Maryland Basketball Scoop: Dynamic addition, a sleeper for playing time and recruiting intel
For Maryland men's basketball, the preseason will be done soon. The Terps are in full practice mode for the season, including bringing officials to the court to call fouls and get the players ready for game action. How do they look? Where did they add the most dynamic players and who's a sleeper for playing time?
During a recent viewing, I decided to focus on Ja'Kobi Gillespie. The Belmont transfer has more pressure on him and will have a more outsize importance to this team than anyone. When you're asked to replace someone like Jahmir Young, that's the deal.
Gillespie isn't as stout or powerful as Young, and during the first 20 or 30 minutes or so, he didn't stand out. Then he caught fire, draining a couple of deep threes from several feet beyond NBA range. Then he put on a nasty spin move to get to the basket, drawing a buzz from everyone in the gym. By the end of the practice, it was apparent he was one of the best players on the floor.
A source compared him to Anthony Cowan in terms of his size and playing style. Expecting him to be as good as Cowan would be unfair and he probably won't match his numbers from last year as a sophomore at Belmont (17.2 PPG, 4.2 APG, 56.1 FG%) in the Big Ten. There might also be times where his size is a challenge, like when the taller Rodney Rice snatched an offensive rebound over him. But he's a dynamic player who shoots the three better than Young and could have that Melo Trimble-style dynamic when playing off of high screens.
DeShawn Harris-Smith and Tafara Gapare were out on the day I watched. Selton Miguel and Rice has their share of good moments, like when Rice swished a corner three on
Elsewhere, Derik Queen is Derik Queen. The freshman big man is so skilled and patient with the ball in the post, he can present problems even for his far more experienced teammate Julian Reese. Reese is a better rebounder and defender, but Queen has a chance to be Maryland's most efficient big man offensively.
There were few surprises, but freshman Malachi Palmer remains perhaps the biggest one of the fall. Palmer is physically built like an upperclassman and appears likely to be in the rotation when the season starts.
On the recruiting trail, Cam Ward's long-awaited decision went as expected, with the Largo (Md.) star becoming the second local standout and Maryland target to pick MSU, along with Jordan Scott. Ward spoke highly of Tom Izzo from Day One, and it never felt like Maryland had him as a top priority. Willard is likely to take only two high school players in this class and bank the rest for the portal. The NIL market has surged for top high school players and I think Willard believes the money is better spent on proven commodities and mature players.
If Ward or Scott becomes a star in the Big Ten, of course, it'll be a topic of conversation. Elsewhere, in 2026, I'm told the Terps have been in contact with 2026 guard Adam Omiddoch, the former Bishop O'Connell standout now in Atlanta at Overtime Elite. That's been a consistent stop recently, including for 2026 guard Parker Robinson, who visited this month (update via Colby). Add Ommicodch, the nation's No. 28 player and No. 6 shooting guard in the 2026 Composite, to the list of juniors to watch.
"I want to play in a winning environment first of all," Omiddoch told 247Sports' Dushawn Lonson during the season. "I want to play for a team that plays fast, quick-paced, is a defense-first team but also likes to go quick and score the ball at a high level. It would also be nice to play for a young coach or a coach who will help me play my game and be confident. I want to take what I'm doing at the high school level and do it at the next level."
