Maryland @ Temple preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 21, 2012 ) Maryland 60, Temple 73

No. 8 Maryland is undefeated on the young season, but so is the Terrapins' opponent on Thursday. The Terps take on Temple in the first round of the Orlando Invitational on Thanksgiving Day with the winner advancing to a Black Friday date with Texas A&M or Harvard.

Maryland has a chance to improve to 6-0 for the fifth time in the last six seasons, while Temple is off to a fast start under new coach Aaron McKie. The Terps have posted their five wins by margins of 24, 18, 30, 19 and most recently a 23-point rout of George Mason. Another blowout win likely will be tough against Temple, which has not allowed more than 65 points in any of its first four contests. The Owls topped USC 70-61 in their last game as freshman Josh Pierre-Louis had by far the best game of his young career.

TV: 11 a.m. ET, ESPN2

ABOUT MARYLAND (5-0): The Terps scored at least 73 points in every game and have given up more than 63 points only once thanks in large part to a balanced attack. Jalen Smith leads the team in scoring at 14.4 points, while Anthony Cowan Jr. (13.0), Aaron Wiggins (10.6) and Eric Ayala (10.4) aren't far behind. Wiggins leads the team with eight 3-pointers through five games, but he shoots just 26.7 percent from long range for a Maryland squad that as a group hits only 28.7 percent from beyond the arc.

ABOUT TEMPLE (4-0): Pierre-Louis had totaled eight points on 3-of-12 shooting in his first three games before erupting for 15 points against USC - and the team truly needed the performance with his brother struggling throughout that game. Junior guard Nate Pierre-Louis leads the Owls in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks but shot just 3-of-11 from the floor (1-of-5 from long range) against the Trojans. Without much production from his best player, McKie noted that it was a quality road win for his team, saying: "We're tough. We're from Broad Street. This is what we're going to do."

TIP-INS

1. Nobody on Maryland averages more than two turnovers per game.

2. Temple F Jake Forrester was declared eligible on Tuesday as the NCAA finally approved his waiver.

3. Nate Pierre-Louis, who stands only 6-4, leads the American Athletic Conference in rebounding (10.8).

PREDICTION: Maryland 71, Temple 62