Michigan basketball’s Big Ten title hopes on the line vs. Maryland: Preview, prediction
It all comes down to this.
Michigan basketball (22-7, 14-4 Big Ten) is one game off the Big Ten lead with two games to play and wouldn’t you know it, the No. 3 team in the league, Maryland, is coming to town Wednesday. That’s before the season-ending road matchup vs. the top team in the conference, playing at Michigan State in Breslin Center.
Michigan must beat Maryland in order to guarantee that final game against MSU is for at least a share of the Big Ten title, and while winning the league title has been one of the top goals for head coach Dusty May and staff since they arrived last March, there are now also goals within the larger goals that the program is trying to reach.
“At the end of the day. … we have to find a way to play good basketball in the next two weeks,” May said in a recent episode of the program’s in-house podcast ‘Defend The Block’. “We’re not doing anything very well right now − the shooting, struggling to finish around the rim other than Vlad (Goldin) is definitely part of it, but we still believe there are a lot of teams that would love to be sitting in our position right now.
“There are more buttons to push … got to finish this with some steam going into NCAA’s and Big Ten tournament.”
The first question is how to stop the Terrapins?
Kevin Willard and the Terrapins aren’t deep, but they are as top heavy as any team in the league.
They have a pair of bigs in freshman Derik Queen and senior Julian Reese, both of whom are averaging more than 13 points and nine rebounds per contest. Then, on the outside, it’s a trio of guards in Ja’Kobi Gillespie, Rodney Rice and Selton Miguel who have all been dangerous from outside.
Not only do they all average in double figures, but Miguel (42.4%) and Gillespie (41.5%) are among the top 3-point shooters in the league, while Rice (36.3%) is no slouch himself. The Terps are 5-1 in their past six contests with the lone defeat coming at the hands of MSU and Tre Holloman who hit a 60-foot game-winner at the buzzer last week.
Add it all up and Maryland is No. 14 nationally per KenPom and one of just 13 teams nationally to be rated in the top 30 on both offense (28) and defense (12). They’re No. 5 in offensive efficiency (110.5) in Big Ten play, No. 2 on defense (100.9) and in the top third of the league in effective field goal percentage on both sides of the ball.
May said Maryland plays to its strengths and hides its weaknesses as well as any team in the league.
“I couldn’t be more impressed with the job that coach Williard, his staff and their players have done,” May said. “Their last three games, losses, were on buzzer-beaters, literal buzzer beaters. … Talk about that luck factor, in a normal year, they’d be sitting here probably in first, tied for first.
“Their starting five, several coaches have said it, are as good as any in our league, maybe as good as any in the country. They haven’t played with great depth … but the guys the brought in through the portal, guys they’ve targeted. They all fit well together.”
While May and company are concerned with the talent and capability of Maryland, they’re also looking internally.
Michigan’s offense has taken a notable step back in recent weeks, and it has coincided with the slide of Tre Donaldson. He’s scored fewer than 10 points in four of the last five games and made 4 of 19 3-pointers in that span, but it’s the other end of the floor that has May a bit perturbed.
“He needs to run our team, needs to play much, much harder on defense,” May said. “We’ve got to get outside of if the ball’s going to go in. I’m going to play hard. If not, I’m going to float and not feel as determined what winning requires.
“But that’s across the board, I’ve got to coach better, we need to play better, we need more from everyone.”
May has preached connectivity this year and implied in recent days and weeks, perhaps the squad has leaked away from that. He said the team needs to come together more “where we’re playing for each other, not playing for those 30 NBA scouts” than they were last time out in a 20-point loss to Illinois.
Everybody in and around the program is well aware of the stakes this week. A title on the line as well as bragging rights in the state, not to mention momentum headed into the postseason which begins next week. It will be a tall task against the Terps and Spartans. But it’s one May and company are welcoming head on.
“What better way to get off our schneid, then maybe two of the most talented basketball league in the country,” May said. “We’ve got our work cut out for us, but man, what a great opportunity for us to get back to playing really connected basketball.”
Maryland opened Big Ten play 3-4, but has gone 9-2 in its past 11 to get back into the thick of the double-bye race. If U-M has had good luck (winning nine times in a row in games decided by four or fewer), then the Terps are the luckless. They’ve lost six times in the league by two possessions or fewer, including multiple buzzer-beaters on the game’s final play. One of these teams is playing as well as it has all season, while the other is searching. Even in a home spot, it’s hard to pick Michigan given its shooting struggles the past month. The pick: Maryland 78, Michigan 72
Tony Garcia is the Michigan Wolverines beat writer for the Detroit Free Press. Email him at apgarcia@freepress.com and follow him on X at @RealTonyGarcia.
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3/4/2025 8:12:00 AM | Men’s Basketball
By: Tom Wywrot
Promotions
• Fan Appreciation
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The 17th-ranked University of Michigan men’s basketball team (22-7, 14-4 Big Ten) will close its home schedule with a visit from 13th-ranked Maryland (22-7, 12-6 Big Ten) on Wednesday (March 5) at Crisler Center. The contest will also be U-M’s annual fan appreciation game. The game is scheduled for a 6:30 p.m. tip on B1G Network with Kevin Kugler, LaPhonso Ellis and Andy Katz on the call.
Notes
• Michigan remains in the case for the 2025 Big Ten regular-season title hunt. The Wolverines (14-4) are a game behind conference-leading Michigan State (15-3).
• Michigan closes the final week of the regular season with back-to-back games against ranked foes. First, U-M hosts No. 13 Maryland (March 5) at Crisler before the finale at No. 8 Michigan State (March 9). U-M is 4-3 against top-25 teams.
• After a six-game winning streak, Michigan has lost two of its last four games. U-M has 15 games decided by four or fewer points, including 10 of the last 13. After losing four of its first six, U-M has nine straight wins by four or fewer (11-4).
• Michigan secured a spot and a first-round bye for the Big Ten Tournament. The Maize and Blue can secure a double bye with one more conference victory. Michigan State has already earned one of the four double byes. U-M has earned a tournament double bye twice (2019, 2021).
• Dusty May’s 14 Big Ten wins give him the most conference victories for a first-year U-M head coach. May bettered Steve Fisher’s first season (12-6; 1989-90).
• All five U-M starters are averaging in double figures — Vladislav Goldin (16.1), Danny Wolf (12.4), Tre Donaldson (11.9), Roddy Gayle Jr. (10.2) and Nimari Burnett (10.1)
• In his last five games, Goldin has four 20-plus-point games, three 10-plus-rebound games, and two double-doubles. Over the last two games, Goldin is 20-for-26 (76.9%) from the floor, scoring 46 points — 24 against Rutgers and 22 against Illinois.
• Goldin is shooting 64.8 percent — leading the Big Ten and ranking fifth nationally.
• Goldin’s 160 free throw attempts are 58 more than any other Wolverine. Gayle is second with 102 attempts and Wolf is third with 101.
• Wolf (12.4 ppg and 9.7 rpg) is second in the Big Ten with 12 double-doubles (Maryland’s Julian Reese, 13). Wolf has 15 of U-M’s 21 10-plus rebound games.
• With 106 assists, Wolf (3.7 apg) surpassed the century mark for assists. He has 10 games with five-plus assists, four with seven-plus and a career-best nine vs. Arkansas (Dec. 10). Wolf trails Donaldson (113; 3.9 apg).
Mar 5 (Wed)
