Maryland @ Indiana preview
Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall
Last Meeting ( Jan 26, 2020 ) Maryland 77, Indiana 76
Indiana and Maryland are two Big Ten teams looking to establish momentum after inconsistent starts to the season.
The Hoosiers (6-4, 1-2 Big Ten) will wrap up a two-game homestand on Monday night against Maryland, looking to build off their first conference win of the season. Indiana knocked off Penn State 87-85 in overtime last Wednesday night behind 21 points from Trayce Jackson-Davis.
Jackson-Davis has scored 20 or more points in six of 10 games this season. Indiana also blocked a season-high eight shots in the win, but struggled guarding the perimeter, allowing Penn State to shoot 47.7 percent from the field and 42.9 percent from 3-point range.
"Defensively, we've taken a step back here a bit," said Indiana coach Archie Miller, who notched his 200th career win on Wednesday.
Indiana is looking for continued strong performances from veterans Al Durham and Rob Phinisee as well. Durham, a senior, scored 18 points in the Penn State win, going 4 of 8 from 3-point range, while Phinisee, a junior, had 11 points and three blocked shots in 29 minutes off the bench, including the game-winning shot in overtime.
"Big difference in our team when our older guys, our guys with the most experience, are playing with confidence," Miller said.
Maryland (6-4, 1-3 Big Ten) is coming off an 84-73 loss to Michigan on New Year's Eve. The Terrapins are getting balanced production to replace the losses of Anthony Cowan Jr. and Jalen Smith to the NBA draft. Eric Ayala has averaged a team-high 14.8 points on the season, while Donta Scott has averaged 13.5 points and 6.8 rebounds.
Scott scored 19 points and Ayala 16 points in the Michigan loss, while Jairus Hamilton matched his season high with 15 points. Maryland guard Darryl Morsell suffered a head injury after taking an elbow to the face in the Michigan loss and is questionable for the Indiana game.
"We are who we are, and we've got to figure out how to guard with this lineup," Maryland coach Mark Turgeon said. "I'm going to put the best players on the floor and if they're all six (feet) or shorter, that's what I'm going to do."
--Field Level Media