Who: Maryland Terrapins (13-2, 1-1 Big Ten) at Michigan Wolverines (11-4, 1-1)
When: Saturday, January 7, 3:15 p.m. ET
Where: Crisler Center, Ann Arbor, Michigan
Channel: ESPN2
Live stream: WatchESPN
With six minutes left, Maryland held 65-53 lead over Nebraska on Jan. 1 and it looked pretty likely the Terps would improve to 2-0 in Big Ten play and return to the top 25 before their trip to Ann Arbor. Of course, that did not happen. Maryland scored exactly zero points after taking a 12-point lead and Nebraska went on 14-0 run to become only the fourth team to win at Xfinity Center since Melo Trimble joined the team.
Maryland now finds itself needing to bounce back.
What to watch on Maryland’s side
This is Maryland’s first genuine road game. They played at Georgetown, but Maryland fans were well-represented in the crowd that night in the Verizon Center. There is no way of knowing how Maryland’s freshman trio of Kevin Huerter, Justin Jackson and Anthony Cowan will react to playing their first college game where virtually no one in the crowd is rooting for them. If any of them are rattled by the atmosphere in Ann Arbor, it could be a long night for Maryland.
What to watch on Michigan’s side
On offense, Michigan prides themselves on being deliberate, never turning the ball over and taking plenty of threes. When it comes to tempo, the Wolverines has the slowest team in the Big Ten and one of the ten slowest teams in the country. Additionally, Michigan only turns the ball over on 14.2 percent possesions, good for fifth in the country as of Jan. 5. And lastly, nearly 50 percent of Michigan’s field goal attempts are from behind the arc, making them the most three-pointer-happy team in the conference.
