Year two of the Buzz Williams experience at Maryland, which begins Monday night vs. Bucknell, is almost certainly destined to go better than his disappointing first season in College Park. He’s assembled a talented roster in support of that effort, but how high can the Terrapins climb in a loaded Big Ten?
“It’s hard for me to think through how to compare our arrival in College Park versus this year, but I do think that 100 years of experience on your [coaching] staff is important. It’s more important to me than I think maybe some coaches,” Williams said. “That intellectual property, that relationship, that heart connection, that’s hard to quantify.”
Something easy to quantify is Maryland’s talent. Center Pharrel Payne returns to lead a loaded front court after getting a medical redshirt following a right knee injury last December. A preseason All-Big Ten selection, Payne, who averaged 17.5 points in 10 games last season, actually credits the time off the court for making him a better player.
People were interested in these podcasts
“You see the game from a different way,” he said. “A player can never be a ref or a coach, it’s always different. You see it two different ways, and I think if you can put the two together, you gain a lot of insight from being off the court, and you have a lot of insight from being on the court. And matching those together, I think I can get myself to a place where I don’t make that many mistakes.”
His coach noted Payne’s transformation wasn’t just basketball related.
“Of all of the players that have had a season-ending injury, I don’t think that I’ve learned more from any of them than I did from [Payne],” Williams said. “The metamorphosis of who he became as a person because of something that was a setback was as transformative as anything I’ve seen. His talent, I think, speaks for itself.”
Payne is the centerpiece — literally and figuratively — of Maryland’s roster. The Terrapins’ broader success, however, likely relies on guard Andre Mills, and if his upward progression can continue.
“The game definitely slowed down a little bit for me in terms of watching film, making decisions,” Mills said of his freshman season. “So definitely just being more patient with the ball, being patient when I cut, being patient on the weak side.”
Amid UMD’s worst season (12-21) since 1992-93, Mills became a late bright spot, scoring in double figures in 11 of the Terrapins’ final 13 games, averaging just shy of 18 per game.
“I feel like my freshman year, I fouled a lot with just trying to be handsy. I think I learned how to use the spots on the court more to manipulate defenses a little better, so I’m just putting all that stuff into fruition as well for this next season.”
Many eyes will also be on highly-touted, five-star freshman forward Baba Oladotun. The Silver Spring native and Blake graduate chose Maryland over Georgetown, Arkansas and Kentucky, becoming the second highest-rated recruit in program history. But he doesn’t necessarily carry the same initial expectations as UMD’s last major freshman star, Derik Queen, after missing his senior season with an ankle injury.
“I would say like the overall speed and physicality, that’s something that’s a lot different than high school,” Oladotun said. “I missed my senior year of high school, so it’s been definitely a shock. But I think just through the great strength program here, I’ve been eating a lot, putting on a lot more weight. I think I’ve adjusted pretty well.”
Williams also bolstered the roster with transfer portal additions led by guard DJ Wagner (Arkansas), forward Tomislav Buljan (New Mexico) and guard Mike McNair Jr. (Boston).
“I mean, any team you’re on, you’re gonna have a mix of freshman, transfers at this time now, upperclassmen, everything. So I feel like we’ve gelled together well,” McNair said. “Guys have been evolving into their role a little bit more, and it’s been getting better and better.”
Helping that evolution was an expanded preseason, with the NCAA allowing schools to schedule up to three exhibition contests for the first time. The Terrapins finished 2-1 in those games, beating Georgia Tech in Baltimore, West Virginia at home in overtime and losing a closed scrimmage at Virginia Tech.
“Honestly, I was really excited to play this early on,” Mills said. “I think last year we only had one exhibition game, so to get this many reps was really important for me and the rest of the team. We play a lot in practice, so we were kind of just tired of beating up on each other and ready to beat up on somebody else.”
On paper, the Terrapins have the talent to guide them back to the NCAA Tournament — especially with the tournament’s expansion to 76 schools. But UMD was projected only to finish 12th in the 18-team Big Ten in the conference’s annual, unofficial preseason media poll. The Washington Times, a member of the voting bloc, picked the Terrapins to finish eighth.
“I want to be the best team in the conference. I want to win the conference. I think we have a really good roster for it. We have experience and a different level of young talent,” Mills said. “I just want to I want to prove everybody wrong, for sure.”
Clues to how successful UMD will be should come early. A loaded non-conference slate includes repeat matchups with regional rivals Georgetown (Nov. 7) and Virginia (Nov.13), along with a game with South Carolina in Baltimore (Dec. 19).
In between, the Terrapins head back to Las Vegas for year two of the massive Players’ Era tournament for three games, including against No. 8 Tennessee and potentially No. 18 Iowa State. Conference play opens a week later at Ohio State Dec. 6, followed by No. 6 Michigan State coming to College Park Dec. 9.
“Obviously, we haven’t had that much displayed together,” Payne said. “But what we know we can be and how hard we work together — and we’re on the same page for the most part — I feel like we have a really high ceiling.”
Contact the author
Please read our comment policy before commenting.