Terps, Spartans Set For Saturday Showdown On FOX

Maryland (13-8, 5-5 B1G) at Michigan State (13-8, 5-5 B1G)

February 3, 2024

Breslin Center

5:30 p.m.

FOX

COLLEGE PARK, MD - The Terps kick-off February with a road trip to Michigan State in the Breslin Center after winning two straight and four of their last six games. The game will tip at 5:30 PM on FOX as part of a nationally televised double-header with the women's team also hosting Iowa at 8 PM. 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 game will be the second meeting of the year between the two clubs after the Spartans edged the Terps 61-59 at the XFINITY Center two weeks ago.

Jahmir Young leads Maryland with 20.4 points per game, second best in the Big Ten and 22nd nationally, followed by Julian Reese (13.6 points, 10.1 rebounds). Donta Scott rounds out the top scorers with 11.0 points per game and has been hot behind the arc lately going 14-of-33 (.424) over the last seven games.

Terps, Spartans Set For Re-Match

Michigan State leads the all-time series 15-8 and are 5-2 against Maryland in East Lansing.
Each of the last three games between Maryland and Michigan State have been decided by five-or-fewer points. The most recent streaks for Maryland with four straight games decided by five-or-fewer against a team are against Purdue (2020-21 to 2022-23) and Notre Dame (1980-81 to 1983-84).
Three-point shooting, defense, bench scoring plus a monster day from Julian Reese lifted Maryland to a, 73-51, victory over Nebraska last Saturday at XFINITY Center. The Terps have won four of their last six games moving into fifth place in the conference. The 22-point victory was the largest margin of victory in a home Big Ten game since March 3, 2016, where Maryland defeated Illinois 81-55. Nebraska's 51 points are the fewest Maryland has allowed this season.
Maryland has two Quad 1 wins on the year and has three road wins (2nd-best in the Big Ten). Despite being 2-4 in Quad 1 games, the Terps have had three decided by one possession (1-2).
Defensively, Maryland has been outstanding allowing 70-or-fewer points in 11 of its last 12 games. The Terps have held the top five scoring teams in the conference to an average of 21 points under their yearly average.
In the first meeting between the two teams, Maryland used a stout defensive second half to rally back after trailing 44-32 at halftime. In the second stanza, the Terps allowed just 17 points and held Michigan State to 7-of-26 (26.9%) from the floor and 1-of-6 (16.7%) from beyond the arc.
The Terps gave up 18 turnovers which Michigan State turned into 19 points. Despite that, Maryland still had a chance to win in the final seconds.

Maryland Men's Basketball vs. Michigan State

The Terps held Michigan State to just 17 second half points in the first meeting this season.

Fear The Jahmir

After a standout season in 2022-23, Jahmir Young, one of the top point guards in the country, has racked up the preseason accolades. He has been named to the Wooden Award Preseason Top 50 and is a member of the Bob Cousy Award Watch List as well. Young was also a unanimous selection to the Preseason All-Big Ten Team, the first unanimous pick for Maryland since Cowan in 2019.
Additionally, Young picked up Preseason All-America honors from Blue Ribbon and Lindy's, while The Field of 68 had him on the All-Big Ten Preseason Team and ranked him as the No. 35 of 100 top players nationally entering 2023-24.
Last season, Young was a second team All-Big Ten selection, was named to the USBWA All-District Team, and selected to the NABC All-District Second Team. Additionally, he was chosen as the Pigskin Club of Washington Collegiate Player of the Year.
Young needs just 40 points to record 1,000 points at Maryland. He would become the fifth Terp to do so in just two seasons and would be the third fastest player to hit that mark. Addiitionally, he is closing in on becoming the sixth player nationally to score 1,000 points at two different institutions since 2006.
In his last five road games, Young is averaging 28.6 points per game shooting 51.1% overall including 39.1% from beyond the arc and 90.5% at the stripe with two 30-point games (37 at UCLA, 36 at Northwestern). He also had 28 points at No. 10 Illinois.
Young is also looking to become the first Terp since Greivis Vasquez in 2009-10 to average over 20 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists per game.Young currently averages 4.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists. Only five other Big Ten players since 1992-93 have averaged a similar stat line including Trayce Jackson-Davis (Indiana, 2022-23) and Michael Finley (Wisconsin, 1994-95).

Jahmir Young is a member of the Wooden Award Preseason Top 50, the Bob Cousy Watch List, and was a unanimous pick to the preseason All-B1G Team.

JuJu Beast

After a breakout sophomore campaign that saw Julian Reese become one of the top big men in the Big Ten, the Baltimore native enters 2023-24 with high praise. Reese joined Jahmir Young on the Preseason All-Big Ten Team and was named to the Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award Watch List.
Reese showed his impact for the Terps in 2022-23 as he scored in double-figures in 22 games with a career-high 24 points against Coppin State. He had seven double-doubles on the year including 17 points, 12 rebounds at Ohio State.
Had one of his best league outings going toe-to-toe with Purdue's Big Ten Player of the Year Zach Edey where Reese scored 19 points on 8-of-11 shooting while adding three rebounds and committing zero turnovers.
Reese finished 2022-23 tied for second on the team in scoring at 11.4 points and led the Terps in rebounds (7.2).
In two NCAA Tournament games last year, Reese averaged 15.5 points against West Virginia and No. 1 Alabama.
His 63.2 field goal percentage last season stands as the third-best mark in Maryland program history for a single season.

Forward Julian Reese (10) Maryland Men's Basketball during Basketball B1G Media Day at Target Center in Minneapolis, MN on Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2023. Mackenzie Miles/Maryland Terrapins

Julian Reese has a career-best 10 double-doubles this year. His 17 are the fourth most for a Terp dating back to 2010-11.

Great Scott!

Donta Scott became the 59th player in program history to reach 1,000 points last season. Through 21 games this year, he has 1,552 points and 803 rebounds becoming the 5th Terp all-time to post 1,500 points and 800 rebounds.
Scott joins Lonny Baxter (1,858 & 998), Tom McMillen (1,807 & 859), Keith Booth (1,776 & 916) and Terence Morris (1,733 & 925)in this elite group of Terps.
Scott is now 19th all-time in scoring and needs 10 points to move past Greg Manning (1561, 1977-81) for 18th. He needs 57 more boards to pass Tom McMillen (859, 1971-74) for No. 8 all-time.
Additionally, thanks to his fifth season, Scott (135 GS - 2nd most, 4385 MIN - 3rd most) will have a chance to set Maryland's games started record (136, Steve Blake, 1999-03) and minutes played record (4568, Greivis Vasquez, 2006-10). He set the games played record (142) against Coppin State on Dec. 28.