Northwestern Wildcats vs Maryland Terrapins Picks and Predictions January 16th 2025

Northwestern Aims to End Skid Against Maryland

Northwestern has hit a rough patch, dropping three straight games to open the new year, and things won’t get any easier when they host Maryland on Thursday in Evanston, Ill.

The Wildcats (10-6, 1-4 Big Ten) will try to avoid their first four-game losing streak since the 2021-22 season, while Maryland (13-4, 3-3) looks to snap a troubling Big Ten road losing streak that dates back to last season.

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Barnhizer’s Struggles a Concern for Northwestern

Northwestern’s recent offensive woes have coincided with Brooks Barnhizer’s shooting slump. The junior forward, who leads the team in scoring (18.0 PPG), rebounds (9.3), assists (4.3), steals (2.4), and blocks (1.3), has struggled mightily in the past two games.

Against Michigan State and Purdue, Barnhizer shot just 6-for-28 from the field and 1-for-10 from three, while also committing 10 turnovers.

“When you’re No. 1 on that scouting report, you’re gonna get lots of attention,” Wildcats coach Chris Collins said. “We gotta find a way to get Brooks to the free-throw line. That guy’s the most powerful driver in our conference.”

Meanwhile, Nick Martinelli—the Big Ten’s second-leading scorer (19.9 PPG)—has continued to carry the offensive load, including a 27-point performance against Michigan State on Sunday.

Maryland’s Road Struggles Continue

While Maryland has been strong at home, the road has been a different story. The Terrapins are 0-3 in Big Ten road games this season and have lost seven of their past eight road conference games dating back to last season.

After an impressive 79-61 home win over then-No. 22 UCLA last Friday, the Terps nearly suffered an upset at home on Monday, needing a second-half surge to edge last-place Minnesota 77-71.

Freshman big man Derik Queen was the difference, pouring in a season-high 27 points on 10-for-15 shooting, while Rodney Rice added 21 points.

Maryland’s defense, which forced 21 turnovers against UCLA and 16 against Minnesota, has been the team’s biggest strength.

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“We did a much better job in the second half of just disrupting their offense,” Maryland coach Kevin Willard said.

Recent History & Outlook

Maryland leads the all-time series 12-6, but Northwestern has won four of the past six meetings.

If the Wildcats can get Barnhizer back on track and Martinelli continues his scoring surge, they’ll have a chance to end their losing streak. However, Maryland’s defense and improving offense make them a dangerous opponent, especially if Queen builds on his breakout performance.

The key for both teams:

• Northwestern: Get Barnhizer to the free-throw line and cut down turnovers.
• Maryland: Overcome road struggles and keep the defensive pressure high.

Expect a hard-fought battle in Evanston as both teams desperately need a win.