KU Basketball: Why Kansas Will Beat Maryland in the Sweet Sixteen

The KU basketball team takes on the Maryland Terrapins in the sweet sixteen on Thursday. It will be a close matchup but does Maryland have a chance?

The last time the Kansas Jayhawks were in the sweet sixteen they lost to a very good Michigan Wolverines team who was taken down by Louisville in the national championship game. After blowing out Austin Peay and UConn, KU has advanced to play the fifth seeded Maryland Terrapins. Ranked 18th in the nation, the Terps came in fourth place in the Big 10 being a very young and talented team.

The Terrapin squad is led by Melo Trimble, a sophomore guard, and Diamond Stone, a freshman center. Trimble’s matchup on KU’s guards in Devonte’ Graham and Frank Mason will be interesting.

Trimble is more of an offensive-minded player where you have Graham playing some of the best defense he has ever contributed to the program. Not only is he putting up points but playing lockdown defense. Big network commentators are starting to talk about him more, giving him the attention he deserves after such a compelling season.

Graham and Mason will probably split time defending the elite guard in Trimble as well as guarding the senior Rasheed Sulaimon, a transfer from Duke. In these matchups, I see the Jayhawks having the advantage not because of the scoring but the defense. If you were to compare these two guards, you wouldn’t see much of a difference in skill.

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The next interesting matchup of the day will be the bigs spot in a rebounding battle between Landen Lucas and Diamond Stone. Diamond Stone was a five star recruit coming out of high school who has really developed into a lottery pick in the NBA Draft as the season has gone on.

Lucas stands at 6’10 averaging 6.4 rebounds a game while Stone stands at 6’11 and averages 5 rebounds a game. Stone just barely edges out Lucas in height with Lucas leading in boards. Both are not legitimate scorers but will box out for rebounds all game long and contribute for the team the best that way. In the end this battle could go either way, if not just as equal.

With Wayne Selden playing the three this season, it has been no different. He still plays like a shooting guard. The only matchup that the KU basketball team could lose this game is between Selden and Maryland’s Jake Layman, a senior small forward. Selden is not a legitimate small forward and is no where near Layman’s 6’9 height. Perry Ellis will keep up his game going against a talented forward in Robert Carter.

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In the end Kansas should edge out Maryland but will sure be a close game. Both of these teams now have the experience to go to the next level in the tournament after not being successful in past seasons. The winner of this games matches up against Villanova or Miami in the elite eight.

So what do you think KU basketball fans? Do you think the Jayhawks will handle the Terrapins easily? Will it be a fight to the finish? Let me know your thoughts in the comments’ section below.

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