The University of Maryland Terrapins started their 2025-26 season – and the beginning of the Buzz Williams era – with a 83-61 win over Coppin State at the Baltimore Arena Monday Night.
On March 22nd of this year, MD reached the Sweet 16, with Derik Queen hitting the game winner.
That game is more than just 8 months ago; it represents a previous era.
By the start of April, Williams had taken over the Maryland program.
In the ensuing Months he brought on 15 new players, including 4 that transferred from his previous position at Texas A&M.
We looked at some of the initial additions here. My colleagues Pat Donohue, and Zack Kiesel did the same as the additions continued.
Before things tipped of Monday, Rakease Passmore suffered a season ending Achilles.
Against Coppin State, the Terps played without projected started Myles Rice, and Solomon Washington.
Here we give some impressions from what we saw from MD vs. the Eagles, and look ahead to tomorrow night’s home opener vs. Georgetown.
Quick Hits
- Coppin is in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) and most season projections have Coppin as being one of the worst teams in the MEAC, and Division 1 as a whole. My take after seeing the Eagles was that if the shot-making they showed vs. Maryland holds, Larry Stewart’s team might surprise in the MEAC. Like Williams and Maryland; Stewart has a bunch of transfers. For a team that was outmatched physically everywhere, I thought the Eagles competed and showed signs of life. For MD, when you have athletic and skill advantages everywhere; you expect to win – even if you were missing two starters. I spent the Spring and Summer getting increasingly more excited about Williams’ first Maryland roster, only to find myself getting a little nervous as this game arrived. The 1 point exhibition win vs. UMBC didn’t help, nor did the rash of injuries. Besides being without Rice, and Washington (and Passmore), going into the game it wasn’t known if David Coit and Isiah Watts were going to be able to suit-up. My primary takeaway from Monday was that I came away encouraged. I loved Williams’ energy from the bench. I loved that he had players in and out, and was constantly coaching them up. You saw good depth from the Terps, and they controlled the game as they should have.
- 8 different Terps played at-least 13 minutes. 10 played at-least 6. Without their starting PG (Rice), MD only had 12 turnovers. Maryland made 10 three-pointers, with four different players each having at-least 2. The Terps won on the boards, and were 23 of 25 at the line. All positives.
- While this is a new team for MD, I thought it was important for Williams that he had the four A&M transfers join him in College Park. I’ve been interested in seeing what MD had in Andre Mills and George Turckson Jr, who both redshirted last year as Aggies. These were quality recruits, who clearly utilized the past year to get better. And no surprise that they look comfortable in their second year in Williams’ system. Mills was hungry. 13 points (3 of 7 from 3), 6 boards, 2 steals, 1 block. He played 30 minutes Monday night. I’m not sure what minutes he’ll be in-line for going forward, but I’m now confident in him being a contributing role player. That’s significant. Turckson didn’t score, but he did have 5 boards. He looked strong.
- Took me about two minutes of action to like Del Pino. My guess is that the Spanish Freshman doesn’t end up playing much this year, but I bet I like the minutes he does find. He didn’t score in his 13 minutes, but he looked heady to me.
- David ‘Diggy’ Colt, didn’t play a ton last year at Kansas (15.5 minutes per), but he averaged 21 points per game the year prior at Northern Illinois. We weren’t sure if he was going to be available Monday, and he played 28 minutes, scoring 13 points (4 of 9 from the floor), with 4 boards, 4 assists, and 2 steals. Energy and experience. He’s going to get a lot of run for MD, and be an important piece. We also weren’t sure Watts was going to go, but he also played 23 minutes. Coit and Watts combined to go 5 of 12 from 3.
- Solomon Washington’s defense has been lauded by everyone, and I’m looking forward to seeing him once available. I’ve seen him listed as a SF by most, but I think he’s going to get a lot of time as a PF for MD. The reason I say that, is because I’m not sure how much MD is going to get from reserve bigs Collin Metcalf (Senior) and Aleks Alston (Freshman). Metcalf has experience, which I like. He started 29 games for Northeastern last year, and averaged 5 boards and 2.4 blocks. I thought he looked slow vs. Coppin, and I was disappointed that he and Alston had 0 boards in their 12 combined minutes of action. So, what I think happens at time is when Pharrel Payne needs a break, Elijah Saunders will play up at the 5, and Washington will get run at the 4. Maybe I’ll be wrong, but that’s my early take. If Metcalf can rebound, and shot-block and use his 5 fouls; that will be useful.
- Saunders had a steal he was able to tip out to himself at midcourt, and then he finished with a nice slam. He’s not freak athlete like Chris Wilcox, Ekene Ibekwe; but he moves well, and his ability to shoot (2 of 5 from 3) is big. I think how Saunders goes many nights will be a barometer for MD as a whole. Saunders averaged 5 boards in 27 minutes per last year for Virginia. Just 3 against Coppin. MD will need him to do work on the glass.
- Payne finished with a game high 21 points, going 6 of 8 from the floor, and making all 9 of his free throws (58.2% from the line last year). He’s strong, he’s physical. He plays like he wants to make a statement. I liked that he didn’t let Coppin’s defensive swarming take him out of the game. He’s in line for a very big year.
- 5 Star Freshman Darius Adams showed zero fear. He was 0 for 5 from 3, but he he still finished with 16 points because he was 10 of 12 at the line. Also showed an ability to get to the basket. Nice debut.
- I’d be encouraged if the roster Monday was the roster going forward. Instead you are going to add your starting PG (Rice) – who was 1st team Pac 12, and that conference’s Freshman of the Year – two years ago, and apparently your best defensive player in Washington. Will be fun to seem them all together, and the month-to-month progression. If MD hits 8 to 10 three’s a game, and gets to the line (and converts like they did Monday), this team will most definitely surprise people.
Up-Next
- Maryland hosts Georgetown tomorrow in the home opener (6PM, FS1). The Hoyas beat Top 10 Kentucky a week ago in an exhibition. And they started their actual season with an 87-70 win over Morgan State. In that game, the Hoyas were 4 of 26 from 3, and 27 of 39 at the line. Ten different Hoyas played at-least 15 minutes, The backcourt starters – KJ Lewis (Arizona transfer this year), and Malik Mack (Harvard transfer last year) seem solid. ESPN’s Match-up Predictor is giving the Terps an 88.7% chance of winning. (Feels a bit high, no?) Maryland and Georgetown have not met since 2016, and this will be the first of a four-game series between the two neighboring schools. Georgetown was predicted to finish 6th in the Big East’s Preseason Coaching Poll. Ed Cooley (the 2022 Naismith Head Coach of the Year) is in his third year at Georgetown. In addition to Lewis, Cooley brought in 5 other transfers including former Terp DeShawn Harris-Smith. CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander recently had his compilation of the Nation’s Top 100 teams to enter the season. He had MD 51st, and Georgetown 57th. His comments on Georgetown:“Find me in Year 3″ was what Ed Cooley told me a couple of years back when we were discussing the reality of the rebuild at Georgetown and what it was going to take to turn that battleship around. Well, this is Year 3. Cooley’s record at the school is 27-39. I don’t need to see an NCAA Tournament team, but I do need to see a team that is in the bubble conversation entering February. Georgetown has the pieces to move up a tier in the Big East. Malik Mack is back to run the offense, supported by four role players who should grow into a stronger unit. Georgetown doesn’t have a single freshman on its roster, the only high-major (maybe the only school in the country?) where that is the case. Transfers KJ Lewis (Arizona), Langston Love (Baylor) and Vincent Iwuchukwu (St. John’s) clearly make this team streets ahead of the past two. Lewis might be a top-10 defender in America.”
Chris Stoner
Owner
Chris Stoner founded Baltimore Sports and Life in 2009. He has appeared as a radio guest with 1090 WBAL, 105.7 The Fan, CBS 1300, Q1370, WOYK 1350, WKAV 1400, and WNST 1570. He has also been interviewed by The Baltimore Sun, Baltimore Business Journal, and PressBox (TV). As Owner, his responsibilities include serving as the Managing Editor, Publicist, & Sales Director.