Michigan Wolverines vs Maryland Terrapins Picks and Predictions March 5th 2025

No. 13 Maryland vs. No. 17 Michigan: A Battle of Frontcourt Duos

As No. 13 Maryland and No. 17 Michigan meet for their lone regular-season showdown on Wednesday in Ann Arbor, both teams arrive with different paths to success in the Big Ten. Michigan has thrived in close games, while Maryland has struggled in such moments, setting the stage for a compelling clash.

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Michigan’s Close-Game Mastery

Sitting at 14-4 in Big Ten play, Michigan is in second place with two games left. The Wolverines have excelled in tight contests, going 11-1 in conference games decided by four points or fewer. That clutch play has given them an opportunity to claim at least a share of the Big Ten title with wins against Maryland and No. 8 Michigan State in Sunday’s regular-season finale.

However, their latest outing was anything but close. Michigan suffered a 93-73 home loss to Illinois on Sunday, surrendering 19 offensive rebounds in a deflating performance.

“We’re in contention to compete for three more championships,” Michigan coach Dusty May said. “So if nothing else will motivate you or inspire you to get over that emotional or physical fatigue, then you’re not built for it anyway.”

Maryland’s Frustration in Close Games

Maryland (12-6 Big Ten) has struggled in nail-biters, losing all six of its conference games by six points or fewer. Three of those defeats came on last-second shots against Northwestern, Ohio State, and Michigan State.

The Terrapins, however, took a step in the right direction with a 68-64 win at Penn State, keeping them in contention for a double bye in the Big Ten tournament. Maryland is tied for third place with Wisconsin and Purdue, and the top four seeds earn the coveted double bye.

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Frontcourt Duel: Size vs. Versatility

While their paths have differed, Maryland and Michigan share one key similarity: both lean heavily on their frontcourt stars. The Terps feature 6-foot-10 freshman Derik Queen (15.9 ppg, 9.0 rpg) and 6-foot-9 senior Julian Reese (13.3 ppg, 9.4 rpg). Meanwhile, Michigan counters with twin 7-footers in Danny Wolf (12.4 ppg, 9.7 rpg) and Vladislav Goldin (16.1 ppg, 6.5 rpg).

“There’s just not a whole lot of shots to go around with those first five,” Maryland coach Kevin Willard said. “Those first five are all guys that can score. So there’s no one on that starting five that I’m not going to tell to shoot.”

Both teams primarily use seven-man rotations, with Maryland’s starters accounting for 85% of its scoring and Michigan’s starters contributing 76%.

With both squads fighting for Big Ten positioning, Wednesday’s battle of elite frontcourts could decide the outcome.

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