Maryland Terrapins vs Purdue Boilermakers Match Preview – Players To Watch, Head to Head, and Prediction

Purdue is on a roll in the Big 10 Conference. After their disappointing narrow defeat against the Northwestern Wildcats in game 8, the Boilermakers have strongly bounced back by winning their next 5 games. In addition to this, Purdue is 4-0 against top-15 opponents this season. They’ve now landed in Maryland to take on the Terrapins next in an exciting conference matchup.

While Purdue appears to be a clear favorite for the contest, head coach Matt Painter wouldn’t underestimate the opponents considering the fact that they came out short in their previous encounter in College Park. However, he does possess enough firepower to turn the tides in his favor against any team.

Players to watch out in Purdue locker room

The 7-foot-4 Purdue giant Zack Edey has been causing nightmares for the opponents by hitting at a 62.4% efficiency. The towering athlete has been in prolific form in his senior campaign having scored 20-plus points in 8 out of his 13 games. Moreover, he has also landed a 35-point performance on two occasions. Another player who has made an impact for them is the sophomore guard Braden Smith. The talented No. 3 has been the best 3-point shooter in the team with an accuracy of 47.6 from beyond the arc. Further, he has the second-best figures after Edey averaging 12.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 6.8 assists per game.

Meanwhile, the dynamic duo of Fletcher Loyer and Lance Jones can also cause some serious trouble in the middle for the Terrapins. Both the guards are in red hot form and are currently averaging in double digits. Loyer is third on the team list in terms of scoring with a healthy average of 11.5 points per game. At the same time, the new addition to the team, Lance Jones has coming out of his successful four years at Southern Illinois where he scored 1,500 points and 175 steals.

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As good as this team appears on paper, they still have to deal with the talent on the other side.

What does Maryland bring to the table?

The Terps are all set to face their toughest test this season. Like Purdue, they will enter the contest on the back of a five-game winning streak. Their leading scorer Jahmir Young is currently averaging 19.3 points per game this season. Along with this, he also has a field goal percentage of 42.5. He is also the leader of the team in terms of assists and steals.

Meanwhile, junior forward Julian Reese has also been an impressive baller who is currently holding the 19th position overall in rebounds. He currently averages 14.3 points per game and has a field goal percentage of 52.1.

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There is no doubt that this will be a mouth-watering NCAA clash between two quality sides. The Boilermakers may hold an edge over the hosts as they have some serious match-winners in their squad. Meanwhile, they would not like to forget that the Terps know a thing or two about how to beat them. Come what may, one thing that the fans have on their hands is a thrilling and exciting battle.

Are you excited to see these two teams collide? Let us know in the comments section.