Maryland Basketball: Terps Showing Improved Depth to Start the Season

Last year Maryland was able to compete in many games off of the heroics of Young. He was sometimes aided by Scott and Julian Reese, but both of them were inconsistent. After those three, the team had very few scoring options. This led to a disappointing end to the season where the Terps lost many one-score games and ended the season with a losing record.

In the offseason, Coach Willard utilized the transfer portal and brought in five-star freshman Derik Queen to help rebuild the Terps. Through three games it has been a major success. Queen began his collegiate career with a 22-point 20-rebound double-double over the Manhattan Jaspers. While Queen has been a major success, the transfers are what have truly solidified the team. Three guards were brought in to help improve the team’s scoring—Ja’Kobi Gillespie from Belmont, Rodney Rice from Virginia Tech, and Selton Miguel from USF.

Gillespie had the highest rating of the three. He was brought in to be the replacement for Jahmir Young and has looked good so far. While he will not put up the eye-popping scoring numbers like Young, he will be an excellent alternative. Gillespie is a better three-point shooter than Young and is much bigger. He is also a tremendous defender, which is perfect for Willard’s full-court press. Rice has been the sixth man for the Terps and has had a big impact. He is shooting over 40% from three this season and scored 28 points in a game against Mount St. Mary’s last Friday. Miguel is off to a slower start this season, but showed promise in the Terps’ most recent game against Florida A&M. He scored 14 points and shot 40% from three. These three mixed with Queen and Reese have allowed the Terps to flourish. But, other depth pieces cannot be overlooked. Backup big men Jordan Geronimo and Tafara Gapare have both put in solid efforts off the bench. Each player is an athletic big man who specializes in defense. This has helped the Terps create energy off the bench. It also helps to change the defense as neither Reese nor Queen is a particularly dynamic athlete.

What’s Next for the Terps?

While this depth is nice, they have only played low-major opponents. Later this week, the Terps host Marquette in College Park. The 15th-ranked Eagles will be a great test for them. It will be a great learning experience for a few of the less-experienced players who have not played in a major college environment. The Xfinity Center should be loud this week and the game should be great. Later in non-conference play, they play Syracuse and Villanova who should each be a nice challenge for the Terps.