UCLA (8-2) vs. Maryland (8-2)
When: Wednesday, Dec. 14 | 9:00 p.m. ET
Where: Xfinity Center (College Park, Md.)
Television: FS1 (Streaming on FoxSports) -
Watch Live
Broadcasters: Jason Benetti (play-by-play), Bill Raftery (color)
Radio: Maryland Sports Radio Network |
Listen Online
Line: Terps -1.5
Over/Under: 141.5
Series history: UCLA leads the all-time series 6-2, with the Bruins winning the most recent meeting 71-59 on Nov. 19, 2007 in Kansas City, Mo. as part of the CBE Classic.
Projected Starting Lineups
UCLA
Tyger Campbell (5-foot-11, Senior, G) - A two-time first-team All-Pac 12 performer, averaging 13.2 points, 2.4 rebounds and a team-high 4.8 assists per game through the first 10 games of the season.
Amari Bailey (6-foot-5, Fr., G) - Averaging 10.9 points and 3.8 rebounds and 2.7 assists through the first 10 games of the season.
Jaylen Clark (6-foot-5, Junior, G) - Averaging 15.1 points and a team-high 6.1 rebounds per game so far this season.
Jaime Jaquez Jr. (6-foot-7, Senior G/F) - First-team All-Pac 12 performer a season ago, averaging a team-high 17.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.6 steals per game.
Adem Bona (6-foot-10, Fr., F/C) - Averaging 7.1 points and 4.1 rebounds per game so far this season.
Maryland
Jahmir Young (6-foot-1, Senior, PG) - Averaging a team-high 15.6 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists through 10 games.
Don Carey (6-foot-5, Senior, SG) - Averaging 7.4 points and 2.8 rebounds per game to start the season.
Hakim Hart (6-foot-8, Senior, G/F) - Averaging 12.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.9 assists to start the season.
Donta Scott (6-foot-8, Senior, F) - Averaging 14.1 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists so far this season.
Julian Reese (6-foot-9, Soph., F/C) - Averaging 11.9 points and a team-high 7.6 rebounds per game through 10 games.
After a nearly flawless 8-0 start to the season that saw Maryland climb as high as No. 13 in the national polls, things have come crashing down a bit as the Terps have lost their last two games and saw their national ranking slip seven spots because of it. Maryland's last three games have all been against teams that are currently ranked in the AP top 25 and that trend will continue Wednesday night, when they host No. 16 UCLA.
The Bruins lost two in a row back in Nov., with one of the losses coming to an Illinois team the Terps have already beaten. Since then, UCLA has reeled off five straight wins, including wins versus Stanford and Oregon to open league play 2-0.
Wednesday night's game will pit first-year Maryland head coach Kevin Willard versus good friend Mick Cronin, as the two previously worked together under Rick Pitino at Louisville. In fact, it was that relationship and Willard's new job which led to tonight's matchup between Bruins and a Maryland program Lefty Driesell once called 'The UCLA of the East.'
"When I got the job Mick called, and I thought he was calling to congratulate me," Willard said of Cronin. "And he needed a pit stop before he played Kentucky and I am a good friend so I said, 'yes,' that he can come. And I had no idea that UCLA would be joining the Big Ten. We scheduled this game like early-mid April. So for me, I respect Mick, I love the way his team's play and UCLA is one of the best programs in the country. So to get them here was a no-brainer and to go out west next December was obviously a no-brainer because it's 75 and sunny."
The Bruins enter Wednesday night's game as one of the most efficient offensive teams in the country, on top of being one of the top teams defensively. They are led on the offensive end of the floor by seniors Jaime Jaquez and Tyger Cambell, both returning first-team All-Pac 12 performers from a season ago. Jaquez is a big, physical guard capable of creating his own shot as well as attacking the basket and scoring at the rim. Campbell is the straw that stirs the drink. He's an excellent ball handler with good vision who is at his best scoring off the dribble and from the mid-range. The Terps will need to slow those two down for starters.
For the Terps, they need to get back to hitting shots from the perimeter. In their most recent loss, Maryland shot just 2-24 from beyond the arc. In order to beat a team like UCLA, they must shoot better from the perimeter. Tabbed as a white out, this should be another packed house with lots of big names in the stands to watch this one. A win would give the Terps a 2-2 record over a tough four-game stretch in which all four opponents are currently ranked. That would likely keep the Terps right on track for a top-4 seed come March.
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