If you were watching Maryland basketball for the first time, the front line of Bruno Fernando and Jalen Smith would jump out right away. Both are 6’10 with versatile skill sets. Fernando is becoming a double-double machine, and Smith was a top-15 recruit in his class. The frontcourt duo has earned acclaim as perhaps the best in the Big Ten.
In Maryland’s 74-72 victory Wednesday over No. 24 Nebraska, they played like it.
Fernando dominated all night, pouring in 18 points and grabbing a career-high 17 rebounds. He had his double-double in the early minutes of the second half and remained aggressive until the final buzzer.