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Maryland vs. Iowa State men’s basketball: Game preview and prediction

By Brian Spaen

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Iowa State (3-0) is back on the court for a second straight night, and they will be playing the first of two Big Ten teams on their schedule, Maryland (4-0). It is also the CBE Hall of Fame Classic championship game in Kansas City, and the Cyclones hope the crowd will be just as loud for them as it was on Monday night.

Maryland Terrapins vs. (13)Iowa State Cyclones

CBE Hall of Fame Classic | Championship
Sprint Center | Kansas City, Missouri
Tuesday, November 25, 2014 | Tipoff – Approx. 8:30 PM CT
TV: ESPNU | Stream: WatchESPN

More from Iowa State Cyclones

Alabama proved to be a tougher test for Iowa State than expected. The Crimson Tide came out firing from 3-point range and never went away until the Cyclones closed the books in the final two minutes with an eventual double-digit victory. If that was ISU’s toughest opponent of the season, then they better be a little more prepared for Maryland.

The Terrapins hold the edge in rebounding and overall defense. Statistically, they also sport a better bench, but Abdel Nader and Matt Thomas just made their debut a night ago for Iowa State. Expect the Cyclones’ bench numbers to improve over time, and even more so when Jameel McKay makes his return.

Series history

This is the first game between Iowa State and Maryland ever. However, there is a connection with the Terrapin head coach. Mark Turgeon was the head coach at Texas A&M, and he dominated the Cyclones during the Greg McDermott era. He was 4-0 against Mickey D, and defeated Fred Hoiberg in his final year with the Aggies.

Nov 24, 2014; Kansas City, MO, USA; Iowa State Cyclones forward

Dustin Hogue

(22) celebrates after scoring during the first half against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Sprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Probable starting lineup

NOTE: Stats reflect last night’s game

Iowa State

  • Georges Niang – 28 pts, 6 reb, 3 ast
  • Dustin Hogue – 17 pts, 4 reb, 2 TOs
  • Naz Long – 15 pts, 2-4 3PG, 3 TOs
  • Bryce Dejean-Jones – 7 pts, 4 reb, 4 TOs
  • Monte Morris – 12 ast, 6 reb, 0 TOs

Maryland

  • Melo Trimble (#2, G, 6-foot-3, 190 lbs., Fr) – 31 pts, 3 reb, 3 TOs
  • Dez Wells (#44, G-F, 6-foot-5, 215 lbs., Sr) – 14 pts, 8 reb, 4 ast
  • Jake Layman (#10, F, 6-foot-9, 205 lbs., Jr) – 12 pts, 4 reb, 1 ast
  • Richaud Pack (#20, G, 6-foot-4, 190 lbs., Sr) – 4 reb, 3 ast, 3 PFs
  • Damonte Dodd (#35, F, 6-foot-11, 245 lbs., So) – 6 pts, 5 reb, 4 stl

What to watch for

The problem with Iowa State was less Alabama and more creating problems for themselves. Sure, the Crimson Tide started out hot from the perimeter making 5 of 10, but then cooled off making just 5 of their next 20. What kept Alabama in it were all the Cyclones turnovers. Generally, “Hoiball” reflects a small gap between assists to field goals made, and not many turnovers. Last night? 29 field goals made, 18 assists, 15 turnovers.

Maryland’s been pretty good at keeping their opponents from sharing the ball and holding them to just 10 assists per game. Another problem area will be in rebounding. Iowa State grabbed just two offensive boards against Alabama, and now that same personnel will have to go against two big guys towering at 6-foot-9 or higher (Jake Layman and Damonte Dodd) and a hybrid guard-forward in Dez Wells.

It may not look like a lot on paper, but the Terrapins rebounding three rebounds more per game than the Cyclones (39 to 35.7) puts them in a completely different category. Also, Maryland holds their opponents to 32 rebounds per game. There will be at least one moment where Iowa State fans will be counting down to McKay’s debut.

Another area to watch is seeing what the leading scorers do on a back-to-back night. Maryland’s freshman guard, Melo Trimble, had 31 points against Arizona State. Iowa State’s Georges Niang netted 28 points, but it sure looked like he was going to eclipse 30 after starting out with 18 points in the first half.

Prediction

Sloppy play and a lack of interior defense will doom Iowa State this time around. They cannot afford to play the way they did against Alabama, or Maryland could win this one with relative ease. As long as Iowa State gets back to regular “Hoiball” by not coughing up the ball while tossing it around, and Naz Long hits some dagger threes, they should leave Kansas City unscathed.

It will be uncomfortable and close, but Iowa State will squeak this one out. It will also be the first game that they’ll be held to under 80 points.

Iowa State 74, Maryland 68

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