Maryland (8-1, 1-0 B1G) at No. 8 Purdue (7-2, 0-1 B1G)
December 8, 2024
12:00 p.m.
Mackey Arena
COLLEGE PARK, MD -- Maryland heads out on the road for its first true road game of the season as the Terps travel to No. 8 Purdue for a Sunday matinee. The game will tip at 12 PM on BTN. 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 are riding a five-game win streak after opening Big Ten play with an 83-59 win over Ohio State. Maryland enters the game ranked No. 14 in the NET ratings.
Maryland has been explosive offensively averaging 86.3 points this year which ranks as the fifth-best average in program history and ranks No. 18 nationally this season. Defensively, the Terps are giving up just 58.7 points per game which is 10th nationally and the best for the program since 1960.
FAST START BUILDS MOMENTUM
- Maryland is looking to improve to 9-1 on the year which would mark it's best start since going 10-0 to open the 2019-20 season.
- Through nine games, Maryland is averaging 16.4 more points than it did in 2023-24. Through last season's first nine games, Maryland averaged just 69.9 points per game compared to this year's 86.3 point per game average.
- Maryland is averaging 21.9 points per game off turnovers this year, while allowing opponents to score just 9.9 points per game off the Terps' miscues.
- The Terps are looking for their first win at Mackey Arena since the first-ever meeting between the two programs. Maryland won 69-60 on Jan. 10, 2015 with Jake Layman scoring 14 points as four Terps overall hit double figures.
- Of the six road losses at Purdue, only one was decided by more than four points (L, 75-67, 1/31/18).
Maryland is averaging 86.3 points per game which is the fifth-best mark in program history.
No Rust On The Hot Rod
- After not playing in a collegiate basketball game for 600 days prior to the Manhattan game, Rodney Rice has certainly shaken off any rust to start the season.
- The sophomore guard had a breakout game against Mount St. Mary's with 28 total points on 10-of-14 shooting. He had 26 points in the first half alone making him the first Big Ten player since Luke Garza had 27 first half points at Michigan on Dec. 6, 2019. The last Terp to have 26-or-more points in any half was Jahmir Young last season at Northwestern (1/17/24) when he posted 28 in the second.
- Rice made his first start in the win over Canisius and is currently fourth on the team in scoring at 12.2 points per game. He has the second-most triples (18) on the team while hitting at a 35.3 percent clip.
Rodney Rice became the first Big Ten player since Luke Garza in 2019-20 to score 26-or-more points in the first half of a game with his performance against Mount St. Mary's.
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 25 total double-doubles after posting 14 points and 11 rebounds in the win over Alcorn State.
- Dating back to 1996-97, Reese has the fifth-most career double doubles for any Terp.
Queen Is The Truth
- Derik Queen leads the team lead in scoring at 16.6 points per game. That average is tied for second-best among Maryland freshmen dating back to 1947-48. Notable is that 18 of the top 26 freshmen scorers in program history were selected in the NBA draft.
- Queen is part of an exceptional national class of 2024-25 freshmen. He is now tied for fifth for overall rookie scoring and is the top center among all NCAA freshmen.
- Since 2008-09, there have been 34 20-point games by Maryland freshmen. In just his first nine games, Derrik Queen already has four.
- Queen opened his collegiate career with a double-double. Since 1993-94, he is one of just 13 Terps to post a double-double during their rookie seasons.
