Terps Men’s Basketball Look to Exceed Expectations Once Again
The Terps men’s basketball team will look to start off their 23/24 season against an in-state foe in Mount St. Mary’s out of the MAAC. After falling in the second round of the NCAA tournament last season, the Terps will look to be even more successful in head coach Kevin Willard’s second season as the leader of the program.
While they lost Hakim Hart and Ian Martinez to the transfer portal, the Terps are still bringing back three of their top four scorers from a year ago. Jahmir Young and Donta Scott are both returning for their final years of eligibility to help take this new era of Maryland Basketball to another level. The Terps are also bringing back Julian Reese to command the paint for his junior season.
While the Terps are returning some key players, it is their newcomers this season that stole the spotlight this off season. Coach Willard and his staff have brought in a top 20 freshman recruiting class ranking 19th nationally and fourth in the Big Ten. DeShawn Harris-Smith and Jamie Kaiser are the big names of the Terps freshman with both being ranked in the top 75 per 247 sports. Harris-Smith is ranked 27th nationally and was the top player out of Virginia. Kaiser was ranked 75th and was the fourth best player out of Florida. Along with Harris-Smith and Kaiser, the Terps signed two other incoming freshmen that were ranked in the top 300 nationally in Jahnathan Lamothe at 173rd and Braden Pierce at 286th. Along with their top 20 freshman class, the Terps signed three three star transfers as well. Jordan Geronimo out of Indiana, Mady Traore out of New Mexico State, and Chance Stephens out of Loyola Marymount were the three transfer signings. Geronimo and Traore are two forwards that will look to add depth to the Terps frontcourt under Reese and Scott. Stephens was going to be a shooting guard and small forward rotational player for the Terps this season, however, he ended up tearing his ACL during off season practices and is likely out for the entire season.
Although they are not starters and big names, some key returners for the Terps are Jahari Long, Noah Batchelor, and Caelum Swanton-Rodger. Long will look to be a solid veteran and defensive presence off the bench in a backcourt that will be filled with youth this season. While he was not as good as expected last season, Batchelor can be a very solid scoring option off the bench thanks to his ability to shoot it from behind the arc. Swanton-Rodger will be another solid option for coach Willard off the bench to help give Reese some rest and eat minutes if Reese gets into foul trouble. While they might not be flashy players, these three will be key depth pieces for the Terps this season and the team’s success could rely on how well they play off the bench.
The Terps will start off their season with a non conference game against Mount St. Mary’s before heading to Asheville, North Carolina for the 2023 Asheville Championship Tournament where they will first face Davidson, and then UAB or Clemson depending on who wins and loses in the first round games. After Asheville, the Terps will then head on the road for the first of just two true road non conference games when they face former Terp Hakim Hart and Villanova in the Gavitt tip-off games. The Terps will then head back home for a three game home stand against UMBC, South Alabama, and Rider. The Terps will then play their two December conference games at Indiana, and then home against Penn State. After Penn State, the Terps will be back in non conference play where they will face Alcorn State and Nicholls State at home before traveling for their second true non conference road game to UCLA for the second stretch of the home and home series between the two. The Terps will then wrap up non conference play with a home game against Coppin State.
Teams that the Terps will play both at home and on the road in conference are Michigan State, Indiana, Penn State, Northwestern, Rutgers, Illinois, and Iowa. The Terps will host Purdue, Nebraska, and Michigan while they will travel to Ohio State, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. The Terps have been predicted to finish anywhere between first and eighth in the conference this season thanks to the depth and talent across the board in the Big Ten.
After coming off their first season under coach Willard and reaching the second round of the NCAA tournament, the Terps will look to build on last season and exceed expectations once again this season. Their season opener against Mount St. Mary’s is scheduled to tip-off on November 7th, at 7PM. The game is set to air on Big Ten Plus.
