Iowa Hawkeyes vs Maryland Terrapins Prediction & Match Preview - January 7, 2021 | NCAA Men's Basketball
The No. 5 Iowa Hawkeyes are on the road for another Big Ten matchup against the Maryland Terrapins. The Hawkeyes have been one of the most feared college basketball teams this season and should be on their way to another victory against a struggling Maryland team on Thursday.
Match Details
Fixture: Iowa Hawkeyes vs Maryland Terrapins - NCAA Men's Basketball
Date & Time: Thursday, January 7th, 2021, 7 PM ET
Venue: Xfinity Center, College Park Center, Maryland
Iowa Hawkeyes Preview
The Iowa Hawkeyes have won their last two games but had a bit of a scare in their last match against the No. 14 Rutgers Scarlet Knights.
The Hawkeyes were able to outlast Rutgers in a back-and-forth battle that ended 77-75, showing their toughness and clutch ability as a group.
Now, they will be faced with a 5-loss Maryland Terrapins team for a chance to improve to 4-1 in Big Ten play.
Key Player - Luka Garza
Luka Garza is the real deal, and he proves it every time he steps on the court. He is a candidate for the Naismith Trophy, honoring the college player of the year, and has led the Iowa Hawkeyes on both ends of the floor all year long.
Garza is averaging 27.5 points and 9.1 rebounds per game and has also recorded 22 blocks on the season.
Garza should be looking forward to the size advantage he will have over Maryland Terrapins' big man Donta Scott and will likely dominate the paint during his minutes on the court.
Iowa Hawkeyes Predicted Lineup
C Luka Garza, G Jordan Bohannon, G Connor McCaffery, G CJ Fredrick, G Joe Wisekamp
Maryland Terrapins Preview
The Maryland Terrapins have yet another tough game ahead of them after losing to the 16th-ranked Michigan Wolverines and then to the Indiana Hoosiers.
The Terrapins are sitting in 12th place of the loaded Big Ten conference and must now face a top-5 team in college basketball.
Regardless of their strength of schedule, the Terrapins must endure the struggles and continue fighting. If they can win this matchup against the Iowa Hawkeyes and shock the world, it would likely send Iowa out of the top ten of the rankings.
Key Player - Donta Scott
Donta Scott is going to be the big factor for the Maryland Terrapins, not for his offensive ability but rather his ability to contain Luka Garza of the Iowa Hawkeyes.
Scott is bringing an average of 12.9 rebounds and 7.3 assists into this matchup and has been a great presence down low for the Terrapins all season.
Scott needs a career night on defense and a lot of help from his teammates on offense if Maryland is going to take down the Hawkeyes on Thursday.
Maryland Terrapins Predicted Lineup
F Donta Scott, G Eric Ayala, F Hakim Hart, G Darryl Morsell, G Aaron Wiggins
Iowa vs. Maryland Prediction
The Iowa Hawkeyes seem to be back to their typical dominance and should be feeling very good about this matchup against the Maryland Terrapins.
After suffering two tough losses, the Hawkeyes won their last two games, both against ranked opponents. They should dominate this matchup and continue their run toward a Big Ten championship.
Where to watch Iowa vs. Maryland
The game will be broadcast live on ESPN2.