NCAAB Game Preview - Illinois at Maryland
Sat Dec 7, 2019 5:00 PM EST

Colora
58
Kansas
72
F
Ill
58
MD
59
F
PSU
74
OhSt
106
F
FaDi
52
KY
83
F
Ariz
58
Baylor
63
F
HI
64
Oreg
89
F
Mem
65
UAB
57
F
Vill
78
StJos
66
F
Fla
62
Butl
76
F
Fres
70
UtSt
77
F(OT)
NJIT
65
UCF
78
F
Syr
97
GaTec
63
F
WVU
68
StJon
70
F
StFNY
63
UMassL
94
F
FIU
84
KennSt
81
F
Stetsn
61
VMI
88
F
StFPA
63
UMBC
60
F
UMass
55
Harv
89
F
E MI
55
Detr
51
F
CarBi
40
Citad
108
F
Lafy
62
Corn
59
F
Maine
66
CenCT
64
F
IUPUI
54
Ball
102
F
LIU
85
Army
72
F
NCAT
52
Brad
83
F
Presb
68
SCSt
80
F
BC
73
ND
72
F
Mia-O
87
Evans
101
F
Nev
100
AF
85
F
CSBak
67
Miss
83
F
(N/A)
59
LoyIL
90
F
Boston
79
Bingha
84
F(OT)
IndSt
84
WriSt
77
F(OT)
YSU
64
W MI
66
F
NCSU
91
Wake
82
F
UNCC
76
UNCW
57
F
Longw
65
Morg
73
F
Manh
54
Ford
53
F(OT)
LaSal
71
Drex
63
F
Nebras
76
Crei
95
F
Hof
45
StBon
73
F
NMSt
54
WaSt
63
F
UNLV
50
BYU
83
F
ArkSt
66
Tuls
63
F
UCSB
72
TexAr
68
F
SIU
69
USM
72
F
Rice
60
Lamar
73
F
(N/A)
47
TXSo
85
F
LoyMD
64
MtStM
48
F
Del
56
GrgWas
66
F
NM
79
Wyo
65
F
UtVal
72
S UT
73
F
UNCA
77
WCU
78
F
UNCG
60
Radf
58
F
David
70
NE
63
F
Oakl
65
BGSU
68
F
IPFW
49
IL-C
62
F
WIGB
80
E IL
93
F
GASt
73
Mercer
61
F
(N/A)
53
TXAMC
81
F
Ind
64
Wisc
84
F
Cal
52
SCla
71
F
CenAR
67
Utah
98
F
JSU
62
AlaAM
67
F(OT)
UTSA
77
TxSt
71
F
NFla
83
APSU
90
F
Cin
66
Xav
73
F
UNH
67
Quin
75
F
NCC
53
ChaSo
58
F
BethC
60
JU
82
F
SEMO
73
Drake
78
F
ArkLR
53
N TX
76
F
Norf
53
Hamp
64
F
RobM
64
FlGlf
59
F
GWebb
77
Woff
81
F
Tows
38
Vermt
55
F
Pacif
65
LongB
46
F
MorSt
50
IlSt
61
F
CoCar
92
Winth
88
F
Brown
63
Stony
79
F
Maris
51
Navy
53
F(OT)
Yale
78
Leh
65
F
Clev
59
Kent
81
F
Amer
53
GMas
68
F
Albany
64
Buck
65
F
Ark
79
W Ky
86
F(OT)
Mizzu
64
Temp
54
F
NIU
57
UCDav
66
F
(N/A)
65
InWor
101
F
ETSU
68
NDSU
78
F
Samf
113
HCU
90
F
(N/A)
34
AbCh
102
F
ODU
57
VCU
69
F
MTSU
52
Murr
85
F
Sac
62
CS-Ful
59
F
(N/A)
46
Web
86
F
ArkPB
50
UTEP
59
F
ColSt
64
Bois
75
F
Marq
73
KSU
65
F
UL
65
AzSt
77
F
GTown
91
SMU
74
F
Gram
67
LoyMa
83
F
Sien
66
CAPoly
70
F
Portl
71
Seatt
73
F
HolyC
51
USD
68
F
CBU
68
UCIrv
60
F
No. 3 Maryland preparing for Illinois' size inside
Fri Dec 6, 2019 2:44 AM

Big Ten Conference play heats up Saturday when Illinois visits third-ranked Maryland at College Park, Md.

The Fighting Illini are 6-2, but they're headed to meet the undefeated Terrapins (9-0), who are off to their best start since 1998-99. Maryland routed Notre Dame 72-51 Wednesday in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge to run its record to 6-0 at home this season.

Since the start of the 2017-18 campaign, Maryland is 36-6 at home.

The Illini have hit a big part of their schedule, opening conference play against the ranked Terrapins and then hosting a hot Michigan squad -- currently ranked fourth -- next week.

"This is obviously a big opportunity for this team," junior Illinois guard Trent Frazier told reporters. "We've got to take this serious and show the nation what we're about."

Illinois also has to get off to a better start than it did Monday at home. Trailing by 27 points at one time to Miami in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge, Illinois put together a furious rally before bowing 81-79.

Big freshman Kofi Cockburn, all 7 feet, 290 pounds of him, led the comeback with 23 points, his seventh double-figure scoring effort this season.

Illinois also has 6-9 sophomore Giorgi Bezhanishvili around the basket, averaging 10.3 points and 5.8 rebounds, to go with Cockburn's 16.3 and 11.0 averages. It's the kind of big front line the new and improved Terrapins haven't seen this year.

"It'll be a different challenge on Saturday because (Illinois) has two big kids that can really play," said Maryland coach Mark Turgeon. "It's how quickly we can adjust, and that'll be a sign of what kind of team we can be defensively."

Maryland has been pretty solid defensively, though a propensity to start slowly in most games has made Turgeon's hair a little grayer of late. The Terrapins are holding opponents to 36.6 percent shooting this season, while cranking up their running game to the tune of 80.0 points per game scored on offense.

Notre Dame was the latest victim. The Terps missed their first 10 3-point attempts and trailed 9-4 before hitting the gas to run away.

The Irish, typically a potent offensive powerhouse, mustered just 29 percent shooting and saw 10 of their shots returned to sender, including a career-best five blocked shots from sophomore forward Jalen "Stix" Smith. Smith also added 15 points and a career-high 16 rebounds, his fifth double-double so far this year.

Illinois may have the type of balanced attack to weather Maryland's defensive storm. The Illini boast all five starters in double-figure scoring. After Cockburn, sophomore guard Ayo Dosunmu averages 15.8, senior guard Andres Feliz 14.8, and Frazier 10.3, like Bezhanishvili. The Illini are shooting 51 percent from the field as a team and have averaged 87.1 points per game.

The question is whether coach Brad Underwood's can team match Maryland's depth. The Terrapins typically go 9-10 players deep, and there's not much drop-off, with a slew of talented wing players making life tough for opponents.

Point guard Anthony Cowan and fellow guards Aaron Wiggins, Eric Ayala and Darryl Morsell are all playing well at both ends of the court.

After Saturday, Maryland continues Big Ten play, traveling to Penn State on Dec. 10, before an eight-day break. Illinois hosts Michigan on Dec. 11.

--Field Level Media

Team Record Comparison

Standings GB W-L Aw/Hm Stk L10
Illinois  
Maryland  

Hot Players (Last 10 team games)

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