COLUMBUS, OHIO — Breaking down what to watch in the fourth-seeded Terps' third-round NCAA tournament game Sunday night against fifth-seeded West Virginia in Columbus, Ohio.
Breaking the press
The Terps have done a good job of limiting turnovers, particularly in crunch time, during their recent stretch of nine victories in 10 games. If Maryland can get into two-on-one or three-on-two situations against the press and also hit some 3-pointers after breaking it, the Terps could be headed for the Sweet 16 in Cleveland. If not, the offseason will begin Monday in College Park. Some of that success will be predicated on how the game is officiated, since the Mountaineers lead the nation in fouls per game.
Running good half-court offense
Even if Maryland is able to break the press, the Terps can't play the game at West Virginia's pace. Maryland's half-court offense has improved over the past month, though Michigan State is the only team with the Mountaineers' physicality that the Terps have faced in that span. The Spartans won their meeting with Maryland in the Big Ten Conference tournament semifinals by taking advantage of their physicality and athleticism. The Terps hit nine of 21 3-pointers against Valparaiso, something they will have to do if they get enough open looks tonight.
Staying out of foul trouble
Not since an early-season Big Ten game at Purdue had the Terps gotten into the kind of foul trouble they faced against the Crusaders and still managed to win. It will be important for Damonte Dodd to stay on the floor, though it seems likely that Mark Turgeon will rotate between Dodd, Michal Cekovsky, Evan Smotrycz and even Jon Graham (Calvert Hall) to guard West Virginia center Devin Williams. Dez Wells and Jake Layman also have to stay on the floor for the Terps to have a chance. Wells was in foul trouble in the first half against Valparaiso, and Layman fouled out for only the third time in his career.