Maryland men’s basketball vs Maryland Eastern Shore preview

Written By ApurbaDa December 27, 2024 Add Comment

The Terps close out nonconference play against an in-state opponent.

Maryland men’s basketball returns to Xfinity Center Saturday to take on Maryland-Eastern Shore for its final regular season nonconference game of the season.

A win would push the Terps to a stellar 10-1 overall record in nonconference play and 11-2 overall. They are 18-0 all-time against the Hawks, who have gotten off to a slow start in 2024.

Saturday’s matchup will tip off at noon and be televised on Big Ten Network.

Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks (4-11, 0-0 Mid-Eastern Conference)

2023-24 record: 9-10, 4-10 Mid-Eastern

Head coach Cleo Hill Jr. is in his first year leading the Hawks after taking over for Jason Crafton, who led the team to an 18-13 record — their best in nearly 50 years — in 2022-23. Hill was previously head coach at Division II Winston-Salem State.

Maryland Eastern Shore struggled last season and have seen much of the same result in its 2024 nonconference slate, which has included teams at widely varying levels of college basketball.

It has taken on No. 11 UConn, No. 23 Arkansas, No. 24 Illinois and Vanderbilt, losing those games by an average of 53.5 points. But it’s also taken on four non-Division I opponents, who also represent the Hawks’ four wins. Like Maryland, the Hawks’ nonconference slate ends Saturday.

Players to know

Ketron Shaw, junior guard, 6-foot-5, No. 0 — Shaw is the Mid-Eastern Conference’s leading scorer so far this season, averaging 19.5 points per game. But he’s far from just a pure scoring threat, he’s also top-10 in his conference and leads his team in both rebounds (5.9) and assists (3.2) per game. Shaw’s size advantage over Maryland’s guard trio is the Hawks’ biggest asset in its pursuit of an upset.

Evan Johnson, graduate guard, 6-foot-0, No. 3 — Johnson transferred to Maryland Eastern Shore this past offseason after three years at Georgia State and one year at UNC Asheville. He’s immediately slid into a key role offensively, averaging the second-most points per game on the team with 13.2.

Jalen Ware, graduate forward, 6-foot-8, No. 24 — Ware averages just 4.9 points per game, but is Maryland Eastern Shore’s biggest defensive contributor and an asset on the boards. He leads the team in steals (0.9) and blocks (0.6) per game, while also contributing 5.6 rebounds a contest.

Strength

Big-game experience. The Hawks have already travelled to four high-major opponents, three of whom are ranked. Many low-level opponents have come to College Park with wide eyes and immediately crumbled under that pressure — Maryland Eastern Shore won’t be one of them.

Weakness

Offense and defense. Maryland Eastern Shore posts the second-fewest points per game (69.7) and second-most points per game allowed (80.5) in the Mid-Eastern Conference, which is far from a college basketball powerhouse. The Hawks are yet to beat a Division I opponent, let alone a high-major one.

Three things to watch

1. Can Selton Miguel continue his hot streak? The fifth-year guard has scored 24 points in back-to-back games, and has reached double figures in his last six. He’ll look Saturday to extend that momentum against another inferior opponent into the bulk of Big Ten play.

2. Can Tafara Gapare bounce back? Gapare had a sensational stretch earlier in nonconference play, headlined by a 19-point performance against Bucknell, but has scored just 16 points across the Terps’ previous three games. Maryland Eastern Shore is Gapare’s last chance to make an impression before Big Ten play solidifies the rotation.

3. Last test before the bulk of conference play. The Terps have routinely beat up on low-level opponents in their nonconference slate, but the Hawks are their last chance to do so this season. Maryland travels to Oregon on Jan. 2 to kick off the remainder of its Big Ten slate.

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