Maryland men’s basketball hits the road with an unexpected title: winners of back-to-back games.
A gritty road victory over Minnesota was exciting, but not necessarily surprising. Beating 18-5 Iowa by seven,
though, turned heads toward a program that just went through a January that’s among the worst months in the history of the program.
Now the Terps travel up the I-95 to Rutgers, one of the few Big Ten teams with a worse record than them. Maryland earning a three-game win streak in Big Ten play felt impossible just weeks ago; now it may be likely.
Tip-off is scheduled for 12 p.m. from Jersey Mike’s Arena, and the game will air on Fox Sports 1.
Rutgers Scarlet Knights (9-15, 2-11 Big Ten)
2024-25 record: 15-17, 8-12 Big Ten
Rutgers somehow managed to secure the No. 2 and No. 3 recruits in the class of 2024. That splash wasn’t even enough to secure a winning season in 2024-25. And a year later, the Scarlet Knights are amid what looks set to be their worst season this decade.
Head coach Steve Pikiell brought Rutgers to March Madness for the first time since it was a member of the Atlantic 10. His 10-year tenure has accounted for over half of the program’s winning seasons this century — of which there are only seven. But even for the Scarlet Knights’ low historical standards, 2025-26 is a rough year.
Their only two conference wins came in overtime over bottom-3 Big Ten teams, and they’ll enter Sunday losers of six consecutive games.
Players to watch
1. Tariq Francis, junior guard, 6-foot-1, No. 0 — There’s no telling where the Scarlet Knights would be without Francis, and they’re lucky they don’t have to find out. The NJIT transfer comes off the bench and is undersized — but he’s the engine, gas tank and battery for Rutgers’ offense. He dominates usage and scores a team-high 16.5 points per game while no one else tops 11.
2. Dylan Grant, sophomore forward, 6-foot-8, No. 9 — Grant is the only other Scarlet Knight to average double-digit points (10.6). As a three-star recruit, he was overshadowed by the five-star Dylan in his Rutgers freshman class. But he’s getting the chance to prove himself with Harper now excelling for the Spurs. Grant is a workhorse on the offensive glass, with 1.8 offensive rebounds per game — compared to one per game on defense.
3. Emmanuel Ogbole, senior center, 6-foot-10, No. 21 — Ogbole is comically buff. This is a real photo. It doesn’t translate to points (4.2 per game), but very few players want to size up with Ogbole in the paint. He’s got a team-high 6.5 rebounds and can be immovable down low in on-ball defense.
Strength
Offensive rebounding. This is the only major stat Rutgers is top-five in the Big Ten in, besides points allowed. Twelve offensive rebounds per game is exactly fifth. Ogbole and Grant combine for 3.7 a contest.
Weakness
Offense and defense. The Scarlet Knights score the fewest points per game in the Big Ten (70.1), and allow the third-most (76.4). Enough said.
Three things to know
1. A surprisingly difficult historical matchup. Maryland and Rutgers are miles apart as far as program history, but it’s been an interestingly competitive matchup in recent years. The Terps are 5-5 in the last 10 matchups, but winners of the last three.
2. Has Andre Mills emerged? Mills’ 24-point showing in the win over Iowa could be a promising sign of things to come, especially given he’s now averaging 16.3 points per game in February. The redshirt freshman could be playing his way into a lot of money if he keeps up that form through the rest of the year.
3. Turkson’s status. Buzz Williams revealed that George Turkson Jr. was a last-minute scratch against the Hawkeyes — he wasn’t on the availability report. While Turkson is far from a key cog, he’s a valuable body on the wing that Maryland would love to have back.
