March Madness may be over, but there is still plenty happening with Maryland men’s basketball. After a successful season that ended in a Sweet 16 appearance, the program is undergoing major changes.
The Terps finished the season 24-7 overall, with key wins over Wisconsin, Michigan, and UCLA. They earned a No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament and defeated Grand Canyon and Colorado State before falling to Florida.
The first major shift came when former head coach Kevin Willard left the Terps to become the head coach at Villanova University on Sunday, March 30. Willard left three days after the Terps’ 87-71 loss to Florida in the Sweet 16. After his departure, eight players entered the transfer portal and freshman center Derik Queen declared for the NBA draft.
Maryland quickly hired former Texas A&M head coach Buzz Williams on April 1, as announced in a release from the University of Maryland. Williams has over 350 career wins and has brought his teams to the NCAA tournament 11 times as a head coach.
“It is an honor and privilege to be named the head coach of the University of Maryland men’s basketball team,” Williams said in the release.
Most notably, the “Crab Five,” Maryland’s starting lineup of Queen, sophomore guard Rodney Rice, junior guard Ja’Kobi Gillespie, senior forward Julian Reese, and senior guard Selton Miguel, won’t return next season.Reese and Miguel are graduating, Queen declared for the NBA draft, and both Rice and Gillespie entered the transfer portal. The group was one of the most effective starting fives in the country. Seven times this season, the Crab Five scored double figures, more than any team in the nation.
Rice, who averaged 13.8 points per game, announced on Instagram that his final six potential teams for next year are Villanova, Tennessee, Auburn, USC, Gonzaga, and Maryland. Gillespie, who was second in the Big Ten for 3-pointers, has since committed to the University of Tennessee.
Outside of the starters, seven Terps entered the portal. Junior forward Tafara Gapare was the first, just a day after Willard’s departure. Graduate guards Jay Young and Jahari Long, sophomore guards DeShawn Harris-Smith and Chance Stephens, freshman center Braden Pierce, and freshman guard Malachi Palmer followed. Most of them had limited roles due to injuries or inconsistent minutes.
Palmer and Pierce have since committed to Villanova, following Willard, and Harris-Smith committed to Georgetown.
Even with the loss of players, Williams is reshaping the roster. He is bringing multiple players from Texas A&M, including forwards Pharrel Payne, Solomon Washington, George Turkson, and guard Andre Mills.
“No one is going to outwork this guy, and he is going to win,” ESPN sportscaster and Maryland alum Scott Van Pelt said. “Buzz has won everywhere he has been.”