Can Maryland basketball lock in its stars for next season, and which high-ceiling recruit was at Xfinity?
Maryland basketball has been focused on getting ready for the Big Ten season. And Kevin Willard hasn't been pouring himself into high school recruiting in the Class of 2025, planning to hit the transfer portal hard again. But that doesn't mean the Terps aren't working on next year's roster and hosting recruits.
Everyone in the Maryland basketball program has been focused on getting ready for the Big Ten season. And Kevin Willard hasn't been pouring himself into high school recruiting in the Class of 2025, instead planning to hit the transfer portal hard again. But that doesn't mean the Terps aren't putting in work on next year's roster and hosting recruits. Here's the scoop.
Maryland hosted 2026 target Shane Pendergrass for its game against UMES on Saturday. Ranked the No. 81 player and No. 17 power forward in the 2026 Composite rankings, the 6-8, 210-pound junior from the DMV is now attending Hargrave Military Academy (Va.).
"Shane Pendergrass, currently a four-star prospect ranked No. 121 in the national class of 2026, is in his first year at Hargrave Military Academy. Thus far, the early returns have been favorable as Pendergrass seems to be embracing a more efficient floor game. While his talent was evident and his production consistent this past grassroots season with DC Premier, he had a habit of settling for a lot of "tough twos" in the deep mid-range area," he wrote.
"Last month though, we saw him start to evolve away from that. He played two games at the National Prep Showcase and the first was very similar to what we have come to expect, with a lot of tough 15-18 footers over contesting defenders. The second though, was vastly different, and a sign of what he could become, as he both showed the progression of his shooting range out to the arc and was also able to get by opposing four men to put more pressure on the rim.
More on him from Colby Giacubeno earlier this fall:
"Pendergrass, who likes the idea of staying home, will be an offensive hub for Hargrave this season and should see significant improvement in his overall skill set. As for the whispers of potentially reaclassing to 2025, Pendergrass told IMS that he has full intentions of remaining in the 2026 class. He along with Chase Foster should be high on their board when it comes to skilled forwards with untapped potential."
I'm told talks have also begun with some of the current players about re-upping for next year. For the first time, players will start being paid directly by the schools next season (I broke down how that will look at Maryland), so negotiations are taking place everywhere. I expect Derik Queen to leave, though there's an outside chance he could be convinced to stay for a couple million bucks, which would actually be a bargain. But if he has a chance to be drafted in the lottery, it's unlikely any amount of money will keep him around. And $2 million would require a lot of extra fundraising, because it's roughly half of the program's projected pool next season according to Willard.
This is uncharted territory, so it's hard to say how those conversations will go. The No. 1 priority, Queen aside, will be Ja'Kobi Gillespie. He's been everything they could've asked for and a lot more, ranking as the eighth-most valuable offensive player in all of college basketball according to the analytics website EvanMiya (Julian Reese is the 16th most valuable defensively). Gillespie's value will rise and with Queen unlikely to return, Gillespie is undoubtedly the most important piece to retain, a potential all-American caliber player next season at the most important position.
His move to Maryland couldn't be panning out better so far for the Tennessee native. I'd be very surprised if he's not back at Maryland next season, but as we all know by now, crazy things happen in college sports. I expect Willard will also focus on retaining key pieces who will become more important next season, especially Rodney Rice, Malachi Palmer and Tafara Gapare.
Chance Mallory's visit is three weeks away. The good news for Maryland is no one has convinced the Charlottesville (Va.) standout to commit, despite trips to Miami and Tennessee. With coach Jim Larranaga abruptly stepping down in-season this week, like Mark Turgeon did at Maryland a few years ago, the Hurricanes, believed to be a serious contender for the dynamic senior guard, could fade because of uncertainty.
