Welcome to March.
With the NCAA Tournament just around the corner, the Maryland Terrapins will host the Rutgers Scarlet Knights on Sunday in a Big Ten showdown at the XFINITY Center.
While neither side is in the mix for a top seed in March Madness, both are trying to avoid finishing at the bottom of the conference standings.
Rutgers (11–17, 4–13 Big Ten) has dropped nine of its last 11 games, including two straight, though it did pull off a 68–57 win against the Terrapins on Feb. 15. Maryland (11–17, 4–13 Big Ten) has dropped seven of its last 10 and is coming off Wednesday’s 13-point thumping at Nebraska.
Tipoff is set for 12 p.m. ET. Maryland enters as a 4.5-point home favorite on DraftKings Sportsbook, and the game total is set at 141.5 points.
Rutgers vs. Maryland Preview
Rutgers Scarlet Knights Preview
After appearing in the NCAA Tournament in 2021 and 2022, Rutgers has gradually sunk to the bottom of the Big Ten. The Scarlet Knights have dropped nine of their last 11 games and sit 149th in KenPom’s national rankings.
Rutgers has mustered just 70.3 points per game this season, which not only ranks dead last in the conference — but 308th out of 365 Division I teams. The program also sits either near or at the bottom of the Big Ten barrel in rebounds, points allowed, and opponent boards.
NJIT transfer Tariq Francis leads the way with 16.5 points and 2.7 assists per game. The junior guard dropped 21 points, four rebounds, and four assists in the team’s first meeting with Maryland. Sophomore forward Dylan Grant adds 10.5 points as the only other player averaging double figures, and 6-foot-10 big man Emmanuel Ogbole pulls down a team-high 6.4 rebounds.
Maryland Terrapins Preview
It’s been an even bigger fall from grace for Maryland, which entered this season on the heels of a trip to the Sweet 16. The Terrapins have dropped seven of their last 10 games, including a loss at Rutgers, and sit 123rd in KenPom’s college basketball ratings.
Maryland’s abysmal 40.8% field-goal percentage ranks 349th out of 365 D1 programs. The squad scores the Big Ten’s third-fewest points while coughing up the second-most turnovers. On the other end, the Terrapins rank 17th in opponent points and get consistently outclassed on the boards.
It hasn’t helped that the team’s star center, Pharrel Payne, has been sidelined since mid-December with a leg injury. In the interim, Kansas transfer David Coit has become the team’s primary scorer, and he’s averaging 14.1 points per game. Maryland also leans on freshman guards Darius Adams and Andre Mills, along with leading rebounder Solomon Washington — who erupted for 11 points and 14 rebounds in the first meeting against Rutgers.
Rutgers vs. Maryland Pick, Best Bet
Putting the ball in the hoop has been easier said than done for Rutgers and Maryland this season. Exacerbating their scoring woes, both sides play at a crawling pace — each ranking outside the nation’s top 230 in adjusted tempo. When the Scarlet Knights hosted the Terrapins on Feb. 15, they combined for just 125 points.
There’s little evidence to suggest anything different in Sunday’s rematch. Don’t expect fireworks from two of the dullest offenses in the country.
