Maryland is undefeated and off to its best start in more than a decade. USC is ranked higher and has JuJu Watkins and Kiki Iriafen. Wednesday’s top-10 Big Ten matchup has no shortage of intrigue.
How to watch No. 4 USC at No. 8 Maryland
The Terrapins are one of just five unbeaten teams left in Division I. They convincingly beat Purdue, Michigan State, Rutgers and Iowa to start conference play.
Kaylene Smikle is coming off her fourth-career Big Ten Player of the Week designation, averaging almost 20 points across her last four games. She’s been excellent in high-usage this year, shooting 50 percent from the field and 46.2 0n treys. Her backcourt running mate Shyanne Sellers has cut down on turnovers and fouls in her senior season.
Coach Brenda Frese’s team is fourth in rebounding differential. It puts points on the board and gets to the free throw line consistently. If Maryland has a weakness thus far, it’s giveaways — 16.5 in conference action, 207th in the country overall.
USC will be the Terps’ toughest challenge to date. The Trojans have the best defensive rating in the nation, and sit second in blocked shots. Lindsay Gottlieb coaches two of the best players in the game — Watkins, the transcendent playmaker who leads the conference in scoring, and Iriafen, an…
