#21 Terps Battle #7 Virginia Wednesday at XFINITY
12/2/2014 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The No. 21 Maryland men's basketball team welcomes No. 7 Virginia in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge at 9:15 p.m. on Wednesday at the XFINITY Center.
WATCH: ESPN2 - Mike Patrick (Play-by-Play), Len Elmore (Analyst)
LISTEN: Terrapin Sports Radio Network - Johnny Holliday (Play-by-Play), Chris Knoche (Analyst), Walt Williams (Sideline); Sirius 108/XM 192, ESPN 980, 105.7 FM.
STATS: Live Stats
TICKETS: To purchase tickets, please click here.
SOCIAL: Follow @TerrapinHoops on Twitter for updates
storylines
• Richaud Pack scored 22 points while Jake Layman, Melo Trimble and Dion Wiley each had 19 as Maryland defeated VMI, 95-77, on Sunday night at XFINITY Center. The 95-point total marked Maryland's highest scoring output since a win over UMES -100-68 - on Dec. 5, 2012.
• Melo Trimble was named Big Ten Co-Player and Freshman of the Week after averaging 21.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game, led Maryland to a 4-0 week with wins over Arizona State and No. 13 Iowa State at the CBE Classic and home victories over Monmouth and VMI.
• Maryland is off to a 7-0 start, marking its best run to begin a season since the Terps started 8-0 in the 2006-07 season.
• Virginia (7-0) is led by juniors Justin Anderson (16.8 ppg), Anthony Gill (11.8 ppg) and Malcolm Brogdon (10.8 ppg). The Cavaliers captured the Barclays Center Classic title with wins over LaSalle and Rutgers. The Cavaliers rank first in the nation in scoring defense (44.6 ppg) and second in field goal percentage defense (29.3 percent). The Terps are 107-73 all-time against Virginia, including a 64-24 mark in College Park.
• With seven-consecutive victories, including four last week, the Maryland men's basketball team is back in the top 25 for the first time since the 2009-10 season, ranked No. 21 and No. 22 in the AP and USA Today Polls, respectively.
trimble named co-player, freshman of the week
• Freshman guard Melo Trimble earned Co-Big Ten Player of the Week and Freshman of the Week honors, the Big Ten Conference announced on Dec. 1.
• Trimble, who averaged 21.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game, led Maryland to a 4-0 week with wins over Arizona State and No. 13 Iowa State at the CBE Classic and home victories over Monmouth and VMI.
• Trimble scored a career-high 31 points, including four three-pointers and a 13-of-14 effort from the free throw line in Maryland's victory over Arizona State.
• It was the first time a freshman has been named Big Ten Player of the Week since Jared Sullinger (Ohio State) won the award Jan. 24, 2011.
maryland cracks the polls
• With seven-consecutive victories, including four last week, the Maryland men's basketball team is back in the top 25 for the first time since the 2009-10 season.
• Maryland, which is ranked 21st in the AP poll and 22nd in the USA Today poll, is ranked for the first time since March 15, 2010 - when it was ranked 20th.
balanced offense leads terps past vmi
• Richaud Pack scored 22 points while Jake Layman, Melo Trimble and Dion Wiley each had 19 as Maryland defeated VMI, 95-77, on Sunday night at XFINITY Center.
• Maryland ran off 13 straight points to take a 68-53 lead with 12:11 left as VMI (2-4) went scoreless for nearly five minutes.
• Wiley, a freshman starting for the first time in his career, had 17 of his 19 points in the second half. Pack had 16 of his 22 points in the first half. In his three previous games, Pack missed all 13 of his shots from the field. He was 10-for-13 against the Keydets, including nine straight points to help the Terrapins capture a 49-45 lead at halftime.
MELO-V-P
• Freshman Melo Trimble was named the Most Valuable Player at the CBE Classic after leading the Terps to wins over Arizona State and No. 13 Iowa State in Kansas City.
• Trimble averaged 21 points, three rebounds and two assists in the pair of wins the CBE Classic. In addition, Trimble connected on 15-of-16 from the free throw line. His 31-point showing against Arizona State is the most for a Terrapin freshman since Joe Smith posted 33 points against Rider in 1993.
terp rewind: maryland tops Uva in acc finale in 2014
• Maryland closed out its 61st and final Atlantic Coast Conference regular season in stunning fashion, outlasting No. 5 Virginia 75-69 in overtime on March 9, 2014 to end the Cavaliers' 13-game winning streak.
• After losing the lead in the closing seconds of regulation, the Terrapins never trailed in the extra session in front of an emotional sellout crowd of 17,950 at the school's final home basketball game in a conference it joined as a charter member in 1953.
charity stripe excellence
• For the second time in three games, freshman Melo Trimble went a scorching 13-for-14 from the free throw line against Monmouth Nov. 28.
• The rookie made eight consecutive attempts to seal the win against the Hawks.
• Trimble is second in the Big Ten in free throw percentage (.896), hitting 43-of-48 this season.
Terps drop #13 Iowa State, win CBE Classic title
• Jared Nickens and Jake Layman scored 15 points apiece to lead a balanced offense, and Maryland shut down No. 13 Iowa State for a 72-63 victory Nov. 25 in the CBE Classic title game at Sprint Center.
• Dez Wells added 14 points and Melo Trimble scored 11 for the Terrapins, who built a 15-point lead with three minutes left before hanging on down the stretch.
• Trimble was voted the tournament MVP after his stellar all-around performance. He also had three assists and three rebounds in the title game.
Trimble shines in terps' win vs. arizona State
• Melo Trimble scored a career-high 31 points to lead Maryland to a 78-73 victory over Arizona State Nov. 24 in the opening game of the CBE Classic.
• The Terps are off to a 4-0 start for the first time since the 2009-10 season.
• Damonte Dodd and Michal Cekovsky combined for 12 points, eight rebounds and five blocks in the win.
• Maryland was 16-for-18 from the free throw line, including a 13-for-14 performance by Trimble.
trimble turning heads
• Freshman Melo Trimble is averaging 16.6 points per game for the Terps this season.
• Trimble is ranked 11th in the Big Ten in points per game.
• Trimble's 31-point showing against Arizona State is the most for a Maryland freshman since Joe Smith
posted 33 points against Rider in 1993.
early-season statement
• Maryland's win over No. 13 Iowa State marks its first win over a ranked non-conference opponent since 2008-09, when the Terps defeated No. 5 Michigan State, 80-62, on Nov. 27 at the Old Spice Classic in Orlando, Fla.
• Iowa State entered the contest against Maryland averaging 86 points per game and shooting 52.4 percent from the floor in its first three wins in 2014-15. The Terps, however, limited the Cyclones to just a total of 63 points - 23 points under their season average - and to 29.7 percent from the field.
Getting defensive
• Head coach Mark Turgeon has been emphasizing defense all year long.
• The Terps limited No. 13 Iowa State to just a total of 63 points - 23 points under their season average - and to 29.7 percent from the field on Nov. 25.
• Maryland is second in the Big Ten in field goal pct. defense (.351).
Season Preview: Terps Think B1G in 2014-15
• With a top-10 recruiting class and his most experienced team in four years as head coach at Maryland, Mark Turgeon has the Terrapins poised for its inaugural season in the Big Ten Conference.
• Maryland, which finished 17-15 last season, boasts a balanced team featuring a mix of veteran leadership and key newcomers. Among the leaders is 2013 ACC-All Conferece and USBWA All-District III selection Dez Wells, who changed his number to 44 to honor a deceased former teammate for his senior season. Wells is joined by seniors Evan Smotrycz and Jon Graham and sophomore Damonte Dodd in the frontcourt, in addition to junior Jake Layman on the wing.
• Turgeon also hauled in the ninth-best recruiting class in the nation according to Scout.com, showcasing McDonald's All-American point guard Melo Trimble (Upper Marlboro, Md.), shooting guard Dion Wiley (Oxon Hill, Md.), guard Jared Nickens (Monmouth Junction, N.J.) and forward Michal Cekovsky (Slovakia, Europe).
Scouting virginia
• No. 7 Virginia (7-0) is led by juniors Justin Anderson (16.8 ppg.), Anthony Gill (11.8 ppg.) and Malcolm Brogdon (10.8 ppg.), the Cavaliers took the Barclays Center Classic title with key wins over LaSalle and Rutgers.
• The Cavaliers rank first in the nation in scoring defense (44.6 ppg) and second in field goal percentage defense (29.3 percent). Junior center Mike Tobey has led the team's strong defensive effort (7.0 rpg).
• UVA is 10-17 against ranked opponents under head coach Tony Bennett and 98-128 all-time against the Big Ten Conference.
Wells selected to Wooden award preseason top 50
• Dez Wells has been selected as a member of the Wooden Award Preseason Top-50, the Los Angeles Athletic Club announced Nov. 17. Chosen by a preseason poll of national college basketball experts, the list is comprised of 50 student-athletes who are the early front-runners for the sport's most prestigious honor.
• Wells averaged 14.8 points per game last season to lead the Terrapins en route to earning all-conference third-team honors. The Raleigh, N.C., native also averaged 4.3 rebounds per game and shot 48 percent from the field.
• He scored his 1,000th point as a Terrapin in a 27-point showing against Central Connecticut State Nov. 17.
On layman's terms
• Junior Jake Layman is adjusting nicely to his role as the Terp's starting power forward this season.
• Layman was steady across the board for Maryland against Wagner, scoring 16 points, grabbing nine boards and dishing six assists in the Terps' home opener. He posted a season-high 19 points and nine rebounds against VMI on Nov. 30 to the lead Maryland to its fourth win a week's span.
• The Wrentham, Mass., native is averaging 13.8 points and 5.2 rebounds per game and is ninth in
the Big Ten in shooting percentage (.609) through the first six games.
Wells Named One of Sporting News' Top Dunkers
• Senior Dez Wells was named one of Sporting News' top 10 collegiate dunkers heading into the 2014-15 season.
• According to SN, Wells' upside is 'athleticism, aggression and speed' and his area of expertise is 'momentum.'
• Wells, who was ranked seventh, joined fellow Big Ten players Sam Thompson (Ohio State) and Branden Dawson (Michigan State) on the list..
trimble named to cousy watch list
• Maryland freshman guard Melo Trimble has been named to the watch list of candidates for the 2015 Bob Cousy Collegiate Point Guard of the Year Award, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced.
• Trimble, a 6-3 guard from Upper Marlboro, Md., was a McDonald's All-American and the No. 1-ranked player in the state of Maryland before arriving to College Park. Trimble averaged 23.1 points at Bishop O'Connell High School as a senior and was tagged the 2014 Washington Post All-Metro Player of the Year.
Meet the Newcomers
• Head coach Mark Turgeon and the Terps welcomed the ninth-ranked recruiting class in the nation according to ESPN.com and Scout.com for the 2014-15 season. The class includes McDonald's All-American Melo Trimble, Dion Wiley, Jared Nickens and Michael Cekovsky.
• In addition, Maryland added transfers Richaud Pack (NC A&T) and Robert Carter, Jr. (Georgia Tech). Carter will miss the 2014-15 campaign due to NCAA transfer rules.
Get to Know the Big Ten Conference
- Big Ten has had seven First Team AP All-Americans over the last five years…same as ACC, SEC, Big 12 and Pac 12 COMBINED
- Big Ten has had two of the past five Wooden Award winners
- Big Ten has more NCAA Tournament appearances over last five years than any conference (31)
- Big Ten has more Sweet 16 appearances over last five years than any conference (16)…SEC is second closest with 10
- Big Ten leads all conferences with nearly 5 million alumni and more than 460,000 students.
Graham, Smotrycz Have B1G Perspective
• Maryland seniors Jon Graham and Evan Smotrycz are quite familiar with the Terrapins' new conference as both competed at Big Ten programs before landing at the University of Maryalnd.
• Graham spent the 2011-12 and 2012-13 seasons at Penn State where he appeared in 59 games, making 10 starts. He served a redshirt season in 2010-11.
• Smotrycz spent his first two seasons at the University of Michigan. As a rookie, he won Michigan's Sxith Man Award, playing in all 35 games for the Wolverines. He helped Michigan to a share of its first Big Ten regular-season title since 1985-86 as a sophomore.
ESPN Names XFINITY Center Top 10 Court Design
• ESPN has named XFINITY Center as one of the top 10 court designs in college basketball. Maryland landed at No. 8 on the list.
• In total, three members of the Big Ten made the cut, including Indiana's Assembly Hall at No. 1 and Iowa's Carver-Hawkeye Arena at No. 10.
• According to the breakdown, posted on ESPN.com, XFINITY Center was lauded for its “clean design.”
