The Maryland men’s basketball team had a strong, yet dramatic week to say the least.

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The Terrapins started off the week on Wednesday when they hosted a struggling and undermanned Rutgers team. From the opening tip, Maryland proved to be the superior team as guard Rasheed Sulaimon scored seven of the team’s first nine points.

Despite four of Maryland’s five starters scoring in double figures, the story was definitely the play of forward Jake Layman. Layman hadn’t scored double-digit points since the Princeton game back on Dec. 19.

Layman netted 18 points (5-of-10) and grabbed four rebounds in an 88-63 drubbing of the Scarlet Knights. The Massachusetts native was also extremely productive on the defensive end as he blocked a pair of shots and played suffocating defense.

It also saw the return of center Diamond Stone to the starting lineup. Stone performed admirably as he had 15 points and 10 rebounds for the second double-double of his collegiate career. It was short lived though when coach Mark Turgeon had Stone coming off the bench just three days later against Wisconsin.

The only true concern against Rutgers was the fact that star guard Melo Trimble had some discomfort in his hamstring and missed the second half. Trimble had only scored four points before exiting the game early.

The Terps traveled to Madison to face a struggling, but scrappy Badgers squad. 

While there was a stark contrast between the two teams heading into the game, it certainly didn’t play out that well. Wisconsin gave Maryland everything they could handle in a contest that went down to the wire.

After a Bronson Koenig three with just 26 seconds left tied the game, the Terps had the opportunity to hold for the final shot in regulation. That’s when Trimble showed tremendous poise as he buried a deep shot from beyond the arc to win it with 1.2 ticks left.

Trimble certainly didn’t show any ill-effects of the hamstring injury against the Badgers. The sophomore point guard scored 13 of his 21 points in the second half, including a personal 10-run over a 2:10 period to give Maryland a 56-48 lead.

Maryland’s frontcourt also played very well throughout the game, especially center Damonte Dodd early on. Dodd scored nine points and grabbed six rebounds, which definitely was his most balanced performance of the 2015-16 season.

It also took some of the pressure off of Stone, who was effective off the bench for the Terps.

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at Michigan (1/12/16, 9 p.m.)

• Michigan has a much different roster than the one that went to the Elite Eight as a No. 2 seed during the 2013-14 season. The Wolverines underwent some growing pains last season as there was a changing of the guard in Ann Arbor. Coach John Beilein still navigates the sidelines and continues to rebuild the program to the respectable Big Ten powerhouse that Wolverine fans grew accustomed to seeing.
• The one constant from that National Championship contender is guard Caris LeVert. LeVert has been hampered by injuries over the past two seasons as he missed the final 14 games of the 2014-15 season with a season-ending foot injury. LeVert has had a great start this season, but suffered an unspecified lower left leg injury against Illinois and has missed the last two games. Before that, LeVert had been averaging 17.6 points-per-game/5.4 rebounds-per-game/5.2 assists-per-game to lead the Wolverines. Even without LeVert, Michigan still can score from the perimeter (42.6 percent from three) and averages 78.7 ppg. This certainly will test a Maryland defense that defends the long-range shot pretty well, holding opponents to a 39.6 percent clip.
• LeVert, who is not expected to play against Maryland, isn’t the only guard that can shoot from the perimeter. Guards Duncan Robinson and Derrick Walton Jr. are both shooting above 50 percent from beyond the arc. Robinson, a transfer from Division III Williams College, is avearging 11.8 ppg and is shooting a mind-boggling 55.7 percent from three. The sophomore guard is also a very gifted passer, which opens up his teammates for opens looks. On the other hand, Walton Jr. averages 10.1 ppg/5.2 rpg/3.7 apg and is shooting 52.2 percent from beyond the arc. The Detroit native brings a little of everything to the table for the Wolverines. Walton Jr. is a phenomenal jump shooter, but isn’t afraid to dish the ball as well. He shows great poise on the court and is incredibly athletic. This dynamic duo definitely can help pick up the slack for an injured LeVert.

Ohio State (1/16/16, 12:00 p.m.)

• Ohio State is coming off back-to-back early exits from the NCAA Tournament. The Buckeyes placed nearly all their eggs in the D’Angelo Russell basket, who most presumed would be a one-and-done prospect. This was a team that went 23-10, including a 80-56 thrashing of Maryland on Jan. 29. The Buckeyes’ season ended in the Third Round of the NCAA Tournament when they fell to No. 2 seed Arizona by a 73-58 decision.
• With Russell leaving the program along with Sam Thompson (10.2 ppg) and big man Amir Williams (4.7 rpg), junior forward Marc Loving was tabbed as “the guy” to lead the Buckeyes going forward. Loving is averaging 14.7 ppg/5.9 rpg/1.5 apg as the team’s workhorse. While he’s not a guard, Loving can be compared to Trimble in terms of what he provides for his team. Like Trimble, Loving can shoot from the perimeter (33.8 percent from three) and also has the ability to put the ball on the floor and attack the rim (11.1 free throws attempted per game). This is a guy that can score in bunches as he has topped the 20-point mark twice in the last four games. Loving is the guy that Maryland is going to need to slow down if they want to fend off a pesky Ohio State squad.
• Much like Maryland’s previous two matchups, Ohio State doesn’t exactly have a boisterous front line. Trevor Thompson is the team’s starting center, but he doesn’t provide a ton in the way of offense. Thompson is currently averaging 5.9 ppg and 5.0 rpg for the Buckeyes, but doesn’t lead the team in either category. This is a guy that makes his living around the rim and isn’t afraid to take the ball up strong. Former four-star recruit Daniel Giddens comes off the bench and plays 18.9 minutes-per-game. Giddens definitely has supreme athleticism and could the full-time starter when season’s end if his numbers continue to climb. He’s currently averaging 4.7 ppg and 3.9 rpg and is Ohio State’s best chance to compete with Maryland’s talented frontcourt.