After they each guided three different programs to the NCAA Tournament, Buzz Williams of Maryland and Ryan Odom of No. 23 Virginia took on new challenges this year.
Which first-year coach has his team in a better position to reach the tournament this year?
The answer will start to become clearer Saturday in Charlottesville, Va. when the Terrapins (6-5) take on the Cavaliers (9-1) in the renewal of a matchup of former Atlantic Coast Conference rivals.
Both teams are coming off long layoffs. Maryland has been inactive for a week, while Virginia has not played since Dec. 9.
The Cavaliers hope their strong form carries over from winning their last four games by double-digit margins, including an 84-60 romp over Maryland Eastern Shore.
Six different Virginia players each made two 3-pointers. Jacari White, who entered the game having made a program-record 12 straight attempts from beyond the arc, hit just 1 of 5 shots from distance.
The Cavaliers’ array of 3-point shooters has been one of the keys to their quick start. Six players have made double-digit shots from deep this season, while two others have six triples.
Recruiting shooters was one of the priorities for Odom as he assembled his team full of transfers this season.
“A lot of these guys had shown that they could do it at other places. Certainly that was part of the equation,” Odom said. “Shooting provides a lot of space and helps us utilize that open space and be able to get drives to the basket.”
Odom added that it’s a big plus to have big men who are threats from deep.
Six-foot-nine Thijs De Ridder, who is Virginia’s top scorer (16.1 points per game) has made 11 triples while the Cavaliers’ pair of 7-footers, Johann Grunloh and Ugonna Onyenso, have combined for nine 3-pointers.
Grunloh and Onyenso also provide presence at the defensive end as they both rank among the top-15 shot blockers in the nation, combining for 57 rejections.
Maryland enters with a big question mark concerning the status of top scorer and rebounder Pharrel Payne.
Payne, who averages 17.5 points and 7.2 rebounds per game, suffered a leg injury in the Terrapins’ 101-83 home loss Saturday to No. 2 Michigan.
In a radio interview on Tuesday, Williams did not divulge the extent of Payne’s injury.
The Terrapins have lost four of their last five, each by at least 18 points, with three of the defeats coming against ranked teams.
“The thing that’s hurt us the most thus far this season offensively has been our turnover rate,” Williams said.
To his point, the Terrapins have averaged 13.7 turnovers and just 11.1 assists per game. Maryland will look for improved backcourt play from David Coit (14.8 ppg), who hit eight 3-pointers and scored 31 points versus Michigan, and Darius Adams (12.6 ppg).
“That we have 15 new players and we have not practiced as much, that is not justification for our record, but there is some logical explanation on why we are behind in some of the normal ‘it’s mid-December’ sort of things,” Williams added.
The teams have played 183 times dating to 1913 but this will be just the second time they’ve played since Maryland left the ACC for the Big Ten after the 2014-15 season. Virginia topped host Maryland in a 2018 meeting, 76-71.
