#12 Terps, Minnesota Meet in First B1G Home Game
1/2/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The No. 12 Maryland men's basketball team welcomes Minnesota for its first-ever Big Ten home game Saturday at noon at XFINITY Center.
WATCH: BTN - Josh Lewin (Play-by-Play), Jim Jackson (Analyst)
LISTEN: Terrapin Sports Radio Network - Johnny Holliday (Play-by-Play), Chris Knoche (Analyst), Walt Williams (Sideline); SiriusXM 84, ESPN 980, 105.7 FM.
TICKETS: Purchase single game tickets here
LIVE STATS: Stats
SOCIAL: Follow @TerrapinHoops on Twitter for updates
storylines
• Dez Wells scored 16 points, including a game-tying three-pointer with 2.2 seconds left in regulation, and No. 12 Maryland earned a 68-66 double-overtime win over Michigan State on Tuesday night in the Terrapins' first-ever Big Ten game.
• Melo Trimble added 17 points for Maryland (13-1). Trimble has reached double figure scoring in all but one game this season.
• The Terrapins' other big edge was going 26-for-32 from the foul line, all after halftime. Trimble, who's 97 made free throws rank first nationally, was 12-for-14 from the charity stripe.
• The Terps boasted a 52-36 rebounding advantage, including a team-high nine from Jake Layman. Layman - who ranks 12th in the Big Ten in rebounding with 6.4 per game - is averaging more than 10 rebounds over the last three games. He has led Maryland on the boards in six games this season.
• Minnesota leads the league in assist-turnover ratio (+6.6) and steals with 167, 20 more than any other team in the conference. The Golden Gophers are also tops in the Big Ten in three-point field goal percentage (.424) while the Terps are second in three-point field goal percentage defense (.287).
• Maryland leads the Big Ten in field goal percentage defense (.371) and have held opponents to .400 or below in five of the last six games, including limiting Michigan State to a .323 mark its last time out.
• Maryland is 4-0 all-time against the Golden Gophers including a 68-58 win in Minneapolis in the NIT on March 18, 2008.
terps Win inaugural big ten game at michigan state
• Dez Wells scored 16 points, including a game-tying three-pointer with 2.2 seconds left in regulation, and No. 12 Maryland earned a 68-66 double-overtime win over Michigan State on Tuesday night in the Terrapins' first-ever Big Ten game.
• Melo Trimble added 17 points for Maryland (13-1), which held a 52-36 edge on the boards.
• The Terrapins' other big edge was going 26-for-32 from the foul line, all after halftime. Trimble, who's 97 made free throws ranked first nationally, was 12-for-14 from the charity stripe
maryland hot in december under turgeon
• Maryland is 22-4 in the month of December since head coach Mark Turgeon's arrival in the 2011-12 season.
• The Terps were 6-0 in 2011 and 2012 and are off to a hot start in 2014, with a 6-1 mark heading into Saturday's tilt vs. Minnesota.
maryland climbs the polls
• With seven-consecutive victories to start the season, the Maryland men's basketball team landed back in the top 25 for the first time since the 2009-10 season on Dec. 1.
• Maryland, which is ranked 12th in the latest Associated Press top-25 poll, boasts its highest ranking since it was No. 12 on Nov. 29, 2004.
Scouting minnesota
• Minnesota finished its non-conference schedule with an 11-2 record, including a perfect 9-0 mark at home. It is the fourth straight season the Gophers posted a perfect home non-conference record. The Golden Gophers fell to Purdue, 72-68, its last time out.
• The Golden Gophers are second in the nation in assists per game (19.9) and steals per game (11.9) and fourth in turnover margin (6.6). Five players average double-digit scoring for Minnesota, led by Andre Hollins' 13.2 points per game.
• Maryland is 4-0 all-time against the Golden Gophers including a 68-58 win in Minneapolis in the NIT on March 18, 2008.
meet the b1g: Minnesota
- Final Four Appearances: 1
- NCAA Tournament Appearances: 12
- Head Coach: Richard Pitino
- Venue: Williams Arena (14,625)
- Current NBA Players: Kris Humphries (Washington Wizards)
- Fact: Richard Pitino, the son of legendary coach Rick Pitino, is in his second season with the Golden Gophers and led Minnesota to the 2014 National Invitational Tournament title
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).
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.
