With basketball season rapidly approaching, we’re going team-by-team in the Big Ten to assess where everyone stands and how things could shake out this year.
Maryland enters this season looking to bounce back after a disappointing 2023-24 campaign. The Terrapins struggled throughout last season and finished with a losing overall record for only the second time in the last 31 years. Kevin Willard could be facing some pressure to turn things around in College Park this season.
WHO’S GONE:
- Jahmir Young (20.4 PPG)
- Donta Scott (11.2 PPG)
- Jamie Kaiser Jr. (4.4 PPG)
- Noah Batchelor (1.7 PPG)
- Caelum Swanton-Rodger (1.5 PPG)
- Mady Traore (1.3 PPG)
- Jahnathan Lamothe (0.8 PPG)
WHO’S BACK:
- Julian Reese, F (13.7 PPG)
- DeShawn Harris-Smith, G (7.3 PPG)
- Jordan Geronimo, F (5.4 PPG)
- Jahari Long, G (4.7 PPG)
- Braden Pierce, C (redshirted last season)
WHO’S NEW:
Transfer portal
- Ja’Kobi Gillespie, G (17.2 PPG at Belmont)
- Selton Miguel, G (14.7 PPG at South Florida)
- Rodney Rice, G (7.4 PPG at Virginia Tech in 2022-23)
- Chance Stephens, G (6.0 PPG at Loyola Marymount in 2022-23)
- Tafara Gapare, F (5.1 PPG at Georgia Tech)
- Jay Young, G (2.2 PPG at Memphis)
Freshmen (Rankings from 247Sports Composite)
- Derik Queen, C (five-star, No. 12)
- Malachi Palmer, G (three-star, No. 158)
RETURNING MINUTES: 42.4 percent (per barttorvik.com)
Why it will work
If Maryland is good this year, it means at least one of two things happened: its transfer portal additions pan out, and/or Derik Queen becomes an immediate factor and turns in a Big Ten Freshman of the Year campaign. The Terps lost two of their three leading scorers from last season in Jahmir Young and Donta Scott, and second-leading scorer Julian Reese has never been the type to really pace a team in scoring. DeShawn Harris-Smith should take a step forward this year, but UMD probably needs more than that. Gillespie is a nice pickup, and he’ll be the biggest key of the newcomers. Rice and Miguel should also play important roles. And Queen, the talented big man who chose Maryland over IU, could be an X-factor — if he gives the Terps a productive freshman year, it will really boost the team’s floor and ceiling.
Additionally, Maryland was one of the top defensive teams in the Big Ten last season, ranking 14th in KenPom’s adjusted defensive efficiency. The Terps allowed 0.959 points per possession last season, good for 26th in the country and second behind Rutgers in the conference. If that defensive prowess continues this season, UMD should be able to improve overall.
Why it won’t
Frankly, there are a lot of ‘ifs’ with this team. There’s very little to point to on Maryland’s roster and feel certain about. Reese is probably the only thing — he’s been a solid, good-not-great player for several years now, and it would be surprising if he dipped below that level. He could very well end up being Maryland’s best player this season, but that could be a bad sign for this team’s outlook if nobody else steps into that role. The Terps could also have some depth issues — Reese, Harris-Smith, Gillespie, Rice, Miguel, and Queen could all be solid (or better) contributors, but there isn’t a ton behind that group.
Our take
There’s a wide range of outcomes for Maryland this season. If several things break its way, it could be a surprise team in the upper third of the Big Ten. But if the Terps start slow and have some things go against them, it could get ugly, and Willard’s seat could get warm. Realistically, this looks like a team that should finish somewhere in the middle of the pack and be around the NCAA Tournament bubble.
BIG TEN OUTLOOK: Middle of the pack
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