Maryland men’s basketball at No. 12 Nebraska preview
There’s lower than two weeks left in Maryland men’s basketball’s 2025-26 common season. It’s been an extended one, however the Terps have lastly picked up one thing resembling momentum down the stretch.
Maryland has received three of its final 5 video games. Most years, that is a typical incidence. If something, it is not adequate. But with the season the Terps have gone via in 12 months one among Buzz Williams, three wins in 5 video games as soon as felt unimaginable. With Andre Mills coming into his personal and Williams exhibiting he can construct a resilient tradition, there’s hope for the long run.
But any hopes for a real late-season revival face a frightening process Wednesday, when the Terps journey to Omaha for a bout with No. 12 Nebraska. Tip off is scheduled for 7 pm ET, and the sport will air on Big Ten Network.
No. 12 Nebraska Cornhuskers (23-4, 12-4 Big Ten)
2024-25 report: 21-14, 7-13 Big Ten
Nebraska is a large faculty sports activities model, however not in basketball. It’s been to March Madness twice this century and is the one energy convention workforce to by no means win a recreation within the NCAA (*12*). But the long-term plans head coach Fred Hoiberg had when he took over in 2019 are lastly coming to fruition.
The Cornhuskers earned a No. 8 seed in March 2024, their highest since 1994. 2024-25 was a step again, however they nonetheless emerged because the champions of the inaugural College Basketball Crown invitational event.
Everything clicked till the top of January this season, although. Literally every part. Nebraska received its first 20 video games, reaching as excessive as No. 5 within the Associated Press ballot. But it then hit a little bit of a skid, dropping 4 of seven video games — all losses towards opponents of a a lot greater high quality than Maryland.
The Cornhuskers rotation is chock-full of size and chock-full of shooters. They’ll be the hardest take a look at Maryland has confronted in weeks.
Pryce Sandfort, junior ahead, 6-foot-7, No. 21 — Sandfort did not carry tremendous excessive expectations when he transferred throughout the convention from Iowa. But he is the catalyst for Nebraska’s explosion this season. His Big Ten-high 41.0% 3-point proportion is on practically 9 makes an attempt past the arc per recreation — that is led to Sandfort racking up 17.9 factors a contest.
Rienk Mast, senior ahead, 6-foot-10, No. 51 — Mast has been part of faculty basketball since 2019. By advantage, his age and dimension ought to make him an unstoppable drive. But a knee harm saved him out of all the 2024-25 season, and Mast has hit a little bit of a plateau in enchancment.
Nevertheless, the Dutchman does somewhat of every part for Nebraska. He averages 13.8 factors, 6.2 rebounds and three.1 assists per recreation, and makes a good 32.3% of his 3-pointers.
Sam Hoiberg, senior guard, 6-foot-0, No. 1 — Hoiberg waited his flip for 4 years, largely on the bench. But now he is an instrumental think about Nebraska’s success. As the first playmaker, he is obtained 4.6 assists per recreation But Hoiberg’s greatest worth comes on protection. He leads the workforce with 2.1 steals per recreation and leads the Big Ten in defensive win share — and even at his dimension, notches 5.3 boards per recreation.
Defense. Nebraska does not have outlier dimension like a lot of the Big Ten. But exterior of Hoiberg — who’s a sensational defender — everybody has plus size. It’s extraordinarily exhausting to get the ball into the paint towards the Huskers, they usually’re suffocating contesting jumpshots. A juggernaut of elementary protection has them permitting 65.6 factors per recreation, fifteenth fewest within the nation.
Offensive rebounding. There’s not rather a lot Nebraska does poorly, however offensive rebounding is as evident of a weak point because it will get. Much of that is because of spaced-out offense and heavy a great deal of 3-point capturing, however nonetheless, 8.5 offensive boards a recreation is the fewest within the Big Ten.
1. How does Maryland fare towards the 3-ball? Nebraska’s shot weight loss plan resembles the NBA greater than most faculty groups — it shoots extra 3-pointers (30.4) than 2-pointers (29.0) per recreation. Defending past the arc is an inconsistent space for Maryland. More consideration will definitely be given to perimeter protection — it hasn’t been in current video games — and it will be important if the Terps wish to be something resembling aggressive.
2. Has Del Pino earned a bigger position? Poor showings from Darius Adams and Diggy Coit meant Guillermo Del Pino performed a season-high 27 minutes Saturday. He wasn’t an excessive amount of of an element, however he additionally wasn’t a legal responsibility — notching two 3-pointers, three assists and the game-winning block.
This does not change that Del Pino is just not a Big Ten-caliber expertise but. But Williams could elect to play the recent hand, and he hasn’t shied away from his love for the Spaniard in press conferences.
3. Williams and Hoiberg meet once more. The final time these two veteran coaches met was additionally Nebraska’s first NCAA (*12*) recreation underneath Hoiberg. No. 9-seed Texas A&M, led by Williams, rolled to a 98-83 first-round victory over Hoiberg’s No. 8-seed Cornhuskers in March 2024.
None apart from Solomon Washington excelled in that recreation. His 4 blocks towards Nebraska are nonetheless his profession excessive.
