Maryland men’s basketball to face Wingate University this Friday

Following the postponement of its matchup with Nebraska due to positive COVID-19 tests within the Cornhuskers’ program, Maryland men’s basketball announced Wednesday that it will play Division II school Wingate University this Friday at noon.

With the goal of keeping its players fresh, the program opted to schedule a Division II because it will not affect the team’s NET rating.

“When our game with Nebraska was postponed, we were concerned about the length of time between games,” head coach Mark Turgeon said in a release. “The most important thing to our team right now is maintaining our rhythm and building depth as we prepare for our final stretch of Big Ten games and push for the postseason. I want to thank Wingate for adding us to their schedule on such short notice.”

The Bulldogs, out of Wingate, North Carolina, are 5-3 so far this season.

The Terps were fresh off their second upset win of the season over No. 12 Illinois before they were set to face Nebraska, having moved to 7-6 with the win. However, a positive COVID-19 test result to a Tier 1 member of Nebraska’s coaching staff put the game on hold. The contest is set to be made-up at a later date.