#8 Maryland (22-12)
vs.
#1Â Alabama (30-5)
NCAA Tournament - Second Round
March 18, 2023
Legacy Arena
9:40 pm ET (8:40 pm CT)
BIRMINGHAM, ALÂ -Â Coming off a thrilling first round win over No. 9 seed West Virginia, No. 8 seed Maryland will take on No. 1 seed and No. 1 ranked Alabama on Saturday night in the NCAA Tournament Round of 32. This will be a rematch of the 2021 NCAA Tournament meeting between the two squads and the Terps will look to knock off a No. 1 ranked team for the 11th time in program history. In the NCAA Tournament, this will mark the sixth time in program history to take on a No. 1 seed.
The game will be televised on TBS starting at 9:40 p.m. ET (8:40 p.m. CT), while fans can also listen to the Maryland Sports Network (105.7 FM - Baltimore, The TEAM 980 AM - Washington, D.C., Sirius XM 201, One Maryland App) with Matt Noble (play-by-play) and Chris Knoche (analyst) calling the action.
Maryland has a 43-28 record in the NCAA Tournament. The Terps have reached the Sweet Sixteen 14 times, the Elite Eight four times, the Final Four twice, and won the NCAA National Championship title in 2002. The Terrapins have won 15 of their last 16 opening round games dating back to 1997.
 The NCAA Tournament bid marks Maryland's sixth appearance in the last seven applicable years. It would be the seventh appearance in eight years if the 2020 tournament had not been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.Â
Kevin Willard becomes the first coach in Maryland history to lead his squad to the NCAA Tournament in his first season at the helm.
The Terps are 10-30 all-time against No. 1-ranked opponents, last beating the best team in the land on Jan. 19, 2008, when Maryland knocked off No. 1 North Carolina, 82-80, at the Dean Dome in Chapel Hill. James Gist had 22 points and 13 rebounds to lead the Terps and end UNC's 18-0 start to the season. Bambale Osby's layup with 21 seconds left in the game the Terps the win. Maryland's last game against a No. 1 team came on Jan. 4, 2018, when the Terps lost to No. 1 Michigan State, 91-69 in East Lansing. The last time Maryland played the No. 1 team in the land in the NCAA Tournament came in the 2016 NCAA Sweet 16, falling to No. 1 Kansas, 79-63 in Louisville.
Â
Series History - alabama
- Maryland and Alabama have played six times in history with the Terps holding the 4-2 advantage.Â
- The fifth-ranked Crimson Tide won the only NCAA Tournament matchup, which was their last meeting, 96-77, on March 22, 2021 in Indianapolis in the COVID Bubble. Current Oklahoma City Thunder swingman Aaron Wiggins scored a career-high 27 (making 5-of-8 three-pointers) for the Terps in the game. Current Terps Donta Scott (12 points and five assists), Hakim Hart (six points and four assists) played in the game.Â
- The prior meeting came in the 2013 NIT Quarterfinals as the Terps held off the Tide, 58-57 in Tuscaloosa. Current Sacramento King Alex Len led the Terps with 15 points and 13 rebounds.Â
- On Nov, 17, 2011, the teams met in San Juan, Puerto Rico and Alabama won 62-42. Maryland didn't have a double-digit scorer in the game.Â
- The teams played a two-game series in 1984 and 1985 with Maryland winning both games, 59-56 on Dec. 8, 1984 in Tuscaloosa and 60-58 on Dec. 21, 1985 in College Park. Len Bias led the team in scoring in both games with 18 points and 10 rebounds in the 1984 game and 14 points in the 1985 meeting.
- The teams played for the first time on Feb. 26, 1925 in Atlanta in the Southern Conference Tournament, with Maryland winning 27-21.
Fear the jahmir
- Jahmir Young is one of 10Â active players in the NCAA to post 1,900 career points, 600 rebounds, and 350 assists.
- Entering the season, many questioned Jahmir Young's ability to translate his scoring from C-USA to Power 5 play.
- Young's response has been a team-best 15.9 points and 3.2 assists per game. This season, he has a eight 20-point games including a season-high 30 against No. 24 Ohio State. In Big Ten play, Young was magnificent averaging 17.7 points. He is also the third-leading rebounder (4.7) overall, leads the team in steals (43) and has the fourth-most blocked shots (13) on the team.
- Young is the nation's 12th-ranked active career scorer with at 16.5 point per game average and the 32nd ranked player in overall points (1,962).
- Young posted his first double-double (7th of his career) as a Terp with 30 points and 11 rebounds against No. 24 Ohio State. He became the first Maryland guard since Greivis Vasquez to post a 30-point, 10-rebound game. Vasquez had a triple-double with 35 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists against North Carolina on Feb. 21, 2009.
- At 17.7 points in league play, Young ranked seventh among all Big Ten players in scoring for league games. His 30 steals also ranked fourth in Big Ten games.
- In the win over Nebraska, he became one of two Big Ten players to post at least 18 points, 7 assists, and 6 steals in a game since 2002-03 joining Northwestern's Chase Audige who did so this January as well.
Best Defense In 40 Years
- Allowing just 63.2Â points per game, Maryland has put together one of its best defensive seasons in over 40 years during Kevin Willard's first year at the helm.Â
- The last season to give up fewer than 63 points per game was 1981-82 (58.8 ppg) - a year before the ACC used the three-point line and three before the shot clock was adopted in 1985-86.
Scott CONTINUES RECORD BOOK CLIMB
- Donta Scott became the 59th player in program history to reach 1,000 points in the win over Miami. He scored 24 points in that game and now has 1,317 career points. He is also the 17th Terp to post 1,300 points and 600 rebounds in a career. Through 128 career games he now has 697 rebounds.
- Darryl Morsell (1,090 points / 510 rebounds / 2018-21) and Anthony Cowan (1,881 points / 508 rebounds / 2017-20) were the most recent Terps to post 1,000/500.
- Scott is now 28th all-time in scoring and needs 38 points to move past Tony Massenburg (1354, 1985-90) for 27th. He needs eight more boards to pass Johnny Rhodes (704, 1992-96) for No. 15 all-time.
- Scott was one of 20 players named to the Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Watch List as announced by the Basketball Hall of Fame in late October.
- This is Scott's second year on the watch list after also garnering the honor last season. He joins Jalen Smith (2019-20) and Jake Layman (2014-15) as Terps to be recognized.
- Scott ranked as the No. 49 overall player nationally last season.
Winning numbers
- When Maryland wins, the Terps are averaging 76.8 points while allowing just 59.9 per game. Maryland is also averaging 16.2 made free throws and holds a +4.5 advantage in rebounds.Â
- The Terps are holding opponents to just .408 from the field and .316 from beyond the arc this season in wins.
- Maryland is 20-2 this season when leading at halftime (the Ohio State victory snapped a 14-game losing skid when trailing at the half) and 17-4 when committing fewer turnovers (turnovers were equal against Ohio State). The Terps have also won 21 of the last 23 games when leading with 5:00 remaining.
Hart of the Terps
- Hakim Hart is closing out his senior campaign with some of his best numbers. The guard is averaging a career-best 11.6 points while posting 4.2 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game.
- Hart is the second-leading scorer for the Terps this season highlighted by four 20-point games including 23 against Penn State and 20 in the win over Minnesota.
- Entering the Alabama game, Hart needs 41 points to reach 1,000 for his career - which would make him the fourth player on the team to reach that plateau for his career.
- Over the last 10 games, Hart has turned in some of his best three point shooting of the year hitting 18-of-42 from deep (.429) while going 47-of-98 (.480) from the field overall.Â
- Over the last 15 games (dating back to Jan. 25 against Wisconsin), Hart has been averaging 3.6 assists as well including eight against the Badgers, six against Minnesota at home, and seven against Northwestern.
Click here for this week's game notes.
