Maryland’s freshman class may end up being the piece that keeps this season from going off the rails.
Buzz Williams brought in a four-man group that ranked 14th nationally by 247Sports, and the staff has already given them a label: “The Wolfpack.” After a 12-21 finish last season, the Terps are counting on this class to help patch over the roster’s weakest spots and give the program a real shot at moving in a better direction.
The headline name is Baba Oladotun, a 6-foot-10 five-star small forward from Silver Spring, Maryland, ranked No. 9 in the country. His commitment landed in dramatic fashion during Maryland’s overtime win over Mount St. Mary’s last season, and assistant coach Aki Collins said the Terps had to beat out a major local rival to get him.
“On Monday before he committed, so literally the day before he committed, he was going to Georgetown. He was going to Georgetown,” Collins said, noting that Williams’ relationship with Oladotun’s father, Ibrahim Oladotun, helped close the deal late.
Oladotun has the kind of frame and shot-making touch that invite the Kevin Durant comparisons, especially after playing on the same EYBL team as another DMV star. But the freshman is also coming in young - he graduated high school a year early and will be 17 by the season opener against Bucknell - and he’s still trying to fill out his body for Big Ten play.
He added 10 pounds over the offseason and is listed at 205 pounds, which makes him the lightest of Maryland’s bigs. That showed in the two preseason exhibitions, where he managed just five points and one made field goal while having trouble creating space when defenders crowded him on the perimeter.
For now, Oladotun may not be a steady starter, and if the size takes time to come, his college path could stretch beyond one season. Even so, his ceiling is obvious, and he made it clear he wants to help right away.
“I want to come in here and just be able to win, be able to do what I have to do,” Oladotun said. “I don’t have any real awards that I’m too focused on right now because our team is so deep. So I’m just ready to impact right away and really impact winning.”
If Oladotun is the long-term swing, Kaden House looks more ready to make noise immediately.
The guard may not have gotten the loudest buzz during Maryland’s recruiting run, but he’s been one of the most productive freshmen so far. He scored 14 points in 14 minutes in the Georgia Tech exhibition, then added 10 more the next week against West Virginia. At 6-foot-3, he’s tied for the shortest player on the roster, but he attacks inside the arc with speed, and his passing plus perimeter defense give Maryland real lineup flexibility.
There’s a belief around the team that House is ready for a leap. Senior guard Lukas Sotell didn’t hold back.
“I’ve never seen a defender like him before,” Sotell said. “He’s so active.
He’s such a hard worker. He’s a really good listener.”
That skill set fills some obvious needs for the Terps. Outside of Andre Mills’ late-season surge last year, Maryland lacked a guard who could score with force and play with that kind of motor.
It also needed more stability at point guard. House has a chance to check both boxes.
“Perfect fit for Buzz Williams, as far as his talent, his personality, his IQs are very high,” assistant coach Steve Roccaforte said. “He’s smart.
He’s just a perfect fit. Multi-positional guard with size, very mature.”
Behind the top names, Adama Tambedou and Austin Brown have also flashed enough to be part of the conversation.
Tambedou, a four-star forward from Senegal, brings a strong 6-foot-7, 220-pound build and the kind of power game that can cause problems around the rim. His offensive rebounding and finishing could make him a useful bench presence in a role similar to the one Solomon Washington had early last season.
Brown, the class’ lone three-star recruit, earned a start in the Georgia Tech exhibition alongside four projected starters. He played 14 minutes, scored five points and defended well on the wing. He’s likely to be limited to nonconference minutes and projects as an emergency small forward option for Oladotun or an extra guard if needed.
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