The Terps are searching for their seventh win in their last eight games.
No. 25 Maryland men’s basketball returns to action Sunday, as the Terps welcome Iowa to Xfinity Center.
Maryland is fresh off a tight 83-75 road victory over Nebraska, in which the Terps shot 58.5% from the field and 46.7% from three. Derik Queen led all scorers with 24 points, while every other starter scored at least 13 points.
Sunday’s game will begin at 5 p.m. EST and air on FS1.
Iowa Hawkeyes (14-10, 5-8 Big Ten)
Head coach Fran McCaffery has led Iowa to immense success in his 15 years with the program, leading the Hawkeyes to seven of the last 10 NCAA Tournaments. McCaffery and the Hawkeyes have also placed fifth or better in the Big Ten standings seven of the last 10 seasons.
But this year has not gone as well. Iowa currently sit at 13th in the conference standings with a 5-8 Big Ten record, which includes a home loss to Minnesota (12-12, 4-9 Big Ten). The Hawkeyes are coming off a double-digit win over Rutgers Wednesday, and hope a victory Sunday can turn their season around.
Players to watch
Payton Sandfort, senior forward, 6-foot-8, No. 20 — With 6-foot-10 forward Owen Freeman out for the season with a finger injury, Sandfort is undeniably Iowa’s top option in the frontcourt. While he averages 16.1 points per game, he has been rather inefficient, shooting 40.3% from the field and 34.2% from three. An All-Big Ten third-team selection last year, Sandfort also averages 5.8 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game.
Josh Dix, junior guard, 6-foot-6, No. 4 — Dix is the team’s third-leading scorer with 14.4 points per game and showed out in the team’s last outing against Rutgers, notching 26 points, four rebounds and two assists in the win. He is the team’s best 3-point shooter, hitting 44.2% of his treys on 4.7 attempts per game.
Brock Harding, sophomore guard, 6-foot, No. 2 — Harding has started almost every game this season for the Hawkeyes and leads the team in total assists (133) by a wide margin. He also leads the team in steals (41) and shoots 37% from behind the arc.
Strength
Field-goal percentage. Iowa leads the Big Ten in team field-goal percentage, shooting 49.6% from the floor. It also ranks second in the conference in 3-point percentage, shooting 37.8% from behind the arc.
Weakness
Points against. The Hawkeyes have had lapses on the defensive end this season, leading to results such as a 116-85 loss to then-No. 21 Wisconsin and 99-89 defeat at the hands of USC. Iowa allows the most opponent points per game in the Big Ten at 78.6.
Three things to watch
1. Can Queen maintain his torrid pace? Over the past two games, Maryland’s star freshman has posted 29 and 24 points, respectively, while grabbing a combined 26 rebounds. Given his recent elite shooting from the field, it will be worth seeing if he can maintain his hot streak, especially as teams look to contain him.
2. Three-point shooting. Against Nebraska, Maryland drilled six threes in the first half and 7-of-15 on the evening. The Terps’ guards have not been afraid to unleash from distance, and it will be interesting to see if the team favors a perimeter or paint game Sunday.
3. Back at home. Maryland has lost just one game at home all year, which came against then-No. 15 Marquette on Nov. 15. Whether the Terps can preserve their near-perfect record at Xfinity Center will be worth monitoring.