The No. 8 Maryland Terrapins (11-0) host the No. 19 Michigan State Spartans (11-1) this Sunday, Dec. 29, as Big Ten conference play begins in earnest across the country. The game is scheduled for a 1 p.m. ET tip-off and will be broadcast via the B1G+ streaming service.
The Terrapins entered the 2024-25 NCAA season on a mission to prove that last season’s 9-9 conference record was a fluke. Maryland has more often than not been near at the top of the Big Ten standings since joining the conference a decade ago, but fell short of expectations in 2024, prompting head coach Brenda Frese to look to the transfer portal to reload her program.
Thus far, it’s looking like Maryland is once again a team to fear. Transfers such as Kaylene Smikle (17.7 points per game) and Christina Dalce (10.4 points and 8.5 rebounds per game) have made immediate impacts and allowed senior Shyanne Sellers (11.8 points and 5.5 assists per game) to slide into a lower-usage, higher-efficiency role than the one she played last season. As a team, the Terrapins are playing at their usual fast pace, but have significantly improved their defense, allowing just 77.7 points per 100 possessions (Her Hoop Stats)—down from 95.5 last season, which was by far the team’s worst defensive efficiency since joining…