Michigan Basketball vs Maryland: How to watch, preview and predictions
Michigan basketball notched a huge win Saturday over Michigan State. But with Maryland coming to Ann Arbor Monday, UM needs to turn the page.
While many Michigan basketball fans are still basking in the glow of the Wolverines upset win over Michigan State, the Wolverines should have other things on their mind. Namely, Maryland, their opponent Monday night.
That’s right, just two days after beating Tom Izzo and the Spartans, Michigan basketball will be back in Crisler Arena looking for its fifth Big Ten win of the season. Obviously, Maryland isn’t Michigan State, but the Terps are still a solid team, more than capable of winning at UM.
With the game tipping off a little early and on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, it could be a weird atmosphere. Hopefully, the Maize Rage will pack the stands as always. But, in case you didn’t realize the Wolverines were battling Maryland Monday, here is how to watch, as well as a preview and a prediction at the end.
Game info:
Game 20: Michigan vs Maryland
When: 6:30 PM EST
Where: Crisler Arena
TV: Fox Sports 1
Streaming: FoxSportsGo
Radio: WWJ (950 AM) in Detroit
Preview:
At the start of the season, Maryland was considered a tournament contender and that is still true. The Terps don’t have many impressive wins, but they did beat Butler, Illinois and Penn State. They are 14-5 overall and 3-3 in the Big Ten. So it’s a big game for both teams with Michigan basketball at 4-2.
Maryland doesn’t really stand out on either end of the floor, although they rank a lot higher in terms of points on defense than offensively. They allowed 66.5 (53rd) and score 77 (112th).
Michigan Wolverines Basketball
The Wolverines are a solid 3-point shooting team and Maryland, which ranks 292 in opponent 3-point shooting will have its hands full. Although, the Terps also shoot it well from deep, ranking 53rd in the nation.
Turnovers and fouls, two areas where the Wolverines excel, have also hurt the Terps. Maryland ranks in the bottom 50 in both categories, which will make winning on the road hard to do.
Anthony Cowan is Maryland’s top scorer (15.9 PPG). Kevin Hueter is another that scores around 13 a game. Those two guards and slowing them down will be a key for Michigan. Of course, Zavier Simpson will likely guard one of them and his defense has been outstanding since his return to the starting lineup, so that should be a matchup UM feels good about.
After nearly beating Purdue and knocking off the Spartans by 10, the Wolverines shot up to No. 16 in the Kenpom rankings. Maryland comes in at No. 41. The biggest reason why probably is the defense. And after another solid game against the Spartans, the Wolverines now rank 13th in the country in points allowed. UM is also 56th in terms of forcing turnovers.
Prediction:
Sometimes handling success can be one of the most difficult things to do in sports. That might be the toughest part about this game for the Wolverines, they will need to handle success and keep playing good basketball.
Moe Wagner has been on a tear and following his 27-point performance, you would think he would be right back on the NBA radar. Maryland won’t be an easy opponent and if the Wolverines overlook them, it could be trouble.
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Yet, after a season-defining win over the Spartans, I can’t see Michigan blowing this one. It’s close for a bit, but in the end, Michigan basketball prevails 79-65.