COLLEGE PARK, Md. — In rather less than three weeks, the Maryland Terrapins men’s basketball team will take the courtroom, tipping off the 2024 faculty basketball season.
Many hope this 12 months is an enormous turnaround from final 12 months’s 16-17 season.
This 12 months brings a brand new degree of optimism, thanks to hitting the switch portal onerous and the extremely anticipated incoming freshman and Baltimore native Derik Queen.
In Kevin Willard’s third 12 months as head coach, he says this offseason has been good.
The group is older thanks to prioritizing the switch portal.
“When you look down the bench, you’d like to see some guys that performed faculty basketball earlier than and been in numerous conditions,” says Willard.
Seven new faces are on this 12 months’s team, however none with extra hype than Queen.
“Derik’s a high 10 participant. If I used to be an NBA GM, I’d draft him in a heartbeat. I believe there’s an enormous distinction in the truth that he’s in all probability a once-in-a-lifetime generational expertise. I imply, he’s as expert an enormous man as I’ve ever seen on the courtroom,” says Willard.
The freshman as soon as performed at St. Francis Academy along with his frontcourt mate and senior Julian Reese.
Both talked about what they hope to carry to the desk as a tandem.
“I assumed enjoying with him in highschool was enjoyable, however proper now it’s nice. That four-man has to guard both of us. Good luck,” says Reese.
Queen says they hope to be an unstoppable duo. When requested what he hopes to carry to the team this 12 months, he says, “Winning and contributing, like, large minutes.”
The backcourt was additionally a focus at Media Day. Coach Willard hopes to play quicker this season and expects his sophomore guard, Dashawn Harris-Smith, to take an enormous leap ahead
“If anyone switched up on me, I’m proving them fallacious this 12 months. Everybody that is nonetheless behind me, I’m proving them proper. That’s my largest factor, simply going on the market, exhibiting everyone I’m the participant I may very well be. I’m gonna knock down pictures. I’m gonna play the protection. I’m simply going to affect the sport in a bunch of various methods. And assist us get as many wins as potential,” says Harris-Smith.
The Terps open up their season on November 4th at dwelling towards Manhattan.
