What a difference one year makes.
Last fall, the Maryland men’s basketball team was coming off its first losing season in 29 years — and with new head coach Kevin Willard — were picked to finish tenth in a Big Ten stocked with Top 25 teams (three in the rankings with five more receiving votes).
The Terps went on to start strong (an 8-0 start, plus a No. 20 ranking in December) before experiencing some early-season turbulence (consecutive losses to Wisconsin, Tennessee and UCLA), well-documented road woes (1-9 away from home in Big Ten play) and more than holding their own in March (wins in the Big Ten and NCAA Tournament).
But instead of letting the highs and lows of a successful first season sink in, they had to get back to work.
“Once you kind of get back from the NCAA Tournament, the (transfer portal is open) and it’s nonstop,” Willard said last month at the team’s Media Day. “You have no offseason, you have no time to feel bad. It just doesn’t exist anymore.”
Willard restocked his roster with a freshman class that he feels is one of the best he’s ever recruited, with three from the D.C. area: DeShawn Harris-Smith of Woodbridge, Virginia, Jamie Kaiser of Burke, Virginia, and Jahnathan Lamothe of Baltimore. He also landed a 7-foot big man in Braden Pierce of Woodstock, Georgia.
“I think the biggest thing about this group is that they’re physically ready to play. Most freshman come in and really one of the biggest hurdles that they have is physically they can’t compete at this level,” Willard said. “DeShawn, Jamie, Jahn have worked tirelessly to get in great shape. Braden has very good size. So physically they’re able to play and compete at this level.”
Willard also mined the transfer portal, bringing in 6-foot-11 big man Mady Traore from New Mexico State, 6-foot-3 guard Chance Stephens from Loyola Marymount and 6-6 stretch-man Jordan Geronimo from Indiana.
“After the loss to Alabama, the biggest thing that I realized was that we weren’t athletic enough at times,” Willard said. “We really wanted to have someone that knew how to play the game but someone that could help us out athletically. And Jordan, although he’s not 6-foot-11, is as athletic a player as I’ve seen in a while.”
The newcomers join a solid returning nucleus as the Terps bring back three of their top four scorers from last winter, their top rebounder, and their assists leader. The trio of guard Jahmir Young, plus forwards Donta Scott and Julian Reese give Willard experience as well as upside with Young and Reese preseason All-Big Ten selections.
“I think the biggest jump will come from Jahmir and the fact that I think he’ll understand the league so much better. He understands how we’re playing, he understands the system so much better,” Willard said. “I think he’s thinking like a point guard now where last year he was just trying to survive, and that tells you how good a player he is with the year he had.”
Young knows with the highly-touted incoming freshman class he’s going to need to be more than just the team’s top scorer and assist man. He’s going to need to lead.
“First to lead these young guys is going to be important, especially for us to win down the stretch, to win on the road,” Young said. “In order for us to be successful we’re going to have to lead this team.”
Julian Reese made the leap last winter, going from shooting 46% as a freshman to 63% from the field as a sophomore. The 6-foot-9 forward also finished eighth in the Big Ten in rebounding (7.2 boards per game).
“Julian is Julian. He’s gonna kick everyone’s ass and just go at it,” Willard said. “And that’s what Julian does … and that’s why I love him.”
After taking early lumps last winter against Big Ten bigs like Hunter Dickinson (now off to Kansas) and Zach Edey (back for his senior season), Reese is ready to compete.
“It’s a great league if not the best league in the country. There aren’t really any layup games,” Reese said. “Everything is competitive and the games (come at you) so fast back to back. You just gotta take care of yourself and just always be ready.”
Lost in the shuffle is a player Willard wants you to keep an eye on, even if he’d rather have opponents forget 6-foot-8 forward Donta Scott until he’s done the necessary damage.
“He’s not getting talked about enough — he’s not getting enough credit. Everyone’s talking about Jahmir, Julian, and the freshmen — for good reason,” Willard said. “I think he’s poised to really have a breakout season — even though he’s a senior.”
What has Scott’s focus been as he enters his fifth and final season with the Terps?
“Just keeping my shot consistent,” Scott said. “I shot very well my sophomore year (44% from three-point range) and think I can get back to that level.”
The schedule begins Tuesday at home against Mount St. Mary’s and the November slate includes the Asheville Championship Tournament (Davidson plus either UAB or Clemson), as well as a trip to Villanova for the Gavitt Games.
Big Ten play tips off at Indiana Dec. 1, while preseason conference favorite Purdue comes to College Park Jan. 2. Buckle up for another intriguing season.
