Thirty straight seasons of the Terps making the NCAA tournament made their success feel inevitable. But for the first time since 1994, the Terps won’t compete for a national championship after a roller coaster season ended three decades of consistency.

“I feel deeply responsible,” Meharg said. “It’s not a space we’ve been in. And for all these new players, it wasn’t what they anticipated.”

With 11 new players, Meharg said she had difficulty finding lineup combinations and giving players consistent roles. She played the most first-year players in her 28 seasons.

From game to game, she made lineup and position changes, searching for something that would work better, but said the constant changes might have affected player performance on the field.

She added that injuries and inconsistencies held the team back. Meharg admitted that she could have communicated clearly to her players about why the adjustments were happening, especially with such a young group.

“I can look at paper and realize we had 11 new players and try to rationalize, but that doesn’t feel deserving to the outcome,“ Meharg said. “I need to debrief with my staff more and hold me and them a bit more responsible for the details of finishing.”

[Penalty corners plague Maryland field hockey in 2-1 Big Ten tournament loss to Ohio State]

Maryland finished the season with a 10-8 record — its lowest win total since the last time it missed the tournament in 1994 — but that doesn’t reflect the talent of this year’s team.

This year’s iteration eerily resembled the Terps’  2024 campaign, where all seven losses came by one goal and they never trailed by more than one score. This season, they trailed by multiple scores only twice all season and never entered the fourth quarter down by more than one goal.

The inability to close out close games came down to poor offensive execution. Maryland finished tied for last in the Big Ten with only 30 goals scored, and 61st in the country with 1.67 scores per game.

“It’s the hardest part of the game,” Meharg said about finishing goals. “The reality is, there were three games this entire season that we were outshot. So you have to accept the game the way those are.”

The offensive inconsistency took away from a stellar defensive season. The Terps’ defense — ranked second in the Big Ten with 19 goals allowed. Veterans such as Josie Hollamon, seniors Ericka Morris-Adams and Fleur Knopert and goalkeeper Alyssa Klebasko — who ranked eighth in the country in goals allowed per game with 1.067 — anchored the back line.

The first warning signs came in the second weekend of the season during the Big Ten/ACC Challenge. The Terps dropped both games despite having more opportunities than their opponents. 

[Maryland field hockey enters Big Ten tournament fighting for its NCAA bid]

In the first matchup against Boston College, Maryland went 0 for 10 on penalty corner chances. They dominated shots against Duke 7 to 3 two days later, but allowed two penalty corner scores.

The best stretch of the season followed those two losses, as the Terps won four games in a row. Ella Gaitan scored the winning goal in the final minute to earn the win against Saint Joseph’s. A dominant win against Penn State followed, where the Terps outshot the Nittany Lions 20 to 3, then shutout a ranked Michigan team.

But then concerns from the two early losses grew. The Terps piled up narrow defeats and an overtime loss in low-scoring games, while the victories followed the same scripts.

Maryland had chances all season long to turn it around, but could never capitalize on opportunities.

The Terps graduate just two starters and return Big Ten freshman of the year Jordyn Hollamon, along with her sister and 2024 Big Ten defensive player of the year Josie Hollamon. Fellow classmates Maci Bradford, who led the team in points, and goalkeeper Klebasko will provide stability to a program hoping to return to contention.

“We played so many new players that I think there’s a lot of combinations of people that are just natural, enthusiastic and [full of] positivity and energy,” Meharg said. “We’ve got a nice combination of leaders … I’m super excited about next year.”

Mack was more than prepared, scoring 15 points in No. 9 Maryland’s 84-68 win against Princeton on Sunday afternoon at Xfinity Center.

Coach Brenda Frese brought the freshman in for her scoring talent, which has been on full display in the Terps’ non-conference slate. Mack led Maryland in scoring in its previous two matchups with 23 and 15 points, respectively.

But Frese clearly trusted Bartelme to run the offense. She took on a heavy load as a starter, averaging 23 minutes in her first three games. Mack, a more traditional scorer, will have to adjust to playing in a more facilitating role.

“I know that everyone here has my back and they trust me to, you know, step into that role as well,” Mack said. “I’m just really excited to just keep building off of it with the team.”

Mack finished with three assists and just one turnover in her first start as point guard — a positive sign after Maryland turned it over 22 times against Towson on Thursday.

[Kaylene Smikle returns in Maryland women’s basketball’s 88-70 win over Towson]

The Terps had just 19 assists to 22 turnovers on Thursday against Towson. Frese said her team would have to take “much better care of the basketball” to match up with Princeton’s upperclassmen-heavy roster.

Instead, Maryland still turned it over 16 times against the Tigers. After turning it over just once in the first quarter, it committed eight turnovers in the second frame. The Terps’ offense stalled out in the second period, getting outscored 20-8 and not scoring in the final 3:43 of the half. The Terps shot just 36 percent from the field in the first half.

“I thought fatigue definitely played a part,” Frese said about the second quarter. “We looked like we had never broken a press.”

It was the third consecutive game it finished with a non-positive assist-to-turnover ratio. Turnovers remain a concern, but some of that can be attributed to starting shuffling lineups.

The Terps just can’t seem to avoid injury trouble, though. Just eight minutes after last season’s leading scorer Kaylene Smikle returned to the court for the first time Thursday, Bartelme was helped off the court after landing on her knee.

[Maryland women’s basketball mailbag: What can we expect from the Terps this season?]

Then Sunday, Terps fans went silent when Mack took a scary fall under the basket. The freshman quickly returned to finish the game.

She helped engineer a strong third quarter, as Maryland took control of the game in the frame. Smikle scored eight points off free throws, the offense shot 80 percent from the field and made all three of its triples. Oluchi Okananwa scored a team-high 20 points on 9-of-13 shooting.

While not ranked, Princeton is Maryland’s first opponent of the season that received votes for the AP Top 25 poll. And despite the injury scares, the Terps are likely to emerge from the non-conference slate with two quality wins over Georgetown and the Tigers.

“This is going to be impactful for us when you talk about the future and why we play games like this within our scheduling,” Frese said. “Princeton is a really really good team.”

The Terps’ offense gave a consistent performance throughout the match, but the Hoosiers’ offense hit .456 and stayed ahead of the Terps. Even with promising improvements, the Terps dropped their second straight-set loss against the Hoosiers this season.

Maryland is now 1-15 in conference play this season.

Both offenses were hot to start the match. At the first timeout, the Terps were hitting .348 and the Hoosiers were holding a 15-12 lead and a .429 hit percentage.

The offensive performances were precipitated by efforts from Ajack Malual, who again took the initiative on offense for Maryland with six kills in the first set. However, she’d be matched from Indiana.

Jaidyn Jager finished with eight kills in the first set, setting the pace of the match. Her efforts caused Indiana to keep their short lead over the Terps as the set continued.

[Maryland volleyball swept by No. 9 Purdue, 3-0, for eighth straight loss]

Eva Rohrbach and Haley Melby brought the set back to a point with the only blocks from either team in the set, but Maryland’s second and last attacking error of the frame made the deficit two again.

The Hoosiers took the first set 25-23 with help from leading scorer Candela Alonso-Corcelles, who supplied two of Indiana’s last five points. In the loss, Maryland’s .389 hit percentage in the set showed promise.

A few Indiana errors contributed to Maryland starting the second set with a 3-0 lead. The teams traded short runs followed by opposing timeouts, ending up tied at nine.

Jager and Alonso-Corcelles continued to score and Avry Tatum tallied eight kills through two sets.

As the second set continued it progressed into a dogfight between Malual and Indiana’s top weapons. Despite Malual’s three kills and a few blocks, Indiana’s collective offensive effort kept Maryland at bay, and the Hoosiers took a 2-0 match lead.

[Poor offense, late-set inconsistency have plagued Maryland volleyball under Adam Hughes]

Maryland’s offense continued to operate efficiently in the third set, but weren’t able to match the Hoosiers. The Hoosiers hit .456 in the match and had three players finish with double-digit kills.

Malual closed the match with 13 kills — continuing to be the Terps’ most reliable offensive option. Setter Lilly Wagner also got her 13th double-double of the year with 32 assists and 11 digs, adding to her consistent campaign.

The match brought another recurring problem to the forefront for Maryland volleyball.

Despite keeping scoring relatively close throughout the first two sets, Maryland couldn’t hold momentum long enough to take the win, or even a single set.

This is something that happened in matches against Ohio State and Northwestern earlier this season. The Terps’ many close set losses have led them to drop multiple matches this year.

Wagner recorded Maryland’s final point. Despite hitting a collective .312 across the match, the Terps’ offensive improvement couldn’t get them a win as they fell to Indiana 25-14 in Set 3.

The first-year athletic director informed the team of the decision today and told ESPN Maryland is focused on improving financially to reach the level of the Big Ten’s top teams.

“We are working to strengthen our NIL support for 2026 and beyond and have already seen success for next year,” Smith told ESPN. “We are prioritizing roster retention, recruiting and competing in the transfer portal.”

The Terps are in the midst of a six-game skid and boast just one win in Big Ten play for the second straight season. The only Big Ten team worse over the past two seasons is Purdue, which hasn’t won any conference games.

[Maryland football fails to score a touchdown in sixth straight loss, 24-6 to Illinois]

Locksley is 16-41 in Big Ten play at Maryland, with his first full season in 2019. He entered the season with the second-lowest winning percentage among active Power Four coaches who have been at a college for at least seven seasons, The Baltimore Sun reported. The Terps are yet to beat a ranked Big Ten opponent under him.

It would have cost more than $13 million to fire Locksley, according to his contract. Smith told The Sun on Tuesday he would evaluate Locksley after the season — calling it “silly” to do now. Instead of waiting, Smith made his biggest decision yet.

[As Maryland football struggles, Malik Washington shoulders more responsibilities]

Locksley took over a program reeling from the death of offensive lineman Jordan McNair. He instilled a new culture and guided Maryland to three straight bowl game wins from 2021-2023 — the first time the Terps accomplished the feat.

“To continue building on this foundation, Coach Locksley needs — and deserves — the full support of our department, our university, and all of Terp Nation. We are fully committed to giving him and our student-athletes the resources and investments necessary to succeed. I have worked closely with Coach Locksley to rapidly strengthen our NIL support for 2026 and beyond, with a clear and focused effort on roster retention, recruiting, and being highly competitive in the transfer portal,” Smith added in the letter.

Locksley curated NFL talent and brought in many talented recruits, including freshman Zahir Mathis, Sidney Stewart and four-star quarterback Malik Washington. But considering his results the past two seasons and the fanbase’s growing impatience, it is surprising Smith committed to Locksley before the season concludes.

The Terps lost their sixth straight game Saturday at Illinois, falling 24-6 and failing to score a touchdown for the first time this year.

Illinois (7-3, 4-3) rushed for a season-high 225 yards, and Maryland’s offense again struggled to sustain drives. The Terps (4-6, 1-5 Big Ten) can still reach a bowl game by winning their final two games, but the path is narrow — and the scrutiny surrounding coach Michael Locksley’s future is growing.

“We got to deal with the terrain, and the terrain is where we are today,” Locksley said. “We’ll have plenty of time at the end of the season to evaluate everything as a whole … [we’] got two games, two opportunities left.”

Maryland is one loss away from matching Locksley’s previous-worst of eight conference defeats, a record set in his first season and matched last year. The coach is now just 16-41 in Big Ten play in his current tenure.

Much of the week was spent discussing coach Michael Locksley’s job status. Athletic director Jim Smith told Taylor Lyons of The Baltimore Sun that the seventh-year coach would remain the rest of the season. Smith said he would evaluate Locksley after — calling it “silly” to do now.

That hasn’t stopped the noise from fans. Quarterback Malik Washington said he hasn’t been on social media to read most of the chatter and the team was focused only on those inside the program.

Criticism will grow further after the loss in Champaign, largely because similar issues consistently arise.

[As Maryland football struggles, Malik Washington shoulders more responsibilities]

Illini running back Ca’Lil Valentine rushed 20 times for 64 yards, while fellow rusher Kaden Faegin notched 62 yards on 11 carries and a touchdown. It was the third consecutive game an opposing team rushed over 200 yards.

Quarterback Luke Altmyer had 62 yards on the ground while tossing for 172 and two scores. Receiver Hudson Clement got past Maryland’s secondary twice with 22 and 23-yard touchdown receptions.

“We all didn’t play well enough, whether it’s us as coaches calling it [or] us as players, executing it,” Locksley said.

The Terps were just 3-12 on third down and left the red zone twice without a touchdown, including being stopped on fourth-and-goal in the fourth quarter. Maryland has now failed to score a fourth-quarter touchdown since Oct. 18 against UCLA, and has been outscored 85-17 in the frame during this season.

Maryland rushed for 55 yards, tied for second least this season while quarterback Malik Washington completed 25 of 46 passes for 238 yards.

Locksley finished the game by punting on fourth-and-five from Maryland’s 30-yard line, citing field position reasoning with a defensive stop. 

“It’s definitely tough,” Washington said. “Nobody’s excited about this energy.” 

Defensive back Lavain Scruggs said ahead of the game vibes in the locker room has remained tight despite the losing streak. The redshirt junior pointed to the relationships built during summer’s training camp.

[ANALYSIS: Maryland football woes could spell the end for Michael Locksley]

“We’re still the same team,” Scruggs said. “The locker room is amazing. The guys want to win, the guys are hungry.”

While Scruggs said the group won’t crumble, Locksley’s teams are susceptible to late-season collapses. Maryland has lost three consecutive games in all six of his full seasons during his current tenure, and is in danger of matching his longest skid of seven next week against Michigan — set during his first season in 2019.

Locksley disagreed that he is coaching the final three games to remain Maryland’s coach — and said he deserved to stay in the role. He declined to offer a reason why other than, “I’m the head coach of the University of Maryland.”

Ahead of last week’s game against Rutgers, offensive lineman Isaiah Wright and defensive back Jalen Huskey both said they felt as if they were playing for Locksley amid negative press. But the coach pushed back against that narrative.

“I’ve been a big boy for a long time,” Locksley said Tuesday. “I’ve done a lot harder things in my life. I can deal with a five game losing streak.”

The five-game losing streak has stretched to six — and Locksley’s hope for “small progress” through achieving one more conference win even looks bleak. Not much time remains for the minimal steps necessary to his definitions.

The Terps did just that in their first two duals of the season, notching bonus points in eight of a possible 20 bouts as Maryland cruised past Gardner-Webb, 27-13, and The Citadel, 24-9, in Charleston, South Carolina.

Jaxon Smith secures bonus points in both contests

In No. 5 Jaxon Smith’s return to competition last weekend, the 184-pounder cruised to commanding victories in two of his three contests, notching wins by technical fall and major decision.

Saturday offered similar resistance, as Smith’s first bout against Gardner-Webb’s Hadyn Danals lasted all of 33 seconds.

[Inside Branson John’s offseason regimen for Maryland wrestling]

After tallying a takedown roughly 13 seconds in, Smith put both arms around the waist of Danals and drove his back into the mat. Smith finalized the pin just 14 seconds later, marking his shortest bout this season.

The pin marked one of five bouts in which the Terps secured bonus points against the Runnin’ Bulldogs.

Smith’s second bout lasted the full seven minutes, but the score was not much closer. Smith remained aggressive in the opening period, tallying nearly half of his total points on a takedown and a near fall within the first 100 seconds.

He notched three more takedowns throughout the remainder of the match, resulting in an 18-4 win by major decision against The Citadel’s Brodie Porter.

125-pound struggles following strong start

Coach Alex Clemsen said Tuesday that both Tyler Garvin and Abram Cline would get an opportunity to wrestle in Maryland’s first two duals.

The two sophomores combined for a 13-2 record in the two prior tournaments. But Saturday’s bouts resembled more of what Maryland saw last season.

[Maryland wrestling notches three top finishes at Journeymen Collegiate Classic]

Garvin got the nod in Maryland’s (2-0) opening dual against Gardner-Webb (3-2) and was aggressive in the first period, taking two leg shots within the first 60 seconds. Garvin got nothing from either shot and struggled the remainder of the bout. Senior Tyson Lane took the opening round, 6-0.

Cline’s second bout differed in style, but yielded the same result. He took a more conservative approach, picking up a stalling warning early in the opening period against The Citadel’s (2-3) Gylon Sims and spending all but 30 seconds of the following period earning riding time.

With the score even at one heading into a sudden victory period, Cline had an opportunity to secure a win. But Sims tallied a takedown near the edge of the circle to cement a 4-1 victory.

Branson John stays undefeated

With two bouts remaining against Gardner-Webb, Maryland had an opportunity to clinch the dual without relying on its inexperienced heavyweight room.

The right player for that task stepped onto the mat: No. 16 Branson John.

The 197-pounder boasted a 7-0 record heading into Saturday, with three wins coming by major decision. The sophomore ended the match 46 seconds into the third period with a 19-0 win by technical fall. The two bonus points gave Maryland a 23-13 lead and ensured no chance of victory for Gardner-Webb in the final round.

John’s second bout carried the same result. The California native scored a majority of his points late in the third period, securing a win by major decision. The victory gave Maryland a 17-9 team score, making the final bout a moot point in the final outcome.

Maryland men’s basketball’s coach watched as Pharrel Payne, his top transfer and the Terps’ on-court leader, yelped in pain before being stretchered off the court following an awkward landing after a dunk.

“I’ve never seen him hurt, and the angle that I saw, it did not appear good,” Williams said.

Payne shouldered the offensive load in the Terps’ first three games. But foul trouble and the gruesome injury kept the senior forward off the hardwood for most of the afternoon.

Maryland trailed by five when Payne exited. Forced to reassess without its star big man, the backcourt weathered seven lead changes en route to an 89-82 win over Marquette.

Fueled by a significant size disparity, the Golden Eagles dominated the offensive glass and scored 19 more second-chance points. But Maryland (3-1) made seven more free throws and scored 15 more bench points, which proved to be the difference.

[Maryland volleyball swept by No. 9 Purdue, 3-0, for eighth straight loss]

Williams, in his first trip back to Milwaukee since coaching Marquette from 2008-14, was focused on controlling possessions and limiting turnovers — specifically within on-ball press break scenarios.

Entering the Terps’ first true road test, the coach also pointed to rebounding as an area of concern. He sees boards as a niche “margin we could compete in … not based exclusively on talent.” But the Golden Eagles (3-2), aided by the absence of Payne at the rim, claimed the game’s first 14 offensive rebounds.

“Rebounding takes an enormous amount of time. We are beyond bad at it, not just against Marquette,” Williams said. “If you saw all the drills we did for rebounding, you would think we’re putting on a coaching clinic. But we are not executing it well at all.”

Led by defensive-minded coach Shaka Smart, Marquette led the Big East in forced turnovers last season. The only high-major school to not sign a transfer the past three seasons opened Saturday with staunch full-court man defense.

The Terps took advantage.

Maryland ran its revamped press offense through Diggy Coit. The speedy graduate guard, making his second consecutive start alongside freshman Darius Adams, attacked the backpedaling Golden Eagles’ front line.

Maryland, after shooting an abysmal 28 percent from beyond the arc through its first three games, netted four straight threes to start Saturday — three of which came from Coit.

[Why Maryland men’s basketball’s offense hasn’t clicked]

The Kansas transfer sparked the Terps early, helping them open up a 13-point first-half lead. He poured in 15 points after 20 minutes, a season-high, and finished with 19 on 6-for-13 shooting.

But Smart and Marquette, after shifting to a high-pressure 2-3 zone, bolted to a 11-1 run before the half to take its first lead in 15 minutes.

“We started the second half as if we were just really happy that it was tied at halftime,” Williams said. “[Marquette is] so gifted at tilting the floor downhill, and they force you into rotation at such a fast rate.”

The Golden Eagles’ lead extended to nine midway through the second half. Senior guard Chase Ross benefitted from constant drive and dish looks, scoring a game-high 31 points.

Payne’s injury, paired with Coit’s second-half struggles (four points, 2-6 FG), forced others to step up.

Junior guard Isaiah Watts, donning a black mask, helped fill the void. The Washington State transfer posted 18 points — and 11 in the second half — in 29 minutes.

Watts combined for just nine points through Maryland’s first three games. Amid the cold streak, he recalled telling his mom he’s “built to make shots.”

“What comes with [making shots] is missing shots,” Watts said. “I’m a shooter. I like to put the ball in the basket … so I’m okay with missing a bunch of shots and finding my rhythm.”

But it wasn’t just Watts. Adams, Andre Mills and Elijah Saunders each posted at least seven second-half points. Those three players also grabbed 14 defensive rebounds in the period, upping Maryland’s physicality without Payne.

“[Payne’s] our best player — that’s well received within our program,” Williams said. “When I got back to the huddle, our kids said, ‘Coach, you got to pray for him’ … their response, not their execution … was great growth for our program.”

The Terps’ lack of sustained offense, a visible constant through their seven straight conference losses entering Friday, only continued against No. 9 Purdue.

Maryland mustered just a .157 hitting percentage — against a Boilermakers team that has allowed opponents to hit .216 on average this season — en route to a 3-0, straight-set road loss on Friday.

Maryland (8-17, 2-10 Big Ten) opened with improved offensive urgency. Bolstered by an early .235 hitting percentage, it led the Boilermakers midway through the first set.

The Terps entered Friday tied with USC for second in the Big Ten in blocks with 240.5, only behind Iowa.

[Poor offense, late-set inconsistency have plagued Maryland volleyball under Adam Hughes]

However, the Boilermakers (21-3, 12-2 Big Ten) dominated the area on Friday, 10-5, and surged back through the latter half of the opening set, never relinquishing their lead. Half of Purdue’s 10 blocks came in the first set alone — it committed just one error across the entire set and finished with a .571 hitting percentage.

Maryland committed eight attacking errors in its 25-19 first-set loss. Self-inflicted errors have remained a constant over recent weeks.

The visible performance gap got wider in the second set. After quickly falling into a seven-point hole, coach Adam Hughes spent both of his remaining timeouts.

Fueled by its high-pressure defense, Purdue continued to force Maryland’s offense into a myriad of errors. The Terps continued to stall offensively, hitting -.038 in the frame.

Amid an abysmal Terps’ offense, Ajack Malual yet again showed flashes as Maryland’s lone bright spot offensively. The senior logged eight kills through Friday’s first two sets, part of an eventual team-high 11.

[Maryland volleyball’s offense collapses in home losses to Ohio State, Michigan]

Despite Malual’s consistency within the Terps’ front line, middle blocking duo Duru Gökçen and Eva Rohrbach weren’t nearly as effective. The pair’s regular-season blocking totals have been among the Big Ten’s best — but the pair were held to just two block assists in the first two sets.

After an eight-point second-set win, Purdue started the third set on a 9-2 run. Hughes, once more, exhausted his timeouts in quick succession, hoping to alleviate a red-hot Boilermakers attack while regaining some momentum.

It didn’t work. Purdue finished with a .357 hitting percentage and 41 kills, nine more than the Terps. Boilermakers’ starters Grace Heaney and Kenna Wollard finished with 13 and 10 kills, respectively.

Throughout Maryland’s uninspiring effort, the service ace differential proved impactful in illustrating the two team’s clear offensive gap. Purdue notched eight to the Terps’ four, despite ranking third-worst in the Big Ten in service aces this season.

Maryland strung together four straight consolation points to close the third set, including Malual’s final kill, before another Heaney kill cemented its eighth consecutive defeat.

The term, defined as three consecutive defensive stops, epitomizes his coaching philosophy and desire to control possessions. On Tuesday, Maryland men’s basketball generated seven of those “turkeys” in the second half of its 84-64 win over Alcorn State, Williams said.

Its offensive counterpart, a “heat,” describes three straight made shots. The Terps weren’t as effective in that department Tuesday.

Maryland was held without a single field goal, much less three in a row, through the last nine minutes of Tuesday’s first half — part of a disastrous stretch in which the Terps missed 10 shots, allowed 17 Alcorn State points and relinquished control of a once 19-point lead.

Scoring trouble, specifically early in games, is common for a Williams-coached team. Williams’ Texas A&M finished third-worst among Power Four schools who made the NCAA tournament in first-half points per game, 34.8, in the regular season.

“Sometimes coaches, particularly me — we try to fit round holes in a square peg,” Williams said. “The most important hole that we have to address is, ‘Can we play really, really hard … and how many possessions in a row can that group do it before we need a sub?’”

Maryland committed 10 first-half turnovers Tuesday, part of an eventual season-high of 17. Williams, sweating through his white dress shirt and animated with rage on the Xfinity Center sideline, tried to adjust through erratic substitutions.

[Maryland men’s basketball’s offense shut down in 70-60 loss to Georgetown]

The Terps’ coach made 31 first-half changes across his depleted 10-player rotation — almost doubling Maryland’s opening frame sub rate in each of its first two games.

“I tried to make sure we played everybody just so that there was the energy prerequisite needed,” Williams said. 

The switches didn’t work. The substitutions stripped the Terps of any tangible momentum to close the nightmarish half.

Guillermo Del Pino was a starter in Maryland’s opening two games before being relegated to the bench Tuesday. The freshman guard played just 79 seconds through the game’s first 10 minutes.

Checking back in cold late in the first half, Del Pino struggled to beat the Braves’ staunch 2-2-1 zone press defense alongside guards Andre Mills and Isaiah Watts. It resulted in a costly 10-second violation that sent the Terps’ offense spiraling.

“We play with too high of a turnover rate,” Williams said. “A lot of our spacing on our hands and belt was really bad, which helps [Alcorn State’s] zone. I didn’t think our zone attack in the half court was very well ran, either.”

Williams tempered offensive expectations throughout the preseason. He said Maryland’s three-week fall boot camp focused on character building over system growth, and put the Terps further behind schematically entering November.

Through three games, that warning has held true. With a clear lack of established plays and second-chance looks, offensive possessions became sparse. The Terps’ inconsistent 3-2 offense, with three guards on the perimeter and a pair of bigs filling the high and low post, looked uncertain against Alcorn State’s sagging half-court set.

[Second-half resurgence fuels Maryland men’s basketball’s 84-64 win over Alcorn State]

“They were playing drop on everything,” Mills said. “If they play drop, go downhill. If they’re not, rescreen. If not, throw it to [Elijah Saunders]. If not, throw it to Pharrel.”

Maryland turned to 3-pointers but made just two of its 14 first-half attempts, at an abysmal 14 percent clip.

Instead, it was forced to rely on free throws — a rare constant in a revamped Terps’ offense that’s been completely ineffective.

Maryland shot 74 percent and made 20 shots from the charity stripe in Tuesday’s win. Through the Terps’  first three contests, 32.2 percent of their scoring offense has come from free throws. The mark is fourth among all Division I schools and first among Power Four teams.

“I feel like the free throws, they help — but you got to not turn the ball over given the opportunities,” junior guard Myles Rice, sidelined with an ankle injury, said.

Maryland’s field-goal drought carried into the first two minutes of the second half Tuesday, until a Payne layup broke the silence. The senior forward poured in 22 points and seven rebounds in the eventual double-digit victory.

But its a concerning trend that he’s been the Terps’ lone source of offense as they head into high-major matchups, starting with a road tilt against Marquette on Saturday.

That day marked National Signing Day for all high school athletes excluding those playing football or basketball. Though the Terps hope to secure a pair of five-star recruits in football and men’s basketball, several high-ranking prospects in other sports signed their agreements to join Maryland.

Coach Brenda Frese and Maryland women’s basketball signed five-star forward Jordyn Jackson and added four-star forward Mimi Thiero and center Eva-Grace Yebila.

Maryland women’s lacrosse and coach Cathy Reese landed the highest-ranking recruit of any sport. Attacker Cayden Reese, Cathy Reese’s daughter, is the No. 1 player in the 2026 class, according to Inside Lacrosse. Cayden Reese is one of four five-star recruits who the Terps signed in a loaded recruiting class.

Maryland men’s lacrosse followed suit by signing the No. 6 recruiting class nationally.

Announcements

Baba Oladotun, 2026, Forward, James Hubert Blake High School (Silver Spring)

After narrowing his recruitment to four schools last Tuesday, Maryland’s top target in the 2026 class has scheduled a date to announce his commitment.

Oladotun, a five-star prospect, will choose between Maryland, Arkansas, Georgetown and Kentucky on Wednesday, Nov. 19. The Silver Spring native would give coach Buzz Williams and the Terps one of the nation’s top 2026 recruiting classes.

[The Diamondback Sports Digest: A down week for Maryland sports]

The No. 10 player in the country, according to 247Sports’ composite rankings, is the type of elite scorer who the Terps currently need.

Even at 6-foot-10, Oladotun is a gifted scorer with a smooth jumpshot. He can handle the ball and is comfortable shooting off the catch or off the bounce. The Terps’ current leading scorer, senior center Pharrel Payne, will be out of eligibility after this year. If Oladotun chooses Maryland, he has a chance to immediately succeed Payne in that role.

The Terps are firmly in the running for Oladotun, but Arkansas may have edged them as the current favorite to land him. 247Sports’ Arkansas Insider Connor Goodson predicted on Wednesday that Oladotun will choose the Razorbacks.

Lavar Keys, 2026, Wide Receiver, DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville)

Keys is also slated to announce his commitment within the next week, but the odds of him choosing the Terps are likely slim. The three-star Penn State decommit is heavily predicted to choose Indiana on Sunday.

Commits

Football

Brexton Bell, 2027, Cornerback, Calvary Day School (Savannah, Georgia)

Coach Michael Locksley and Maryland football landed their second commitment of the 2027 class Thursday with cornerback Brexton Bell. He joins three-star athlete Levi Babin in Maryland’s recruiting class next year.

The unranked junior has played outside and as a nickel. Bell chose the Terps over James Madison, North Carolina, Pittsburgh, Wake Forest and others. He was also a Georgia state finalist in wrestling.

[ANALYSIS: Maryland football woes could spell the end for Michael Locksley]

Men’s Lacrosse

Ethan Bramoff, 2026, Defense/Long-Stick Midfielder, St. Anthony’s (South Huntington, New York)

Coach John Tillman added the crown jewel of his 2026 recruiting class on Oct. 23. Bramoff, the Terps’ lone five-star in next year’s recruiting class, flipped his commitment from Virginia to Maryland after being committed to the Cavaliers for more than a year.

Inside Lacrosse ranks Bramoff the No. 14 player in the 2026 class. The Long Island native was a late addition for Tillman and the Terps. Every other prospect in Maryland’s 2026 recruiting class committed more than a year before Bramoff.

Baseball

Bryce Edick, 2027, Right-handed Pitcher, Grassfield (Chesapeake, Virginia)

Edick committed to Maryland on Oct. 4, becoming the third right-handed pitcher to choose coach Matt Swope and the Terps.

The junior has a fastball that tops out at 85 miles per hour, but at 6-foot-5, 220-pounds, Edick has the frame to throw even faster.

Liam McGinness, 2027, Right-handed Pitcher, Westhampton Beach (Westhampton Beach, New York)

McGinness chose the Terps on Oct. 24, further bolstering Maryland’s pitching depth in the 2027 class.

Like fellow right-handed pitcher Edick, McGinness has great velocity on his fastball. The 16-year-old is already approaching 90 miles per hour and has a solid three-pitch arsenal that features a curveball and a slider.