No. 4-seed Maryland men’s basketball hops right back into action Sunday, fresh off a 32-point win over No. 13-seed Grand Canyon. While the Antelopes weren’t able to pull off an upset, the Terps’ next opponent is a team that did: No. 12-seed Colorado State.
The Terps’ three second-round losses as members of the Big Ten came against top-five seeds in their region. While the Rams have already shown the ability this tournament to make magic happen, on paper, they’re Maryland’s best chance at a Sweet 16 appearance since the last time it made it that far, in 2016.
The second round contest will tip off at 7:10 EDT from Seattle and air on TBS.
Colorado State Rams (26-9, 16-4 Mountain West)
Colorado State pulled off its first NCAA Tournament win in 12 years Friday, toppling a shorthanded No. 5-seed Memphis squad, 78-70. It moves on to play the Terps for the first time in program history.
The Rams entered the tournament a popular upset pick as one of college basketball’s hottest teams, winners of 10 straight including a run to a Mountain West Tournament championship, its first since 2003.
Seventh-year head coach Niko Medved has his squad on a roll, and they’ve got the talent to put together a Cinderella run with some matchup luck should they get past Maryland.
Players to know
Nique Clifford, fifth-year guard, 6-foot-5, No. 5 — A Colorado Springs native, Clifford made the in-state transfer from Colorado to Colorado State two seasons ago and has evolved into the Rams’ rock. He nearly averages a double-double as a guard, leading his team in all three major offensive statistics with 19 points per game, 9.7 rebounds per game and 4.4 assists per game. He also notches a team-high 1.2 steals per game.
Kyan Evans, sophomore guard, 6-foot-2, No. 0 — Another big game for Evans could mean the Rams have their own breakout March star on their hands. He was a key contributor all season — averaging the third-most points per game on the team (10.2) with a 43.1% 3-point percentage — but exploded for a career-high 23 points on 7-of-11 shooting, including 6-of-9 from deep, against Memphis in the first round.
Jalen Lake, senior guard, 6-foot-4, No. 15 — Rounding out Colorado State’s trio of dynamic guards is Lake, who was second on the team with 11.2 points per game. He was a factor from deep as well against the Tigers, shooting 3 for 7 from 3-point range on his way to 14 points.
Strength
Ball movement. The Rams’ lineup doesn’t have one clear facilitator, but every player they have is capable of setting up their teammates in a pass-heavy system. They finished the season 25th in the country with 16.6 team assists per game.
Weakness
Size. Colorado State’s starting lineup — and bench, for that matter — doesn’t have a single player above 6-foot-8. In turn, it’s second-worst in the Mountain West at blocking shots (2.7 per game) and are in the bottom 20 in the country in offensive rebounds (8.1 per game). That’s a promising sign for Julian Reese and Derik Queen, with both big men fresh off dominant performances.
Three things to watch
1. Deshawn Harris-Smith. Few would have expected the biggest story from Maryland’s first-round win to come from anyone but the Crab Five. Harris-Smith was a perfect 5-of-5 from the field against the Tigers, though, notching a season-high 11 points and four rebounds in 24 minutes. It’s well-known what the Terps’ starting lineup — the highest-scoring group in the country — can do, and if Harris-Smith can emerge as a viable bench piece, that makes them much more dynamic.
2. Can Maryland get going early? It didn’t come close to mattering in the end, but the Terps had just four points in the first seven minutes of their contest against Grand Canyon. That’s not a sustainable formula for winning as the tournament progresses. Maryland has to find a way to come out of the gate swinging going forward.
3. Will the Terps continue playing clean basketball? Maryland has now committed fewer than 10 turnovers in five of its last six contests, after struggling with them at points throughout the year. That’s crucial for success in March.
