NCAA Men’s Basketball: Michigan Wolverines vs Maryland Terrapins – Possible Lineups and Predictions

Published 12/31/2020, 2:00 PM EST

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USA Today via Reuters

As 2020 comes to an end, NCAA Men’s Basketball brings an exciting clash to close out the year. The Michigan Wolverines take on the Maryland Terrapins in this huge Big Ten matchup.

The Wolverines are the only undefeated team in the Big Ten conference currently. They have a 7-0 record, but all of their wins have come against unranked opponents. This run has taken the Wolverines to the #16 spot on the AP Poll.

This is the first hurdle the Terrapins face in a tricky set of upcoming games. But they come into this game with a lot of confidence, beating the #5 ranked Wisconsin Badgers in their last game, which was a major upset win. They won 70-64, improving their overall record to 6-3 for the season.

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NCAA Men’s Basketball: Can the Wolverines survive the Terrapins’ test?

The Wolverines are currently 2-0 in the Big Ten conference and will be eager to remain unbeaten. Chasing their first conference title since 2014, they will eager to come away with a win.

They will start with Franz Wagner, Chaundee Brown, and Eli Brooks as their guards, and Isaiah Livers and Hunter Dickison as their forwards. After starting from the bench in their first five games, Dickinson got the start following Austin Davis’ injury. He has been one of their best scorers so far, averaging 15.3 points while shooting 69% from the field.

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The Terrapins lineup will comprise Darryl Morsell, Aaron Wiggins, and Erik Ayala as their guards, and Donta Scott and Galin Smith as their forwards.

Although the Terrapins are struggling to shoot, they are ranked as the 11th best offense in the country according to KenPom. Ayala has been leading their offense, averaging 14.7 points per game. He is also the only player who has started every game for them. So his production could determine how they fare tonight.

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USA Today via Reuters

The Wolverines will be the favorites for this game, but it will not be an easy affair. Their #10 ranked offense should be able to outscore the Terrapins. Their defense will be able to last the Terrapins’ incoming fire and keep them at bay. With this win, the Wolverines will move to 8-0 record overall and 3-0 in the Big Ten Conference.

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Aaron Mathew

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Aaron Mathew is a sports analyst at EssentiallySports. A graduate in Mass Media from Xavier’s College, Aaron has been a part of EssentiallySports since May 2020 where he covers both NBA and NCAA basketball news, and has also covered NBA 2K. In the past, Aaron has worked at the Sports Desk of Mumbai Mirror.
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