Iowa (14-10, 5-8) vs. #25 Maryland (19-6, 9-5)
When & Where: Feb. 16, 2025 | 5 PM | Xfinity Center
TV: FS1 | Brandon Gaudin (pxp), Robbie Hummel (analyst)
Radio: One Maryland App | 105.7 FM (Baltimore) | 980 AM (DC) | SiriusXM channel 84
Betting: Maryland -11.5 | O/U: 158.5 (DraftKings)
Following the big road win at Nebraska on Thursday night, 25th-ranked Maryland looks to go undefeated on the week with a win Sunday evening versus Iowa in College Park.
The Xfinity Center has proven to be one the best home atmospheres in America, as Maryland’s 14-1 record at home shows, with their only loss coming early in the year against the Marquette Golden Eagles. The Hawkeyes haven’t been able to figure it out on the road this season with an abysmal 1-5 road record.
Iowa has been beat down by the injury bug in the 2024-2025 season. Star forward Owen Freeman already was on the shelf for the season with a hand injury, and Head Coach Fran McCaffrey said recently that freshman Cooper Koch is unlikely to play again this season. A team that was hopeful to make it to March is now looking to play spoiler against the rest of the Big-10 barring a serious turnaround.
The Hawkeyes do come off the heels of an impressive road win at Rutgers for their first road win of the season. They now look to get another first on their resume this Sunday with a win over a ranked opponent, going 0-4 against ranked teams so far this season.
Without Freeman’s team-leading 16.7 points per game, the rest of the team will have to step up in a massive way to give Iowa a chance. Payton Sandfort now leads the team with 16.1 points a game along with Josh Dix’s 14.4 points per match. Dix led the way against Rutgers with 26 points while Sandfort added 20 of his own.
Meanwhile, the Terps look to keep the good times going at home as mentioned earlier. Their win at Nebraska was a statement for a team looking to put the nation on notice of what’s brewing in College Park. The starting unit of Gillespie, Rice, Miguel, Reese, and Queen has been arguably the best in the nation. The unit averages 68.9 points per game, ranking number one among all teams in power conferences. To put it into perspective, the starting unit scored all 83 points in the win against Nebraska.
Queen has been as advertised and then some as an incoming five-star recruit. He leads all D-1 freshmen with five 20-PT double-doubles. Averaging just under 16 points per game and 9 rebounds a game, Queen is primed to be not only a future NBA center, but a highly touted lottery pick in the upcoming NBA draft. Queen also made the Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy Player of the Year Midseason Team, a list of the top 30 players in the mix for college basketball’s most prestigious award.
Juju Reese’s development from his freshman year until now has also been a spectacle for Terps fans to see. Reese earned his 11th double-double of the year against Nebraska. His improved offensive skill set along with his incredible defensive presence has been invaluable to the success of Kevin Willard’s squad.
Although heavily favored, Sunday evening is a must-win for Maryland to continue to make their case as a legitimate threat in the Big Ten Tournament and for the national championship in March.
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