The Maryland men’s basketball team tips off its next era eight months after a dream season turned into a nightmare finish.
Lost in the joy of a 27-9 finish that saw the program post its best Big Ten record in five years and make its first trip to the Sweet 16 in nine seasons was the awkward departure of coach Kevin Willard to Villanova.
Enter former Texas A&M/Virginia Tech/Marquette/New Orleans coach Buzz Williams, who’s posted four trips to the NCAA Tournament’s second weekend in his previous stops. And the new coach began fall practice with a conditioning “boot camp” whose goal is part-fitness and part-team building. ”
That shared suffering creates a commonality of what we want to be about,” Williams said at the team’s media day in October. “It’s where the leaders begin to learn to lead. It’s where the followers learn how to follow better. It’s where those that need to use their voice learn how to use it for the first time.”
Williams will blend a roster where every scholarship player is a newcomer, and even though four played for him last season at Texas A&M, he’s coached enough to learn to be flexible.
“I’ve never tried to be the coach that had a style other than what best fits their team,” Williams said. “How can we put them in a position to be as successful as possible?”
He has built a winning program at each of his last four stops (Williams was at New Orleans for only one season), and he focuses on the little things that eventually loom large.
“I think a lot of times the winning is in the margins. But you always find excellence in the margins, and the margins typically speaking are the things that are intangible,” Williams said. “Were you the first to floor on a loose ball? Did you block out on the free throw? When it’s your ball out of bounds under, were you the first team to huddle?”
He gets a blank canvas with a roster that not only lost Derik Queen and Julian Reese to the pros but saw starters like Ja’Kobi Gillespie transferring to the University of Tennessee and Rodney Rice transferring to the University of Southern California.
And while Kevin Willard took three Terps with him to Villanova, Williams brings four players he coached at Texas A&M.
Pharrel Payne averaged 10 points with five rebounds while shooting 65% for the Aggies last season.
What does he hope to bring to this year’s team?
“A lot of energy and passion. I said something about my coach, ‘fire and passion.’ I think that’s something play into as well,” Payne said. “I’m just in the moment, superexcited to be there. Just doing whatever I can to win.”
The 6-foot, 9-inch forward scored 26 points with nine rebounds in last week’s exhibition win over UMBC.
While walk-on Lukas Sotell is the lone holdover from the Willard era, there is a flashback on the roster in the form of Terrapin great Steve Blake’s son Nick, as this is the moment the rest of us feel old as a member of the 2002 national championship team has a son playing college hoops.
“It is very surreal for sure, to be in the same gym as him. Practicing in the same space as him.” Blake said. “It’s the place I’ve been around my whole life, and if I’m able to make an impact here, it’s going to be great.”
The season tips off with a game in Baltimore against Coppin State and nonconference highlights include Friday’s game with Georgetown.
The Big Ten placed six teams in The Associated Press preseason Top 25 poll, with six others receiving votes. Maryland’s in the group of six not receiving votes in October.
Where will they stand come March?
Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.
© 2025 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
