When the University of Maryland takes the floor tonight against Villanova in the BB&T Classic; the Terps will presented with a major opportunity. A win over the Wildcats would be quite a statement about the capability of this team. Winning on a neutral-court, would have an even greater benefit come Selection Sunday.
I am expecting a close game, because the Terps will enter tonight with little pressure on their shoulders. It is the difference of being hunted, or being the hunter. MD will come into the game, with most people not expecting them to win. (The Terps have historically not played well in the BB&T Classic, though they won the event four times when it was a tournament. This includes a win over then Number 1 Kansas, and Roy Williams.) With nothing to lose, the Terps will play loose, and give the Wildcats everything they can handle.
Winning will obviously not be easy. Villanova, currently ranked 3rd nationally, has brought back 9 players from the Final Four team of a year ago, and was picked to win the Big East. They are a legit National Title contender.
The Wildcats have 5 players averaging double-figures in scoring, including Duke transfer Taylor King. King has always been known as a shooter, and is currently averaging 48.3% from 3 point land. In addition to that, he is averaging 6.6 rebounds, an impressive number for his 21.9 minutes per game.
Corey Fisher is the Big East’s defending 6th man of the year. This year as a starter, his shooting has gone down, but his assist to turnover ratio, and steals have gone up. He also gets to the line, with at-least 6 foul shots in 5 of the 7 Villanova games. As he is shooting only 28% from 3 point-land (5 for 18), I would let him take that shot.
6’8 Jr Forward Antonio Pena came into this year, with 72 games of under his belt. Building on that experience, he has seen his minutes greatly increase to start this season, and his scoring and rebounding have correspondingly gone-up. This included a monster 17 point, and 16 rebound outing against Mississippi. While you would have liked the option of Gregory getting some minutes against him, that is still not an option for tonight. I would like to see the Terps go at Pena, and attempt to get him in foul-trouble. He is not a shot-blocker, so this applies to the MD guards and wings as well. In four games this year, Pena has had at-least 4 fouls. In their 1 point win against George Mason, Pena had 5.
On the court for Villanova, the most important player is Scottie Reynolds, who returned for his Senior season. Like Vasquez, NBA Executives pointed out the lack of top-shelf athleticism. Reynolds can only do so much to improve his athleticism, but he will always be able to point to his collegiate production. For his career, he is averaging 15.2 points, including 36.1% from 3, and 80.4 from the line. Likely a PG as a professional, he has an Asst to Turnover ratio of just 1.8 this year. It bears the question, is he uncomfortable as a distributor? He turned the ball over 8 times against George Mason, who pressured him full-court. You would have to imaging Maryland will employ similar tactics tonight.
Montrose Christian and their Head Coach Stu Vetter will certainly be well represented in this game. Terp fans obviously know about Vasquez, and Bowie, while Villanova has the Freshman Isaiah Armwood, and Mouphtaou Yarou. Unfortunately for Yarou, he has been diagnosed with Hepatitis B, and will be out of action for at-least the foreseeable future.
The Wildcats are led by Pennsylvania native Coach Jay Wright, who entered this season with 300 career wins. Just 47 years-old, he signed a 7 year-deal in 2006, tying him to Villanova through the 2012-2013 season. Since then, the University has opened the Davis Athletic Center, which houses offices, a weight room, and practice court for the basketball team. Obviously the Athletic Department has made a commitment to the program. I wonder if there have been talks about upgrading their existing Arena, as the total seating is just 6,500. It will be interesting as time goes on to see if Villanova is Wright’s dream job, or if he looks elsewhere.
Prediction:
In Puerto Rico, the Wildcats were down 13 points to George Mason before rallying for the win. They consistently struggled with the George Mason pressure defense. It will be an up and down the court game, and the MD guards and wings will be able to score in transition and in the lane. Many college teams have complained about the lighting of the Verizon Center over the years, which could hurt the outside shooting. King might get his, but unless Fisher, and Reynolds come alive from 3 point land tonight, MD will be fine. The Terps have done a better job in the last couple of games of limiting their 3 point attempts. Yarou being out for Villanova, limits what the Wildcats can do inside, and balances out MD’s loss of Gregory. Both teams will be attempting to get to the foul-line. For MD, you hope it is Hayes, Vasquez, and Milbourne taking the foul-shots. Williams, and Bowie can not leave points on the line. Cliff Tucker will be back in action tonight, and his athleticism will be needed. I see this being the type of game, where he can thrive.
Terps win 78-74.
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Chris Stoner founded Baltimore Sports and Life in 2009. He has appeared as a radio guest with 1090 WBAL, 105.7 The Fan, CBS 1300, Q1370, WOYK 1350, WKAV 1400, and WNST 1570. He has also been interviewed by The Baltimore Sun, Baltimore Business Journal, and PressBox (TV). As Owner, his responsibilities include serving as the Managing Editor, Publicist, & Sales Director.