3-Game NCAAB SWEEPER PASS
(NCAAB) Maryland vs. Northwestern,
Point Spread: -2.00 | -103.00 Northwestern (Home)
Result: Loss
The set-up: No. 19 Maryland will take its 21-4 record (9-3 in the Big Ten) into Evanston tonight to face the 19-6 Northwestern Wilcats (8-4 in Big Ten play). Northwestern is courting history, as the Wildcats are the only Power-5 school to have not made an NCAA appearance but after upsetting Wisconsin 65-59 on the road, Northwestern is clearly set to end that drought come Selection Sunday 2017.

Maryland: The Terrapins had fallen from first to third in the Big Ten standings with the back-to-back losses Purdue and Penn State but remain just a game back of the Badgers after beating Ohio State 86-77 last weekend, Maryland's highest-scoring point total in conference play.thi season (Maryland plays at Wisconsin this coming Sunday). Maryland's leading scorer is Melo Trimble (16.6), who had an opportunity to declare for the NBA Draft after last season. However, he in an effort to improve his his stock. He's failed to do that with a disappointing season to-date, especially lately. Trimble is shooting a combined 16-for-52 (30.8%) from the floor over his last four games. Maryland's only other double digit scorers this season are both freshman, the 6-7 Jackson (11.1 & 6.4) and guard Cowan (10.6-4.0-3.6).

Northwestern: The Wildcats upset Wisconsin despite the absence of leading scorer Scottie Lindsey (15.4) and he'll miss again here, sitting out for a fourth straight game while battling mononucleosis, Fellow guard Bryant McIntosh had a season-high 25 points in the win over Wisconsin and he's now scored 21, 22, 21 and 25 points in the last four games to bump his season average to 14.0 PPG. The 6-7 Law (13.5 & 6.0) and the 6-8 Pardon (8.0 & 8.1) are Northwestern's best frontcourt players but 6-6 guard Lumpkin (6.8 & 6.4) is also a good rebounder.

The pick: A first-ever NCAA tournament invitation is tantalizingly close, as Northwestern will be trying to beat a ranked team in consecutive games for the first time since the 2008-09 season. Then again, I'm buying into this being a a "year of firsts" for Wojo's team. I've believed all season that Maryland is overrated, so let's amke Northwestern a 10* play.