Maryland (12-4, 2-3 B1G) vs. Minnesota (8-8, 0-5 B1G)
January 13, 2025
6:30 p.m.
XFINITY Center
COLLEGE PARK, MD -- Coming off an 18-point win over No. 22 UCLA, Maryland returns to XFINITY Center on Monday (6:30 PM) to host Minnesota 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 and Walt Williams.
The Terps snapped a two-game skid with a 79-61 win over No. 22 UCLA - it's first win over a ranked team this season and its third Quad 1 win of the year.
Ja'Kobi Gillespie had a career-high 27 points, while
Julian Reese had his seventh double-double of the year with 16 points and 10 rebounds.
Maryland is ranked No. 19 in the NCAA NET, No. 20 in the Kenpom ratings, No. 14 in the Torvik ranking, No. 20 on EvanMiya.com, and No. 20 on the ESPN Basketball Power Index.
Maryland has been explosive offensively averaging 85.1 points this year which ranks as the seventh-best average in program history and ranks No. 15 nationally this season. Defensively, the Terps are giving up just 63.3 points per game which is 19th nationally.
Promotions:
- Testudo's Kids Club Day II:Testudo's Kids Club members can claim a free ticket to the game! Parents can purchase discounted tickets.
Big Notes: Finding balance
- Known for its defensive strength over the last three seasons, Maryland has also elevated its offensive output this season as a more balanced program. The Terps are one of 10 teams to rank in the top 25 of KenPom.com's Adjusted Offensive and Defensive Efficiency ratings.
- Maryland ranks 24th in offensive efficiency and 22nd in defensive efficiency. Last year, the Terps ranked 14th in defensive efficiency and 155th on offense. In 2022-23, Maryland was 36th on defense and 32nd on offense.
- This year is the best rating since 2019-20: 18th on offense, 22nd on defense.
Maryland is averaging 85.1 points per game which is the seventh-best mark in program history.
Ja'Kobi Showing The Range
- Since joining the Terps, Ja'Kobi Gillespie has scored in double figures in 12 of his 16 games played.
- Against No. 22 UCLA, Gillespie set a season-high with 27 points going 4-of-8 from deep and 9-of-9 from the charity stripe. He also had four assists and a season-high four steals in the win.
- Against No. 15 Marquette, Gillespie had 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 66 total assists (4.1 per game) giving him 278 for his career. He set a new career-high with 11 in the win over Syracuse as part of his first career double-double (17 pts). The 11 assists were the most by a Maryland player in a game since Melo Trimble had 12 against North Carolina (12/2/15).
- His 4.1 assists per game are tied for 8th in the B1G.
- Gillespie now has 958 career points between Belmont and Maryland through 73 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.
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.
- All-time, Reese has the eighth-most double-doubles for any Terp (29).
- Reese is one of nine players in program history to post over 1,100 career points and 800 career rebounds.
- Despite having a talented group of high-scoring guards and the addition of Derik Queen to the front court, Julian Reese has nearly matched his career-high totals from last season. Even more impressive is that Reese has been hitting these marks playing 7.3 fewer minutes per game than last year.
- Additionally, his 3.3 offensive rebounds per game leads the Big Ten and are the most for a Maryland player since James Padgett averaged 3.3 in 2011-12
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 15.5 points per game and is second with 7.8 rebounds per game. His scoring average is third-best among all-time Maryland freshmen dating back to 1947-48.
- Since 2008-09, there have been 34 20-point games by Maryland freshmen. In just his first 16 games, Queen already has five.
- 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 14th for overall rookie scoring and is the top center among all NCAA freshmen. Queen is one of five freshmen nationally to score 20 points or more in five games this season.
