The Maryland Terrapins are on a high after dominating Grand Canyon 81-49 on Friday to advance to the round of 32 of the NCAA Tournament. They won’t have much time to celebrate as the tourney rolls on and the Terps will face the upstart No. 12 seed Colorado State Rams on Sunday.
The Rams advanced to the second round for the first time since 2013 with a 78-70 win over No. 5 seed Memphis. Sophomore guard Kyan Evans led the way with a team-high 23 points and hit a season-high six three-pointers (in nine attempts) in the upset. His performance was clutch and much-needed considering the shooting struggles of Nique Clifford, who missed 10 of 13 field-goal attempts, including all six from long distance.
Maryland must contain Kyan Evans to beat Colorado State
Evans has been the Rams' best three-point shooter all season (43.1%) but delivered his best game when his team needed it most. His long-range accuracy will make Maryland think twice about double-teaming Clifford, Colorado State’s leading scorer at 19 points per game.
As poorly as the senior shot on Friday, he still managed 14 points, eight rebounds, and six assists and has been a reliable shooter (50.7 FG%, 39.8 3P%) all year. He’ll need to play a better game against the Terrapins for the Rams to pull off another stunner, but any defensive game plan to neutralize Clifford could leave open looks for the dangerous Evans.
Who will Maryland use to guard Evans?
Evans is a dead-eye shooter, but Maryland may have the personnel to limit his impact. Junior guard Ja’Kobi Gillespie averaged a team-leading 1.8 steals per game, giving the Terps the best chance of slowing down Evans. Senior Selton Miguel, one of four UM players to average at least a steal per game, may also draw the tough assignment of chasing Evans around the perimeter. Gillespie and Miguel shoot over 41% from deep, so their offensive contributions will also be crucial.
Clifford has carried Colorado State all season. Evans's emergence has come at the perfect time for the Rams. Maryland’s ability to rein in the surging sophomore will decide whether their tournament extends to another game.