5 Things to Know About Purdue's Next Opponent — Maryland Terrapins
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On Sunday, No. 12 Purdue looks to get back to its winning ways. The Boilermakers travel to College Park to take on a struggling Maryland squad, hoping to end a three-game losing skid and put another tally in the win column.
Maryland is in the first year of the Buzz Williams era and things haven't exactly gone according to plan. The Terps have dealt with issues on both ends of the court, a major injury and plenty more that has resulted in an 8-12 start.
Here are a few things to know about the Terrapins ahead of Sunday's clash.
Payne's injury a major setback
Pharrel Payne provided the Terrapins with a major post presence, averaging 17.5 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game. He suffered a leg injury in the team's 101-83 loss to Michigan on Dec. 13 and hasn't played since. It seems unlikely that he will return this season.
Without Payne on the floor, Maryland lacks a consistent scoring option in the post and has lost its top rebounder. He also provided Williams' squad with some defensive resistance in the painted area, having the ability to block and alter shots at the rim.
Maryland has had to rely on Elijah Saunders and Aleks Alston in the post, but they just don't have the same impact as Payne.
Two double-digit scorers
The offense is anchored by two guards: senior David Coit and freshman Darius Adams. Those two are Maryland's only double-digit scorers this season, averaging 15.2 and 11.9 points per game, respectively.
Coit is the bigger threat offensively because of his ability to pass the basketball. He's averaging a team-high 3.0 assists per game, and is shooting the three-pointer at a 38% clip. The senior has been Maryland's most efficient player on the offensive end this year.
Adams is an effective scorer in the paint, relying on his ability to drive the basketball and finish at the rim. He can also knock down a mid-range shot and his 6-foot-5 size can make him tough to defend.
One of the nation's worst defenses
It doesn't really matter how you slice it, Maryland is one of the worst defensive teams in college basketball. The Terrapins are allowing opponents to hit shots at a 47% clip, which ranks 324th nationally. They're also surrendering 79.0 points per game, which is 308th in the country.
Opponents are also hitting the three-point shot at a 36.9% rate, ranking 343rd nationally. Teams are grabbing 10.5 offensive rebounds per game, which might be the best aspect of Maryland's defense. Even then, it's a middle-of-the-road number at 166th.
For an offense that runs as efficiently as Purdue's, this is an opportunity to get back into a rhythm after a rough night in Bloomington on Tuesday.
Poor shooting all around
Things aren't much better on the offensive end for Maryland this season. The Terrapins don't shoot the basketball at a particularly high level from anywhere on the court. As a team, the Terps are shooting 40.2% from the floor and 32.2% from three-point range on the year. Maryland's free-throw percentage is solid, hitting at a 73.2% clip.
At times this year, Maryland has demonstrated the ability to knock down open shots, but it simply doesn't do it on a consistent level. Losing Payne early contributes to that, lacking someone who can score at a high percentage on the low block.
Maryland has some talented offensive players, but there's really nobody you can trust to "go off" when it needs to make a run.
Eight Big Ten losses by double figurs
Maryland enters Sunday's game with a 1-8 record in Big Ten play. The Terrapins have lost all eight of their conference games by 10 points or more, which includes a 43-point drubbing at the hands of Michigan State last weekend.
The average margin of defeat in those eight losses is 19.5 points per game. Even if you throw out the 43-point loss to the Spartans, the Terrapins are still losing games by 16.1 points per contest in the Big Ten.
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Dustin Schutte is the publisher of Purdue Boilermakers on SI and has spent more than a decade working in sports journalism. His career began in 2013, when he covered Big Ten football. He remained in that role for eight years before working at On SI to cover the Boilermakers. Dustin graduated from Manchester University in Indiana in 2010, where he played for the men's tennis team.
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