The first common season for Maryland men’s basketball underneath Buzz Williams has been an excruciating one.
The first omen was requiring a miracle 3-pointer by George Turkson Jr. to defeat UMBC in a preseason exhibition. Less than two weeks later, a Georgetown staff that’s now dead-last within the Big East standings spoiled the Terps’ dwelling opener — and it wasn’t precisely shut.
It took a 41-point efficiency by Diggy Coit to keep away from shedding to Mount St. Mary’s at dwelling. The following week, Maryland misplaced to No. 16 Alabama and No. 12 Gonzaga by a mixed 71 factors within the Players Era Festival.
Pharrel Payne first obtained injured in a seven-point win over Marquette. He miraculously got here again only a week later — then re-injured himself in mid-December.
Nearly three months after Payne’s season-ending damage, the Terps have 15 convention losses. That’s probably the most in a single season in program historical past, with extra Big Ten video games to go.
But, in the end, the common season involves an in depth Sunday at Xfinity Center with Senior Day in opposition to No. 11 Illinois. Tip-off is slated for 3 p.m., with Senior Day festivities happening within the hour earlier than tipoff. The recreation will air on Fox.
Maryland’s final matchup with the Fighting Illini, on Jan. 21, was chilly water to the face for a staff recent off a 23-point win over Penn State, courtesy of one other Coit 40-piece.
The rotation Williams rolled out appears nothing just like the one he’s used to shut out the yr. Coit, Darius Adams and Isaiah Watts made up a three-guard lineup with Elijah Saunders and George Turkson Jr. within the frontcourt.
Turkson was solely used for the tip, although, taking part in 4 minutes whereas Solomon Washington subbed in instantly to play 25 minutes. Aleks Alston additionally performed 22 minutes — he hasn’t reached 20 in a recreation since.
6-foot-7 Illinois guard Andrej Stojakovic isn’t practically the shooter his dad Peja was — Andrej shoots simply 23.9% from 3-point vary — however Maryland followers could be forgiven for not figuring out that primarily based on his exhibiting in opposition to the Terps.
Stojakovic dominated the Terps’ three-guard lineups. He was 4-for-7 from deep en path to a season excessive 30 factors, alongside 9 rebounds. Three different Illini reached double figures as Maryland was dominated, 89-70, in Champaign.
But that recreation wasn’t all unhealthy for the Terps. It led to the emergence of a guard not in that day’s beginning lineup: Andre Mills. The redshirt freshman scored 16 factors in 16 minutes off the bench, which was at that time a season-high. He’s since damaged that mark 5 occasions in 11 video games, and has turn out to be Maryland’s greatest guard by far.
Maryland’s subsequent opponent after Illinois was No. 8 Michigan State. The Spartans received by 43 factors, the Terps’ worst loss since 1944. Next up was No. 15 Purdue, who handed Maryland a 30-point loss — its worst loss ever at Xfinity Center.
The Terps had one Big Ten win getting into the primary Illinois recreation. They’ve obtained three since. The final month of the season wasn’t practically as unhealthy for Maryland as January was.
Illinois adopted the inverse pattern. It had only one Big Ten loss getting into Jan. 21 — and has dropped 4 since. But three of these losses got here in additional time, and two got here in opposition to top-10 opponents.
Keaton Wagler stays the most effective freshmen within the nation. He’s a critical contender, if not the favourite, for Big Ten Player of the Year. He’d be the primary freshman in convention historical past to win that award.
1. Senior sendoffs, with an omission. Coit, Saunders, Washington and Collin Metcalf will likely be honored earlier than Sunday’s recreation, in keeping with a staff spokesperson.
A really noteworthy identify not on that listing? Payne. It’s been assumed that the senior would get the redshirt waiver required to be again in 2026-27, however now it seems to be a positive factor.
2. How does Metcalf deal with the Ivisic brothers? The senior wasn’t but an everyday characteristic in Maryland’s beginning lineup the final time round; Williams was nonetheless deploying primarily Saunders and Washington on the 5.
Metcalf has come into his personal as a paint presence. The Northeastern switch has at the least seven rebounds in 5 of his final seven video games, and three video games with at the least 4 offensive boards. But none of these performances got here in opposition to Tomislav and Zvonimir Ivisic — who stand at 7-foot-1 and 7-foot-2, respectively. They’ll be a brand new take a look at for him in his remaining collegiate basketball recreation.
3. History watch, however not the nice variety. An upset over the Illini could be, to place it mildly, a shock. Maryland hasn’t come near a ranked win this season, and per FanDuel (*11*), they’re 18.5-point underdogs Sunday.
If that anticipated loss comes, it’s going to put Maryland at 20 losses on the season. Unless the Terps win each the Big Ten Tournament and nationwide championship, 21 losses is an inevitability from there. And that will tie the document for many losses in a season in program historical past, set in 1940-41, when the Terps went 1-21.
