Through six Big Ten games, Maryland men’s basketball sits tied for last place in the conference. The standings on the official website have Maryland sitting 16th — saved from the bottom by alphabetical order.
If Maryland is going to elevate itself from the cellar, the next game is crucial. Penn State — 18th of 18 by virtue of starting with a P — comes to visit Sunday. One team has to leave Xfinity Center with its first Big Ten win of the season, barring a miracle.
The Terps and the Nittany Lions tip off at noon Sunday. The game will be available to watch on the Big Ten Network.
Penn State Nittany Lions (9-8, 0-6 Big Ten)
2024-25 record: 16-15, 6-4 Big Ten
Third-year head coach Mike Rhoades got Penn State off to a historic start last season, when the team opened the year 6-0 for the first time in the 21st century and beat two top-15 programs. The Nittany Lions achieved everything with a free-flowing offense — their 79.1 points per game last year set a program record — and a dominant big in Yanic Konan Niederhauser.
But Niederhauser went to the NBA, and Rhoades brought in eight freshmen, so Penn State has taken a slight step backwards in 2025-26 as a result. The Nittany Lions started the season strong again, but a 113-72 humbling by Indiana Dec. 9 set the tone for the team. Like Maryland, Penn State has lost four straight and seven of its last eight games.
Ivan Jurić, freshman forward, 7-foot-0, No. 3 — One of several young, high-level international players that Penn State has brought in, Jurić worked his way through the Croatian professional ranks before playing one season at an American academy, so he’s used to going against other bigs — his 4.4 rebounds per game lead his team.
Melih Tunca, freshman guard, 6-foot-5, No. 9 — Tunca projects to be Penn State’s top guard available against Maryland, but that isn’t a slight on him at all. The Istanbul native has done a little bit of everything for the Nittany Lions this season, ranking top-three on the team in minutes, points, assists and 3-point percentage. He even has a team-high five blocks.
Josh Reed, senior forward, 6-foot-10, No. 10 — Reed provides vital experience for the Nittany Lions as the only true senior on the roster. The Cincinnati transfer has provided solid secondary support on the glass and in the paint, but where he stands out is at the stripe — Reed makes 89.4% of his free throws, 12th-best in the conference.
Ball security. The Nittany Lions are good at both keeping the ball and forcing it away from their opponents. Their 9.4 turnovers per game are third-worst in the conference, and their 7.6 steals per game are second-best. That ability could give them an edge against a Maryland team that has improved but remains sloppy at times.
Rebounding. Penn State’s average of 31 rebounds per game ranks 348th in all of Division I. Only five players average over three rebounds per game, and only two of them are guaranteed to play Sunday. This should be the sort of game where Maryland doesn’t even need to miss Pharrel Payne.
1. Can the Nittany Lions’ backcourt play? Nittany Lions fans have seen their top two scorers go down hurt in the new year. Terps fans, who saw injuries come thick and fast through the beginning of the season, will know the feeling all too well.
Freshman star Kayden Mingo suffered a broken nose in practice Jan. 5 and has missed three games since; if he plays, it will not be at full strength. Freddie Dilione V exited Penn State’s game Wednesday night with what Rhoades confirmed to be a sprained ankle. The absence of one or both would be a boon for Maryland.
2. Maryland needs to find the pass. The Terps had just six assists on field goals against USC and average under eight a game in the new year. Getting the ball moving again on the offensive end has to be one of head coach Buzz Williams’ top priorities.
3. Now or… not for a while. It’s near impossible to say never in college basketball, which can truly live up to the “any given night” moniker. But Maryland has already played two of its games against the bottom third of the table, and they play three teams in the top third following this game. For the elusive Big Ten victory, if not now, when?
