Illinois star Rayvonte Rice will miss game vs. Maryland

Maryland (14-1, 2-0 Big Ten) plays at Illinois (10-5, 0-2) on Wednesday.

Rice, a 6-foot-4, 230-pound senior is averaging 17.2 points, 6.9 rebounds and ranks second in the Big Ten in 3-point shooting at 48.3 percent.

Maryland coach Mark Turgeon said he hadn't learned of Rice's injury until after the Terps were done practicing Tuesday, and thry had prepared as if Rice was going to play.

That will now change, though only to a degree.

Turgeon will use his team's success playing without Wells and Smotrycz – including beating then No. 13 Iowa State without Smotrycz and Oklahoma State without Wells – to make sure there is no mental letdown.

"Illinois has good players, so they have an opportunity to step up," Turgeon said.

Only one other Illinois player, sophomore guard Malcom Hill, averages in double figures (13.2 points).

Some may recall how last year's Terps faced North Carolina State on the road without the ACC's leading scorer, senior T.J. Warren, who had sprained his ankle the previous game.

In his absence, Ralston Turner torched the Terps for a season-high 23 points in a 65-56 win for the Wolpack. While not recalling last year's game, junior forward Jake Layman said that this year's Maryland team is strong on the road.

"I think for each team whenever one of their top players sits out, guys will step up," Layman said  It's just a matter of who tomorrow will step up for them and be their leader. For us, I have a lot of confidence in the team we have, especially on the road, with how much toughness we play for. On the road for us this year will be a lot different."

This will be the Big Ten home opener for the Fighting Illini, which lost in overtime last Tuesday at Michigan and at Ohio State on Saturday.

don.markus@baltsun.com

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