Maryland and Georgetown do not meet often, but when they do, the edge is hard to miss.
The schools have faced each other only six times over the past 45 years, yet the bad blood is real enough that both fan bases seem to keep score year-round. That backdrop gets another chapter Saturday night in Washington, where the Terrapins and Hoyas will square off for the second time in a four-game series the programs arranged before last season.
Georgetown won the first meeting 70-60, but this one comes with a very different feel. Both teams are 1-0, and both rosters have been overhauled enough that last year’s losing records barely tell the story of what these teams look like now.
For Georgetown, the transformation has been driven by the transfer portal, and Jaland Lowe has already emerged as the headliner. He put up 23 points Monday in the Hoyas’ 80-58 win over Loyola (Md.), showing the kind of form that made him such a productive player two seasons ago at Pitt, when he averaged 16.8 points and 5.5 assists per game. Lowe spent last season battling injuries at Kentucky.
Elmarko Jackson, another portal addition from Kansas, added 14 points in his Georgetown debut, giving Ed Cooley a backcourt with real punch. Cooley, now in his fourth season, called Saturday’s game a major test.
“This, to me, will feel like a tournament game,” Cooley said. “You’ve got to win your home games when you’re trying to revitalize a community and turn around a program.”
The matchup inside should be just as interesting. Georgetown’s Vince Iwuchukwu and Maryland’s Pharrel Payne bring veteran size and production to the front line after strong opening games. Iwuchukwu posted 21 points and nine rebounds against Loyola, while Payne had 13 points and six rebounds in Maryland’s 96-67 win over Bucknell.
Maryland’s debut also featured a strong all-around effort from Andre Mills, who finished with 22 points and 11 rebounds. The Terps got solid first outings from New Mexico transfer Tomislav Buljan, who had 10 points and seven rebounds, Arkansas transfer DJ Wagner, who scored 10 points and grabbed five rebounds, and freshman Kaden House, who added 14 points.
Buzz Williams said Maryland looks nothing like the team that lost to Georgetown a year ago, and he said the same is true on the other side.
Williams called his group “completely different” from last season’s squad, which never led against Georgetown. He also pointed to the Hoyas’ new construction under Cooley.
“Based on what I know about Georgetown's team, (it's) probably more constructed the way that Coach Cooley prefers to play,” Williams said.
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The frontcourt matchup looms especially large because Georgetown does not have much margin for error up front, while Maryland has the sort of rebounding and turnover advantages that can tilt a game before the scoring even settles in. If the Terps control the paint and force the Hoyas into uncomfortable possessions, the rest of the matchup starts to look a lot less even, which is why this one may come down to a single battle more than the broader talent gap. [Read more 🡒]