Maryland (10-6, 2-3) vs. #10 Illinois (12-3, 3-1)When & Where: Jan. 14, 2024 | 2:00 PM | State Farm Center, Champaign, Ill. TV: BTN | Kevin Kugler, Robbie Hummel Radio: 105.7 FM (Baltimore) | 980 AM (DC) | SiriusXM channel 386 Betting odds: Maryland +8 | O/U: 139 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHgrJX20894 After a lackluster first-half performance against Michigan, Maryland was able to bounce back for a dominant second-half behind a star performance from Donta Scott, who scored 20 of his 22 points in the final 20 minutes. That effort led the way for Maryland over Michigan in a 64-57 win at home, giving Willard’s squad its first win in 2024. Maryland will now hope to build on those efforts when it hits the road on Sunday in search of its first conference road win of the season. Maryland has won the last two matchups against Illinois, but Sunday’s matchup would provide arguably its biggest win for the Terps as head coach Kevin Willard has twice tabbed the rest of the conference slate as “must-win” opportunities for his team. Maryland enters Sunday among the lowest high major teams in the NET rankings, and with an 0-4 record against Quad One opponents, Kevin Willard’s squad will look to pick up its first road win against a top-ten team since Dec. 28, 2020, when Maryland defeated Wisconsin, then ranked sixth nationally, 70-64. The Illini's lone home loss came against then-fourth-ranked Marquette back on Nov. 14 and have since rattled off seven consecutive wins in Champaign, while also leading the Big Ten in scoring margin. That hasn’t come without disruption as the Illini have gone 3-1 since Terrence Shannon's suspension beginning Dec. 27. With head coach Brad Underwood leaning on a veteran starting five, former Southern Illinois star and three-time All-Missouri Valley selection Marcus Domask has stepped up to fill the scoring as he enters Sunday averaging a team-high 21 points over his last four games. He isn't alone with 6-foot-8 forward Quincy Guerrier averaging over 17 points and eight rebounds over his last seven games, while starting guard Ty Rodgers is coming off a career-high 15 points against Michigan State. Inside, Illinois has Coleman Hawkins to turn to as the 6-foot-10 big has scored in double figures in seven straight games and is coming off a career-high four blocks in the win vs. Michigan State. That gives Julian Reese a chance to bounce back after a quiet performance against Zach Edey and Purdue on Jan. 2, finishing with four fouls, seven rebounds and no points in 34 minutes. “He’s got to realize that he’s number one on the scouting report and he’s got to bring it a little bit more than he has the last couple games,” Willard said after the Purdue loss. DeShawn Harris-Smith finished with ten points against Michigan, his first time in double-figures in a month, as the Terps will need him to step up in support. “Coach Willard told me one of the reasons he recruited me is because even when I’m not scoring, I find a way to impact the game. Juju tells me that all the time. He likes playing with me because I don’t need the ball in my hands to be impactful. So I just feel like I gotta be the best defender on the team,” Harris-Smith said after the Michigan win. “I’ve got to play harder than everybody else.” For a Maryland team still in desperation mode for postseason aspirations, they’ll look to pull off the stunner in hopes of their second conference road win under Kevin Willard. “We’re pretty much at a must-win in every game,” head coach Kevin Willard said following Thursday’s win. “The beginning of the season kind of put us behind the eight ball, but I also think that this is a team that if we can get better offensively, the way we play defensively is going to give us a good chance.” Tipoff between Maryland and Illinois is set for 2 PM. https://open.spotify.com/episode/2fFyOHp5fONyr3BgtvRyW7?si=1815b06a1e57457e Related Links
top of page
bottom of page