Michigan State and Maryland Face Off in a High-Stakes Clash: Who Will Dominate the Court?

After cruising through the West Coast with solid wins over Washington and Oregon, the 10th-ranked Michigan State Spartans are rolling back into East Lansing on a five-game winning streak, boasting an impressive 17-2 record overall and 7-1 in Big Ten play. Their Saturday noon showdown at the Breslin Center will pit them against the Maryland Terrapins, who are entering Spartan territory battered—sitting at 8-11 overall and 1-7 in conference, fresh off a tough double-digit loss at Illinois. Set to be broadcast on CBS, this game promises plenty of sparks.

Now, here’s where it gets intriguing. Just a year after that memorable Sweet Sixteen run—where Maryland eventually bowed out to Florida—the program’s landscape has flipped dramatically. Head Coach Kevin Willard decided to exit stage left, heading back to the Big East to steer the Villanova Wildcats. Stepping up to the plate in College Park is none other than Buzz Williams, a coach with stints at Marquette, Virginia Tech, and Texas A&M under his belt, who’s diving into his first tough stretch with the Terps.

Williams’ tenure hasn’t exactly been a smooth ride; Maryland’s failed to notch a win against Quad 1 opponents this season, and their lone Big Ten victory since the new year was a commanding blowout against Penn State. Yet beneath that win and a recent heavy loss to Illinois, the Terrapins are still hunting for consistency and a solid identity on a roster that’s turned over almost completely since last year.

The “Crab Five” era is more a memory now—the likes of Derik Queen and Julian Reese have moved on to professional ranks, and Williams has aggressively revamped the lineup through the transfer portal, bringing in a whopping 15 newcomers. As the Spartans get ready to face this freshly minted squad, keeping an eye on key players like the scorching guard David “Diggy” Coit, who’s been lighting it up lately, will be crucial. Meanwhile, Maryland faces significant hurdles with injuries, particularly missing senior big man Pharrel Payne, which could tilt the inside battle in favor of a Spartan team eager to capitalize.

All told, it’s shaping up to be an intense clash—Maryland’s fighting to find its footing while Michigan State looks to extend its hot streak and protect home court. Expect strategic battles, high stakes, and some standout performances. Can’t wait to see how this one plays out! LEARN MORE

Following a successful West Coast trip with victories over Washington and Oregon, your 10th ranked Michigan State Spartans will return home with a five game win streak and overall record of 17-2 (7-1 in the B1G). Their next opponent will be the 8-11 (1-7) Maryland Terrapins, who will head to East Lansing after a double digit road loss to Illinois. The game will take place at the Breslin Center this Saturday at noon, and will be broadcast on CBS.

Let’s take a deep dive into the Terrapins. Just a year after making a Sweet Sixteen run (and ultimately losing to the National Champion Florida Gators), the Maryland basketball program has undergone a whirlwind of changes. Head Coach Kevin Willard decided to part ways with the program and return to the Big East, taking over the Villanova Wildcats shortly after the conclusion of the 2024-25 season. Next up as the head man at Maryland? Former Marquette, Virginia Tech, and Texas A&M Head Coach, Buzz Williams.

The Williams era in College Park is off to a rocky start so far. Maryland is 0-8 against Quad 1 opponents this season, and has only one win since the turn of the new year. That one win is Maryland’s only Big Ten win as well, coming in dominant fashion, with a 96-73 victory over Penn State last Sunday at home. The Terrapins showed flashes of consistency for the first time in this record-breaking victory over the Nittany Lions, however, as their double-digit defeat at the hands of Illinois shows, Maryland remains in search of stability and identity on a squad that has completely turned over from last year’s.

The days of having the “Crab Five” on the floor for the Terps are long gone in 2026, with stars Derik Queen and Julian Reese departed for the NBA and G-League, respectively. On top of these two big name exits, nearly all of Maryland’s production from a season ago has left by way of the transfer portal. Buzz Williams was, out of necessity, very heavy handed in the portal this offseason- bringing in 15 new players entirely.

Meet the Terrapins

#8 David “Diggy” Coit, Guard – 5’11 175 lbs

#1 Darius Adams, Guard – 6’5 175 lbs

#13 Elijah Saunders, Forward – 6’8 240 lbs

#9 Solomon Washington, Forward – 6’7 220 lbs

#12 Isaiah Watts, Guard – 6’3 170 lbs

#24 Aleks Alston, Forward – 6’10 204 lbs

#11 George Turkson Jr, Guard – 6’7 220 lbs

#7 Andre Mills, Guard – 6’4 205 lbs

#2 Myles Rice, Guard – 6’3 185 lbs

Impact Players

Maryland’s win was notable not just because it was the Terps first double digit win since playing Old Dominion in December, but also because of the standout performance of Diggy Coit. Coit has been red hot as of late, averaging just under 30 points per game in his last three outings. However, his game against PSU was otherworldly, as the former NIU Husky and Kansas Jayhawk put up 43 points on 14-23 shooting and 9-15 from three. At only 5’11, the undersized combo guard will be a major area of focus for the Michigan State backcourt, especially for shooting guards Kur Teng, Divine Ugochukwu, and Trey Fort, who have been struggling on the defensive end of the floor recently.

On the season, Coit is scoring 15.4 points per game, and shooting over 42% from the floor. Despite some streaky play, Diggy is one of the most dangerous scoring threats in the conference, even winning an AP Player of the Week award for his efforts against USC and Penn State. Preventing Coit from catching fire, especially in the transition game, will undoubtedly be at the top of Tom Izzo’s list.

Another player to watch for the Terps is Senior Forward Solomon Washington, who put up a 13 and 10 double double for Maryland against Illinois. He has provided solid rebounding throughout the season thus far, despite often being matched up with larger Big Ten centers. Washington is not much of an outside threat, shooting the three-ball at only 20%, but he is averaging just shy of a double-double with 9.8 PPG and 9.5 RPG.

Pain for Payne

Notably missing in the above list of key contributors for the Terrapins is Senior big man Pharrel Payne. Payne, at 6’9 250 lbs, provided much-needed size for a relatively small Maryland lineup, and had been averaging a substantial 17.5 points per game before going down to injury against Michigan. He also ranked in the top-10 of the Big Ten conference in rebounding, with 7.2 rebounds per outing. Since his departure, Maryland has been starved for both size and consistency on the defensive end at the forward position. While Solomon Washington has stepped up, at only 6’7, expect Michigan State to have a serious advantage down low throughout the game.

The injury to Payne and lack of depth at the forward spot for Maryland has forced Buzz Williams to implement more creative defenses, from a 2-3 zone to other matchup zone coverages. Do not be surprised to see a lot of zone from the Terps, especially after seeing a handful of zones this year from the likes of Duke and others, be successful against the Spartan offense.

Final Thoughts

Maryland is in the middle of a very tough part of their schedule, and the road does not get any easier. After the road loss to Illinois, Buzz Williams will make his first trip to the Breslin Center, before a matchup with #4 Purdue looming large next week. With the injury to Payne, the Terrapins will be outmanned, but they are not incapable of explosive play, and catching fire to shock the Spartans. State will have to shut down Diggy Coit, avoid turnovers (especially against a zone defense), and take advantage of size down low. Expect another big game from Carson Cooper, and hopefully Jaxon Kohler can get back into his scoring rhythm against a small team of Terps.

What do you make of this matchup? Leave your predictions in the comments below, and GO GREEN!