By Harrison Rich and Ben Geffner
Maryland men’s basketball held its annual media day Thursday at Xfinity Center. It was the first chance for coach Buzz Williams and his players to talk about the team entering the 2025-26 season.
Here are three takeaways from what was said.
Impact of Boot Camp
Maryland’s three-week fall program, tabbed ‘Boot Camp,’ promoted team growth over system progression. Though the program put the Terps further behind schematically, it provides invaluable growth, Williams said.
The veteran coach focused on establishing leaders and followers while holding players accountable in individual workouts.
“[It’s] a lot of character development, a lot of growing as a man,” redshirt freshman guard Andre Mills said about Boot Camp. “It brings our team together.”
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Conditioning was a staple in the September sessions. Crosscourt sprints and rim taps were daily motions. The shared suffering created commonality and growth, Williams said.
“You can’t let the fatigue get to you,” senior center Collin Metcalf said. “When you let the fatigue get to you, you put your hands on your knees, now you got an extra sprint. You don’t make the sprint, now you got to run it again.”
Buzz still unsure on roster makeup
At his opening press conference in April, Williams said he planned to study the Big Ten to determine his play style. He didn’t provide much clarity on it Thursday, adding it’s hard to place expectations on a completely new team.
Williams said Wednesday was the team’s 26th preseason practice. He added there’s been a lot of volatility, estimating only a handful were highly efficient practices.
“We’ve had more bad days than we’ve had good days,” he said.
“I don’t think that those 15 players would say the same thing. Their numbers would probably be inverse,” Williams said. “What we are trying to be consumed with is, can we be a little better tomorrow than we were yesterday?”
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Mills, a Texas A&M transfer, said he expects the team to blend well together because of their different styles of play. Although they’ll likely face an adjustment period, Mills believes it will come together at the right time.
For senior forward Elijah Saunders, a Virginia transfer, he knows one thing is nonnegotiable on a Williams-coached team.
“Compete and play hard and play physical,” Saunders said.
Veteran leaders stepping into new roles
Underclassmen make up half of Maryland’s roster. Widespread turnover has allowed veteran newcomers to become leaders — a gradual process rooted in vocality.
Saunders, entering his final year of college basketball, looks to set a precedent for the future’s growth long after he’s departed College Park.
“[I’m] always in the gym, always trying to lead,” Saunders said. “So when [the underclassmen] get to this point, they can look back and have a positive view.”
Graduate guard Diggy Coit, a Kansas transfer, said Williams has pushed him to a different leadership standard. Maryland’s coach challenged Coit to translate his on-court focus to off-court development — and vice versa.
“I haven’t really thought about being a grad transfer … being the oldest on the team,” Coit said, “[Williams] makes you think about life as a man … and being a good person.”
