Maryland’s first exhibition under Buzz Williams looked a lot like a team with something to prove.
The Terps rolled past Georgia Tech, 85-70, on Sunday in a neutral-site tune-up that showed off a deeper rotation, better work on the glass and enough backcourt pop to ease some early preseason concerns. Fourteen Maryland players got into the game, and the new-look roster spent most of the afternoon putting the Yellow Jackets on their heels.
Maryland opened with a three-guard lineup and got out fast, building a 10-4 lead behind 3-pointers from Andre Mills and Mike McNair Jr. Once Williams turned to a bigger group, the offense stalled for a stretch with a few clunky possessions.
That didn’t last long. Williams went to five substitutions in the first seven minutes, and Maryland soon found its rhythm again, stretching the lead to 13 with 7:32 left in the first half.
The bench ended up doing a heavy lift. Maryland got 38 points from its reserves, with only freshmen Kaden House and Adama Tambedou crossing the 30% usage-percentage threshold.
The biggest difference, though, came inside. Rebounding was a major point of emphasis for Maryland late in the 2025-26 season, and it showed here. The Terps out-rebounded Georgia Tech 44-33 and grabbed 16 offensive boards, a clear edge that helped separate the game.
Pharrel Payne was right in the middle of that effort. He finished with 16 points, nine rebounds and three steals, bringing a physical edge back to the floor for Maryland. One of the game’s cleanest sequences came with 3:26 left in the first half, when Payne knocked the ball loose from Colby Garland, dove on the floor to secure it and then flicked it to DJ Wagner for a one-handed dunk.
Wagner was one of eight Maryland guards to see the floor, a reminder of just how many options Williams has in the backcourt. That group accounted for 31 of Maryland’s 45 first-half points, and the Terps carried a 21-point cushion into halftime.
The shooting from deep was another bright spot. Maryland’s guards hit 38.1% of their 3-point tries and supplied 28% of the team’s overall scoring. That’s a welcome sign for a group that took the third-most 3s in the conference last season but finished with the fourth-worst percentage.
Guillermo Del Pino turned in one of the more eye-catching stretches of the day as well. The newcomer forced a turnover on Garland, pushed the ball the other way and delivered a textbook alley-oop to Payne for a powerful finish with 13:03 remaining. Del Pino followed that up with a defensive rebound 23 seconds later and then kept a pass from flying out of bounds shortly after.
Baba Oladotun had a quieter afternoon offensively. The five-star recruit made only one field goal - a dunk midway through the opening half - and was whistled for four fouls while being played tightly throughout the game. He also went 1-for-5 at the free-throw line, though he did show the ability to handle the ball and initiate offense at different points.
Three things to know
- House made the most of his minutes. The four-star freshman wasn’t expected to play much, but he finished with 14 points in 14 minutes and showed why Williams pushed hard to land him.
- Free throws are still a problem. Maryland shot 70.4% from the line by going 19-for-27, a number that won’t sit well after last season’s 72.2% mark ranked 17th out of 18 Big Ten teams.
- One more exhibition remains.
Maryland will return to the Xfinity Center in a week to play West Virginia in its final tune-up before opening the season against Bucknell on Nov. 2.
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Maryland Fans Got An Encouraging First Look At Buzz Williams Defense
The first informal look at Buzz Williams second Maryland team gave Terrapins fans something easy to appreciate at UMBC, where the Terps handled Georgia Tech 85-70 and never really let the game get away from them. Even in a workout setting, the defensive shape stood out, with Pharrel Payne helping anchor the starting group and Maryland keeping control from the opening stretch while building a lead that held throughout.
There was also a burst of energy from freshman guard Kaden House, who supplied a team-high 14 points and two steals in just 14 minutes before fouling out. Marylands pressure clearly bothered Georgia Tech from the perimeter and beyond, and the early returns suggested a group that could already make opponents uncomfortable while still finding its footing on the offensive side. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Faces A Bigger Test Than Fans Might Think
In the buildup to Saturdays game, Curt Cignetti and Ryan Day both sounded like coaches who know the margin for error is thin. Indiana has spent the week preparing for a ranked opponent with a familiar standard to chase, while Ohio State is sorting through the usual late-week injury chatter and leaning on its depth. Jeremiah Smith remains the headliner on the Buckeyes side, the kind of player who can tilt a game before the other team settles in.
From Marylands perspective, the interesting part is how much of Ohio States rotation could be back in the mix after last weekend. The Buckeyes were already tested against the Terps, and now theyre expecting reinforcements as Indiana tries to match an Ohio State mark from the College Football Playoff era. If the Hoosiers are going to make this one uncomfortable, their defensive readiness has to show up early, because the Buckeyes do not look like a team eager to give away any more breathing room. [Read more 🡒]
Maryland Fans Got An Encouraging First Look At Buzz Williams' Team
Buzz Williams got a useful early read on his Maryland roster in Sundays exhibition win over Georgia Tech, and there were enough promising signs inside Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena to make fans pay attention. The Terps looked active on the defensive end, controlled the glass and got production from both the starting group and the bench in an 85-70 win, with Payne putting up 16 points and nine rebounds and Kaden House adding 14 points as a reserve.
For a team trying to establish depth and lean on its incoming pieces, that kind of balance matters in October. Maryland also used the night to give supporters a first look at a roster that has real intrigue beyond the usual top names, including players tied to the 2026 class, but the exhibition was not only about what went right. There was at least one early setback to monitor, and it leaves a small but notable question hanging over the progress Williams wanted to see. [Read more 🡒]