After falling to Michigan State 85-57 Friday, IU returns home to face Maryland Monday in a stretch of tough games in the Big Ten conference. Minnesota is 15-6 overall this season and 4-4 in conference play. Coming off a 77-66 victory over Minnesota Thursday, Maryland is looking to earn its second road win in the Big Ten.
Here are five things to know about the Terrapins:
Maryland has an above-average offense
Even without Melo Trimble, who left for the NBA after last season, Maryland’s offense has not dropped off substantially. Per Kenpom.com, Maryland currently has the 37th most efficient offense in the country and is one of the best shooting teams, too.
Their effective field goal percentage of 55.3 percent is the 38th best in college basketball. While the Terrapins play slow, they shoot the ball well, but they don’t get out on the fast break much. Even though Maryland has an efficient offense, the Terrapins turn the ball over at a high rate. They have a turnover-percentage of 21.1, which is 292nd in college basketball.
Sophomore guard Anthony Cowan has replicated Trimble’s production
As Maryland’s point guard, Cowan rarely comes off the court. He is picking up the scoring load for the Terrapins, averaging 16.3 points per game while also shooting 41.1 percent from three. Not only can he shoot it from deep, Cowan is very effective at drawing fouls and getting to the free throw line. His free throw rate of 66.2 percent is good enough for 32nd in the country.
Sophomore guard Kevin Huerter is a deadly shooter
While Cowan is an offensive weapon for Maryland, Huerter is another sophomore making a difference for them this season. His best weapon is three-point shooting, which has a percentage of 46.8 percent and is 64th in the country. He is not just a threat from deep, but can shoot the ball efficiently from two-point range as his two-point percentage of 57 percent is also nationally ranked. His effective field goal percentage of 64.6 percent is the 41st-best in the nation.
Teams don’t get to the free throw line against the Terrapins
Maryland has done one of the best jobs in the country of keeping teams off the free-throw line. Per Kenpom.com, Maryland has the second-best free throw to field goal attempted rate in college basketball. However, once teams do get to the free throw line, they are coincidentally having success, shooting 75.7 percent from the line.
Freshmen Bruno Fernando and Darryl Morsell have played a big role
With sophomore forward Justin Jackson out for the season due to a shoulder injury, the Terrapins have needed this pair of freshmen to step up. Fernando has started in 11 games and is averaging 9.8 points per game along with six rebounds per game. He is shooting 58.7 percent from the field, while also being a defensive threat, averaging just over one block per game. His defensive rebounding percentage of 24.6 percent is 64th in the country.
Morsell, who was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week in December, has started in 10 games and is averaging 8.8 points per game. A top-100 recruit coming out of high school, Morsell has struggled to shoot from outside as he is shooting 15-percent from three.
