No. 15 Maryland Men's Basketball vs Indiana Prediction Preview
The Terrapins will have an in-conference matchup this Saturday as they host the Indiana Hoosiers (11-2) at the Xfinity Center.
Maryland is coming off their best win of the season, defeating the Bryant Bulldogs 84-70. A lot of the credit for the win should go to freshman center Chol Marial, who made an immediate impact in his debut as a Terp.
Mark Turgeon's basketball team may have gotten better with the departures of the Mitchell twins to the transfer portal. Not only did Marial see the field, forward Joshua Tomaic and guard Reese Mona saw some playing time as well.
They are still ranked No. 15 on the AP Top 25 poll and have a very talented roster. No team should underestimate a re-surging Terps team led by Anthony Cowan Jr and Jalen "Stix" Smith.
Just as Maryland should not be underestimated, neither should their in-conference rivals Indiana Hoosiers.
Get to know the opponent
HC Archie Miller
Miller is coaching in his third season with the Hoosiers. He has a 46-33 record since being hired as Indiana's head coach in 2017. Prior to his time at Indiana, he was a head coach of Dayton for six seasons. He took the Flyers to four-straight NCAA tournaments.
F Trayce Jackson-Davis
The 6-foot-9 245-pound freshman out of Greenwood, Indiana is have an impressive season in his first year with the team. He leads the Hoosiers in three major stat categories, averaging 15.4 points, 8.7 rebounds, and two blocks through 13 games. His 66.4 conversion percentage from the field is also the best on the team. Both him and Maryland's Jalen Smith should be one entertaining battle to watch.
G Devonte Green
Senior guard Devonte Green has to be the most inconsistent player on the team, as he fluctuates between good and bad performances every game. Green had one of his worst performances this past weekend in the loss to Arkansas as he missed eight of his 12 3-point attempts. He will hope to rebound against a tough Maryland team.
F Justin Smith
Smith leads the Hoosiers with 18 steals, averaging 1.4 steals per game. He is averaging 12.2 points per game to go along with a 52.3 conversion percentage from the field. The Illinois native is enjoying a breakout season in his third year with the team.
Prediction
Both the Terrapins and the Hoosiers are 1-1 in conference play. Maryland is the better rebounding team and Chol Marial provided the Terps with a big boost in that category in their last win. Indiana has made 47.9 percent of their shots compared to Maryland's 41.9 percent. In-conference matchups are normally difficult so expect the Terps to squeak by with a victory.
