Maryland (15-16, 7-13) vs. Rutgers (15-16, 7-13)
When & where: Wednesday, Mar. 13 | 6:30 PM ET | Target Center
Stream: Peacock
Radio: 105.7 FM (Baltimore) |980AM (DC) | SiriusXM channel 84
Betting odds: Maryland -3.5 | O/U: 126 (DraftKings)
12-seed Maryland will kick off the Big Ten Tournament on Wednesday afternoon when they take on 13-seed Rutgers for the third matchup of the season, marking the first-ever matchup in the conference tournament.
The road teams pulled out wins in each matchup earlier this year, first with Rutgers pulling out a 56-53 win back on Feb. 6 only for the Terps to dominate in Piscataway three weeks later in a 63-46 win.
Neither team could build on it, though, as both Maryland and Rutgers enter Wednesday on a three-game losing streak.
Rutgers rebounded with a 30-point win over Michigan days after the last matchup vs. Maryland but have dropped all three games by double-digits to end the regular season 15-16 (7-13) overall. Jeremiah Williams has been a consistent piece for the Scarlet Knights, though, averaging a team-high 12.6 points per game during his 11-game stretch ahead of Cliff Omoruyi and Aundre Hyatt.
Maryland has watched its season spiral even further than fans saw during the first three months of the season after Northwestern pulled out a win in College Park, then Indiana overcame a 16-point deficit to shock Maryland on Senior Day in an 83-78 loss. A full week of rest wouldn’t make enough of a difference for Maryland as they closed the regular season with an 85-69 loss vs. Penn State, marking the seventh consecutive loss in State College for the program.
Whether Julian Reese, who averaged 19.5 points and nine rebounds vs. Rutgers this season, will be available for the conference tournament remains to be seen after not playing in the loss vs. Penn State.
The conference opener could prove to be similar to the first two low-scoring matchups with both teams entering Wednesday with a top-12 defense nationally, per KenPom.
Heading into the conference tournament, Jahmir Young was named a first-team coaches All-Big Ten selection. Julian Reese (media & coaches) and Donta Scott (coaches) also drew honorable mention selections while DeShawn Harris-Smith was named to the All-Freshman team.
The winner of Maryland-Rutgers will face Wisconsin for a roughly 2:30 PM tipoff on Thursday, while a Terps’ first-round loss would drop Maryland to 15-17 (7-14) overall, matching the overall record from the 2021-22 season when Danny Manning took over after Mark Turgeon abruptly quit.
Related Links
Jeshaun Jones on NFL prep, growth at Maryland, leaning on old teammates
Jahmir Young leads the way for Maryland in All-Big Ten selections
Former Terp on the move on the first day of NFL negotiation period
Maryland football film breakdown: OT Alan Herron
