Maryland men’s basketball vs. UCLA preview

Maryland men’s basketball’s season seems to be in free fall. 

The Terps have lost their past seven games against high-major opponents. Unfortunately for them, every team in the Big Ten is a high-major opponent. And they’re all that’s left on the schedule.

Next up for Maryland is a road trip to UCLA, a team that’s suffocating at home and in need of a get-right game. The Terps and Bruins will tip off at 8 p.m. ET, and the game will air on Fox.

UCLA Bruins (10-5, 2-2 Big Ten)

2024-25 record: 23-11, 13-7 Big Ten

Things looked much better for seventh-year head coach Mick Cronin’s squad a week ago. 

The Bruins reached as high as No. 18 in the Associated Press poll in November. An upset loss to Cal knocked them out, but they were right on the precipice of breaking back in for good by the new year, sitting at 10-3.

Then back-to-back road Big Ten losses complicated things. Now UCLA is the recipient of just two votes — in a poll taken before its 80-72 loss to Wisconsin on Tuesday. 

The Bruins return home looking to turn their season around. And few arenas in the country are as unforgiving to opponents as Pauley Pavillion.

Players to know

Tyler Bilodeau, senior forward, 6-foot-9, No. 34 — Bilodeau was UCLA’s best player a season ago. He returned to Westwood for his final year of eligibility and has only improved since. The former Oregon State product’s team-leading 18.1 points per game are ninth in the Big Ten, and go along with 5.4 rebounds per game and very few turnovers.

Donovan Dent, senior guard, 6-foot-2, No. 2 — The reason Bilodeau may not be UCLA’s best player anymore is because the reigning Mountain West Player of the Year came to town. Dent is a relatively consistent scorer, but his biggest contributions come as a stellar playmaker — 6.5 assists per game is third in the conference — and an impressive defensive presence for his stature.

Skyy Clark, senior guard, 6-foot-3, No. 55 — Don’t let Clark get an open look from beyond the arc. Frankly, don’t let Clark touch the ball beyond the arc. He makes those attempts 48.6% of the time, and that’s on five 3-point attempts per game. 

Kick-out 3-pointers have been an Achilles heel for Maryland at points this year. If Clark gets the looks he wants, he can single-handedly make it a long night for the Terps.

Strength

Shooting efficiency. Clark isn’t the only prolific shooter that UCLA deploys. Four Bruins are shooting over 40% from deep, and all four play at least 19.8 minutes per game. As a team, they’re fifth in the Big Ten in shooting percentage (48.5%) and third in 3-point percentage (36.9%).

Weakness

Rebounding. Teams that shoot as well as the Bruins usually don’t have the size to match. That’s the case for them, and it shows in the box scores. 32.8 boards per game is the conference’s third-worst mark and outside the top-300 nationally.

Three things to watch

1. The Pauley Pavillion Problem. This season, nine opponents have travelled to Pauley Pavillion. All nine left the arena with another loss on their record. That’s continuing a trend that started last year, when UCLA went 15-2 at home on the season.

Maryland is 1-2 on the road this year. The one win came against a stumbling Marquette squad, with Pharrel Payne on the court. UCLA is stumbling, but Payne is in all likelihood not there to save the day.

2. Can Solomon Washington stay hot? The senior has taken a step up in Payne’s absence, averaging a double-double over the past four games. That’s especially impressive considering Washington averaged 4.7 points and 5.1 rebounds per game last season as a regular starter. 

There’s no reason to believe Payne will be back any time soon — if at all this season, given the trend of the Terps’ season and the possibility of a redshirt. Washington isn’t a perfect player, but his production is indispensable as long as he’s the primary starting big.

3. Chance for negative history to be set. A loss Saturday would mean the Terps start the season 7-9, its worst 16-game start since the 1991-92 season. That’s not what any first-year head coach wants on their record. But it’s where Buzz Williams’ squad looks headed.