The No.5-seeded Maryland Terrapins square off against the No.12-seeded South Dakota State Jackrabbits in the first round of the NCAA tournament at Spokane Arena. The game gets underway at 4:30 pm ET on Friday, Mar. 18 and will air on TBS.
The Terrapins are expecting a better outcome after their 64-61 loss to Michigan State in the 4 of the Big Ten tournament. Robert Carter was the team’s high scorer with 18 points. The Jackrabbits, meanwhile, are coming off a 67-59 win over North Dakota State in the 3 of the Summit League tournament. Mike Daum led the team in scoring by posting 18 points on 5-for-11 shooting.
Over the last five games, Daum has been on fire for the Jackrabbits. During that stretch, he has averaged 19.8 points, 7.4 rebounds, 0.8 assists, and 0.6 three-pointers.
From an eFG% perspective, this will be a balanced matchup. Maryland’s sharp-shooting offense ranks 10th in the nation in that metric at 55.9%, while South Dakota State is 30th-best in the nation at forcing opponents’ misses (46.9%).
The Terrapins come into this game 25-8 Straight Up (SU) and 15-16-2 Against The Spread (ATS). Maryland has been steady from the free throw line, shooting a stellar .760. Turning to the defensive side, opposing offenses have been stifled by the Terrapins, allowing a field goal percentage of only .408.
As for their opponent, the Jackrabbits have 26-7 SU and 16-13 ATS records. The Jackrabbits convert their free throws at a high percentage, ranking 37th in the nation at .739.
Maryland and South Dakota State have not played one another in a regular season matchup in recent years.
Predictions: SU Winner – MD, ATS Winner – MD
Notes
“Maryland is 18-7 SU in its last 25 games “.
The Maryland Terrapins’s offense and the South Dakota State Jackrabbits’s defense are well matched, ranking 36th. Maryland has an offensive rating of 113.7 and South Dakota State has a defensive rating of 99.6.
The South Dakota State Jackrabbits average 68.1 possessions per game and 1.121 points per possession. The Maryland Terrapins earn fewer possessions with 66.9, but they score more points with 1.137.
Maryland has an average effective field goal percentage of 55.9% (ranked 10th). South Dakota State is an even 2-2 when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage.
Maryland, the 15th-ranked team in blocked shots, records an average of 5.4 per game. South Dakota State ranks lower at 293rd with 2.5.
Maryland ranks 286th in offensive rebounds, while South Dakota State ranks 78th in defensive rebounds.
On average, Maryland makes 5.8 steals per game. South Dakota State has a formidable 17-4 record when it gives up at least 5 steals.
