Maryland and No. 12 Nebraska have had decidedly divergent seasons as they have resided at the opposite ends of the Big Ten standings.
While the Terrapins (11-16, 4-12 Big Ten) have matched their worst record since 1992-93, the Cornhuskers (23-4, 12-4) are four wins away from topping their all-time program high of 26 victories in a season.
Lately, however, the results for Maryland and Nebraska have regressed to the mean, adding intrigue to their matchup Wednesday night in Lincoln, Neb.
Over the last four weeks in the rugged Big Ten, both teams have gone 3-4, with the Terrapins showing improvement and the Cornhuskers showing a few cracks, albeit some of them health-related.
There’s been no shame in any of Nebraska’s recent defeats. After the Cornhuskers rolled to a perfect start through 20 games, two of their top three scorers were sidelined in a 75-72 loss at then-No. 3 Michigan on Jan. 27.
Since then, Rienk Mast (severe dehydration) and Braden Frager (ankle) have struggled to regain their form.
In a 57-52 loss last Tuesday at Iowa in which Nebraska scored its season low, Mast and Frager each went 0-for-3 from beyond the arc and combined for 14 points, well shy of their combined average of 25.5 points per game.
Saturday, in an 87-64 win at home over Penn State, Frager took positive steps as he made 4 of 8 shots from deep, scoring 15 points.
“I need a guy who can go get us some extra possessions, some rebounds and play with a swagger, and I thought he got back to that today,” Nebraska coach Fred Hoiberg said. “He told me yesterday that was the best he had felt in a practice in a long time since he got injured.”
More health concerns emerged for Hoiberg on Saturday as starter Jamarques Lawrence “tweaked” an ankle late in the game, Hoiberg said, while another starter, Berke Buyuktuncel, was a late scratch with a stomach ailment.
The Cornhuskers’ most important player, Pryce Sandfort, who has remained healthy, delivered a career-high 33 points on 8 of 14 marksmanship from beyond the arc and added nine rebounds against Penn State.
Blossoming as the go-to player for Maryland has been freshman Andre Mills. After scoring a career-high 39 points in a 78-74 loss Wednesday at Northwestern, Mills delivered in the clutch Saturday in a 64-60 victory at home over Washington.
Mills scored seven of his 21 points in the final 1:45, making the difference in a second half in which neither team led by more than five points.
“Me working out every day at 5 a.m., it’s just coming to life, just showing the world,” Mills said.
It’s been a dreadful season for the Terrapins, but the emergence of Mills, who redshirted last year at Texas A&M and moved to Maryland along with coach Buzz Williams, has given the program a much-needed lift.
“His ability to get to the rim has continued to increase,” Williams said. “When that becomes, he’s getting fouled and making free throws, I’m excited about where he’s going to go.”
Also playing an inspirational role for the Terrapins has been Solomon Washington, who has put up 11 points and 14 rebounds in each of Maryland’s last three games.
