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First Look at Illinois Basketball's Game 31 Opponent: Maryland Terrapins

The Illini will close the regular season on the road in College Park against a Terrapins team that has struggled this season
Pranav Hegde|
Feb 21, 2026; College Park, Maryland, USA; Maryland Terrapins forward Solomon Washington (9) reacts during the second half against the Washington Huskies at Xfinity Center. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images
Feb 21, 2026; College Park, Maryland, USA; Maryland Terrapins forward Solomon Washington (9) reacts during the second half against the Washington Huskies at Xfinity Center. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images | Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

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Illinois Fighting IlliniMaryland Terrapins

Illinois’ regular-season finale comes with a familiar logo on the other end. The Illini (23-7, 14-5 Big Ten) head to College Park on Sunday (2 p.m. CT, FS1) for a rematch with Maryland – a matchup that has felt like a recurring Big Ten annoyance for most of the past decade, even if this particular version of the Terrapins has spent the winter stuck in the mud.

Illinois already handled Maryland once this season, rolling to an 89-70 win in Champaign back on Jan. 21. The Illini were sluggish early, then flipped the game by dominating the Terps on the glass and feasting at the free-throw line.

This isn’t a typical First Look at Maryland. Illinois has already seen the scheme, the spacing and the “let the guards cook” philosophy in person. This is a quick update on what’s changed since the first meeting (and what hasn’t). For the baseline version, click here. 

Injuries

The biggest storyline for Maryland remains the one that has lingered all year: Pharrel Payne. The big man has played in only 10 games, and Maryland has been forced to piece together its frontcourt identity without the inside anchor it expected to build around.

For Illinois, the rematch comes with a key difference from January: Kylan Boswell is no longer watching in street clothes. His return gives the Illini another ball-handler, another on-ball defender and a stabilizer against the Terrapins' quick guards.

The Terrapins' run since the previous meeting

Since that loss in Champaign, Maryland has mostly stayed on the same track: competitive stretches, not enough scoring and too many losses stacking up. The Terrapins enter Sunday at 11-19 overall and 4-15 in Big Ten play, with a three-game losing streak that includes a 78-45 loss at Wisconsin in their most recent outing.

There was a brief mid-February pulse – wins at Minnesota and over Iowa and Washington – but it didn’t amount to any serious momentum.

Illinois vs. Maryland matchup

The Maryland formula is still guard-driven. David "Diggy" Coit (13.6 points per game) remains the headliner, with two freshman, Andre Mills (11.8) and Darius Adams (10.6) supplying much of the rest of the shot creation.

For Illinois, the blueprint is pretty straightforward: Don’t let Coit get comfortable early and don’t give Maryland a three-point heater to cling to. On the other end, Illinois should be able to lean into its size and physicality again. Maryland allows 77.1 points per game, gives up a high field-goal percentage and doesn’t have much rim protection to erase mistakes when teams get downhill.

It’s the kind of game Illinois should control if it shows up with grown-up focus – handle the business trip, stay healthy and carry momentum into the BIg Ten Tournament

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Pranav Hegde
PRANAV HEGDE

Primarily covers Illinois football, basketball and golf, with an emphasis on news, analysis and features. Hegde, an electrical engineering student at Illinois with an affinity for sports writing, has been writing for On SI since April 2025. He can be followed and reached on Instagram @pranavhegde__.

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