Maryland men’s basketball is still waiting on its full 2026-27 regular season schedule, but the conversation around Buzz Williams’ second team has already started to sharpen. The non-conference picture keeps filling in, including a finalized Players Era 16, and the early read from outside the program is that the Terps still have some proving to do after landing outside preseason bracketology.
That skepticism showed up again this week when Jon Rothstein placed Maryland 13th in his preseason Big Ten power rankings. If that holds, it would be the first time since the move to the Big Ten that Maryland finishes outside the conference’s top 10 in back-to-back seasons. The bigger question hanging over the year is whether the Terps can get back to the NCAA Tournament at all.
Rothstein still sees a route there, and he pointed directly to the way Williams has reshaped the roster.
“has added up front with Tomislav Buljan from New Mexico, getting Pharrel Payne back, Baba [Oladotun], the talented wing comes in.”
“I think you're going to see a real, real resurgence at Maryland as well,” Rothstein added.
That kind of optimism isn’t new around Williams. Rothstein was among the analysts who expected more in year one, but he also noted the familiar pattern with Williams: his teams tend to look better in year two than in year one. Maryland seems to have taken that lesson to heart in this portal cycle, building more length across the roster and adding experienced ball handlers around DJ Wagner and Bishop Boswell.
The transfer additions are only part of the story, though. Former five-star freshman Baba Oladotun was also named among 10 impact Big Ten freshmen, joining Christian Collins (USC), Anthony Thompson (OSU), Brandon McCoy (Michigan), Quentin Coleman (Illinois), Jasiah Jervis (MSU), Ethan Taylor (MSU), Tajh Ariza (Oregon), Joe Philon (UCLA) and Luke Ertel (Purdue).
Oladotun is expected to start on the wing, with Wagner at point guard and Buljan and Payne together in the frontcourt. The one spot still up for grabs is the starting two guard, where Boswell and returning guard Andre Mills are battling through summer workouts and preseason to claim the job.
Maryland’s rotation should have more depth beyond that, too. Oklahoma State senior forward Robert Jennings is set to handle minutes at the four and could also see time at the five. Former four-star Adama Tambedou is working to earn a role as a high-energy four, while Kaden House has already gotten buzz as an underrated defender in his first weeks on campus.
For now, the Terps sit 13th in Rothstein’s Big Ten pecking order, behind Illinois, Michigan State, Michigan, USC, UCLA, Purdue, Ohio State, Indiana, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Iowa and Oregon, and ahead of Washington, Minnesota, Rutgers, Northwestern and Penn State.
In Other News...
Tubby Smith Earns Honor That Hits Home For Kentucky Fans
Tubby Smiths latest honor carries a little extra weight in Maryland, where his basketball story began long before the championships and national acclaim. The St. Marys County native has been named to the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2026, adding another milestone to a coaching career that stretched across more than three decades before he retired in February 2022.
For Kentucky fans, the recognition also brings back memories of a coach who made history in Lexington and helped reshape the sports landscape along the way. Smiths path from Great Mills High School to the top of college basketball included a title run at Kentucky and a role on the 2000 Olympic gold medal staff, and his place among the games greats will be formally sealed Oct. 22 in Kansas City. [Read more 🡒]