Maryland Men's Basketball vs. No. 23 Virginia Preview

Off the heels of back-to-back Big Ten losses, the Maryland men's basketball team will look to play spoiler on Saturday evening in Charlottesville, where they take on the No. 23 Virginia Cavaliers.

Game Details:

When: Saturday, December 20th

Where: John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville, Virginia

Tipoff: 6 p.m.

How to watch: ESPN

Virginia Key Statistics

Record: 9-1

Head Coach: Ryan Odom

Leading Scorer: Thijs De Ridder- 16.1 points per game

Leading Rebounder: Johann Grunloh- 7.2 rebounds per game

Leader in Assists: Dallin Hall- 3.7 assists per game

Points Per Game: 87.1 (47th in the country)

3PT FG%: 40% (12th in the country)

Offensive Rating: 100.7 (T5TH in the country)

FG %: 48.8 (T53rd in the country)

Players To Watch

UVA- Forward Thijs De Ridder

The freshman forward has been sensational for the Cavaliers so far this season. Not only is he the team's leading scorer, but he is also one of the top freshman scorers in the NCAA. He's a great three-level scorer who has stepped up as UVA's leading guy, a top threat any given night, and has been as advertised from beyond the arc at a 42% clip every night.

UMD- Forward Solomon Washington

Washington will see a heavy uptake in minutes, especially if his fellow front-court teammate Pharrel Payne misses the contest due to a leg injury he sustained in last Saturday's loss against Michigan. Washington will need to control his emotions and stay available for his team, as he was ejected last time out after committing two technical fouls. The Terps will need the 6'7" forward's size and defensive tenacity to match up against De Ridder and make things challenging for him on the offensive end. Washington will also need to remain active on the glass and clean up baskets underneath.

History vs. Virginia

These two programs are no strangers to each other. Before the Terps moved to the Big Ten conference in 2014, they would face the Cavaliers often in competitive ACC head-to-head matchups.

Maryland leads the all-time series with 108 victories to 76 losses. The last meeting was at College Park in 2018, with Virginia sneaking by with a 76-71 win. Virginia has won eight of the past nine meetings, with the last win in Charlottesville coming back in the 2010 season, when former Terp Adrian Bowe scored a season-high 22 points in a 22-point blowout victory.

Saturday, Maryland will look to earn its seventh victory of the season and upset the 23rd-ranked team in the country.

Bottom Line

Maryland has to take care of the ball, make good shot decisions, and make consecutive stops on defense. That also means being able to find their rhythm from behind the arc and knock down shots. The Terps already do a good job of creating fouls and getting to the free-throw line, shooting 75% from the line as a team, which ties for third-best in the NCAA. They'll benefit from getting out in transition and running the lanes for easy baskets. I want to see Miles Rice and Darius Adams get it going more offensively and play more confidently.

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