The No.1-seeded Kansas Jayhawks (32-4) and No.5-seeded Maryland Terrapins (27-8) square off in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament at KFC Yum! Center. The game begins at 9:40 pm ET on Thursday, Mar. 24 and can be seen on CBS.
The Jayhawks beat Connecticut 73-61 in the Second Round. Perry Ellis had a good outing, finishing with 21 points, eight rebounds, and one assist for the Jayhawks. The Terrapins, meanwhile, are coming off a 73-60 win against Hawaii in the Second Round. Melo Trimble was the game’s top scorer, accounting for 24 points on 5-for-14 shooting.
This battle pits one of the nation’s top offenses against one of its elite defenses, as Kansas currently ranks eighth in the nation in offensive efficiency and Maryland is 10th in defensive efficiency. Also, the Terrapins’s 33rd-ranked offense (offensive efficiency of 113.7) will face off against the third-ranked defense of the Jayhawks (defensive efficiency of 96.8).
The Jayhawks have gone 32-4 Straight Up (SU) and 23-11 Against The Spread (ATS). Kansas has averaged 73.8 points per game over the last 10 games, lower than its season average of 82.0.
Across the court, the Terrapins head into the game with records of 16-17-2 ATS and 27-8 SU. Maryland performed well ATS during its last 10 games, earning a 7-3 record. The Terrapins convert their free throws at a high percentage, ranking sixth in the nation at .771.
This game will be the first meeting for Kansas and Maryland in recent seasons.
Predictions: SU Winner – Kansas, ATS Winner – Kansas
Notes
The Maryland Terrapins average 76.1 points per game, ranking 87th in the nation. The Kansas Jayhawks rank 66th in points allowed with 67.9.
The Kansas Jayhawks rank eighth for their offensive rating of 117.1. The Maryland Terrapins have a defensive rating of 99.6 (ranked 10th).
On average, Kansas has 70.0 possessions per game and scores 1.171 points on each possession. Maryland has both fewer possessions (66.9) and scores fewer points during those possessions (1.137).
Maryland has an average effective field goal percentage of 55.7% (ranked 11th in the nation). Kansas is a losing 1-2 when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage.
Kansas ranks 33rd in assists, registering 16.1 per game. Maryland performs worse at 142nd with 13.8 assists per game.
Maryland, the 14th-ranked team in blocked shots, records an average of 5.4 blocks per game. Kansas ranks 70th with 4.3.
Kansas ranks 177th in offensive rebounds, while Maryland ranks 94th in defensive rebounds.
On average, Kansas makes 6.8 steals per game. Maryland has a dazzling 17-5 record when it gives up at least 6 steals.
