Belmont Bruins vs Maryland Terrapins: Predictions, Odds and Roster Notes

Where: VyStar Vererans Memorial Arena, in Jacksonville, FL, USA.

When: Thursday, March 21st at 3:10 pm EST.

How (TV/Radio): TruTv; March Madness Live Stream on ncaa.com

Belmont Bruins

Head Coach: Rick Byrd {Overall: 27-5, .844 W-L% | Conference: 16-2, T-1st in Ohio Valley}

The Bruins are in their eighth NCAA tournament as a program, which is an impressive feat, considering the school joined the Division I ranks in 1999. Belmont will look to take the next step by notching their first ever win in the Round of 64.

Belmont put together a solid season, beating UCLA on the road on December 15th while putting up a decent fight against Purdue in a 73-62 loss on December 29th. The Bruins navigated their conference schedule with relative ease, with their only losses coming against third-place Jacksonville State.

The headliner for Belmont is senior swingman Dylan Windler who averaged a double-double of 20.8 points per game and 10.8 rebounds per game. The OVC’s top three-point-shooter has stuffed the stat sheet all year long, with his best performance coming against Morehead State when he erupted for 41 points and 12 rebounds while hitting 8 of 14 attempts from beyond the arc.

Maryland Terrapins

Head Coach: Mark Turgeon {Overall: 22-10, .688 W-L% | Conference: 13-7, 5th in Big Ten}

The Terrapins return to the NCAA tournament this year after missing out last year when they finished under .500 in the Big Ten. This is their 28th appearance in the Big Dance and fourth under Mark Turgeon.

Turgeon’s team has been quite an enigma this season, as they started out strong with six straight conference wins before going for a roller coaster ride to close out their Big Ten schedule. The Terrapins experienced great highs like beating Purdue 70-56 on February 12th as well as head-scratching losses like their 78-61 embarrassment at the hands of Penn State on February 27th.

Junior guard Anthony Cowan has been tasked with leading a rotation heavy on freshmen and sophomores, which has translated into a season where he averaged 16 points per game. The local product has been a steady source of offense for Maryland, while also serving as a playmaker to set up big men Bruno Fernando and Jalen Smith in the post, as well as sharpshooters Eric Ayala and Aaron Wiggins.

Belmont Roster Notes

There are no injuries or roster changes to report for Belmont.

Maryland Roster Notes

There are no injuries or roster changes to report for Maryland.

Head-to-Head: Nick Muszynski vs Bruno Fernando

Nick Muszynski

Center | 6-11, 235lb (211cm, 106kg) | St. Charles Prep | Pickerington, OH | Freshman

14.9 PPG | 2.7 APG | 5.8 RPG | 0.6 SPG | 2.2 BPG | 1.6 TOV | .610 FG% | .389 3P%

Bruno Fernando

Power Forward | 6-10, 240lb (208cm, 108kg) | IMG Academy (FL) | Luanda, Angola | Sophomore

13.7 PPG | 2.0 APG | 10.4 RPG | 0.6 SPG | 1.9 BPG | 2.8 TOV | .618 FG% | .250 3P%

Like the NBA, the college game has become very perimeter oriented and guard friendly. That being said, big guys often manage to get their time to shine on both ends of the floor, much like these two underclassmen who may end up guarding each other.

Nick Muszynski has hit the ground running since stepping foot on campus at Belmont. The 6-11 freshman has started every game this year for the Bruins, while establishing himself as a dominant rim protector by leading the OVC in blocked shots. Although he is capable of stepping out to the perimeter to hit threes, Muszynski has done most of his damage around the rim like a traditional big man.

Like his counterpart, Bruno Fernando has been the linchpin on defense for his team, as he ranks fourth in the Big Ten in blocks. The Angolan has also been a machine on the boards, ranking second in the Big Ten in rebounding while racking up 20 double-doubles which puts in a tie for seventh in the nation. What has made Fernando a key piece for coach Turgeon is his ability to stay out of foul trouble, as he fouled out just once all season.

Belmont vs Maryland Predictions and Odds

Sportsbooks are anticipating a close game which comes as no surprise, with Belmont a popular upset pick among bracket experts. Oddsmakers are currently favoring Maryland by 3 points over Belmont, while the most popular over/under for the game is 146.5.