What better way to start the 2015-16 NCAA Basketball Season than showcase one of the brightest players in the nation? Melo Trimble returns to the basketball court after impressing as a rookie point guard last season. Instead of bolting for the NBA, Trimble decided to return in an attempt to bring Maryland deeper into the NCAA Tournament.
It all starts with a season-opening showdown against Mount St. Mary’s. Will the Terrapins live up to expectations? Or will the pressure cause them to collapse? Read on as we break down this clash.
Check out more of tonight’s matchups with our complete previews for Northern Colorado vs. Kansas and North Carolina vs. Temple.
[sc:MarchMadness ]Mount St. Mary’s Mountaineers vs. Maryland Terrapins Preview
Where: XFINITY Center, Maryland
When: Friday, November 13, 8:00 PM ET
Line: Mount St. Mary’s Mountaineers (+21.5) at Maryland Terrapins (-21.5) – view all NCAA Basketball lines
Betting on the Mount St. Mary’s Mountaineers
Mount St. Mary’s are the preseason coaches’ favorite to win the Northeast Conference title. The Mountaineers return two of their top scorers last season, B.K. Ashe and Gregory Graves. Ashe led the Mountaineers with 11.9 points per game, while Graves was second with 10.1 points per game to go along with a team-high 7.4 rebounds per game.
[sc:NCAAB240banner ]The Mountaineers’ dynamic duo have a couple of guards to feed them the ball in Junior Robinson and Khalid Nwandu. Robinson may stand at just 5’5”, but he’s a skilled playmaker leading the team with 3.3 assists per game last season. His speed should be of plenty of use trying to shake off pesky defenders or on fast break situations.
Nwandu had the second-best assist total among Mount St. Mary’s with 2.1 dimes per game. Standing at 6-foot-3, he should be a more viable option at bodying up against Trimble.
The Mountaineers may struggle against one of the top teams in the country. They could strengthen their chances for the upset with some solid defense. Forcing turnovers is a key to Mount St. Mary’s game; they forced turnovers on 21.3 percent of opponents’ possessions last season, 46th in the entire nation. They had 202 steals as a team with Graves leading the way with 1.3 per game.
The Mountaineers are 0-7 all-time against Maryland.
Betting on the Maryland Terrapins
After a stellar 28-7 record last year while finishing second in the Big Ten, head coach Mark Turgeon led his Maryland Terrapins to a Round of 32 appearance in the NCAA Tournament. Turgeon returns with a team brimming with talent led by stellar point guard Melo Trimble. A rookie first-team Big Ten player, Trimble led his team in scoring (16.2 per game), assists (three per game) and steals (1.3 per game) last year.
Trimble is the Preseason Big Ten Player of the Year heading into the 2015-16 campaign, which puts a tremendous amount of pressure on the sophomore guard. But he has some reinforcements this time around with transfer Rasheed Sulaimon transferring from Duke and sophomore Jaylen Brantley.
The Terps also added some solid pieces up front in 6-foot-11 freshman center Diamond Stone, who figures to be an immediate contributor. Senior forward Jake Layman also returns after a solid season with 12.5 points and 5.8 boards per game. Layman added some much needed bulk as well, which should make him an excellent player to bully opponents at the post.
After sitting for a year due to the NCAA’s transfer rules, Robert Carter is ready to show his talent to Maryland. He had a solid freshman season at Georgia Tech in 2013-14, averaging 11.4 points and 8.4 rebounds.
The Terrapins are 4-2 SU/ATS in their last six games as the home team.
Writer’s Prediction
The Terps have too many weapons. Take Maryland to cover -21.5. Create a betting account now and catch the opening games of the college basketball season.
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