Maryland Terrapins vs. Florida State Seminoles Preview
By Cory Forsyth
Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Teams: Maryland Terrapins (10-6, 2-1 ACC) vs. Florida State Seminoles (10-4, 1-1 ACC)
Arena: Donald L. Tucker Center | Tallahassee, FL
Tip-Off: Sunday, January 12 | 8PM
Watch/Listen: ESPNU, Terrapin Sports Radio Network
The Maryland Terrapins hit the road to take on the Florida State Seminoles in Tallahassee on Sunday night.
Both teams enter the game each with one loss in the Atlantic Coast Coast Conference.
The first half of the regular season has come and gone and it’s now time to see what each team is made of during conference play.
Both the Terps and the Noles will be looking to gain traction in the ACC with a win. The Terps need to find some consistency after playing arguably their best game against Georgia Tech and then turning around and playing pitifully against Pitt this past Monday.
Ever since these two teams began playing each other in 1992, Maryland has a 10-9 record when playing in Tallahassee. The Terps also have a 29-13 all-time advantage against the Noles.
But, nothing is ever guaranteed for this Terrapin ball club.
There is some consistency for the Terps that can be found in both Seth Allen and Evan Smotrycz.
Since Allen’s return from his injury on December 29, he has been a much-needed spark off of the bench averaging 12.3 points per game and shooting 52 percent from three-point land. Against Pitt, Allen scored a season high 18 points. He continues to get better each game, and his play and presence on the court will only help the Terps in the long run.
Evan Smotrycz has also been a key player for the Terps as of late (despite his poor shot selections). The Michigan transfer has scored 14 points in back-to-back games and is currently tied for second in the ACC with three double-doubles on the year.
Smotrycz brings a smooth shot, great basketball knowledge, and great size to this Maryland team. Yet, it would be great to see some inspired play on defense, where he seems to be a little lazy at times, and help his teammates score if his shot is not falling. Everyone knows he can shoot the deep ball and that will definitely draw out a defense and allow Maryland to feed it back down low and let the big men finish in the paint.
What to Expect from Florida State?
The Seminoles have won four out of their last five and most recently beat Clemson to earn their first ACC win of the season.
Both these teams look very similar on paper with Florida State shooting 47 percent from the field compared to Maryland who is shooting 44 percent. Both teams are averaging close to 40 rebounds per game and have multiple scorers who can contribute night in and night out.
The Noles are led by senior guard Ian Miller, who is averaging 13.5 points per game. Just like Maryland, Florida State has a double-double machine in Okaro White. White has put up three double-doubles this year and is averaging 12.2 points per game as well as 6.5 rebounds per game.
If the Terps can block out White, and keep Miller locked down on defense, Maryland could be leaving Tallahassee with their third conference win of the year.
Maryland’s Keys to Victory
1. Out hustle the Seminoles
- Maryland has a lot of great players. Since the return of Seth Allen, the team has seemed to gel more and more each game. But, the Terps still get lazy on defense and seem to lack the energy Mark Turgeon wants them to play with. They must get out and run on offense and make Florida State make mistakes.
2. Offensive rebounds
- Second chances are always great to have. If the Terps find themselves not shooting well at the start, they must pull down offensive rebounds and make the most of their second chances.
3. Handle the ball
- Turnovers. Turnovers. Turnovers. Commit less, create more.