Rested Terps ready to hit the road once again

COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- After back-to-back conference road losses to open the new year, the Terps got back in the win column Jan. 8, defeating then-No. 24 Ohio State within the friendly confines of the Xfinity Center.

The Terps will now head back out onto the road once again to take on the Hawkeyes in Iowa this Sunday afternoon.

While the Terps will be playing their third game on the road out of their last four in conference play, they did finally get a chance to come up for a breather, with seven days in between Ohio State and Iowa after playing three games in eight days to open the month of January.

The team took full advantage of the time off to get away from basketball for a bit and recharge according to head coach Kevin Willard.

"We took off Monday, practiced Tuesday, took off [Wednesday] and now we're kind of back into our normal prep schedule," Willard said. "If you look at how condensed the schedule gets starting on Sunday, just to give these guys a couple of days off from the grind will help us hopefully the end of January, beginning of February. They really don't have another chance, I think we have six games in 16 days or something like that, so it gives them a chance to reset and get their minds off of basketball for a little bit and without class they can kind of be kids and do nothing."

For Willard and his assistants, the time off gave them a chance to get out on the road and focus on the future.

"And for the staff it's good, we got to go out and recruit for a couple days," said Willard. "You don't have the pressure of feeling like you're missing practice running back and forth. So we were able to get out and see some guys that would typically be tough this time of year, so that helped."

Last Sunday's win over Ohio State snapped a three-game skid in conference play for Maryland, with all three of those losses having come on the road. Now the Terps will play two of their next three on the road, including a game at Purdue, who is currently ranked in the top 5 nationally.

"I don't think there's anything easy in the Big Ten, but I think we've had a really tough stretch with three in a row on the road and now, technically, we go at Iowa, home and back on the road, so that's five out of seven in between there," said Willard. "So getting them to understand there are going to be some tough stretches in conference play, you look at every conference right now you see team struggling a little bit, and it's not because they aren't playing good, it's because sometimes your schedule dictates how you play. And I think in this league, as good as this league is and as deep as this league is, you just have to keep your guys focused on how they're working and how they're playing. We've had two bad games this year and I'll take that."

As for Iowa, the Hawkeyes come into Sunday's game riding a three-game win streak that includes victories over preseason Big Ten favorite Indiana, Rutgers and Michigan.

One of the biggest reasons for Iowa's current win streak is the improved play of junior forward Kris Murray. After missing a handful of games, Murray is averaging 24.6 points, while shooting 53.5 percent from the field over Iowa's last five contests. Both of those numbers are above his season average. He also has nine blocks during that span.

"I think what makes Kris so difficult to guard is the fact that because they play fast, and then in the half court it is much more of a motion offense instead of a set play offense, he has such a good feel for the game and moves without the ball and I think he's really starting to shoot the ball at a high level," said Willard. "So the fact that they are playing as fast as they play and he knows their system and moves in their system, he's constantly moving. So it's not like he's just right here and this is what he's going to do. And he's starting to shoot the basketball much, much better."

For Maryland, Willard credits the health of Julia (JuJu) Reese as a big reason for the their improved play. After playing limited minutes as he returned from a shoulder injury, he's played 63 minutes over the past two games. His 10-point performance versus Ohio State was the first time Reese has scored in double figures since a Dec. 7 loss at Wisconsin.

"The fact that JuJu is healthy now, I think has really helped," Willard said. "The last couple of games, getting the ball inside to Ju a little more, getting the basketball in the post a little bit more, a little earlier in the shot clock and working out of the post just a little bit more I think is something that can help us. Even though we're not as big as most teams, I just think it takes a little pressure off of Jahmir [Young] and gets some inside-out threes maybe for Don [Carey] or Hakim [Hart] and puts a little pressure on the paint."

The Terps at Hawkeyes are set to tip off at 4:30 p.m. ET on Sunday with the game being televised on BTN.