Maryland vs. Rutgers
When: Tuesday, Jan. 25 || 8:00 p.m. ET
Where: Jersey Mike's Arena || Piscataway, N.J.
Watch: Big Ten Network - Jason Horowitz (Play-by-Play), Len Elmore (Analyst)
Listen: 105.7 FM (Balt) / 980AM (DC) / XM388 - Johnny Holliday, Chris Knoche
Maryland will look for their second consecutive Big Ten win on Tuesday night in a redemption game against Rutgers.
Maryland took an 11-point lead into halftime over Rutgers back on January 15, but quickly watched the Scarlet Knights reclaim control of the game as they shot 50% from the floor and outscored the Terps 43-21 in the second half en route to an 81-70 win. It was yet another game where Maryland struggled to compete for 40 minutes, but with the team coming off a win just four days prior, head coach Danny Manning will look for an improved performance from his team given their familiarity with the Scarlet Knights.
“The preparation is still the same in terms of we show our video edit, we give them a paper, scout, we walk through plays, we guard plays live,” Manning said. “Just a little bit easier the second time around because there is a level of familiarity, if you will, in regard to the team that we're playing and the individuals that are on that team. And so, I guess playing them the second time it’s not going in cold turkey, so you have a better feel for them.”
Maryland has turned to lineup changes over the last two games to spark potential changes. Fatts Russell and Hakim Hart were first to come off the bench against Michigan due to a violation of team rules, then it was Donta Scott to attempt to provide the spark off the bench against Illinois. That spark caught fire as the junior forward finished with a season high 25 points on 9-of-12 shooting, helping the Terps top their second top-25 opponent this season. “With this skill set, with his athletic ability, we feel like that's a tough cover for a lot of different teams, and he certainly had an outstanding game the last time out, so we want to see that continue to happen.”
As Maryland is hopeful for another dominant performance out of Scott, the frontcourt won’t be shorthanded against Rutgers as Manning confirmed that center Qudus Wahab practiced in full on Monday and is expected to be available on Tuesday. “Obviously if you go out there and you get it whacked again, it might be a little bit different, but I don't expect anything any different from him. I expect him to be available like he was [Monday] at practice.”
While the Terps will be at full strength, so will Rutgers as Maryland will be once again tasked with limiting Ron Harper Jr. and Paul Mulcahy in hopes of pulling out a second consecutive victory. The Scarlet Knight duo combined for 46 points, including 31 in the second half, over one week ago to lift Rutgers over Maryland inside the Xfinity Center. Manning knows there are “a few studs on every team in the Big Ten,” but the Terps’ defensive approach will look to make the halfcourt offense tougher than the first time around.
“We have to make him to contested shots, we've got to make sure we don't let them get any easy ones to get himself going, but he's going to score the basketball. Their offense is designed for him to score the basketball, him and [Geo] Baker in particular. We just have to be there to contest shots and try to force him to take a lot of shots to score points and sometimes that's easier said than done. He had his way with us last time, so we've got to be a little bit more formidable and disruptive to his offensive flow, especially for him playing on his home court.”
Comments