Maryland men’s basketball at No. 12 Gonzaga preview

There’s much to be gleaned from Maryland men’s basketball’s trip to Las Vegas. Not only do the Terps play twice in as many days, but the team is also set to square off against their first ranked opponent this season.

The Terps passed their first test against UNLV, a game in which the Terps trailed at half but cleaned up their turnover problems and shooting difficulties in the final 20 minutes to escape with a 74-67 win.

No. 12 Gonzaga provides a test Maryland hasn’t seen yet; the Bulldogs have already gathered victories over Oklahoma, Creighton, Arizona State and No. 8 Alabama. Gonzaga is the highest ranked team Maryland has played in the regular season since its buzzer-beating loss at Xfinity Center to No. 8 Michigan State in February.

Tuesday’s game will begin at 9:30 p.m. EST and will broadcast on truTV.

Gonzaga Bulldogs (6-0, 0-0 West Coast Conference)

2024-25 record: 26-9, 14-4 West Coast Conference

Head coach Mark Few is one of the most tenured and successful coaches in all of Division I basketball, and his 26 years and counting at Gonzaga have cemented that. Few has either won or shared the regular season conference title in 22 of his seasons at the helm. The Bulldogs have gone to two Final Fours and five Elite Eights under his coaching.

Few has also been exceptional at player development during his stint with Gonzaga. Names like Domontas Sabonis, Jalen Suggs, Chet Holmgren and Andrew Nembhard are just some of the program’s few college stars that have gone on to have success in the NBA.

Players to watch

Tyon Grant-Foster, graduate student guard, 6-foot-7, No. 7 — Maryland fans are probably familiar with this name. In last season’s NCAA Tournament, Grant-Foster was the engine of Grand Canyon, scoring a team-high 23 points against the Terps in the first round. The lengthy guard has a boatload of college experience, and at 25 years old, he’s one of the oldest players in the nation.

Grant-Foster is a crafty scorer, with the ability to draw fouls and hit consistent midrange jumpers. He presents a size mismatch at the guard position — Andre Mills or Darius Adams will likely be tasked with the matchup.

Graham Ike, graduate student forward, 6-foot-9, No. 15 — Through six contests, Ike leads the Bulldogs with 17.6 points and 9.5 rebounds per game. It’s a continuation of his 2024-25 campaign, in which the forward averaged 17.3 points en route to a first team All-WCC selection. He first made his mark at Gonzaga in 2023 after returning from injury, being named an Honorable Mention AP All-American.

Braden Huff, redshirt junior forward, 6-foot-10, No. 34 — Huff forms a formidable duo in the frontcourt alongside Ike. He’s currently averaging 15.3 points and 5.5 rebounds, and continues to improve with each passing year in Few’s system. Last year, he averaged 11 points on 57.7% shooting. And while he’s not the most imposing 3-point shooter, he’s shown the willingness to attempt a few. He’ll primarily present a challenge down low for Maryland’s bigs.

Strength

Turnover margin. The Bulldogs are coached well, and take care of the ball. While they give the ball away just 10.2 times per game on average, they’ve forced their opponents into an average of 16 giveaways per contest — good for tops in the conference.

Weakness

3-point shooting. College basketball, like the NBA, has seen increased attempts from beyond the arc in recent years. But Few’s team hasn’t matched that trend. Gonzaga ranks 11th in the conference with just seven made 3-pointers per game, and the Bulldogs rank eighth in the WCC in percentage (32.8%). They’ve attempted the fewest 3-pointers in the conference.

Three things to watch

1. Fatigue factor. Two games back-to-back is no easy task for a Division I basketball program, especially when the latter game is ranked Gonzaga. It will be interesting to see if Maryland can retain some of its energy after its clash with UNLV. Myles Rice and Pharrel Payne were available for the game; their availability is important for Maryland’s depth in this in-season tournament.

2. Rebounding challenge. Gonzaga grabs 46.7 rebounds per game, the best mark in the West Coast Conference. Meanwhile, Maryland lost the rebounding battle to Mount St. Mary’s on Wednesday, and are averaging just 36.2 boards per game. It will certainly be an uphill battle on the glass, and one to monitor closely.

3. Can Payne continue his dominance? The senior big man notched a team-high 20 points on 7-of-8 shooting Monday. Against the formidable duo of Ike and Huff, his interior points may be much harder to come by. How Maryland’s guards work Payne the ball in creative ways is something to keep an eye on.