Jahmir Young on why he's not surprised by Maryland basketball's breakout season, his Terps reunion in Chicago
It's been a breakthrough season not only for Maryland basketball, but also for former Terps star Jahmir Young.
It's been a breakthrough season not only for Maryland basketball, but also for former Terps star Jahmir Young. In his rookie season as a pro, Young quickly became one of the top players in the G-League, earning all-star honors and then a two-way contract from the Chicago Bulls.
Not bad for a guy who wasn't drafted or given much of a chance of making it to the league, let alone make it in his first year.
"It's cool. It's just more motivation. It's exciting. My story, my journey—just leading up to this point—seeing my family proud of me means a lot. From where I've been and the growth I've made, it's just more motivation to keep going and check off that next milestone," Young said during an interview on Glenn Clark Radio.
Young, the third-leading scorer in the Big Ten last year with 20.4 points per game, has been keeping close tabs on his former college team.
"They have a lot of talented guys, a lot of veteran guys as well—players who have played multiple games in college. I went to a practice before the season started while I had some time at home, and just seeing the way they competed against each other and how seriously they took every possession—they didn't take any possessions off. They're a defensive-minded group, a hungry team, a well-put-together team. So, I knew they were going to be special from the start," he said.
"Just keeping up with them on social media, they keep jumping up in the rankings and going on win streaks. Their offense is clicking, and everybody's contributing. The ball is moving, everybody's getting love, and the chemistry seems to be at its best level. So, I'm not surprised at all," he said.
Clark asked Young what he thinks the reason is behind Maryland's run of top point guards.
"It's a ton of credit to the crowd, the atmosphere. It's big—really big. Kevin Willard, I mean, what he's put together, how he runs his offense, how he gives his players confidence to go out there and play their game—it's impressive. It starts in practice. He emphasizes the importance of execution out of timeouts and how every possession matters. He has all those guys locked in from jump ball to the final buzzer," he said.
In Chicago, Young joined two others former Terps stars, Jalen Smith and Kevib Huerter.
"Me and Stix played for the same AAU program, Team Takeover. He was a year above me, of course, but we would practice together. Sometimes we would scrimmage each other. So, we go way back—about 16 or 17 years. It was good to see Stix again. I've also seen him working out at Maryland. We have the same trainer, Darren McClinton, so I see him often in the gym. And then Huerter, we have runs in College Park from time to time. It was good to see those guys again. The Bulls must have a thing for Terps."
Young had some big NIL offers after his breakout debut season at Maryland but opted to pass on the portal and stay local to his home-state team. So, he was happy to see Julian Reese make the same decision.
"It means a lot and it tells you a lot about his character. It's easy for guys nowadays to jump in the portal and go play elsewhere, whether that's for money or whatever the case may be," he said. "But for JuJu, just seeing his growth and development over the years—playing for multiple coaches—for him to be able to stay grounded, stay motivated, and now be the leader of this really good Terps team, it means a lot. It shows a lot about him and who he is as a person."
