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Maryland Basketball: Thoughts On The 2023 Season and The Upcoming 2024 Season

Okay Terps fans it is that time of year that most Maryland fans look forward to and that is the start of the basketball season. This is one of my favorite times of the year, as we can only picture what the new season will bring us. But lets first talk about last season.

Maryland had one on those down years for a basketball program that is rich in tradition, as they finished with a record of 16-17 overall and 7-13 in Big 10 play. There is plenty of blame to go around from the coaching staff, the transfer portal, to the NIL, to injuries, to recruiting and the freshmen played, etc. But, this is Maryland basketball and we fans expect nothing less then an appearance in the Big Dance, and some fans expect nothing less than a Sweet Sixteen team.

So, what really went wrong?

There were some injuries as transfer Chase Stephens who was suppose to be the 3 point guy, the one to open up the floor and to hit that outside shot, but things did not go as planned as Stephens tore his patella tendon and that was all she wrote, so his season ended before it got started.

So, the Terps were depending on some freshmen, to hopefully pick up the slack and to step up. The freshmen tandem of Deshawn Harris-Smith and Jamie Kaiser Jr. were suppose to be able to step up and make some shots. Harris-Smith is back for his sophomore season and Kaiser has since transfer to Butler.

So, it was up to the trio of Maryland superstars in Seniors Jahmir Young and Donta Scott along with Junior Julian Reece to carry the load. Well the Terp’s did what they could to work with what they had to work with, as the Terps just could not hit the outside shot in particular the 3 pointers.

Here is a stat to show how bad the 3 point shooting was and keep in mind that there are 351 Division 1 basketball programs.
Out of 351 Division One college basketball programs in the Country the University of Maryland Terp’s were 340th in 3point shooting percentage at 28.88%. I think that is enough said, as it is clear the Terps just did not have any firepower.

Let me throw another stat out to show what a difference in hitting a few more 3’s would have made Maryland averaged 69.0 points per game and only gave up 65.9 points per game (more on that in a sec). That makes it 3.2 scoring margin. Just picture the Terp’s hitting 2 or 3 three pointers in key parts of the game that more then likely would have swayed the game to the win column for the Terps.

Just look at their record and picture it. They could have been possibly at the very least 20-20 over all and 11-10 in Big 10 play. Of course this just a hypnotical exercise, but hopefully you get the jist Now let us go back to the 65.9 points per game that the Maryland defense put up. That ranks the Terp’s as the 23rd ranked scoring defense in the Country and also led the Big 10.

So, the Terp’s were 13th in the Big 10 in scoring offense and first in scoring defense and 340th out of 351 schools in 3 point shooting. It is clear what needs to be fixed and what needs to stay in tact. More offensive firepower and keep that tenacious defense effective as it was in the 2023 season. Now, lets move on this upcoming 2024 collage basketball season.

It is a brand new season in College Park for the Terp’s and Head Coach Kevin Willard, with some veterans, newcomers and new kids on the block on the menu. This is one of those years that no one really knows the Terps have this year, as there has been some addition by subtraction and working around the transfer portal and a couple big losses.

Lets start with those that transferred or graduated out:

Jahmir Young (Graduation) 20.PPG, 4.9 RPG, 4.2 APG
Donta Scott (Graduation) 11.2 PPG, 4.7 RPG and 1.1 APG

G/F Noah Batchelor (So., 26 GP, 1.7 PPG, 0.3 RPG)  Transferred to Buffalo
C Caelum Swanton-Rodger (So., 31 GP, 1.5 PPG, 1.7 BPG, 0.4 BPG)  Transferred to Old Dominion
SG Jahnathan Lamothe (Fr., 16 GP, 0.8 PPG, 0.7 RPG)  Transferred to North Carolina A&T
SF Jamie Kaiser Jr. (Fr., 33 GP, 4.4 PPG, 2.0 RPG, 1.0 SPG) Transferred to Butler
PF Mady Traore (So., 12 GP, 1.3 PPG, 1.2 RPG)  Transferred to Frank Phillips College (JUCO)

The loss of Young and Scott will be huge, as they were partly the heart and soul of the team, as well as providing some major offensive numbers.

So, with that said let us start with those returning to College Park:

First and foremost the leader of this Terp’s team is Senior Julian Reece who is not only one of the top forwards in the Big 10 but is also on the Karl Malone Pre-Season List as one of the top forwards in the Country.

Reece is expected to have a huge season this year and with a good supporting cast he could have a monster year.

Also returning:
Soph..Guard  Deshawn Harris-Smith
Soph. Guard Chase Stephens
Grad Student Forward  Jordan Geronimo
Harris-Smith will hopefully have a breakout season this year and Stephens and Geronimo will provide some valuable minutes of the beach.

Now lets take a look at the newcomers to College Park:
Soph. PG Rodney Rice 6’4” (Transfer from Virginia Tech)
Jr. PG Ja’kobi Gillespie 6’0” (Transfer from Belmont)
Grad Student SG Selton Miguel 6’4” (Transfer from USF)
Jr. SF Tafara Gapare 6’9” (Transfer from Georgia Tech)

The biggest name and perhaps the most important is Gillespie as he had been anointed the air apparent to Young and will take over the PG duties. Coach Willard and the Maryland coaching staff is hoping that Rice will return to form after suffering several injuries while playing for Va. Tech. Both Miguel and Gapare are both expected to play a lot of minutes and to help provide some offensive punch.

Now for the new kids on the block:

There hasn’t been this much buzz about a Maryland recruit in a very very long time and Maryland is certainly glad that hometown product Derek Queen decided to stay home and play for the Terps. The 6-10 Queen was a unanimous 5 star recruit out of Baltimore Maryland was was ranked as the #12 recruit in the 2024 class and the #3 ranked center. The talented freshmen was just placed on the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award Preseason Watch List as the top center in the Country.

Queen is going to be a special player and most certainly will earn his place into the Maryland history books.

The other freshmen in the 2024 is Guard Malachi Palmer who was the #119 ranked player in the Class of 22024 and was ranked as the #3 player from the State of Maryland. Palmer has the talent and potential to play some valuable minutes this year, so it wil be interesting to see how he fairs over the course of the year.

To be honest with I am not sure what to expect, but I can assure it will exciting to watch.  First Derek Queen will have a monster season as will JuJu Reece. How is the Big 10 going to handle Queen and Reece being on the floor at the same time. They will be a match nightmare when they both are on the floor at the same time and could be the best 1-2 punch in all of collage basketball. I hope that Coach Willard and Terp’s keep there calling card which is hard nosed and tough defense.  I expect the Terp’s could be better defensively this year, than last year and if so that is a scary thought for the Big 10.

Here is what I and most of the basketball world will be watching when its come to the Terp’s.

First – Can Gillespie handle playing in and producing in the Big 10. Gillespie played for Belmont which was part of the MVC which is no slouch, but it is nothing compared to the Big 10. I personally think he will be just fine. Everyone worried about a guy named Young coming from a smaller conference and we no how that turned out. Gillespie is ready to take the keys.

Second – Can the team gel and come together as there are some mixed parts that Coach Willard will need to mesh and come together.

Three – How much will Reece and Queen be on the floor at the same time and how effective will they be. As I said earlier they could be the best one – two punch in all of collage basketball, but also they both are dangerous individually and will make a major impact. Reece will be Big 10 all conference and Queen will be Big 10 freshmen of the year

Four – How will the four new west coast teams in USC, UCLA, Oregon and Washington affect the conference.

My prediction:

I might be wrong, but this how I see it. In the previous years, when everyone was saying that the Terps will have a great season and when the Terps seem to be loaded, that is when they do not do so hot. In those years when nothing was expected from the Terp’s that is when they over achieve and do quite well. In this 2024 season most experts are picking Maryland to finish anywhere from 10th to 11th place in the Big 10 and some say they are in the dance and some say first four out. I think the Terps will play that hard nosed defense and make a few more 3’s then last year, as well as being able to compete at a high level for 40 minutes and be in every game. Maryland will finish 7th in the Big 10 and will make the big dance as a #7 seed. But, if Reece and Queen play up to there potential and Harris-Smith, Gillespie and Rice have big years, they could challenge to reach the upper tier of the Big 10 and #5 or #6 seed in the big dance.

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