MD will have a packed house to face the Orange. Had 'Cuse not lost last night to Boston College, I would have liked MD's chances a bit more.
Would expect that loss will help refocus Syracuse. On the other-hand, maybe Syracuse losing that game will remind the MD players that the Orange can be beat.
We know the odds of MD playing their way into the tournament are unlikely. However, if they can win this game, they still have a chance. It's true they could win this game, and still lose any of the 3 other remaining regular season games @Clemson, vs. VaTech, and vs. UVA.... but MD can win those games as well.
Bringing back the focus to Syracuse, it is pointless to think about the other 3 games until we see what happens Monday.
When MD played Duke, I wasn't anticipating MD having a great chance. It is understandable why they did though. Duke plays an up-and-down game, which allowed MD's guards and wings the ability to score in transition. MD's guards and wings were also helped by Duke not having a great interior defender... and by Duke having a poor shooting night from outside.
That game showed that on a given night, MD has enough talent to play with a Top 10 team on the road. Based on that, there is reason to think that on a given night, MD has enough talent to beat Syracuse at home. It will be difficult though, not just because the Orange are very good; but because of the style of play.
That match-up zone figures to cause MD lots of problems. Will Allen and Wells be able to get any penetration? Will MD be able to knock down enough shots from outside? Will MD be able to get out and run at all?
The main reason MD lost at Duke was that the Terps put the Blue Devils on the line too often, and the Terps did not convert enough of their own FT's. If MD is going to pull the upset Monday, they really have to limit the fouls they give.
