Maryland (9-2) vs. Syracuse (5-5)
December 21, 2024
12:00 p.m.
Barclays Center
COLLEGE PARK, MD -- Maryland plays its penultimate non-conference game of the season as the Terps head to the Barclays Center to take on Syracuse in the Gotham Classic. The game will tip at 12 PM on ESPN. Fans can listen to the game on the Maryland Sports Radio Network with Voice of the Terps Johnny Holliday calling the action alongside Chris Knoche.
The Terps extended their 22-game home win streak against unranked non-conference opponents with a 111-57 victory over Saint Francis on Tuesday. Maryland enters the game ranked No. 8 in the NCAA NET, No. 15 in the Torvik ranking, No. 16 in the Kenpom ratings, and No. 24 on EvanMiya.com.
Maryland has been explosive offensively averaging 87.8 points this year which ranks as the third-best average in program history and ranks No. 9 nationally this season. Defensively, the Terps are giving up just 60.7 points per game which is 16th nationally and the best for the program since 1981-82.
Big Notes: The Big Five
- Maryland enters the Syracuse game with five players averaging double figures in scoring. The Terps are one of 18 teams with five-or-more regular-rotation players averaging double figures including three Big Ten teams.
- The starting five line-up for the Terps of Gillespie, Rice, Miguel, Reese, and Queen ranks as the fourth-best in the nation according to EvanMiya.com.
- Maryland leads the nation in 10-0 or better runs - a statistic that the analytics website EvanMiya.com terms a 'Kill Shot'. Maryland has 18 such runs this year which has surpassed last year's total number (16). In 2022-23, the Terps had 27 kill shots which was tied for 11th nationally.
- Maryland leads all Big Ten teams in scoring improvement compared to last season. In 2023-24, Maryland averaged 69.0 points compared to 87.8 per game this year. That's a +18.8 improvement which is the best in the league.
Maryland is averaging 87.8 points per game which is the third-best mark in program history.
Ja'Kobi Showing The Range
- Since joining the Terps, Ja'Kobi Gillespie has scored in double figures in nine of his 11 games played.
- Against No. 15 Marquette, Gillespie had a season-high 24 points going 10-of-17 from the floor and 4-of-9 from three-point range. That total was just two shy of matching his career-high of 26 points scored against Southern Illinois (2/14/24) when he was at Belmont.
- Gillespie also leads the team with 38 total assists (3.2 per game) giving him 250 for his career.
- Gillespie now has 888 career points between Belmont and Maryland through 68 total career games played.
- A highly-touted football prospect while in high school, Gillespie received offers from ACC and SEC programs on the gridiron. As a wide receiver, defensive back, and special teams returner, he pulled off a touchdown trifecta with a receiving touchdown, a pick-six, and a punt return in a single-game.
Ja'Kobi Gillespie averaged 20.5 points and 4.0 assists in his first two Big Ten games while going 8-of-15 from three-point range.
Juju Beast
- Julian Reese entered the 2024-25 campaign as one of the top post players in the Big Ten and nationally. Last season, he earned All-Big Ten Honorable Mention honors as a junior after being named to the Preseason All-Big Ten Team and to the Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award Watch List.
- Reese posted 15 double doubles last season which were the ninth most nationally and stood second in the Big Ten during the regular season.
- Reese has 26 total double-doubles after posting 11 points and 12 rebounds in the win over Saint Francis.
- Dating back to 1996-97, Reese has the fifth-most career double doubles for any Terp.
Queen Is The Truth
- Derik Queen arrived in College Park as one of the most heralded recruits in program history and has lived up to the hype early in the season. From starting his career with a 20/20 double-double to scoring a career-high 26 points at No. 8 Purdue, Queen has quickly shown he is one of the best players in the country.
- Queen leads Maryland in scoring at 17.3 points per game and is second with 8.4 rebounds per game. His scoring average is second-best among Maryland freshmen dating back to 1947-48.
- Since 2008-09, there have been 34 20-point games by Maryland freshmen. In just his first 11 games, Queen already has four.
- Since 1996-96, Derik Queen's career-high 26-point performance at No. 8 Purdue marked the most points scored by a Maryland freshman in a true road game since Terrell Stoglin and Justin Jackson each scored 28 points in 2011 and 2017, respectively.
- Queen is part of an exceptional class of 2024-25 freshmen. He is now fifth for overall rookie scoring and is the top center among all NCAA freshmen. Queen is one of four freshmen nationally to score 20 points or more in five games this season: Cooper Flagg (Duke), Dylan Harper (Rutgers), Kasparas Jakucionis (Illinois).
