The Maryland Terrapins travel to Anne Arbor for a New Years Day Big Ten Matchup against the Michigan Wolverines. Maryland, coming off of two wins, look to go for three today and start another win streak. As we all know, nothing in the Big Ten comes easy, especially on the road. This is a real gut test and big time game for the Terps. A win here could put them back inside the AP Top 25 and get them in a favorable position leading into more and more Big Ten Play.
Michigan currently sits at 7-5 this year, most recently coming off a brutal loss to Central Michigan. That being said, this team went toe to toe with Virginia and back and forth with North Carolina. This team is not something to be taken lightly by the Terps and they can give the Terps some trouble. For Michigan, they are led by center Hunter Dickinson, who as we all know is out for Maryland and does what he can to put up numbers when he plays against us. Sitting at 7 foot one, he could be a problem for the Terps inside. He is averaging 17.8 points per game, along with 8.2 rebounds per game and has put himself on the map as one of the best centers in the Big Ten. For the Terps to come away from this one with a win, shutting him down has to be a priority and trying to gain any kind of advantage in the paint will go a long way for the Terps.
The Terps are coming off of two wins, most recently coming off a win against UMBC. The Terps were given a chance to put up some numbers and run certain sets in order to prepare for this game here. By taking care of business recently, they were able to give some players more rest than others and were able to hit a much needed reset button. Having Reese back in the lineup was something the Terps definitely enjoyed, and today they will hope to receive a big offensive and defensive presence from him. Sitting at 10.8 points per game and 7.2 rebounds per game, the Terps will look to him in hopes of establishing a presence on the boards and in the paint today.
This game will be nothing short of a battle for the Terps out there today. As long as they stay relaxed and composed inside of the rowdy road environment, they should be able to sneak away with a win here. It takes establishing a much needed presence in the paint today, and we have to hope to see some glimpses of the shooting from the Terps that we saw in the second half of the UMBC game. The Terps tip off at 4:30 eastern today on Fox Sports One.
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