Maryland gets one more public dress rehearsal before the games start to count, and this one comes with West Virginia on the other side and a 3 PM tip at XFINITY Center.
The Terrapins are coming off last Sunday’s 85-70 exhibition win over Georgia Tech, a game that tilted their way early and stayed there. Maryland smothered the Yellow Jackets with defense and pace in the opening half, rolling to a 45-24 lead by halftime. The numbers told the story too: a 22-11 edge in points off turnovers, a 15-0 advantage in fast break points, and a 44-33 edge on the glass.
One of the biggest reasons Maryland looks built the way it does right now is Pharrel Payne. The veteran post player was named to the Preseason All-Big Ten Team, a nod to his place among the league’s top frontcourt threats. Payne is back for his fifth year after missing the bulk of 2025-26 because of injury.
Last season, in his first year with Maryland, Payne gave the Terps a steady inside anchor. He started 10 games and averaged 17.5 points and 7.2 rebounds while shooting 62.4 percent from the floor and 71.9 percent at the free throw line. In just 10 appearances, he put together three double-doubles: 17 points and 14 rebounds at Iowa, 30 points and 10 rebounds against Wagner, and 17 points and 11 rebounds against Georgetown.
Payne’s resume stretches beyond College Park, too. Across 106 career games with 47 starts, he has played at Minnesota from 2022-24, Texas A&M in 2024-25, and Maryland last season. Over that span, he has averaged 10.3 points and 5.6 rebounds while shooting 63.8 percent from the field.
Another major piece for Maryland is Andre Mills, who followed a redshirt year at Texas A&M in 2024-25 with a breakout campaign for the Terps. He averaged 12.2 points and 4.1 rebounds across 33 games, including 25 starts, and flashed real scoring punch with four 20-point games and two 30-point outings.
Mills also delivered the kind of night that ends up in program lore. His career-high 39 points at Northwestern matched the program record for most points by a freshman in a single game, a mark previously set by Diamond Stone against Penn State in 2015. He became one of four freshmen to score 30 or more in a game dating back to 1994, and he is only the second, alongside Hall of Fame inductee Joe Smith, to post two 30-point games in a freshman season.
Maryland’s final public tune-up comes with plenty of familiar names and a few headliners worth watching again, including a top-20 incoming class and “The Beast Entering The Hall of Fame.”
In Other News...
Maryland Faces Early Rotation Test As Buzz Williams Keeps Sorting Lineups
Marylands preseason tune-up continues this weekend with a public scrimmage against West Virginia after an exhibition against Georgia Tech, giving Buzz Williams another chance to sort through combinations and see what this roster looks like against live competition. For a team still taking shape early in the process, these October looks matter less for the scoreboard than for the feel of the group, especially with a new coach trying to establish roles, rotations and tempo before the games start to count.
West Virginia coach Ross Hodge already sounded like he came away respecting what Maryland brings, pointing to the Terps physicality and overall talent while mentioning players such as Pharrel Payne and Andre Mills. From Marylands side, the value is just as clear: this is another useful test against a high-major opponent, and the scrimmage should help both staffs get a better read on lineups and team dynamics as they build toward the 2026-27 season. [Read more 🡒]
Marylands Midseason Grades Show Just How Far This Season Has Slipped
Maryland enters Week 7 at 2-4, and the midseason picture explains why the season has already drifted off course. The Terrapins have had too many trouble spots to hide, from a rushing attack that never found traction to an offensive line that has not consistently helped stabilize things. Even in a year short on positives, there have been a few bright spots, including the play of receiver Chris Durr Jr. and the kind of pass rush that can still travel on rough afternoons.
Malik Washingtons regression has become one of the central concerns, because the quarterback spot is where a team usually finds some order when the rest of the operation is fraying. Marylands defense has shown enough pressure from Zion Elee and Sidney Stewart to suggest there is some talent to build around, but the larger question is whether the Terps can get enough from the offense to make any of that matter. At this point, the season feels less like a reset waiting to happen and more like a search for answers that needs to start immediately. [Read more 🡒]
Maryland Baseball Just Got The Schedule Test That Will Define 2027
Marylands baseball program now has its 2027 map, and it is the kind of schedule that will tell the Terps plenty about themselves before the Big Ten race fully takes shape. The 56-game slate mixes a demanding non-conference lineup with an expanded conference grind, while the roster brings back key offensive pieces David Mendez, Rylen Stockton and Jackson Sirois, plus transfers Jackson Logar, Andrew Middleton and Charley Magoulick to help absorb the challenge.
The early portion alone should demand quick answers, with road tests against Ole Miss, Coastal Carolina and East Carolina setting the tone before the league portion brings even more strain. Maryland will also have to navigate a Big Ten slate that now includes familiar rivals and newer far-flung opponents such as UCLA and Oregon, giving the Terps a season-long measuring stick that could say a lot about where this group stands by the time the schedule tightens. [Read more 🡒]