Maryland men’s basketball isn’t just licking its wounds after a brutal stretch - it’s trying to rediscover its identity. Back-to-back blowout losses to Gonzaga (by 39) and Alabama (by 33) in the Players Era Tournament weren’t just tough to watch - they were historically lopsided defeats for a program that’s used to competing, not collapsing.
Now, with Michigan - fresh off a 40-point dismantling of Gonzaga in the tournament final - set to visit College Park on Dec. 13, the Terps are staring at a critical stretch. But before that Big Ten opener, they’ve got two games to regroup, starting Tuesday night against Wagner.
Head coach Kevin Willard isn’t sugarcoating the situation. He’s realistic about where his team stands, but he’s also seeing the bigger picture - especially when it comes to the growth of his young core.
Learning Through the Fire
“The awareness that it creates for our players in between the lines when you play two top-ten teams within 24 hours,” Willard said on 105.7 The Fan. “The results were not what we want, not where we're heading, but I think some of the lessons that took place are bigger than words.”
That kind of trial by fire isn’t easy - nor is it pretty - but it can be instructive. Willard knows that facing elite competition early can accelerate development, even if the scoreboard doesn’t reflect it. And for a team relying heavily on underclassmen, those minutes against top-tier opponents might pay dividends later in the season.
One of the few bright spots from the tournament was freshman forward Aleks Alston, who held his own with 10 points in each game and averaged seven across the event. Willard also highlighted the growth of fellow freshmen Guillermo Del Pino, Darius Adams, and Andre Mills, noting that a second-half stretch with four freshmen and Pharrel Payne was the best offensive stretch the team has had all season - even if the defense didn’t hold up its end.
“I thought those guys on that stage against that level of competition, I thought there was great growth for them,” Willard said. “It was very uncomfortable for everybody in the program to be in that position, but those four guys having an opportunity to play the amount of minutes they have played through eight games… I do think it will expedite their growth.”
A Chance to Reset
Maryland is 4-0 in Quad Four games, and Tuesday’s matchup with Wagner - a team that shoots 41% from three, top-15 nationally - is more than just a stat-padding opportunity. It’s a litmus test for how this team responds to adversity and whether it can begin to build the foundation it’s been lacking.
“As much as the opponent is important, I think establishing an identity for who we're going to be and how we're going to play on both sides of the ball - I don't think we've established that,” Willard admitted. “Some of that is poor coaching on my part.
Some of that is lack of healthy bodies to be able to practice five-on-five. Some of that is eight games in 20 days.”
Willard isn’t hiding behind excuses, but he’s also not ignoring the reality: this team hasn’t had the practice time or continuity it needs. Limited by injuries and a jam-packed early schedule, Maryland has only had 12 full five-on-five practices to this point in the season. That’s hardly enough time to build chemistry, install schemes, and develop rhythm - especially for a group this young.
Now, with only four games on the December slate, the Terps finally have a chance to breathe, regroup, and get to work.
“We need all of the game days but we need all of the practice days to try to make up for some of the things that we haven't had an opportunity to do thus far,” Willard said.
Fixing the Fundamentals
The issues aren’t subtle. Maryland’s defense has struggled mightily against the three - a bad matchup against a Wagner team that thrives from deep. Their rebounding, turnover rate, and consistency on both ends of the floor have all been problem areas.
“We are doing some good things,” Willard said. “We have to make those good things better and the things that have been hurting us, we have to figure out a way that it can at least become a push instead of it draining mathematically the things that we're doing well.”
That’s the challenge now - to turn flashes of promise into something more sustainable. And that starts with reps. With bodies finally getting healthy and the schedule easing up, Maryland has a window to build some cohesion and rediscover the fundamentals that have been missing.
Looking Ahead
Willard remains optimistic about the long-term value of the Players Era Tournament, despite the lopsided losses. In just its second year, the event has quickly become one of the premier showcases in college basketball, and Willard believes the exposure and experience will benefit his program down the line.
“We were able to play in both [years], and the evolution of what it was a year ago to what it is now… I do think it's the best tournament in the country as of year two,” he said. “To be able to learn the lessons, not only from watching the film, but the awareness that it creates for our players in between the lines… there's a lot of things in an unsaid way, as a coach, that I think will be beneficial to us, not only this year, but in the future.”
But for now, the focus is squarely on the present. Wagner on Tuesday.
Iowa on Saturday. Then Michigan in a Big Ten showdown that could either compound the pain or mark a turning point.
Maryland’s season isn’t defined by two blowouts - not yet. But how the Terps respond to those losses? That’s where the real story begins.