Maryland men’s basketball’s 73-58 win over Old Dominion on Sunday was its first taste of victory in 26 days.
Part of that is due to a three-game losing streak, but part of that was extended breaks between each of those three games amid college finals and the holidays. There was a seven-day gap between each leg of the skid — the Terps will only get that much rest one more time this season.
Schedule intensity increases with the Big Ten slate now underway, both in terms of opponents and allotted rest.
But fortunately for Maryland, it still had five days to recover for its return to Big Ten play Friday against Oregon — the Terps’ first contest of the new year.
Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. from Xfinity Center. The game will stream on Peacock.
Oregon Ducks (7-6, 0-2 Big Ten)
2024-25 record: 25-10 (12-8 Big Ten)
The Ducks looked like a fringe title contender at one point last season, peaking at No. 9 in the Associated Press poll in December before falling out of the poll altogether for most of Big Ten play. They still earned a No. 5 seed in March, where they fell to No. 4-seed Arizona in the second round.
It doesn’t look like Oregon is bound for a similar caliber of postseason. Head coach Dana Altman’s squad has won all seven games against Quad 3 and 4 opponents and lost all six games against Quad 1 and 2 opponents.
To their credit, the Ducks’ record may not be indicative of their talent. Two losses to currently-ranked squads — No. 7 Gonzaga and No. 24 USC — came by an average of just seven points. Oregon may be able to hold its own against the brutality of a Big Ten schedule.
Players to know
Nate Bittle, senior center, 7-foot-0, No. 32 — Oregon revolves around its fifth-year senior big man on both ends of the court. Bittle’s stamina isn’t up with the best of them — 27 minutes per game is fourth on the team — but he’s the Ducks’ most impactful piece when he’s on.
Bittle is a brick wall in the paint, with his 2.4 blocks per game ranking third in the Big Ten. That’s paired with 6.7 rebounds and a team-high 16.1 points per game on the other end.
Jackson Shelstad, junior guard, 6-foot-1, No. 3 — The 2024-25 third-team All-Big Ten honoree is far and away Oregon’s most impactful guard. Shelstad is the primary playmaker — his 4.9 assists per game are nearly double any of his teammates. While his 39.1% percentage from the field leaves some to be desired, he still averages 15.6 points per game.
One of Shelstad’s best performances last season came against the Terps. He scored a game-high 23 points en route to a 83-79 win for Oregon.
Kwame Evans Jr., junior forward, 6-foot-10, No. 10 — Evans is an imposing physical presence, especially given he gets to share the court with another star big man in Bittle. The Baltimore native and Montverde Academy product actually outrebounds his counterpart — leading the team with 7.6 per game — and at 220 pounds, he’s a bully getting to the cup.
Strength
Rim protection and offensive rebounding. The towering duo of Bittle and Evans create prolific numbers in two areas: blocks (4.6 per game) and offensive boards (14.1 per game), where the Ducks are fifth and second in the Big Ten, respectively.
Interestingly, that doesn’t translate to a strong presence on the boards defensively. Oregon’s 24.5 per game rank 220th nationally.
Weakness
Shooting efficiency. Fans of pretty basketball will have a hard time getting through Friday night’s contest. The Ducks are shooting 43.6% from the field, third-worst in the Big Ten — and one spot ahead of Maryland, which is averaging 41.3% from the field.
Three things to watch
1. Payne’s status. Maryland’s star big man has missed the last two games after suffering an ankle injury against Michigan. It didn’t look great in the moment, but Payne was seen warming up and shooting around before the Old Dominion game.
It wouldn’t be the first time this season Payne came back earlier than expected from an injury, and Maryland could desperately use him against Bittle. But his status is unknown.
2. Can Isaiah Watts keep it up? Watts was the breakout star of the Old Dominion win, lighting it up in what turned into a 17-point first half in his first Maryland start. Head coach Buzz Williams opted to use a five-out and space out his offense, which Watts took full advantage of.
But he didn’t score a single point in the second half, and with Williams’ frequent lineup changes this year, there’s no guarantee his role will mirror Sunday’s. But if Watts has truly found his shooting form — one that made him a top transfer target — it’s seriously valuable to the Terps.
3. No freebies from here on out. Friday night is the first of 17 straight conference games to close out the year for Maryland. There’s no more opportunities to go to town on lower-level opponents like Old Dominion, and much of the team has never played out a full Big Ten slate. That opportunity starts against the Ducks.
