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Maryland is looking to bounce back from a rough two games which saw them lose in Assembly Hall to Indiana by 19 and narrowly escape an upset from Northwestern thanks to last second heroics from senior Dez Wells. The Terps have been shaky defensively in the last two contests, giving up loads of threes against Indiana and allowing guards to penetrate against Northwestern. Now second in the Big Ten standings, Maryland will rely on the likes of Melo Trimble, Jake Layman and Wells to lead them in a big road game against a defensively-minded Ohio State team.
The Buckeyes are coming off a strong win against the Hoosiers and will look to build on their 5-3 conference record as they host the Terps. The Bucks are led by future lottery pick, freshman D'Angelo Russell. Not only does Russell average 19.4 points per game, good for second best in the Big Ten, but he has extremely impressive court vision and anticipates passes happening before the receiver even cuts. Ohio State shoots at a very efficient rate but doesn't rebound the ball particularly well, especially in conference play.
How to watch, listen, and stream
Game time: 7:00 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN
Radio: Terrapin Sports Radio Network and live audio available here.
Online streaming: WatchESPN
The numbers
Rankings and records: Maryland is 18-3 and ranked No. 16 in the AP Poll. Ohio State is 16-5 and are just on the outside of the AP top 25.
Odds: The Buckeyes are 7.5 point favorites.
KenPom prediction: 72-67, Ohio State 70 percent chance to win.
Two things at stake
Maryland has to get back to playing crisp basketball and play well on the road. Fans will see how the Terps have adjusted to their recent defensive downfalls over the four days off.
Ohio State is right on the cusp of cracking the top 25 and with the win over Indiana is just one win away from securing a spot in the polls.
One big matchup
Melo Trimble vs. D'Angelo Russell. The freshmen in the Big Ten just keep on coming. This could potentially be the most anticipated matchup of the season with two candidates for Big Ten Freshman of the Year squaring off against each other. Trimble was impressive against Northwestern, finding small lanes and finishing at the hoop through contact but it will likely be tougher to weave and drive through the paint with a very athletic Russell guarding him. There aren't many matchups better than this one.
Further reading
Check out our preview and how the loss to Indiana impacts the Terps postseason standing.