IU Men’s Basketball Preview: Hoosiers Open Conference Play Against Maryland.
Big Ten Conference play is finally upon us. About a month into the season, the Hoosiers sit at 5-1 with recent wins coming against Louisville and Harvard. Early in the season the Hoosiers have seen some struggles, particularly on the defensive side. Currently the Hoosiers are ranked 172nd in team defense amongst Division 1 teams, allowing 71.0 points per game. The primary concern has been around defending the 3-point shot, as opponents are shooting over 35% from downtown. When opponents are hitting three times the amount of outside shots as you, it is on the coaching staff to make the proper adjustments. We did see some changes in the overall defense when Mike Woodson switched to a zone defense in the second half of the Nov. 20 win vs. Louisville. We will see if he has any other tricks up his sleeve heading into the matchup with Maryland.
In the past 10 years the Hoosiers have gone 4-6 in the conference play opener, and defeating the Terrapins will be no small task. Maryland is currently slotted at 59th in the nation according to the Pomeroy rankings. While they have put together a strong defensive start to the season, they have struggled mightily on the offensive end. Owning one of the more sluggish offenses in the nation so far, they are shooting a sloppy 42% from the field and an even more abysmal 23.7% from 3. They are led by senior point guard Jahmir Young and his 15.9 points, 4.3 assists, and 2 steals per night. The Terrapins roster is also home to talented forward Julian Reese, who should be matched up with Kel’el Ware for the majority of the game. He is putting up a whopping 9.9 boards and 2.6 blocks a night through their first 7 outings.
While Maryland’s offense has had a snail-esque start to the 2023-2024 season, their most recent game against Rider provided signs of potential life. The Terrapins came out on top with a score of 103-76, the most points the team has scored since 2018. They were led by (surprise, surprise) Young and Reese, each putting up a season high 22 points in the victory.
The Hoosiers have conquered the Terrapins more often times than not in program history, holding a 12-9 record heading into tonight’s matchup (an even 5-5 in the last 10 meetings). Last season, the conference rivals split their two games, with Maryland coming out on top in the regular season clash and Indiana getting their revenge in the Big Ten tournament.
With the Hoosiers early season struggles on defense and the Terrapins struggling offensively, this will be a nice chance for the home team to gain some momentum on the less glamorous end as we prepare for the grueling conference schedule. The game tips off tonight at 7 PM (EST) at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall, and fans can tune in live via the Big Ten Network.
Go Hoosiers!