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 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.

After a 35-20 road loss to Rutgers on Saturday, Maryland football continues to unravel.

Despite a season-best rushing performance, the Terps allowed nearly 500 yards in their fifth straight defeat. Coach Michael Locksley said he is looking for “slow progress” and that Maryland is at the point of “playing for pride.”

Sports editor Sam Jane analyzed Locksley’s trajectory after dropping below .500 for the first time this season.

Our pick of the week

Maryland men’s soccer was ranked No. 1 in the nation last week for the first time since 2019. Sadam Masereka’s hat trick against Michigan State on Friday not only cemented a 4-3 Maryland win, but also capped its undefeated regular season and first Big Ten title in three years.

“To be undefeated in 2025 is a remarkable accomplishment,” Cirovski said. “While we did it in 2016, the college landscape has changed so much that this is incredibly rewarding.”

In under 35 minutes on Friday, Masereka became the first Maryland player to score a hat trick since October 2017, pushing his goal tally to nine.

Since taking over as coach in 1993, excellence has been the expectation for Cirovski and Maryland. But after trailing for just 78 seconds in this year’s regular season, it fell 2-0 to UCLA in Wednesday’s Big Ten Tournament semifinals at Ludwig Field.

Men’s soccer reporter Aidan Currie compiled four stats that encapsulate Maryland’s historic regular season, despite the Terps’ shocking loss to begin postseason play.

The highlight reel

• Maryland men’s basketball went 1-1 in its first homestand of 2025-26. The Terps beat Alcorn State on Tuesday after falling to Georgetown on Friday.
• Ever wondered why athletes have such odd superstitions? General assignment reporter Jillian Hartman spoke with coaches and players from Maryland baseball and gymnastics to find out why.
• Addi Mack engineered Maryland women’s basketball’s comeback win over Georgetown on Sunday, scoring 17 fourth-quarter points.
• Maryland field hockey dropped its Big Ten tournament opener against Ohio State and missed out on an NCAA tournament bid for the second time since 1994.
• Maryland baseball released its 2026 schedule on Friday.

Quote of the week

Redshirt freshman Andre Mills and freshman Darius Adams scored a combined 26 points in Maryland men’s basketball’s 84-64 win over Alcorn State on Tuesday.

Adams contributed two 3-pointers, his first makes from beyond the arc this season after shooting 0-for-7 in the Terps’ first two games. Mills spoke on watching his growth firsthand.

“[It felt] like a Disney movie,” Mills said. “[Adams] being 18 years old and playing in this league is not easy at all.”

Stat of the week

Maryland men’s basketball’s 70-60 loss to Georgetown on Friday snapped its 48-game home-opener win streak, which dated back to 1977.

Up next

Women’s basketball hosts Towson on Thursday at 7 p.m., while men’s basketball travels to Marquette, coach Buzz Williams’ former school, on Saturday at 2 p.m.
Football hits the road against Illinois at 3:30 p.m. Saturday. The Terps are in danger of dropping their sixth straight.
Men’s soccer continues postseason play in the NCAA tournament, pending a bid in Monday’s Selection Show.

On Tuesday, Payne was again Maryland men’s basketball’s best offensive source. He made eight of the Terps’ 28 field goals in their 84-64 win over Alcorn State. Maryland was outscored by two points when he was off the floor, a concerning stat against a low-major Division I team.

“In my opinion, we probably have the best big in the league. So if you see his number, throw him the ball,” redshirt freshman Andre Mills said. “It’s like feeding the beast, basically.”

Payne, who poured in a team-high 22 points and seven rebounds, accounted for nearly a fifth of Maryland’s total boards. Mills (16 points) and freshman guard Darius Adams (10 points) led the Terps’ backcourt.

Despite the victory, the process felt uninspiring.

Maryland entered the night as 29.5-point favorites but struggled to open, shooting just 39 percent from the field in the first half. It rebounded with a 61 percent clip in the latter period, pouring in 51 second-half points to secure the second victory of the Buzz Williams era.

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

Asked if he’s gained any clarity on his team’s rotation after three games, Williams said, “No, sir,” adding that the answers he is searching for will mainly come through practice.

“I think in year one, week two, I’m not concerned with our rotation yet,” Williams said.

Alcorn State made three consecutive shots to open, part of a back-and-forth three minutes. But the Terps’ defense clamped down, holding the Braves scoreless on their next eight shots over a seven-minute stretch.

Maryland scored 13 points — six of which came from Payne — to open up a 20-7 lead during that stretch.

The Terps went the last nine minutes of the first half without making a field goal. Alcorn State outscored Maryland, 17-6, during that stretch.

It ended the half with 33 points, the fewest Alcorn State allowed of its first three buy games against Power Four opponents. The Braves surrendered 58 first-half points to Florida State and 48 to Minnesota.

Maryland was buoyed by a high number of free throw attempts — a clear trend this season. It got to the line 27 times, and although it shot a season-low 74 percent on them, its 20 makes paid dividends.

Williams cautioned that his team wouldn’t — and shouldn’t — haul excessive threes after shooting 10-for-29 from beyond the arc in last Monday’s season-opener.

[Maryland men’s basketball mailbag: What can fans expect in Buzz Williams’ first year?]

Two games later, his proclamation seems warranted. Maryland shot 4-for-21 from three against Georgetown last Friday and 8-for-28 on Tuesday, putting its 3-point percentage through three games around 28 percent.

With junior guard Myles Rice inactive for the second time in three games due to an ankle injury, a lot of the offensive burden fell onto freshman guard Darius Adams.

The former 5-star recruit continued his early-season struggles. Adams recorded just 10 points on 3-for-11 shooting, but converted his first two 3-pointers of the season late in the second half — a promising sign after an 0-for-12 start from deep.

Despite perimeter shooting struggles, the Terps found solutions in the second half. They shot 17-for-28 in the final frame, with Adams, Mills, graduate guard Diggy Coit and freshman guard Guillermo Del Pino each contributing at least one make.

Maryland grabbed a season-high 14 offensive rebounds, but recorded a season-worst 17 turnovers. A 10-for-14 layup rate boosted its field goal percentage to 50 percent, capping the Terps’ most efficient shooting night this season.

“We’re still trying to figure each other out,” Mills said. “[It’s the] third game of the season. And I think, from a player’s point of view, I think we are starting to figure each other out, figure out who shoots what, how they shoot it, where they’re going to shoot it from.”

The late start likely contributed to Williams’ difficulty in defining his team’s style during the preseason. Pacing the Xfinity Center sideline on Friday, surrounded by a 16,594-seat sea of gold, Williams’ identity crisis deepened.

Maryland’s inexperience and offensive ineptitude were evident in its 70-60 loss to Georgetown on Friday night. The Terps made just 13 field goals on 52 attempts, their second-fewest made shots in a game over the past decade, in Williams’ first game in College Park.

Maryland’s sellout Gold Rush student section, buoyed with an additional section behind the Hoyas’ bench, quieted as it watched the Terps miss 17 field goals in the first half, and then 21 more in the second.

“The environment got to us a little bit,” graduate guard Diggy Coit said. “Not getting in our offense, getting good shots that we wanted — we made it tough for ourselves.”

[Ahead of return to Xfinity Center, DeShawn Harris-Smith reflects on his time at Maryland]

The Terps’ offensive flaws were deeply exposed Friday.

Maryland made just four 3-pointers, converting 20 percent of its attempts. The offense recorded only four assists and only grabbed 12 offensive rebounds – a typical strength of Williams’ teams.

If it weren’t for the 35 free throws the Terps took, their final offensive numbers could have looked even more dismal.

Indiana transfer Myles Rice made his Maryland (1-1) debut after missing the season-opener against Coppin State on Monday due to an ankle injury. The 6-foot-3 guard scored a team high 19 points.

Rice, who’s expected to be Maryland’s lead guard this season, regularly touched the paint. The junior guard attempted just two shots from beyond the arc but scored 10 points off free throws, going 100 percent from the line.

He made three straight baskets late in the second half during a stretch that cut Maryland’s deficit to seven. As Maryland’s offense flopped, Rice was arguably the lone source of hope along with senior forward Pharrel Payne (17 points, 2-7 FGs, 13-15 FTs).

“[Rice’s] IQ is high,” Williams said. “His speed changes our team, whether we’re trying to play fast or not. But offensively, Maryland needs to play with as low a turnover rate as possible.”

[Maryland women’s basketball’s energetic youth could provide extra depth this season]

Fueled by its press and uncontested transition looks, Georgetown (2-0) jumped out to an 11-0 advantage. The Hoyas drew three fouls and forced three Maryland turnovers during that stretch.

The Terps were held to just 27 first-half points, a dramatic dropoff from their 40-point average that ranked eighth in the nation under Kevin Willard last season.

Georgetown transfer DeShawn Harris-Smith returned to College Park after playing for Maryland for two seasons. The 6-foot-5 guard, met with choruses of boos after checking and touching the ball, made life hard for Maryland’s guards along the perimeter.

Perimeter creation is likely going to be a consistent issue for the Terps this season. That’s why entering the home opener, Williams emphasized a need for the Terps to control possessions.

And while Payne logged a game-high 11 rebounds, the Hoyas outrebounded the Terps, 41-40.

After dominating the offensive glass against a smaller Coppin State team Monday, the Terps failed to gain second-chance looks off rushed rim attacks down the stretch.

“We didn’t handle their physicality very well,” Williams said. “I’m not a genie, but I do think that we have to defend without fouling more, and we have to play with the shot selection … we’ve got to continue to coach them, teach them and hold them accountable.”

The former four-star prospect from Woodbridge, Virginia, was the Terps’ fifth-best recruit since 2000, according to 247Sports. Harris-Smith arrived at Maryland after winning Washington Post All-Met and Virginia Gatorade player of the year honors at St. Paul VI.

But his two seasons in College Park were a disappointment. Harris-Smith averaged 4.8 points a game on 37.5 percent shooting and, after earning All-Big Ten team honors as a freshman, shifted to a bench role last season.

Six months later, with the Terps’ program completely revamped, Harris-Smith will return to Xfinity Center on Friday as a Hoya.

The now-junior guard transferred to Georgetown after former Maryland basketball coach Kevin Willard left for Villanova. When he walks back into his old home arena for the first time, the court and rims will look exactly the same. There won’t be any familiar faces, as walk-on guard Lukas Sotell is the only returning player or coach from last year.

But the memories will likely come flooding back.

Harris-Smith reflected on his time at Maryland in an interview with The Diamondback last week. The guard owned his struggles, and he said he felt most of his issues “was just on me.”

[Pharrel Payne anchors Maryland men’s basketball in 83-61 win over Coppin State]

“[I] kind of got in my head a little bit, worried about fans and stuff like that,” Harris-Smith said. “But, I mean, I feel like that’s a lesson I need to learn sooner rather than later, so I’m blessed that I got to learn that at Maryland.”

Harris-Smith said fans’ discourse “somewhat” played a role in his struggles, but that his own expectations were likely bigger than the ones anyone had for him. His mom, Ericka Harris, said she felt the fans took things too far at times.

Harris said her son received death threats after Maryland’s loss to Marquette in November 2024, when Harris-Smith missed two game-tying free throws late in the fourth quarter. She said he took a break from social media during that period.

“It’s like, I understand you guys are fans, but at the end of the day, these still are people with feelings,” Harris said. “They’re just so quick to criticize — not only DeShawn, the players in general.”

[Maryland men’s basketball mailbag: What can fans expect in Buzz Williams’ first year?]

Harris-Smith worked with a sports psychologist during his time at Maryland, according to his mom. It was an effort to “help him get out of his head,” his mom said.

Those moments didn’t take away from his time in College Park, though. Harris-Smith said he loves the Maryland fans and is very appreciative that he played in College Park for two years.

He cited making lifelong friends, playing alongside now-NBA players including Derik Queen and Jahmir Young and forming a close bond with Willard, who Harris-Smith called “one of my favorite coaches I’ve ever had in my life.”

Harris-Smith also provided insight into Maryland’s drama-filled NCAA tournament. He felt Willard remained fully bought in amid rumors of his move to Villanova, and said the coach was at every team meal and even cried in the locker room after the Terps’ Sweet 16 loss to Florida.

“I feel like I could speak for a lot of my teammates [in] that I don’t think it affected us as much as people try and make it seem,” Harris-Smith said. “If you was in the circle, you would know he wasn’t acting no different, he wasn’t acting like he was one foot out the door.”

Once Willard left for Villanova, Harris-Smith said he was 90 percent sure he would enter the transfer portal. But when Maryland hired Buzz Williams, a coach he heard a lot of great things about, Harris-Smith chose to meet with Williams. He eventually decided to enter the portal anyway, believing it was best to get a fresh start.

Harris-Smith has since moved on from Maryland, and there are few remnants of the last era in College Park. But Friday will offer one last chance for him to make his mark on Xfinity Center — just maybe not in the way he originally expected.

“Should be an exciting matchup,” Harris-Smith said.

Payne was the Terps’ best player in their 83-61 season-opening win over Coppin State Monday night in Baltimore. The Texas A&M transfer poured in a game-high 21 points on 6-for-8 shooting in 28 minutes — a total he didn’t eclipse until January last season for the Aggies.

“I would say, in general, I’m leaning on my guys,” Payne said. “It takes a whole team to get it done.”

Here are three observations from Maryland’s victory at CFG Bank Arena.

Terps gain some health

Graduate guard Diggy Coit and junior guard Isaiah Watts, two of the Terps’ four unavailable players in their exhibition, both suited up Monday. Watts sported a black mask over his face — still nursing a preseason eye injury.

Coit impressed in 28 minutes off the bench, totaling 13 points, four rebounds and four assists. The Kansas transfer efficiently controlled the Terps’ offense, recording just one turnover.

Maryland practiced with eight players for much of the preseason, Williams said. It’s possible Coit and Watts, two key rotation pieces, came off the bench because they haven’t fully practiced for an extended stretch.

[Maryland men’s basketball mailbag: What can fans expect in Buzz Williams’ first year?]

Williams rolled out the same starting lineup from the Terps’ exhibition. True freshmen Guillermo Del Pino and Darius Adams joined redshirt freshman Andre Mills in Maryland’s backcourt. Senior forwards Elijah Saunders and Pharrel Payne anchored its frontcourt.

Redshirt junior Myles Rice (ankle) and senior Solomon Washington (ankle) sat out once again, with no timetable for their returns.

Two focuses for Buzz Williams

Offensive rebounding and turnovers are two areas Williams wants his teams to dominate. His ultimate goal is to outshoot opponents and control more possessions.

But Maryland might not be able to control the offensive glass at the rate Williams desires.

Payne, the heaviest player at 6-foot-9, 250 pounds, led the Terps’ concentrated rebounding efforts. He was Maryland’s only player to grab more than two offensive boards.

[Maryland men’s basketball lands 4-star guard Kaden House, third commit of 2026 class]

The Terps collected 11 of their 30 misses against the Eagles, a similar figure to the 40-plus percent offensive rebounding rate Williams’ teams posted his last two seasons at Texas A&M. But it wasn’t as dominant as expected against a smaller Coppin State team.

Maryland turned the ball over 17 times against UMBC — a rate the Terps slightly improved on Monday with 12 giveaways. Its active and disruptive defense forced 20 Coppin State turnovers, an encouraging sign for a new and inexperienced group.

Improvements from beyond the arc

Maryland’s offense looked concerning against UMBC. The Terps totaled 82 points but collected an unsustainable 29 points at the free throw line and shot 5-for-15 on 3-pointers.

Maryland found initial solutions on Monday, albeit against a low-level opponent that ranks third-worst in all of Division I, according to KenPom.

The Eagles varied a low-pressure 2-3 zone with their man-to-man defense, daring Maryland to shoot when it had open looks. The Terps capitalized early, shooting 8-for-17 from beyond the arc in the first half.

But Maryland’s offense reverted closer to the form seen against UMBC after halftime.

The Terps opened the second half with seven consecutive misses and 11 of its first 13. They shot 36 percent from the field and 2-for-12 from three, relying heavily on their 16 free throw makes.

“It’s a small sample size, but if I was projecting, I would say that’s not what we’ll end up being able to do, nor what we would want,” Williams said of the high volume of 3-point attempts. “We probably fell prey in the wrong way to thinking that was what we want to be about, and I don’t think long term any team can be about that.”

Maryland men’s basketball’s season kicks off Monday night at CFG Bank Arena in Baltimore against Coppin State.

Before the Buzz Williams era gets underway, men’s basketball reporters Ben Geffner and Harrison Rich asked Maryland fans what they’re curious about. Here’s what they had to say.

Questions have been edited for clarity and length.

What is your gut feeling about the team entering the season? Are the Terps Big Ten contenders?

Harrison: I think this team will be extremely mediocre.

Williams himself said it — he has no idea if the roster will be any good. The Terps’ first-year coach signed 15 players this offseason with a focus on finding people he’d want to be around rather than a specific roster construction.

“I understand there’s a prerequisite of talent, but I think from a sustainability standpoint, for us, we want to build,” Williams said. “We want to grow. We want to learn together. We want there to be some remnants with each passing year.”

I think that’s a smart move on Williams’ part, but it might not translate to the immediate results Maryland fans desire.

While I could see this team surprising some and reaching the NCAA tournament, the Terps don’t have the ceiling of last year’s “Crab Five” roster built around flashy scorers like Derik Queen, Ja’Kobi Gillespie and Rodney Rice. Williams’ teams embody toughness, rebounding and defense, and usually don’t produce the most exciting on-court product.

But if it eventually translates to success, Maryland fans probably won’t mind that.

Is there an update on Baba Oladotun’s recruitment?

Ben: Oladotun, originally the No. 1 prospect in ESPN’s 2027 class, reclassified to 2026 in August. He remains the highest-priority recruit for the Terps. The five-star forward and Silver Spring product visited Maryland on Sept. 13.

[The Diamondback Sports Digest: Maryland basketball is back]

“Obviously, I’m from the hometown, so excited to be in my home. I’ve been here a lot, so definitely excited to just meet everyone on campus,” Oladotun told The Diamondback in September. “Coach has been really nice, the whole entire staff has treated me well.”

He shared an inside look of the visit in an episode of his “Road to Greatness” series. Oladotun toured the Terps’ new Barry P. Gossett Basketball Performance Center and met athletic director Jim Smith.

“There’s a lot of positive energy — you’re a part of it,” Smith told Oladotun.

Williams’ signings in Maryland’s 2026 recruiting class, headlined by four-star guard Kaden House’s commitment Friday, could draw Oladotun to College Park.

Oladotun already amassed more than 50 offers and took a visit to Georgetown in October. The Terps host the Hoyas at Xfinity Center on Nov. 7 in a game between the region’s two biggest programs.

With the program now under Williams’ and Smith’s influence, I could see his commitment becoming a reality.

What has been the focus of recruiting under Williams? Is there an emphasis on more high schoolers or transfers?

Harrison: Williams has dipped into both pools during his first seven months in College Park. To put together this season’s roster, he signed 10 players out of the transfer portal and five from the high school ranks.

The majority of this team’s best players will likely be experienced transfers including Pharrel Payne, Myles Rice and Elijah Saunders. But freshman Darius Adams and redshirt freshmen Andre Mills and George Turkson Jr. could also see plenty of playing time.

It’s hard to say what Williams’ plan is moving forward.

[Diggy Coit grew up delivering pizzas. The grind fueled his path to Maryland men’s basketball.]

The portal will likely be a major factor — as it is for most power conference teams during the Name, Image and Likeness era — but Williams appreciates building from within. He takes pride in the fact that his Texas A&M squads consistently had one of the country’s lowest transfer rates at the Power Four level.

High school recruiting will continue to play a role. The Terps already have three commits for the 2026 class, and the list could grow if Maryland secures Oladotun.

And as Williams continues to form connections within the talent-laden Washington, D.C.-Maryland-Virginia area, the staff’s local recruiting presence should only improve.

Who is a darkhorse MVP pick this season? Any surprises to watch for?

Ben: Payne is the obvious leader in Maryland’s frontcourt. The senior forward logged a game-high 26 points and nine rebounds in the Terps’ exhibition win against UMBC on Oct. 27.

But Maryland’s crowded backcourt has multiple players who could be primed for a breakout in 2025-26.

I see graduate guard Diggy Coit, the Terps’ oldest player, filling the role. Coit played in 34 games for Kansas last season but averaged about five points a contest in limited minutes. Bringing high-major experience to a younger guard group is a priority, Coit said.

Now with a bigger role in Maryland’s uncertain rotation, Coit could be relied on as a leader and scorer to start the year. Williams agrees — the Terps’ coach tabbed Coit as his team’s most surprising player in a summer interview.

“I’ve always been a leader and somebody that used my voice, led by example,” Coit said. “[Williams] pushed me, definitely, to a different limit.”

Adams and Mills are lined up for key supporting roles. Though visibly raw, the guard duo’s energy and aggression was apparent in the Terps’ preseason contest.

Basketball is back in College Park.

The women’s team seems primed to be one of the top teams in the country. Coach Brenda Frese added a pair of strong transfers and returned leading scorer Kaylene Smikle. The Terps are loaded, as their No. 10 preseason ranking suggests.

Meanwhile, the men’s team is filled with new faces. The entire roster departed after coach Kevin Willard left for Villanova in the offseason. Several players missed the exhibition game against UMBC due to injuries, too.

Keep reading for a deeper look into the basketball programs.

Men’s basketball’s Diggy Coit, offensive rebounding

Pharrel Payne led the way to an 82-21 win against UMBC on Monday, but with a few players out with injury, we couldn’t see the full extent of Williams’ rotation.

Our men’s basketball reporters anticipate this team will have a myriad of scoring options, despite currently not having a go-to scorer. That’s a key stat to follow this season, along with the Terps’ offensive rebounding, Rice’s finishing and Williams’ coaching decisions.

One of the players who did play Monday was Diggy Coit. Read more of deputy sports editor Ben Geffner’s story about Coit and his road to College Park.

Women’s basketball’s early rotation tells, Oluchi Okananwa’s fashion brand

The Terps lost against the NC State in their exhibition game, but the early signs are encouraging.

Oluchi Okananwa, who transferred from Duke this offseason, led the team in preseason scoring. Women’s basketball reporter dove into Okananwa’s fashion channel, a larger part of her brand and a Name, Image and Likeness opportunity.

Maryland depends on her, particularly early in the season, because injuries persist. Multiple players missed exhibition games, including Smikle, and guard Bri McDaniel is not expected to return for the season-opener.

The Terps will officially start their season on Nov. 3 against Loyola at Xfinity Center.

The Highlight Reel

• Remember Steve Blake? Well, the former men’s basketball star point guard has a son who is a freshman for the Terps. Recruiting reporter Trevor Gomes profiled Nick and his decision to play at Maryland.
• The men’s soccer team earned its most impressive win of the season, defeating Indiana 3-2, to set up a massive home contest against Washington, likely for a Big Ten championship.
• The women’s soccer season ended with just two Big Ten wins, but goalkeeper Faith Luckey’s season — and story — was encouraging amid a disappointing year.
• Wrestling is almost back. Former NC State standout Chase Horne is expected to make a large impact with Maryland.
• Football fans are growing restless with coach Michael Locksley amid a three-game losing skid.

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Quote of the week: 

“Nothing in my life was given to me,” Coit said. “I was just trying to master every single day.”

Up next: 

Football will host the Hoosiers on Nov. 1 for homecoming weekend.

The men’s soccer team has a massive matchup against No. 14 Washington that will likely decide the Big Ten.

After a loss to No. 4 Virginia, Maryland field hockey will cap its season with a game against Northeastern.

The men’s team will tip off against Coppin State in Baltimore on Nov. 3, while the women’s team will take on Loyola at home the same day.

Back home in Columbus, New Jersey, Coit piled into his silver Dodge Charger to make the short drive to Sfizio Pizza — a local Italian-owned staple run by Marco and Claudio Lubrano. He greeted the pair before leaving with a stack of checkered pizza boxes.

On the hunt for his weekly $250 paycheck — a pair of basketball shoes in his trunk — Coit sped through daily deliveries. He often stopped at one of the six asphalt courts at Moody Park, a childhood favorite, after his pizza deliveries.

Training under the streetlights, he found refuge.

Five years and three colleges later, Coit returned to the East Coast to play for Maryland men’s basketball. The graduate guard and oldest player on the Terps’ revamped roster takes pride in the struggles he’s endured.

“Nothing in my life was given to me,” Coit said. “I was just trying to master every single day.”

The 5-foot-11 guard first remembers playing basketball when he was about three years old. He gradually fell in love with the game.

Once he committed to basketball as his main sport, Coit focused on building relationships and establishing mentors. Allen Ragland filled the role.

The longtime trainer and coach met Coit before his last season at Scotland Campus, a Pennsylvania prep school. Ragland was a stable presence in Coit’s life while he took a pre-college gap year.

“He saved my life,” Coit said.

Ragland headed Atlantic Cape Community College’s men’s basketball program. The university typically enrolls just more than 4,000 students and is part of the National Junior College Athletic Association — far from the Division I scholarship Coit eyed.

The coach accompanied Coit on a plethora of his post-delivery workout sessions in 2020 to help him get in shape.

The next summer, Ragland made a proposal.

[Takeaways from Maryland men’s basketball’s 82-81 exhibition win over UMBC]

“I want you to come play,” Coit recalls Ragland, fresh at the community college, saying. “I promise, you’ll come, in the first month, you’ll have the offers that you’re looking for.”

Coit was skeptical. But he accepted.

He spent nearly 10 hours a day in the gym after arriving on campus. One night, Ragland received a call from campus security. Someone was in Atlantic Cape’s gym.

Ragland stared at the clock. It read 2 a.m.

“[Diggy’s] in there shooting hoops,” Ragland recalled. “The side door was open. He found a way to get in there, turn on the lights, and he was there working out.”

When maintenance officially opened the gym at 7 a.m., Coit was the first to reenter the facility, Ragland said.

The extra work paid dividends.

Coit averaged 30.6 points a game in a year at Atlantic Cape, the highest mark in NJCAA Division III. He was named the 2021-22 Garden State Athletic Conference Player of the Year.

Soon after the season, Ragland connected with Northern Illinois coach Rashon Burno, someone he calls a nephew.

Burno, having played with five of Ragland’s actual nephews at St. Anthony High School, visited an Atlantic Cape practice in September 2021. He observed Coit and his backcourt mate Richard Jones throughout the practice.

“They both don’t f—ing miss,” Ragland recalls Burno saying.

He soon extended an offer. Coit accepted.

Coit impressed in his first Division I opportunity, earning All-MAC honors in each of his two seasons with the Huskies. In his second year under Burno, Coit started all 29 games while scoring more than 20 points a contest.

He was ready to jump to a high-major school and initially committed to current Maryland coach Buzz Williams, then at Texas A&M. But compliance issues complicated the process. Coit, though eligible months later after hiring an attorney, no longer had a spot on the Aggies’ roster.

Assistant coach Steve Roccaforte, a longtime member of Williams’ staff, made a call to Kansas at the end of the summer — a gesture Coit said was valued in his decision to sign with Maryland this offseason.

[Steve Blake’s jersey sits in the Maryland rafters. His son wants to continue that legacy.]

Jayhawks’ coach Bill Self signed the collegiate free agent. Coit played backup point guard and averaged 5.1 points alongside current Maryland teammate Rakease Passmore, who he formed a close bond with in their first season together.

“He is a character,” Passmore said on Meet the Terps. “At Kansas, we were always in the gym together, always in the dorm playing the game — so that relationship grew.’”

Despite having a close relationship with Self, Coit looked for more opportunities entering his fifth season — something Kansas couldn’t guarantee.

In the transfer portal this spring, Coit remembered Roccaforte and Williams’ authenticity. A move to Maryland to reunite with the pair made sense, he said.

“I wanted that freedom when I’m playing, but also I wanted to be pushed and challenged like I wasn’t before,” Coit said.

Before coming to College Park, though, Coit asked Ragland for one last summer workout.

The pair made the hour-long trek to Atlantic City’s Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, a training site Coit frequents during offseason breaks.Shadowed beneath the resort’s dual towers and just steps from the sun-bathed boardwalk, Coit raced.

The Maryland transfer ran 30 laps, dodging railings up and down the steps while he worked against a 25-minute timer.

Then came Ragland’s infamous 40-minute beach workout.

Under his guidance, Coit used the ocean as his defender. The 5-foot-11 guard dove for loose balls on the sand, ran defensive slides and sprinted chest-high into the water against surging waves.

His approach on the beach aligns with what Ragland calls his lion-like work ethic.

Now entering his final college season, Coit’s outlook remains clear.

“It’s really deeper than just picking up a basketball and playing,” Coit said. “Seeing a lot in my life on and off the court … gives [me] not just motivation and inspiration, but a lot of knowledge.”