Maryland Men's Basketball vs. Oregon Preview

Happy New Year's, Terps' nation. The men's basketball team will play its first game of 2026 against the Oregon Ducks tomorrow evening, looking to build on a decisive victory against Old Dominion in its last outing on December 28th.

Game Details:

When: Friday, January 1st

Where: Xfinity Center in College Park, Maryland

Tipoff: 7:30 p.m.

How to watch: Peacock

Oregon Key Stats:

Record: 7-6 (0-2 Big Ten)

Head Coach: Dana Altman

Leading Scorer: Nate Bittle- 16.1 points per game

Leading Rebounder: Kwame Evans- 7.6 rebounds per game

Leader in Assists: Jackson Shelstad- 4.9 assists per game

Team Points Per Game: 78.2 (T172nd in the country)

Team Rebounds Per Game: 35 (T99th in the country)

Offensive Rating: 115.3 (T124th in the country)

Defensive Rating: 108.8 (T243rd in the country)

Players To Watch

Oregon Guard- Jackson Shelstad

There were two others I was thinking about going with, but ultimately, Oregon's 6"1 junior guard is the one I decided to go with. He's a three-way scorer who is active, whether that means moving off the ball, creating shots for himself off the dribble, or finding others while controlling the offense. Jackson also plays with high energy on the defensive end, using his speed to stay in front of opposing players, leading to a team-leading 17 steals.

UMD Guard- David Coit

Maryland fans have already seen what Coit is capable of this season, outings of 41 points and 31 points on separate occasions. He's the Terps' most dynamic scorer, who can score at any three levels and, most importantly, create his own shot off the dribble in big moments. I also featured him because he was held scoreless in Maryland's most recent victory against Old Dominion last Sunday. Expect him to receive early looks and plays to establish a rhythm from tipoff.

History vs. Oregon

Maryland has a minimal history against the Ducks, with their lone meeting coming last season at Eugene, Oregon, where the Terps, with the unit dubbed the "Crab Five," fell in a tightly contested 83-79 loss. Funny enough, Shelstad killed Maryland, scoring a game-high 23 points on an efficient 8-of-10 shooting from the field and a perfect 5-of-5 from downtown.

Now the series between the newly Big Ten foes shifts to College Park.

Bottom Line

If there is one resolution that Head Coach Buzz Williams and his team should have entering 2026, it is establishing consistency. The Terps have had an up-and-down season so far, filled with injuries, inconsistent play, blowout losses, and close wins. Oregon mirrors the Terps record-wise, but has had more competitive contests against ranked opponents.

Make no mistake, this Oregon team is not an easy win, and they'll be tough to beat with the dynamic group of players on their roster. If Maryland is to make it two wins in a row, they'll need to establish three things....

1. Control the glass: No Pharrel Payne for a while, the Terps are going to rely on Solomon Washington and Elijah Saunders to play physical inside the paint

2. Balance Offensive Attack: The Terps are not set up as a team to rely on one or two guys to handle the heavy lifting offensively; it'll take a collective group effort. I'm looking for Myles Rice, Darius Adams, Andre Mills, and Isaiah Watts to factor in with Coit.

3. Get to the free-throw line: Maryland must stay aggresive on offense, attacking the paint and the defense off the dribble and not settling for outside jumpers. When you play that style, it can cause defenses to collapse inward and crowd the paint, leading to fouls. Getting into the bonus puts easy points on the board.

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