Talent, good coaching, and depth — all things that winning college basketball teams have. The latter is what might set this year’s Maryland team apart from its competitors.

Coming into the year ranked No. 21 in the preseason AP Poll, the Terps have a fair amount of high expectations on them this season, which is a reflection of the type of roster head coach Mark Turgeon has formed in College Park after losing several key contributors from last season — Aaron Wiggins, Darryl Morsell, and Jairus Hamilton

To put some of these expectations into perspective, four of Maryland’s projected starters have made preseason watch lists for either their positional awards or, in the case of guard Eric Ayala, All-Big Ten honors.

(You can discuss this on the BSL Board here.)

Speaking of Ayala, he along with Donta Scott, Fatts Russell, and Qudus Wahab were all named to CBS Sports Top 100 college basketball player rankings for the 2021-22 season. Maryland had a nation-high four players on the list.

Additionally, three Terps — Ayala (No. 12), Wahab (No. 15), and Russell (No. 20) — have been named to Andy Katz’s Top 20 Players in the Big Ten.

CBS hoops analyst Jon Rothstein observed a Maryland practice at the end of September and he also had some very nice feedback for the Terps:

Most of this preseason praise, and rightfully so, is geared toward Maryland’s starters/key contributors. The projected starters in College Park as of now are Russell, Ayala, Hakim Hart, Scott, and Wahab. But what about the players who will provide the crucial depth that the Terps will need to compete for a Big Ten title and make a tourney run?

Let’s take a closer look…

Ian Martinez

Martinez has impressed in the preseason with his athleticism and versatility. In fact, our very own Chris Knoche called Martinez a “next level athlete” in his 2021-22 Terps Basketball Preview. He’s 6-foot-3 and long so he’s much more of a wing, two-guard than a point guard. He won’t start, but he very well could be the third guard in rotation behind Ayala and Russell. However, Martinez is also coming off of an injury and has yet to be fully cleared to play, so he will have to get beyond that hurdle first. The transfer from Utah underwent surgery for a torn meniscus in June and was expected to take about 2-3 months to heal, so the Terps are hopeful they’ll have him back for the start of the season. Reports out of College Park are that he looks healthy in practices.

Pavlo Dzuiba

The 18-year-old transfer from Arizona State is big and mobile, which should be a nice skill set for Maryland to have mixed into its frontcourt. He’s 6-foot-8, 240-pounds, so he’s a tank but he has good feet and should be quick enough to get out and guard the perimeter against smaller lineups with faceup fours. Having a true center like Wahab is big for the Terps, but being able to be versatile in the frontcourt with guys like Dzuiba is an added bonus that could pay major dividends. It remains to be seen how developed Dzuiba’s offensive game is, but the defense alone should get him into the mix.

Xavier Green

The late addition to this year’s roster could prove to be a big one. Green is a grad transfer from Old Dominion and reports out of College Park are that he looks experienced and ready to contribute right away. At 6-foot-6, 205 pounds, Green is a big guard who should be able to make plays at both ends of the floor. As Knoche wrote in his season preview, “He’s not spectacular at anything but he’s steady and plays hard on both ends.” Because of his size, experience, and versatility, Green should be able to come off the bench and give good minutes and the two or three.

James Graham

Graham came to College Park as an early enrollee last winter so he’s a bit more experienced than some of the other freshmen on the roster. He has also transformed his body this offseason and reportedly looks good in the preseason. Graham is a player who could give the Terps the offensive spark they’ll need off the bench and on the perimeter in general. He was a sniper from 3 in high school and Maryland could really use that skill set this year with a roster full of athletic slashers but very few pure shooters. Turgeon will likely use Graham at the three when Maryland needs offense and Green at the three when he needs some defensive stops.

Julian Reese

Reese is another freshman who transformed his body this offseason and could contribute early on in his collegiate career. He’s built to be a dominant four at the college level, but he should also be able to give some minutes at the five in smaller lineups. He’s big, athletic, and skilled. Reese’s inexperience at this level is really the only thing that could hold him back initially. Playing in the frontcourt in the Big Ten is no joke, so don’t be surprised if Turgeon brings Reese along a little more slowly than some of the other young players

Pat Donohue
Pat Donohue

Terps Analyst

Pat has been covering sports in the DMV area since 2012. He is a former Washington Redskins beat reporter for PressBoxDC.com and has been covering University of Maryland football and basketball recruiting and daily beats for Rivals.com’s Terrapin Sports Report since 2013. Pat graduated from College Park with his master’s degree in journalism and has received bylines in publications such as USA TODAY Sports, The Philadelphia Inquirer, SB Nation, and Yahoo! Sports. A Philadelphia native, Pat enjoys fishing, golfing, and playing fantasy sports when he’s not covering or watching a game.

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