How to watch Maryland vs. Grand Canyon: Odds, storylines for men's NCAA Tournament matchup
Maryland was one of the best teams in the Big Ten this season and is a No. 4 seed, but Grand Canyon is a dangerous Cinderella. The Antelopes are in the NCAA Tournament for the fourth time in five seasons and knocked off Saint Mary's as a No. 12 seed last year. Can they do it again against the Terrapins?
We've got a breakdown of the strengths and weaknesses on both sides of the matchup, plus odds and viewing info. Our game previews are a collaborative effort between The Athletic staff, The Field of 68 and Brad Evans' The Gaming Juice.
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Strengths: Brawn and balance best sum up the Crab Five's scoring abilities. Derik Queen and Julian Reese are interior bruisers who comprise arguably one of the best frontcourts in the country. The dynamic duo is an absolute load to contain. They're highly active on the glass, execute efficiently in the back-down game and often rock rims with thunderous dunks. Maryland's mashers are flanked by sharpshooters Ja'Kobi Gillespie, Rodney Rice and Selton Miguel, a trio who greatly elevated their games down the regular-season homestretch. Over the Terps' final 10 pre-tourney games, they converted a sensational 38.0 percent from distance. Also dedicated defenders, they enter the Dance ranked top 25 in adjusted defensive efficiency.
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Weaknesses: Whether examining Maryland's advanced metrics at KenPom or BartTorvik, the prominent color highlights are green, green and more green. On paper, the Terrapins show few, if any, glaring weaknesses. One nitpick would be their depth. At No. 303 in bench minutes, according to KenPom, they must avoid foul trouble. Interestingly, despite the stellar play of Queen and Reese, they ranked only No. 15 in the Big Ten regular season in 2-point percentage offense. They also slotted near the bottom of the league in assists-to-field goals made. Again, considering they have only three losses since early January, there isn't much to fuss about.
Outlook: Thought to be competitive, though not a Big Ten contender, in the preseason, Maryland has greatly exceeded expectations. It enters the postseason sizzling on all fronts. Its execution throughout February and early March was generally clean and highly efficient across the board. As someone who holds a betting slip for the Terps to visit the Alamo and the Final Four at +1300, I don't need to be convinced of their potential. Kevin Willard has the warriors to cash this wagering enthusiast's ticket, and presumably Scott Van Pelt's. They unquestionably have the goods to bloody non-believers' brackets.
—Brad Evans
Outlook: Everyone remembers the famous Bryce Drew shot that sunk Ole Miss during his playing days at Valparaiso. Fans of the Madness have it stained on the cerebral cortex. GCU's current head honcho is hoping for another memorable March moment. His 'Lopes are one of the field's stiffest defensive squads. On the season, they rank No. 20 nationally in effective field-goal percentage defense, conceding a mere 46.4 percent on 2s and 32.1 percent on 3s. They also thrive on unforced errors. Over 20 percent of opponent possessions resulted in a turnover. Trotting out a sizable frontcourt for a mid-major at 6-foot-7 (Tyon Grant-Foster), 6-foot-8 (JaKobe Coles) and 6-foot-10 (Duke Brennan), the Phoenix area reps can hang with high majors on the glass. Self-inflicted wounds, however, hindered it often and it will need to ramp up its arc execution (31.5 3-point percentage), but GCU's stupendous defense and consistent free-throw conversions has it in play to potentially bloody brackets.
—Brad Evans
(Photo of Derik Queen: Michael Reaves / Getty Images)
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