Maryland Terrapins vs Minnesota Golden Gophers Picks and Predictions January 13th 2025

Maryland Looks to Stay Strong at Home Against Struggling Minnesota

Maryland will seek to maintain its dominance at home when it hosts Minnesota in a Big Ten matchup on Monday night in College Park, Md. The Terrapins (12-4, 2-3 Big Ten) have proven formidable on their home court, claiming decisive victories in both of their conference games at XFINITY Center this season.

Maryland’s Home Advantage and Defensive Focus

The Terrapins’ two conference wins at home include a commanding 24-point victory over Ohio State and an impressive 79-61 triumph over No. 22 UCLA on Friday. Head coach Kevin Willard emphasized the role of defense in Maryland’s success at home and pointed to defensive lapses in their road losses to Purdue, Washington, and Oregon.

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“We’ve had three-minute stretches of defense that’s killed us in all three road games,” Willard said. “I thought we did a much better job (against UCLA). I thought we took a step in the right direction.”

Leading the way offensively for Maryland was Ja’Kobi Gillespie, who poured in a season-high 27 points, including a perfect 9-for-9 from the free-throw line against UCLA. Maryland boasts a balanced scoring attack, with five players averaging in double figures:

• Derik Queen: 15.5 points, 7.8 rebounds per game
• Ja’Kobi Gillespie: 13.9 points per game
• Julian Reese: 13.2 points, 8.8 rebounds per game
• Selton Miguel: 11.8 points per game
• Rodney Rice: 11.7 points per game

Minnesota’s Struggles and Team Meeting

The Golden Gophers (8-8, 0-5 Big Ten) remain the only team in the conference without a league win, and their recent form has been discouraging. They’ve dropped three straight, including an 80-59 loss to Wisconsin on Friday. Following the blowout, the players held a closed-door meeting to address the team’s struggles.

Forward Dawson Garcia, Minnesota’s leading scorer at 18.4 points and 7.3 rebounds per game, stressed the importance of accountability:
“We just all have to come to the realization that this is our livelihood,” Garcia said. “This is how we’re going to pay our families. Everybody, really. The coaches and the players. It’s got to be taken to that level.”

Minnesota will also look to contributions from Mike Mitchell Jr. (11.9 points per game) and Lu’Cye Patterson (10.4 points per game) to stay competitive.

Series History

Maryland has dominated the all-time series with Minnesota, holding a 16-3 advantage. The Terrapins will look to extend that dominance on Monday, leveraging their depth and defensive improvements.

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Key Matchups to Watch

• Dawson Garcia vs. Maryland’s Frontcourt: Garcia will need a standout performance to keep the Gophers within striking distance.
• Ja’Kobi Gillespie’s Momentum: After his stellar outing against UCLA, Gillespie will aim to lead Maryland’s offense once again.
• Defensive Intensity: Maryland’s ability to lock down on defense could determine whether they continue their home-court dominance or fall victim to a Minnesota team desperate for its first conference win.

With Maryland thriving at home and Minnesota searching for answers, Monday’s matchup will test whether the Golden Gophers can rally after their internal meeting or if the Terrapins’ balanced attack proves too much to handle.