Maryland men’s basketball vs. Iowa preview

Maryland men’s basketball earned just its second conference victory Sunday afternoon at Minnesota with a win that was decided in the final minutes. Thanks to some clutch shooting from Diggy Coit and well-positioned defense from head coach Buzz Williams’ squad, the Terps ostensibly returned to College Park with some progress.

Now, Maryland will look to parlay that success with a solid evening against a team it has already fallen to this season in Iowa. With just eight games remaining on this year’s slate, time is running out for the program to scrape together a series of positive takeaways. Williams and company will hope the Hawkeyes matchup can serve as an opportunity to stack wins for the first time since late November.

Wednesday’s game will begin at 6 p.m. and air on Fox Sports 1. 

What happened last time

Iowa was Maryland’s first glimpse at Big Ten play — the contest was eye-opening, to say the least. 

The Hawkeyes’ premier talent and prospective lottery pick, Bennett Stirtz, immediately showcased his ability. He dazzled with off-the-dribble fadeaways and stepback threes, and was also the team’s primary playmaker. He finished with 25 points on 10-of-17 shooting.

Meanwhile, Pharrel Payne was effectively Maryland’s only source of efficient offense, notching 17 points and 14 rebounds. The rest of the Terps’ starters went a combined 5-of-18 from the field.

It was evident throughout the contest that Iowa simply operated at a level and pace that entirely outmatched Maryland. The Terps finished with 18 turnovers, and the Hawkeyes didn’t hesitate to make good with them, racking up 21 points off turnovers and 15 fast break points. 

On multiple occasions, Iowa ran the floor quickly for a rim-running jam, sending the home crowd into a frenzy. Cam Manyawu demonstrated his high-flying athletic traits throughout the afternoon. 

What’s happened since

When the Terps took on Iowa in early December, it had already fallen into a bit of a rough patch. It was vanquished by Georgetown on its home floor weeks earlier, and the Player’s Era Tournament in Las Vegas highlighted the team’s lack of depth and overall skill level. 

But since Maryland played the Hawkeyes last, it has only won three times — one was a rout of Old Dominion. Big Ten play has not been friendly to the Terps, and since Payne went down with an injury, the lack of frontcourt depth has posed a myriad of issues.

The Terps have dealt with 3-point shooting woes, too. They shot 7-of-35 and 6-of-33 against Oregon and UCLA, respectively. Maryland’s defense has also been slow to adjust in rotation and in transition, and turnover issues have sparked multiple insurmountable runs by opposing teams.  

Meanwhile, Iowa has been competitive all year long. Despite not being nationally ranked, it still only has five losses on the season — one was a four-point defeat to then-No. 4 Iowa State just five days after it beat the Terps. 

The Hawkeyes had a skid in mid-January, losing three straight to Minnesota, then-No. 16 Illinois and then-No. 5 Purdue. But all games were competitive; Iowa did not lose any by more than seven points. 

Since the loss to the Boilermakers, the Hawkeyes have not dropped a single game, winning six straight. While none of those victories have come over the conference’s elite top programs, it did blow out Indiana on its home floor, 74-57. Stirtz paced all scorers in that match with 27 points.

Three things to watch

1. Building momentum. Wins are rare for Maryland basketball this season, especially in Big Ten play. But the Terps closed out a crunch time win Sunday against an opponent that had defeated a top-10 opponent just one game prior. It will be worth noting whether the Terps channel that newfound energy into a home win. 

2. Neutralizing Stirtz. Stirtz is, without question, the engine of the Hawkeyes’ offense. But covering and containing him is far easier said than done. Andre Mills, who has improved tremendously over the course of the season, could be a candidate for the job. But the Terps may look to trap the crafty guard and get the ball out of his hands altogether.

3. Supplanting scoring. Payne led the Terps in both rebounding and scoring the last time Maryland played Iowa. Coit and Mills followed with 13 and 11, respectively, but nobody else scored in double digits. Collin Metcalf may be poised for a larger role now. He played just two minutes the last time the teams met but was on the court for 19 against Minnesota. Adams and Saunders will likely need better performances, having combined for just 13 points the last go-around.