Terrapin Station
Fansided

NCAA Tournament 2016: Maryland looks to take down Kansas

By Chris Bengel

March 20, 2016; Spokane , WA, USA; Maryland Terrapins guard Melo Trimble (2) moves the ball against Hawaii Rainbow Warriors guard Quincy Smith (11) during the first half in the second round of the 2016 NCAA Tournament at Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
March 20, 2016; Spokane , WA, USA; Maryland Terrapins guard Melo Trimble (2) moves the ball against Hawaii Rainbow Warriors guard Quincy Smith (11) during the first half in the second round of the 2016 NCAA Tournament at Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

Maryland is bound for the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2003.

If they want to move on in the NCAA Tournament, the Terps will have to take down Kansas.

The Terrapins are coming a pair of victories in the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament. Maryland topped South Dakota State in a tight affair in the First Round and defeated Hawaii thanks to a huge 14-0 run in the second half.

Guard Melo Trimble is playing tremendous basketball right now and is coming off a 24-point performance against the Rainbow Warriors. Trimble hit five of his 14 field goal attempts, including the team’s only make from beyond the arc. Trimble also grabbed eight rebounds and dished out three assists in a 73-60 Maryland victory.

It was a very balanced offensive performance for the Terps.

Four starters scored in double figures with guard Rasheed Sulaimon and center Diamond Stone adding 14 points apiece. Stone was very instrumental in keeping Maryland in the game during an uneventful early portion of the first half.

Stone scored eight consecutive points to cut Maryland’s deficit to 16-15 with 7:11 left in the opening half.

Maryland’s defense also played a big part in their win over Hawaii.

Backup center Damonte Dodd played 16 minutes off the bench and blocked a mind-numbing five shots. While Dodd doesn’t provide much from an offensive standpoint, his defensive intensity really gave the Terps a boost.

Maryland’s perimeter defense was also superb. The Terps held the Rainbow Warriors to just 21.1 percent (4-of-19) from beyond the arc.

The Terps has a considerable amount of length and that’s definitely one of their strongest attributes on the defensive end.

Getting to know Kansas

  • Kansas ended the regular season on a 14-game winning streak that featured a Big 12 Tournament championship as well. The Jayhawks won their first two NCAA Tournament games by double-digits against Austin Peay and UConn. This is the top overall seed in the entire field, so Maryland certainly will have their hands full.
  • It’s all about the guards when it comes to the Jayhawks. It all starts with Wayne Selden Jr. Selden averages 13.6 points-per-game, but has the ability to be a high-volume scorer. He has a knack for attacking the rim and finishing once he arrives at the basket. Kansas shoots 42.3 percent from beyond the arc on the season and Selden is one of the biggest reasons why. He makes 40.4 percent of his three-point shots and is attempting nearly five long-range shots per contest. The inside-out game with Selden and forward Perry Ellis will be something that Maryland definitely needs to minimize. For our breakdown of Ellis’ game, check out this piece from earlier in the week.
  • Devonte’ Graham also is an effective shooter from behind the three-point line. Graham is shooting 43.8 percent from out there, which is second on the team. Graham isn’t afraid to hoist up a shot from way beyond the arc. Much like Selden, he’s also a driver that can get to the basket without much of a hiccup. However, the Raleigh native really hasn’t been incredibly lethal during Kansas’ two NCAA Tournament games.

Keys to victory for Maryland

  • Melo needs to be Melo – From an offensive standpoint, Trimble is the ultimate key in deciding this game’s outcome. Despite some late season struggles, the Maryland star has definitely has rediscovered his game lately. During Maryland’s two NCAA Tournament wins, Trimble connected on 10 of his 24 field goal attempts and has averaging 21.5 ppg. He’s also been getting to the free throw line frequently, which is the key to his game. If Trimble can play within himself and run the offense, Maryland will be there at the end. He needs to draw contact and get to the line consistently for the Terps to have a chance at pulling this out.

    • Defend the perimeter

    – As was mentioned above, Kansas shoots a very impressive 42.3 percent from three. The Terps are definitely going to have to close out on the Jayhawk shooters and limit their opportunities to attempt open three-pointers. Graham,

    Frank Mason

    , and Selden all shoot at least 39 percent from beyond the arc, so Maryland is definitely going to have their hands full. However, the Terps do possess guards with size and forwards with a considerable amount of length. If Kansas has to go inside more often, Maryland’s defense will have a better chance to get stops.

    Next: Breaking down the game of Perry Ellis

  • Attack the paint – When Maryland struggled to hit shots in the early going against Hawaii, they went inside for some offense. Stone was very effective and even scored eight consecutive points for Maryland when they needed a spark. Maryland also needs to make more of an effort to get forward Robert Carter involved on offense. Carter’s ability to score around the rim could be very helpful as the Jayhawks don’t have a ton of size down low.