Micah Shrewsberry’s first season as Penn State’s head men’s basketball coach has been rocky at times and rosy at other times. The Nittany Lions 11-12 overall record reflects that.
Right now, things are starting to look rosy for Penn State. After losing six of seven, the Lions have won two straight, upsetting Michigan State at the Bryce Jordan Center this past Tuesday and following that up with a commanding 67-46 win over Minnesota Thursday.
Monday night, the Nittany Lions will leave the confines of Happy Valley and look to do something they haven’t done in a month-in-a-half and have only done once this season; win a Big Ten road game. They’ll be aiming to do that against one of the conference’s flops of the 2021-22 season.
Maryland came into the season nationally ranked at No. 21, but almost instantly, things started going wrong for the Terps. In early December, Mark Turgeon stepped down as head coach after more than a decade in College Park, and Maryland hasn’t performed well for interim coach Danny Manning. The Terps have no NCAA Tournament prospects at the moment, coming into the new week with a 12-14 overall record and a 4-11 conference mark that bests only Minnesota and Nebraska.
The Terps do have some weapons, however, with guards Eric Ayala and Fats Russell each averaging more than 14 points a game. 6-foot-8 Donta Scott is also a key contributor, averaging 12.7 points.
Penn State got the best of Maryland the last time the teams met in College Park, with a 66-61 win March 7 of last year. The Nittany Lions have had success against the Terps in recent years, winning six of the past eight meetings. Despite that, Maryland is 2.5-point favorites according to DraftKings.
Tip-off is scheduled for a 7 p.m. tip and will be broadcast on ESPN2, with Jason Benetti and Purdue Boilermaker great Robbie Hummel on the call.
Nittany Lion fans who can’t watch the game can listen to Steve Jones and Dick Jerardi at any of these affiliates.
