Park with both squads looking to continue building their resumes to earn a bid to the big dance. This will be the 24th time these teams have faced off, 17th since Maryland joined the Big Ten conference, with Wisconsin dominating as of late with wins in five of the last six against the Terps. While Maryland will look for its third ranked win of the season, they’ll also look to get back to .500 in Quad One games on Wednesday.
Wisconsin comes in ranked 17th in the AP top 25 Poll after splitting two games this past week with a loss at UCLA and a victory against Nebraska this past Sunday. Head Coach Greg Gard’s squad is led by tremendous guard play from first-year grad transfer John Tonje and Sophomore John Blackwell. Tonje’s team-leading 18.0 ppg and team-high 27 points last game against the Cornhuskers had catapulted Wisconsin into a true contender in March. Tonje also leads the Big Ten and is 9th nationally in free-throw percentage with a 92.5% clip from the charity stripe. Containing him is a top priority for Head Coach Kevin Willard who understands the talent the Badgers have in Tonje.
“I think one of the things that really makes him [Tonje] tough is that he scores in transition more than he scores in the halfcourt. So I think he's really good. He's really good at, like, just understanding who's guarding him.” Willard continued to say at media availability Tuesday afternoon that Tonje’s patience and ability to let the game come to him stands out on film. “He reminds me of an old NBA vet that just doesn't get sped up, doesn't get frustrated, and it's just going to kind of take advantage of what the defense gives him.”
Meanwhile, Blackwell’s hot month of January averaging 20 points per game continues his tremendous sophomore campaign in an increased role from his freshman year when earned All-Big Ten Freshman honors. Blackwell scored 20 or more points five times this season, including a career-high 32 points earlier this month against Iowa.
It will be crucial for Maryland’s guard combo of Jakobi Gillespie and Rodney Rice to be able to contain the Badgers backcourt from getting out to a hot start. However, the Terps’ defense has been lights out all year and come into this matchup with the 2nd-best scoring defense in the conference allowing only 65.4 ppg. The Terps’ lockdown defense was on full display their past two contests, both on road, including a huge 91-70 victory against then 17th-ranked Illinois and a last-second 79-78 victory courtesy of a clutch three-point shot from Rodney Rice in the closing seconds this past Sunday.
In each game, the Terps had four starters score double-figures, showcasing great success with a balanced approach offensively. Willard will try to continue with this theme Wednesday night, but admits the length and experience for the Badgers will present a challenge for Maryland.
“They have much bigger guards. [John] Tonje is obviously a sixth-year guy, big guard. [Max] Klesmit a senior, big, physical defender. [Steven] Crowl’s an older guy. I think we're going to need as balance of an attack as we've had all year because they really are balanced.”
Juju Reese will be as big of an X-factor as any for the Terps to come out of this matchup with a victory. Reese was named the Naismith National Player of the Week after two outstanding performances this past week, including a career-high in points and rebounds (27 pts and 17 reb) against the Fighting Illini. Derik Queen, meanwhile, was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week for the third time this season, becoming the first Terp to do so since Jalen Smith six seasons ago.
The starting unit has been tremendous for Maryland ever since Rodney Rice took over for DeShawn Harris-Smith in the starting lineup. All five starters, (Gillespie, Rice, Selton, Reese, and Queen), are averaging double-figures in points per game, including scoring a whopping 89 of 91 points versus Illinoi and 77 of 79 points against Indiana. The Terps are going to need their bench to come to life Wednesday night, starting with athletic wing Tafara Gapare, Jay Young, and Smith as well.
Wednesday will be a big test for Maryland, a team that feels they are piecing together what could be a team that plays deep into March. After just missing out of the AP top 25, Kevin Willard and company have a great opportunity to prove their worth against a nationally ranked Wisconsin Badgers team as they look for their tenth consecutive win in Xfinity.
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