Maryland Basketball Scoop: Recruit News | Delayed Returns | One Big Issue
Maryland basketball is coming off a disheartening road trip, returning to College Park with a few days to regroup in time for a game they desperately need to win on Friday. Here's the latest from behind the scenes.
Maryland basketball is coming off a disheartening road trip, returning to College Park with a few days to regroup in time for a game they desperately need to win on Friday against UCLA. Where do things stand behind the scenes?Despite the deflating trip, Maryland is still safely in the tournament field, ranked No. 23 in the NET rankings. They're 2-3 against Quad 1 competition, the only significant blemish being that loss at Washington. More on that here.
I'm told the team's flight was canceled due to weather, so they just left Oregon around 2:30 p.m. EST today. That sets back their practice schedule, so it's fortunate they have four days in between games to recover and refocus. That focus will undoubtedly be on defense, which has been the biggest issues and let Kevin Willard's team down in their losses, especially in the second halves. They've led at halftime of all four losses but allowed an average of 45.5 points in those second halves. That's a huge number for a Willard-coached team.
In conference play, they're in the middle of the Big Ten pack defensively, allowing 75 points per game. Last year, they allowed 67.6 points per game in conference play. That's an enormous difference. Last year's team had to scrap and fight on every possession because it was so limited offensively. This team has far more offensive firepower, but less desperation on defense.
Their defensive numbers are still elite nationally, but some of that can be attributed to that non-conference schedule, which as of today ranks as the worst in college basketball per KenPom. We'll never know if that scheduling strategy and the lack of true road games hurt the team's development during the first two months of this season. But it's plausible.
Unless they go on a tear, that hype about them being conference contenders is gone. Garry Parrish wrote for CBSSports.com:
"For what it's worth, KenPom.com is currently projecting Illinois (No. 11 in the Top 25 And 1) and Michigan (No. 25 in the Top 25 And 1) to share the Big Ten championship with 14-6 league records. After that, it's Michigan State (No. 9 in the Top 25 And 1), UCLA (No. 14 in the Top 25 And 1) and Purdue (No. 16 in the Top 25 And 1) projected to finish one game back with 13-7 league records."
Despite their struggles on the road trip, I'm told there don't seem to be any chemistry issues.
"The guys get along, but winning some games will help," he said.
There have been a few slivers of positive news during their first losing streak of the season. DeShawn Harris has been playing with more confidence.
It's pretty quiet on the recruiting front. Willard is planning to bank all of his scholarships for the transfer portal unless they're able to land point guard Chance Mallory, who visits in a couple of weeks. They appear to have a shot, but he's been quiet, so it remains unclear who leads.
Shane Pendergrass, a promising 2026 prospect, recently visited and was impressed. A source close to Pendergrass told me he believes Maryland is the leader.
Maryland hosts UCLA on Friday night at Xfinity Center. It's relatively early still, but it feels like they need to win this one, not only for themselves but also to keep the fans engaged for the rest of the season. A loss would be a finishing blow to a lot of fans' hopes for this season, because many entered the season with one toe dipped in the pool after last year's struggles.
The Bruins dropped from No. 15 to No. 22 in the AP Poll on Monday. The Terps will have a rest advantage, as UCLA plays Tuesday at Michigan.
