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Maryland men’s basketball has just two games remaining in its season. After losing to Rutgers for the second time this year on Sunday, the Terps fell to 4-14 in Big Ten play. They’re tied with the 1992-93 squad for the most losses in conference play in a campaign, with a chance to break that mark over the next week.
The first challenger to emerge is Wisconsin, a program that’s primed for yet another March Madness run in just a few weeks. The Badgers have won five of their last six contests, with crucial victories coming over the likes of then-No. 8 Illinois and then-No. 10 Michigan State. Though a hiccup against Oregon came within the last week, Wisconsin’s playing its best basketball of the season at the right time.
Wednesday’s game will begin at 8 p.m. and air on Fox Sports 1.
Wisconsin Badgers (20-9, 12-6 Big Ten)
Head coach Greg Gard is in the midst of his 11th season at the helm of the program, and he’s no stranger to success. His Badger teams have twice claimed the Big Ten regular season title, and he was named Big Ten Coach of the Year in each of those seasons.
Gard has led his teams to seven NCAA Tournaments, with the program reaching the Sweet 16 in two of those appearances. He was named a Naismith National Coach of the Year finalist in 2022.
Players to watch
Nick Boyd, senior guard, 6-foot-3, No. 2 — Boyd has been the Badgers’ premier scorer all season long and has started each of their 29 contests. The senior leads the team with 20.3 points per game and 115 total assists. Boyd is in his first season at Wisconsin after spending last year at San Diego State, and the four previous campaigns at FAU.
In the team’s last match against Washington, he registered 22 points on 11-of-20 shooting.
John Blackwell, junior guard, 6-foot-4, No. 25 — Blackwell has forged himself a nice career in Madison, earning All-Big Ten Honorable Mention honors in 2025 and an All-Big Ten Freshman Team distinction in 2024. This year, he’s second on the team with 18.2 points and 4.9 rebounds per game.
Nolan Winter, junior forward, 7-foot, No. 31 — The 235-pound giant is sure to give the Terps some pushback on the boards, as he grabs a team-leading 8.7 per game. He also leads the Badgers with 35 total blocks. Winter broke out last season and started all 37 games for Wisconsin, but has improved his scoring total to 13.5 points per game in 2025-26.
Strength
Ball security. Wisconsin has the fifth-fewest turnovers per game in the Big Ten and the fifth-best assist-to-turnover ratio in the conference. Maryland will need to limit its own mistakes in order to keep pace with a team that won’t beat itself in that regard. And after a 19-turnover performance against Rutgers, that may be easier said than done.
Weakness
Field goal percentage. Wisconsin ranks 15th in the Big Ten in overall field goal percentage (44.9%), but tied for sixth-best in the conference in 3-point shooting (35.5%). This suggests that the Badgers struggle to convert in various areas inside the paint at a greater rate than the conference’s other teams, and it could be something that the Terps look to exploit.
Three things to watch
1. Close game…what happens? If the Terps can whittle the action down to being decided in the final few minutes, it will be interesting to see what head coach Buzz Williams’ strategy will be. He’s counted on the fearless shot taking of Diggy Coit over the course of the season, but the guard hasn’t delivered to the same degree lately as he had earlier in the season. Whether there will be a departure from Coit-heavy possessions at particular junctures in the game remains to be seen.
2. Del Pino’s development. The Terps might have found a gem in the Spaniard, who seems to only be gaining more trust from Williams as the season progresses. He played for 19 minutes in Sunday’s second half against Rutgers, and his distribution, poise and defense has improved tremendously over the year. His ascension, along with Andre Mills’, will be something to closely monitor.
3. How low can the Terps go? In terms of overall season record, the Terps sit just two losses away from tying the second-most losses in a single season in program history, with 20 in 1988-89. The 1940-41 squad holds the all-time program record for single-season losses with 21, and that mark could be achievable if the Terps lose their final two contests and a Big Ten Tournament game.