The Terps play their last nonconference game before Big Ten play begins.
Maryland men’s basketball, riding a three-game winning streak, will take on Alcorn State Sunday in its final nonconference game before Big Ten play begins.
After defeating Villanova, 76-75, in a thriller last weekend, the Terps skipped the dramatics Wednesday when they beat Bucknell, 91-67. The Terps led by 23 points at halftime, as the result was never in question.
Sunday’s game will tip off at noon and air on Big Ten Network.
Alcorn State Braves (0-8, 0-0 Southwestern Athletic Conference)
2023-24 record: 14-18, 13-5 SWAC
Head coach Landon Bussie was hired to lead the program in 2020 and has experienced sustained success in the SWAC. Over the last four years, the Braves are 48-19 in conference play, winning two league regular season titles (2021-22, 2022-23). Bussie is also a two-time SWAC Coach of the Year.
However, Alcorn State has struggled mightily against nonconference opponents. Under Bussie, the Braves are 7-43 in nonconference games. This season, Alcorn State is off to an 0-8 start, losing, 77-60, to the only Big Ten team (Washington) it has played this season.
Players to watch
Omari Hamilton, junior guard/forward, 6-foot-6, No. 12 — No player on Alcorn State averages double-digit points per game, but Hamilton is the closest starter to it, putting up 8.8 points per game. Hamilton has been rather inefficient, though, shooting just 37.3% from the field and 29.4% from three.
Jalyke Gaines-Wyatt, sophomore point guard, 6-foot, No. 9 — Gaines-Wyatt averages the most minutes per game on the team (29.1) and has started in seven of the eight games this season. He has endured a rough start to the year, though, averaging 8.1 points per game on 29.9% shooting from the field, while turning the ball over 19 times to 19 assists.
Last season for the Braves, Gaines-Wyatt started in four of his 28 games played, averaging 5.2 points, 1.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game.
Keionte Cornelius, senior guard, 6-foot, No. 2 — Cornelius has not started in a game this season, but has maximized his 19.3 minutes per game. He leads the team in points per game (9.9), while averaging 1.3 rebounds per game. He is also shooting a 37% from three.
He transferred in the offseason from Jackson State, where he averaged 6.4 points per game across two seasons.
Strength
Offensive rebounding. An 0-8 team does not do many things well, but the Braves are above average as far as offensive rebounding goes. They boast a 34.2% offensive rebound percentage — which ranks 76th in the country, according to KenPom — and average the third most offensive rebounds in the SWAC with 13.6 per game.
Weakness
Efficiency. Alcorn State is the least efficient team in the SWAC and one of the least efficient teams in all of Division I basketball. Of 364 qualifying teams, the Braves rank 362 in effective field goal percentage (38%) — which adjusts field goal percentage to account for 3-pointers being worth more than 2-pointers — and 363 in 2-point field goal percentage (35.5%), according to KenPom.
Three things to watch
1. Can Gapare be consistent? Junior Tafara Gapare, who transferred from Georgia Tech in the offseason, broke out last game against Bucknell. He posted a team-high 19 points and made a plethora of highlight plays, including multiple dunks over Bison defenders. He also recorded six rebounds and a block in just 22 minutes of action.
Gapare passed the number and eye test Wednesday, doing all he could to earn more minutes moving forward.
2. Little rest for the Braves. While Maryland has not played since Wednesday, Alcorn State is fresh off a loss to South Alabama on Friday. To make matters worse, the Braves lost in overtime, forcing three players to play 33 minutes or more. The Terps are expected to win handedly, but Alcorn State may be too gassed to even put up a fight.
3. Willard’s last chance to experiment. With conference play quickly approaching, Sunday gives head coach Kevin Willard one last chance to experiment with lineups, sets and the press before playing high-major opponents on a weekly basis. This game will likely end in a blowout, meaning multiple bench players will also get a chance to prove they belong in the rotation.