Predicted before the season to finish in the top half of the Big Ten standings, Maryland and Indiana are instead buried toward the bottom with their NCAA Tournament hopes hinging on a deep run in the conference tournament.
There’s still something to play for, however, when the Hoosiers and Terrapins meet on Sunday afternoon in College Park, Md.
Both are in a jumble of teams trying to avoid a bottom-four finish in the league, which brings a first-round game in the Big Ten tournament on March 13 as opposed to a bye.
Maryland (15-14, 7-11 Big Ten), which was pegged for a third-place finish in the preseason poll, has been plagued by the worst 3-point shooting in the Big Ten at 28.2 percent.
The marksmanship issue was evident in Maryland’s 65-53 loss at Indiana on Dec. 1 when the Terrapins missed 14 of 16 shots from beyond the arc.
It was a factor again on Wednesday when Maryland hit just 2 of 22 attempts from deep in a 68-61 loss at home to Northwestern.
The shooting woes have spoiled the hopes of a team that opened the weekend ranked No. 5 in the nation in adjusted defensive efficiency on KenPom.com.
“Just don’t ask me about the offense,” Maryland coach Kevin Willard said after praising his defense on Wednesday.
When asked about the necessity of a run in the Big Ten tournament, Willard cut off the questioner, saying he’s only focused on the final game at home for four seniors, including top scorer Jahmir Young (20.9 points per game).
“Right now, we just want to send these guys out on the best note on Sunday,” Willard said.
Indiana (15-13, 7-10), which was predicted for a sixth-place finish in the preseason, has lost eight of its past 11 games.
But the Hoosiers are coming off a 74-70 win over Wisconsin on Tuesday, showing their resilience after a fire alarm delayed play for 25 minutes about midway through the second half.
Kel’el Ware had 27 points, 11 rebounds and five blocks. The 7-foot sophomore made 11 of 12 shots from the floor, including his lone 3-point attempt.
“He had a man’s game,” Indiana coach Mike Woodson said of Ware. “You know, maybe we didn’t go to him enough.”
–Field Level Media