COLLEGE PARK — With two games to go in the regular season, Maryland’s place in the NCAA Tournament is secure. Its seed in the Big Ten Tournament, however, is not.
This year’s conference gathering in Chicago begins next week, but not much is clear about who will play whom and when. Fifth-ranked Purdue has secured at least a share of the Big Ten’s regular season title, with a 13-5 mark in league play.
Behind the Boilermakers begins a log jam, with the No. 21 Terrapins in a four-way tie for second place with No. 15 Indiana, Northwestern and Michigan, all 11-7 in conference. Three more schools — Illinois, Iowa, and Rutgers — hover a game back.
Looking forward is the purview of fans, not coaches, so forgive Maryland coach Kevin Willard if he’s not prognosticating matchups and brackets for the next three weeks.
As the calendar turns to March, though, one thing is definite for the Terrapins: They’ll be away from the confines of home and this season’s 16-1 performance in College Park.
How then can the Terrapins replicate that dominance on the road, where Maryland has mustered only two wins in nine tries?
“We’ve given ourselves chances,” Willard said. “I just think it’s again it’s we’ve got to do — I have to do — a little better job with this group towards the end of games on the road of just getting them to understand a little bit on the road of being a little bit more patient.”
The Terrapins have been competitive in most of those contests: Four of the seven road losses have been by five points or less, including each of Maryland’s last three losses away from home.
“We’ve taken too many quick shots on the road that have really hurt us, and I think at home you can get away with it,” Willard said.
A seven-point lead at Nebraska faded in the Terrapins’ latest home loss — a 70-66 overtime setback Feb. 19. The message has trickled down to his players ahead of the final true road games this season, Wednesday at Ohio State and Sunday at Penn State.
“I think it’s important just to stay poised in those environments and internalize that energy and, like I said earlier, just feed off of each other,” guard Don Carey said. “Give each other energy and try to, you know, just stay right there in the moment.”
“Traveling, things like tiredness, guys can be more fatigued,” forward Julian Reese added. “I feel like we just got to take the energy we have at home and add it to our away performances.”
The admittedly superstitious Willard hasn’t yet “found a good routine on the road,” adding he’s swapped out his cufflinks and tie when Maryland travels, seeking any kind of better mojo.
“I’ll try something new for you. I don’t know what,” Willard joked. “Our plane’s delayed tonight, so maybe leaving really late at night will help us. I don’t know. I’ll try anything.”
Willard noted the Terrapins have done well in neutral site games, winning two games in December at the Basketball Hall of Fame Tip-Off and falling by three to then-No. 7 Tennessee in Brooklyn on Dec. 11.
Once past the hurdles of the Buckeyes and Nittany Lions, only neutral sites remain with next week’s conference tournament in Chicago and wherever the Terrapins land in the NCAA Tournament.
• George Gerbo can be reached at ggerbo@washingtontimes.com.
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