After downing Marist 68-43 on Friday, the Maryland men's basketball team looks to advance to the Paradise Jam finals as they take on Northern Iowa Sunday evening in St. Thomas. After their win on Friday, the team spent Saturday morning enjoying snorkeling in the tropical waters of the Caribbean.
Dez Wells returns to "The Cat" after a swim in Turtle Cove #Snorkeling #ParadiseJam pic.twitter.com/9zE5on6u4B
— Maryland Basketball (@TerrapinHoops) November 23, 2013
Here is a nice little graphic that sums up some of the highlights from Friday's win:
Infographic from today's 68-43 win over Marist: pic.twitter.com/VtQx3RJNQc
— Maryland Athletics (@umterps) November 23, 2013
Quick Rundown:
- Opponent - Northern Iowa Panthers
- Location - Cedar Falls, Iowa
- Colors - Purple & Gold
- Enrollment - 12,159
- Conference - Missouri Valley Conference
Perimeter Defense:
The Northern Iowa Panthers defeated Loyola Marymount on Friday, 90-81, behind a strong three-point shooting performance. NIU shot 21 threes in the game, making 12 of them (57%), including 10/14 in the first half. They've lived and died by the three point basket this season, shooting 41% (19/46) from beyond the arc when they win and just 28% (12/43) in their two loses. So that means Maryland could be in trouble Sunday, right? Maybe.
According to Kenpom.com, Maryland ranks 326th out of 351 Division 1 teams when it comes to the percentage of three pointers allowed. The Terps are allowing their opponents to make 43.8% of their three point attempts in 2013, putting Maryland below the likes of the University of Maryland-Eastern Shore, Arkansas Pine Bluff, and virtually every other team in D-1. But the more important statistic to examine, according to KenPom, is the 3PA%, which is the percentage of shots that a team attempts that are three point attempts. The reasoning is that the best defense against three pointers is preventing teams from taking them. So if you're only allowing teams to attempt 10 threes per game, that is a better measure of your team's defense than if they make fifty percent of those ten attempts. So where does Maryland rank in 3PA? A much better 107th out of 351, with opponents attempting 29.9% of their shots from behind the arc. Northern Iowa is right behind at 122nd.
So if Maryland can limit Northern Iowa from attempting three pointers, they could be in good shape. Unfortunately, shooting threes is something the Panthers like to do, so that might be a problem for Maryland.
Advantage - Northern Iowa
Starters:
Northern Iowa starters:
- Chip Rank, senior, 6'6", F, 13.5 ppg, 3.5 rpg
- Seth Tuttle, junior, 6'8", F, 12 ppg
- Deon Mitchell, junior, 6'1", G, 14.8 ppg, 3 apg
- Matt Bohannon, sophomore, 6'4", G, 13 ppg, 3 rpg, 1.5 apg
- Wes Washpun, sophomore, 6'1", G, 5.3 ppg, 4 rpg, 3.8 apg
Bench Players:
- Nate Buss, 6'9" junior, forward, 6 ppg, 3.3 rpg
- Jeremy Morgan, 6'5" freshman, guard, 5.3 ppg, 3 rpg
- Matt Morrison, 6'0" senior, guard, 6.5 ppg, 2.5 apg
- Ted Friedman, 6'9" freshman, center, 1.8 ppg, 2.3 rpg
Prediction:
This game should be a good test for Maryland. Can their perimeter defense limit the Panthers' number of three point attempts? Will Maryland be able to keep up from beyond the arc? KenPom lists Maryland as a 68% favorite to win this game, 74-69. I think the Terps should win, but I agree with KenPom in that it will be close. Terps pull out the W in a squeaker, 75-71.