The Terps look to pick up their elusive first road win of the season.
Maryland men’s basketball is 6-21 in road games under head coach Kevin Willard. It’s 0-4 this year in front of opposing crowds.
The Terps travel to Champaign, Illinois, to take on No. 17 Illinois Thursday, trying to change the narrative surrounding their road woes. Maryland’s four road losses this year have all come by six points or fewer, and it’s been plagued with lapses down the stretch in those games.
The contest will tip off at 9 p.m. ET and air on FS1.
No. 17 Illinois Fighting Illini (13-5, 5-3 Big Ten)
2023-24 record: 29-9, 14-6 Big Ten
Head coach Brad Underwood’s squad has lost two of its last three games, and is trying to right the ship in what’s overall been a positive year. The Fighting Illini have adapted well a season after losing stars Terrence Shannon Jr. and Marcus Domask, who led the team on a trip to the Elite Eight as a No. 3 seed.
A combination of portal additions and incoming freshmen have revitalized Illinois, making it one of the deeper attacks in the Big Ten. Eight players on its team average more than 14 minutes and six points per game — no member of Maryland’s bench averages either.
Players to know
Kasparas Jakucionis, freshman guard, 6-foot-6, No. 32 — Underwood’s two biggest offseason acquisitions came from across the Atlantic. Jakucionis, an 18-year-old Lithuania native, played for FC Barcelona’s youth team and spent one game at the professional ranks at just 16 years old. He’s come to Illinois and immediately become one of the country’s top freshmen, leading the team in both points (15.9) and assists (5.3) per game.
Tomislav Ivisic, sophomore center, 7-foot-1, No. 13 — Ivisic was the Fighting Illini’s other European acquisition, and he’s been just as impactful as Jakucionis. He averages 13 points per game to go along with 8.5 rebounds per game, the sixth most in the Big Ten. Ivisic is a monstrous presence on defense — one of the few players who shrinks both of Maryland’s big men.
Ivisic is 21 years old and has spent three seasons playing professionally in Europe, so he’s classified as a sophomore in his first season of college basketball.
Kylan Boswell, junior guard, 6-foot-2, No. 4 — Boswell, a Champaign native, spent his first two seasons at Arizona before transferring back to his hometown school. He’s Illinois’ second-leading contributor from the backcourt, with 11.9 points and four assists per game. Boswell can also make noise on the defensive end, averaging a team-high 1.4 steals per game.
Strength
Rebounding. No team in the country is better than the Fighting Illini at bringing in defensive rebounds. They lead the NCAA with 31.8 defensive boards per game, and are second in total rebounds per game with 45.2. The gigantic starting frontcourt of Ivisic and 6-foot-9 Ben Humrichous have helped Illinois outrebound its opponents by nearly 12 per contest.
Weakness
Offensive efficiency. Illinois is in the bottom five of the Big Ten in both field goal percentage (44.9%) and 3-point percentage (32.7%). No player with five or more shots per game is shooting more than 51% from the field on the season. That’s been partially offset by a conference-leading 13.4 offensive rebounds per game, but it only matters so much when the shots aren’t falling.
Three things to watch
1. Can Maryland finally kick the road woes? Illinois is ranked, but takes on Maryland having been dealt two tough losses in the same number of weeks. The Terps have a chance to put an impressive win on their resume against an opponent going through a rough patch — but not if they continue to fall apart late in games.
2. Ja’Kobi Gillespie faces another bigger guard. Gillespie, who stands 6-foot and 175 pounds, has experienced some of his worst performances when he’s defended by a guard with size. Jakucionis is just that and will provide a challenge fro Gillespie.
3. The Terps have history on their side in Champaign. Maryland is 5-2 on the road at Illinois since joining the Big Ten. One of Willard’s only conference road victories at the Terps’ helm came against the Fighting Illini last January.