Predicting final score between No.2 Maryland vs. No. 3 Michigan in Big Ten Tournament

Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

After putting up 57 first-half points on Friday, Maryland basketball cruised past Illinois in the Quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament. Rodney Rice stole the show by scoring 26 points and nailing 7-of-9 from 3. Rice, who was left off the All-Big Ten, said he had a chip on his shoulder and that came out on Friday. The Terrapins drained 11 3s as a team and shot over 47% from deep. After a 88-65 win over Illinois, Maryland had to wait to see who it would play in the semifinals.

Michigan, who lost four of its final six games, looked like its old self against Purdue. The Wolverines had a dominant second half to beat the Boilermakers, 86-68. The Terrapins will now get the Wolverines for the second time this season. The first came in the last week of the regular season in which Maryland went into Ann Arbor to pull out a 71-65 win.

This game has all the makings of being a close one. It feels like it's going to come down to the post play. Both teams have a top big-man duo in the country. Michigan has Danny Wolf and Vlad Goldin who have unique skillsets. Wolf is like a guard and Goldin is dominant down low. But as Maryland fans know, Derik Queen and Julian Reese are really good, too. If Reese can get some offensive boards and Queen can attack the rim, Maryland has a real shot here. I like the Terps in a close one.

Final score: Maryland 75, Michigan 71

- Enjoy more Maryland coverage on Maryland Terrapins On SI -

More Maryland News

• Maryland Football: 2025 outlook for four-star edge rusher Zahir Mathis

• Maryland Football: 'Will a new roster lead to better results?'

• Predicting the outcome of every game in the 2025 Big Ten basketball tournament

Make sure to follow us on Facebook by clicking HERE

You can also follow our X(Twitter) account by clicking HERE