Rested Terps ready to face red-hot Michigan State

The Terps enter Sunday’s game versus Michigan State as one of the hottest and most well-rested teams in the Big Ten, having won the last of four straight games back on Feb. 21.

While Michigan State certainly won’t enter Sunday’s game at Maryland as well rested, one could argue they are the hotter team, having won three straight, including back-to-back top-5 wins over Illinois and Ohio State over a 48 hour period.

The week layoff couldn’t have come at a better time for the Terps, with senior guard and top defender Darryl Morsell having sat out the end of their win over Rutgers after having his shoulder pop out of the socket not once, but twice during the game. Both times it was popped back into place but Morsell didn’t see the floor again after the second time out of an abundance of caution by head coach Mark Turgeon.

The big question heading into Sunday afternoon’s matchup is whether Morsell will suit up for the Terps. Turgeon was non-commital when asked about it Saturday.

"I'm glad we had the week in between games,” said Turgeon. “We rested Darryl all week. He did a little bit today. We'll see how he reacts overnight and he'll be a game time decision. We just gotta be careful. I know Darryl wants to play. But we'll see how he wakes up tomorrow, if he's stiff and sore, he probably won't go, but we'll see. But we rested him most of the week, which I think was the right thing to do."

Defense has been the Terps’ calling card all season, with Maryland currently ranking third in the Big Ten in points allowed per game (65.3). That defense will be tested versus a Michigan State team which has come alive offensively over the past week, averaging 76.6 points per game over their three-game win streak.

One of the biggest reasons for the Spartans’ resurgence is the fact they have gotten back to playing typical Tom Izzo basketball by simply being tough and physical.

“They really guard the ball,” said Turgeon. “They have really good individual defenders, play with great toughness, post guys are relentless and they play hard, they compete, they’re athletic. I think we’re seeing the team we all thought we were going to see and I’m just happy for them. They have a chance to do what they’re doing because that COVID really hurt them but we’re both playing small but getting after it defensively, really competing defensively and it’s not a typical Izzo team when it comes to scoring the way they have in the past so it’s been a little bit of a challenge for them. I think each game it gets a little bit better just like us but it should be a physical, hopefully a really good defensive game and we’ll see who makes the most plays in the end. I think that’ll be the difference.

“They’re like nobody else that you’ll play; three, four, five, they’ll come in right over you if you don’t hit them. We gotta be there. I remember the game here last year when it started, the first box out they knocked two of our guys over and there was no call, like ‘oh boy, it’s going to be a physical game.’ We’ve got to be physical with our box outs, we gotta box out, getting better with it’s something I talk about every day, I emphasize every day that for us to take the next step, we have to become a better box out team. We’re better, we’re more conscious of it but tomorrow is the biggest challenge we’ve had all year.”

One of the biggest reasons for Maryland’s recent success has been the play of junior guards Aaron Wiggins and Eric Ayala, who are averaging a combined 34.3 points per game during the Terps’ four-game win streak. Beyond the scoring, however, Wiggins is averaging 7.8 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game during that same stretch, which has also been a huge boost.

“[Wiggins] has been playing great, rebounding, defending, his leadership’s been great, his communication’s been great and he’s making more shots,” Turgeon said. “He’s scoring in a variety of ways, scoring all the way to the rim, pull up game, post up game a little bit and he’s shooting threes. We need a lot of guys to play well offensively but the way Eric [Ayala] and [Wiggins] have played the last four, five, six games that’s why we’re playing better. It’s good to see. But I don’t want to put that type of pressure on them, it’s up to us to get them good looks and figure out move the ball, get our screening working and getting them good looks and if he’s getting good looks he’ll get more attention, he’ll get other guys good looks. He’s playing well, he’s playing with a lot of confidence.”

The Terps and Spartans are set to tip-off in College Park at 2 p.m. ET. The game will be televised on CBS and broadcast on the Maryland Sports Radio Network.