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Maryland Terrapins
Sunday, Mar 21, 2010, 2:30 PM EDT
NCAA Tournament - Midwest Region - Second Round - Spokane Memorial Arena - Spokane, WA
Atlantic Coast Conference Standings
(updated 3.20.2010 at 10:48 PM EDT)
| Conf | Overall | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | W | L | |
| Duke Blue Devils | 13 | 3 | 30 | 5 |
|
Maryland Terrapins
|
13 | 3 | 24 | 8 |
|
Virginia Tech Hokies
|
10 | 6 | 24 | 8 |
|
Florida St. Seminoles
|
10 | 6 | 22 | 10 |
|
Clemson Tigers
|
9 | 7 | 21 | 11 |
|
Wake Forest Demon Deacons
|
9 | 7 | 20 | 10 |
|
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
|
7 | 9 | 23 | 12 |
|
Boston College Eagles
|
6 | 10 | 15 | 16 |
|
N.C. State Wolfpack
|
5 | 11 | 20 | 16 |
|
North Carolina Tar Heels
|
5 | 11 | 18 | 16 |
| Virginia Cavaliers | 5 | 11 | 15 | 16 |
|
Miami Hurricanes
|
4 | 12 | 20 | 13 |
Maryland-Michigan State Gameday Guide
by Ben Broman on Mar 21, 2010 2:00 AM EDT
in Basketball
2 comments
Where: Spokane, WA
When: 2:30 (PSA: this is ten minutes earlier than the originally schedule time)
Where to Watch: CBS for the locals (if you're in doubt, the station list is here); otherwise, MMOD
Line: Vegas: Maryland -1 KenPom: Maryland by 4
Previous Previews: [Behind Enemy Lines] [First Look] [Profiling]
Keys in Cliches:
- Limit second chances. Michigan State will get plenty of second chances off the boards. They're a better rebounding team than Maryland, and Maryland is pretty poor at it anyway. The key won't be to win the rebounding battle, because that's an absurd expectation, but rather to stay close enough to allow Maryland's other advantages (like shooting) to take over.
- Let Jordan Williams work. Michigan State has struggled against dominant post men, and Jordan Williams has that exact ability. He will have a size advantage over MSU's front line, and will need to take advantage. Raymar Morgan and Draymond Green have experience, but Jordan is developed beyond his years. He'll need another big game for Maryland to win. Guards get you wins in the ACC, but you need both for wins in March.
- Push the pace. Unlike Houston, Michigan State is a slow-pace team. They'll also be either hobbled or a man down, thanks to Chris Allen's injury. Maryland should look to get out and run, which is a possibility due to Michigan State's tendency to turn the ball over.
Graph:
Maryland has a slight advantage in eFG%, a big one in TO%, and trail by a decent amount in the last two. Gonna be a close one.
Prediction: It really depends on what Maryland does on the boards. If they can have a decent performance on the glass, I like the Terps' chances. If MSU gets an absurd number of second chances, odds point to Michigan State. Personally, I see a big day for Jordan Williams - Terps by 7 in a game closer than the score.
2 comments | 0 recs
Michigan State's leading scorer Kalin Lucas and starting guard Chris Allen were both struggling with injuries as the Spartans prepared to play Maryland in the second round of the NCAA tournament on Sunday.
Allen injured his arch against New Mexico State on Friday, and may not be able to play against the Terrapins.
Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said Allen, the team's top 3-point threat, did not practice Saturday, and the decision if he will play may wait until game time.
This'd be big. Allen is pretty good. They suddenly have no consistent three point threat and lose their best perimeter defender, as well as lose a player if the game turns to a high pace.
Good News, Everyone: Maryland to Wear Gold Uniforms Against Michigan State
by Ben Broman on Mar 20, 2010 9:53 PM EDT
in Basketball
13 comments
When Maryland trotted out in their white jerseys on Friday to take on Houston, they seemed strangely foreign. In the ACC, Maryland wears only red (for away games) and their yellow alternates (for home games). White isn't broken out. But, for the first time since beating Duke on Senior Night, the Terps will trot out in the golds. Per D1scourse:
"The guy looked at us and said 'Maryland, you'll be wearing gold,'" Eaton said. "I said 'Correct.' That was it."
....
"We had talked about the other day, but since they were wearing red, it wasn't happening," sophomore guard Sean Mosley said. "I think we'll probably bring the gold jerseys out. It's going to feel great, because that's what we wore when we were at home, and that's what everybody on the team wanted --- to wear the gold jerseys. It's not going to change anything. It's a jersey. We just have to come out and play our game."
This is good news, both from a stylistic standpoint and a superstitious one. Any Maryland fan can tell you just how ugly the white jerseys are, especially when paired with the traditional black shoes. The yellows, while not particularly prettier, hold a special place in any fans' heart, so it's difficult to criticize them.
As for the superstitious part: check out the records for Maryland this year when wearing each of the jerseys:
White: 8-3
Red: 8-5
Gold: 8-0
That's right: undefeated wearing golds.
13 comments | 0 recs |
Northern Iowa Upsets Kansas, Potentially Makes Maryland's Elite Eight Trip Easier
by Ben Broman on Mar 20, 2010 8:11 PM EDT
in Basketball
21 comments
The road to the Elite Eight just got a lot easier for Maryland. And Michigan State, for that matter.
Both still need to win their game with each other tomorrow, but if they do win, it won't be Kansas that they play. That's because Northern Iowa, a 9 seed, beat the best team in the country this afternoon. From the Sports Network:
Ali Farokhmanesh scored 16 points, including a critical three-pointer in the waning moments, and Northern Iowa stunned No. 1 overall seed Kansas, 69-67, in the second round of the Midwest Region of the NCAA Tournament.
Obviously, Michigan State is Maryland's objective #1. But Northern Iowa's win gives this game a lot more urgency. The Panthers are certainly good - tonight's game showed as much - but there's no doubt that they had to play above their level to get that win. They don't present nearly as big of problems as Kansas did: they do have a 7 footer in Jordan Egelseder, but he's no where near as dominant as Cole Aldrich, and they do have a great guard (Farokmanesh), but he's not as quick as Sherron Collins. They don't have nearly the depth nor overall talent level as Kansas.
They'll still be a tough out, of course. They have a ridiculous amount of momentum now, and you get a George Mason type of feeling around them. America will be pulling for the ridiculous looking UNI frontcourt and the scrappy little Iranian guard. But Kansas was a game that would've been extremely difficult to win; Northern Iowa isn't, at least not as much.
Now we turn to Michigan State. Maryland needs to beat them before this game turns into anything meaningful. That, of course, goes down at 2:40 tomorrow.
21 comments | 0 recs |
At Halftime, Kansas Losing to Northern Iowa by 8
Northern Iowa has a shot on this one. I know who I'm rooting for Maryland to face in the next round.
Behind Enemy Lines, NCAA Tournament Edition: Discussing Maryland's Next Opponent With The Only Colors
by Ben Broman on Mar 20, 2010 4:45 PM EDT
in Basketball
3 comments
You know the drill by now: we talk to a Maryland opponent blogger about the upcoming game. This time, it's the amazing Michigan State blog The Only Colors,
1. You hear a lot of analysts talk about this team "falling apart" - Doug Gottlieb used that exact phrase, I believe, and Gregg Doyel has implied it. Explain the situation for Maryland fans about Michigan State's troubles down the stretch.
I don't think "falling apart" is the best characterization of the situation. This Michigan State team has been enigmatic all season. They struggled to beat Gonzaga at home and lost all three of their nonconference games against major-conference opponents away from home. They got out to a 9-0 start in Big Ten play, but that was largely a function of (1) playing the easier half of an unbalanced schedule first and (2) pulling out a couple tight road games in the final seconds. The three-game losing streak that followed was partly the result of Kalin Lucas' injury, and the loss to Minnesota in the Big Ten Tournament happened in the context of a missing starter (Chris Allen) and flukishly horrific free-throw shooting.
Tom Izzo recently said something like, "We've had a lot of guys play well this year--just not all at the same time." I think that's a good way to put it. Despite falling all the way from a #2 preseason ranking, MSU hasn't exactly been a complete disappointment, garnering a share of the Big Ten title along the way. They just haven't been able to put it all together at one time for any significant stretch of games. Sunday's game represents one more chance to do that.
3 comments | 0 recs |
If Gary Williams can't lose in the first round, the second round might be a kryptonite of sorts. Maryland is 0-3 in its last three second round games, and hasn't reached the Sweet 16 since 2003, seven long years ago.
The streak continued for first round games; I'm sure Gary intends to break if for second round games.
Who is Michigan State? Profiling the Spartans, Maryland's Second Round Matchup
by Ben Broman on Mar 20, 2010 11:00 AM EDT
21 comments
Location: East Lansing, MI. Home of the Michigan State Sparten.
Nickname: Spartans Mascot: Sparty. Once caught with inflatable doll.
Coach: Tom Izzo. Also known as the only legitimate challenge for Gary Williams' claim to the title of best coach in America. He's also never stepped out of the shower, looked in the mirror, and said "God, you did good." Gary does that four times a day.
Best Player: Kalin Lucas. Burst onto the scene last year with a great tournament; has since been overrated by many fans and analysts alike. He's extremely quick, but undersized and has an average shot. The quickness, however, could be enough to do Maryland in.
Hey, Their Best Player Did Something Bad Too: Namely, give a nasty elbow. Not as funny as Coleman's facestomp, but Kalin Lucas seems a pretty mellow dude. I think I would enjoy chilling with him.
Previously Known By Maryland Fans For: Providing a big Thanksgiving win (well, loss for them) that gave Maryland an NCAAT bid. So we like these guys.
What They Do Well: Rebound and play defense. They're a traditional Big Ten team that boxes out and gives a team-wide effort to cleaning the glass. They also play tight defense and force low-percentage outside shots.
What They Don't Do Well: Hold onto the ball and force turnovers. MSU's only true weakness has to do with the turnover aspect of the game, as they give the ball away more than they would please, and hold onto it less.
So Is That Kind of Like the Opposite of Houston? Yes.
In a Nutshell: Like I said, opposite of Houston. Whereas the Coogs were a high-tempo attack that had one major player, Michigan State is a methodical squad that balances its points out evenly. They have more than their share of TOs and don't force many, and will trade giving up twos for giving up threes. It'll be an interesting one.
I Want More: Read our first look.
21 comments | 0 recs
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Michigan St.
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| Houston | Fri 03/19 | W 89 - 77 |
| Houston | Fri 03/19 | W 89 - 77 |
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Fri 03/12 | L 64 - 69 |
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Georgia Tech
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Fri 03/12 | L 64 - 69 |
| @ Virginia | Sat 03/06 | W 74 - 68 |
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