Oregon, Maryland set to face off with first Big Ten win up for grabs

Two Big Ten teams looking for their first conference win of the season meet on Friday in College Park, Md., when Maryland faces Oregon.The Terrapins (7-6, 0-2 Big Ten) have played one of the tou

Oregon, Maryland set to face off with first Big Ten win up for grabs

Two Big Ten teams looking for their first conference win of the season meet on Friday in College Park, Md., when Maryland faces Oregon.

The Terrapins (7-6, 0-2 Big Ten) have played one of the toughest schedules in the country, having lost to Georgetown, Gonzaga, Alabama, Iowa, Michigan and Virginia. Maryland is coming off a 73-58 win over Old Dominion on Dec. 28, having jumped out to a 17-0 lead in that game.

Solomon Washington had 13 points and 13 rebounds for the Terps, who blocked six shots while using their seventh different starting lineup of the season.

Maryland has dealt with injuries and several blowout losses this season. The Terrapins fell to Oregon 83-79 on the road last season in the only other meeting between the two teams.

“I think our guys have been incredibly resilient over all that has transpired in the first semester regardless of results,” Maryland head coach Buzz Williams said. “… The group is continuing to have a positive trajectory.”

Oregon has lost all three games it has played against Top 25 opponents, and like Maryland, it needs a very good conference showing to get back to the NCAA Tournament.

The Ducks are coming off an 80-57 win over Omaha on Dec. 28 at home, their third win in the last four games. Nate Bittle has returned from a minor injury and sparked the Oregon offense, with 26 points against Omaha after scoring 28 in a loss to Gonzaga on Dec. 21.

Guard Jackson Shelstad scored 23 points against Maryland in last season’s meeting, and at 15.6 points per game this season, is second on the Ducks in scoring behind Bittle at 16.1.

Bittle knows it will take a lot of conference wins for the Ducks to get to where they want to be in 2026.

“I’m excited to get back into conference play,” Bittle said. “I think we’ve got 11 Quad 1 games in conference play. So if we can (win) a good amount of those games, I think we’ll like where we are.”