Maryland basketball welcomes 5-star recruit Derik Queen in hopes that the talented big man can pair up with Julian Reese for a dominant season.
The tradition continues! CBB Review is again ranking the top 100 teams heading into the new college basketball season. Each day, we will reveal the next team until we reach the team slotted at number one. Up next: Maryland basketball.
Maryland might have missed the postseason in year two under Kevin Willard but year three holds a lot of promise.
For starters, the Terps return Julian Reese, DeShawn Harris-Smith, Jordan Geronimo, and Jahari Long. They have returning experience at just about every position, which should help the newcomers.
Derik Queen, a 5-star center, is the prized recruit for head coach Kevin Willard. I see him as a potential breakout freshman, and regardless of if he joins Reese in the starting lineup or comes off the bench, he’s certainly going to be tough to defend, along with his low-post teammate.
Ja’Kobi Gillespie is another player Maryland basketball fans should love having. He led the Missouri Valley Conference in field goal percentage and steals per game. As a guard, the SPG mark isn’t a surprise, albeit 2.2 is very impressive. But as a guard, beating out big men in FG% is something to write home about. Efficiency was a problem for the Terps last year. Gillespie can help change that.
South Florida transfer Selton Miguel and Georgia Tech transfer Tafara Gapare are two more additions that give Maryland basketball a lot of depth and skill for the 2024-25 season.
Click here to learn more about our preseason top 100 teams heading into the 2024-25 college basketball season.
Head coach: Kevin Willard (3rd season at Maryland, 18th season overall)
2023-24 record: 16-17 (7-13)
2024 postseason finish: No postseason
Notable departures:
- Jahmir Young (20.4 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 4.2 APG, 1.3 SPG)
- Donta Scott (11.2 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 1.1 APG)
- Jamie Kaiser (4.4 PPG, 2.0 RPG, 0.2 APG, 26.9 FG%)
Notable non-conference games:
- vs. Marquette (Nov. 15)
- vs. Villanova (Nov. 24)
- vs. Syracuse (Dec. 21)
Projected Rotation
PG: Ja’Kobi Gillespie (6-1, 186, Jr.)
2023-24 stats: 17.2 PPG, 4.2 APG, 3.8 RPG, 2.2 APG, 56.1 FG%, 38.7 3P% (Belmont)
SG: Selton Miguel (6-4, 217, Gr.-Sr.)
2023-24 stats: 14.7 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 2.2 APG, 1.2 SPG, 39.0 3P% (South Florida)
SF: DeShawn Harris-Smith (6-5, 208, So.)
2023-24 stats: 7.3 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 2.2 APG, 36.8 FG%, 20.2 3P%
PF: Jordan Geronimo (6-6, 225, Gr.-Sr.)
2023-24 stats: 5.4 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 0.5 APG, 1.1 BPG
C: Julian Reese (6-9, 252, Sr.)
2023-24 stats: 13.7 PPG, 9.5 RPG, 1.3 APG, 1.9 BPG, 1.0 SPG, 54.6 FG%
6: Derik Queen (6-10, 246, Fr.)
247Sports Composite #12 ranked recruit
7: Jahari Long (6-5, 200, Gr.-Sr.)
2023-24 stats: 4.7 PPG, 1.4 APG, 1.2 RPG, 35.5 3P%
8: Tafara Gapare (6-9, 215, Jr.)
2023-24 stats: 5.1 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 0.8 APG, 1.1 BPG, 34.7 FG%, 16.9 3P% (Georgia Tech)
9: Chance Stephens (6-3, 185, Rs.-So.)
*Did not play in 2023-24*
2022-23 stats: 6.0 PPG, 1.0 RPG, 0.5 APG, 37.4 3P% (Loyola Marymount)
10: Rodney Rice (6-4, 198, So.)
*Did not play in 2023-24*
2022-23 stats: 7.4 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 0.9 APG, 32.1 FG%, 8 GP (Virginia Tech)
11: Jay Young (6-2, 180, Gr.-Sr.)
2023-24 stats: 2.2 PPG, 1.3 RPG, 0.9 APG (Memphis)
Maryland Basketball team MVP: Julian Reese
The big man has improved in every year at Maryland and looks to do the same for his season year in College Park.
Reese is a combo between a forward and a center – he’s more skilled than most college centers but has the size to compete down low with taller big men. Reese nearly averaged a double-double last year, along with 1.9 blocks per game. You need to box him out, or he’ll make you pay.
The biggest intrigue this season is how Willard decides to use Reese and Queen. They could be interchangeable – but they also could play together. It wouldn’t be as clunky as two 7-footers, as Reese is mobile enough inside. However, it would take away how many shooters and how many transitions Maryland could play with both on the court.
It’s an enigma, but a good one to have for Kevin Willard.
Maryland Basketball make-or-break player: DeShawn Harris-Smith
Usually, Maryland has a really good scoring guard, and Gillespie figures to be a good candidate for that role this year. But how about Harris-Smith? While his efficiency was nothing short of awful last season, he’s got the potential to be a player who puts the Terps over the top.
Harris-Smith can score the ball – but he can also rebound and be a playmaker, averaging over four boards and two assists in 2023-24. And remember – that was his freshman season. Don’t be surprised to see him improve drastically as a sophomore. The stats might not show it on a team that could be fairly balanced, but his game could do the talking.
Key analytic: 3P%
The three-point game is just as crucial in college basketball as it is in the NBA and it’s something Maryland needs to work on this season.
In come Chance Stephens, who missed all of last year, but at Loyola Maryland, practically stood around the arc. 131 of his 145 shot attempts in 2022-23 were from behind the arc. While I’m not sure how much playing time he’ll get, he seems to be one answer to that problem.
Of course, Gillespie is another. He figures to replace Jahmir Young, and while I’m not sure if he’ll average 20 PPG, he’s a better shooter from distance. That’s a win in my book.
And then there’s Selton Miguel, who could also be a top bucket-getter on this Maryland team and shot it at almost 40% from deep last season.
Kevin Willard must have seen the glaring problem and fixed it in the portal, because the Terps now have a lot of shooters on this year’s roster.
Maryland Basketball 2024-25 projections
Projected conference finish: 10th in the Big Ten
Projected postseason ceiling: NCAA Tournament Round of 32 Exit