Maryland men’s basketball cruised through its first-round NCAA Tournament matchup, dispatching Grand Canyon, 81-49.

Sunday’s showdown with No. 12 seed Colorado State, which opened with a 78-70 win over No. 5 seed Memphis, might not be as easy.

The Rams, who won the Mountain West Tournament to secure an automatic berth into the field, might be the hottest team in the country outside of the No. 1 seeds. They’ve won 11 consecutive games, led by coach Niko Medved and small forward Nique Clifford, who averages 19 points and 9.7 rebounds per game. He’s among the best players in the country, and he’ll be a matchup problem for the Terps.

Here’s what Maryland fans need to know about Colorado State:

Clifford presents challenge

If Terps fans haven’t watched Clifford this season, they’re in for a treat Sunday. The 6-foot-6 senior does everything well, shooting over 50% from the field and nearly 40% from 3-point range. He’s also averaging more than four assists per game.

Well-known basketball analytics website KenPom lists Clifford seventh nationally in its Player of the Year race. He’s capable of explosive scoring outputs, pouring in 36 in a March 7 win over Boise State. Clifford struggled shooting in Friday’s win over Memphis, going 3-for-13 from the field. Still, he scored 14 points to go with eight rebounds and six assists.

“I didn’t have a great night, but I could care less,” Clifford said after the win. “I’m just so happy, man, I’m so happy for my teammates, the guys who haven’t been here before who get to experience a win … I didn’t have my greatest game, but I’ll adjust and be ready for the next game. But I’m just happy to get this win any way we can. My teammates stepped up big time.”

If Maryland wants to make the Sweet 16, slowing Clifford will be of the utmost importance. He averaged just 14.1 points per game in the team’s nine losses, failing to reach 20 points in eight of those nine games.

Rams play small

Colorado State ranks 98th nationally with a plus-three rebounding margin per game, but the Rams aren’t all that big. Of their primary contributors, none are taller than 6-8. Backup center Nikola Djapa stands at 6-11, but the Serbian plays fewer than 10 minutes per game.

Forward Julian Reese and center Derik Queen are among the Terps’ most consistent and dangerous players, and they’ll have a size advantage Sunday. Reese was fantastic in the Terps’ win over Grand Canyon, scoring the team’s first six points as the rest of his teammates overcame early nervousness. He finished with 18 points and nine rebounds, while Queen added 12 points and 15 rebounds. The big men helped the Terps control the paint, where they outscored the Antelopes 44-16.

Colorado State doesn’t block many shots, although the Rams do well to crash the offensive glass. The Rams aren’t diminutive by any means, but they’re also not as well-rounded in the post as Maryland. The Terps hold an obvious edge inside the paint, and they used that to cruise to a win over Grand Canyon on Friday. Can Colorado State mitigate that advantage?

Mountain West tries to change narrative

Friday’s Colorado State win notwithstanding, the Mountain West carries a poor recent NCAA Tournament reputation. The conference was just 9-14 overall in the event from 2022 to 2024, with San Diego State’s run to the national title game in 2023 accounting for five of those nine wins.

This year, San Diego State and Utah State both suffered blowout losses in the opening round of the tournament. No. 10 seed New Mexico, the other MWC team to make the field, plays No. 7 seed Marquette on Friday night.

Since 2003, Mountain West teams were just 5-37 as a No. 8 seed or higher entering this year’s tournament, according to data from VSiN. Not only is Sunday’s game meaningful for Colorado State, but every Mountain West game this March is put under the microscope as the league battles to improve its postseason reputation.

Have a news tip? Contact sports editor Bennett Conlin at bconlin@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/BennettConlin.