Pharrel Payne’s second season at Maryland is starting with something his first one never really got: a clean runway.
The 6-foot-9 center was limited to just ten games last year after a pair of injuries interrupted the first season of the Buzz Williams era. The first scare came in a road win at Marquette, when Payne went down in a splits position while reaching for his hip and had to be helped off the floor.
He missed the five-point win over Mount St. Mary’s four days later, then returned for the Player’s Era Tournament.
But as Williams explained Thursday at media day, Maryland’s caution turned out to matter.
“If he would’ve played [against Mount St. Mary’s], he would have not got his year back,” Williams said during media day on Thursday.
The bigger blow came later, when Payne went down in the closing minutes of the first half against second-ranked Michigan and was helped off the floor again in the Big Ten home opener. That injury ended his season, and Payne said the hardest part was dealing with what came after - not physically, but mentally.
“We weren’t doing the best to begin with and then I was hurt. The mental part of it is the biggest part that nobody really talks about, but it’s always tough to know that you’re out for the season. At that point in time, I felt like there’s nothing I can do to help,” Payne said.
What followed was a shift in role. Payne went from being the inside presence Maryland needed on the court to a veteran voice off it, leaning into what Williams described as “speaking life in the guys” in practice, at team dinners and on trips. That growth away from the action helped keep him central to the program, and it also helped quiet the uncertainty around whether he’d be back for a second year in College Park.
“Just tried to not focus on that, trying to get back to being 100% healthy. And if it happened, it happened. If it didn’t, it didn’t.”
Maryland eventually got the answer it wanted. Payne, the Texas A&M transfer and preseason All-Big Ten selection, was expected back for another season, and he said he was fully cleared just before summer workouts began in June. After a 12-win season and a brutal setback of his own, Payne said that’s fuel now.
“It’s a motivation to prove yourself, prove that we can do this. There’s always a response to everything. You’ve got to make it a positive response,” Payne said.
He’ll be doing that with a lineup built around experience, including DJ Wagner stepping in at point guard and Tomislav Buljan expected to start at the four. The New Mexico transfer brings a real rebounding punch to the frontcourt after averaging a double-double in his lone season with the Lobos, grabbing at least 14 rebounds in seven games and posting a career-high 21 boards in 29 minutes against Mississippi St. on Nov. 21.
Robert Jennings, who transferred in from Oklahoma State, summed up the fit plainly: “Pharrel is a problem by himself and Tommy’s a problem by himself,” Jennings said. “Putting them together is a whole different situation.”
Payne knows exactly what Buljan brings, too. The competition has already been real in practice.
“it hurts to go against Tommy at practice,”
“Having another really physical body, obviously it helps in rebounding and I think rebounding is like one of those things that we put as our core pillars on our team,” Payne said. “Just having another guy that’s really physical - our physicality is borderline the same. Having a guy that’s next to you that you feel like you just run through a wall with really helps.”
Buljan returned the compliment, calling Payne one of the “toughest bigs” he’s played with. Over the last three months, the two have built enough chemistry that Buljan believes the daily battles are sharpening him for the season ahead.
“He makes me better because he’s really physical. I think I can only benefit from it as well, like getting used to that, it’s going to be easier to play against other guys this season,” Buljan added.
In Other News...
Baylor May Have A Maryland Opportunity Worth Watching Closely
With Mike Locksley out at Maryland, the spotlight has quickly shifted to what could happen next with the roster, even though the programs players are not yet free to make any final moves. Baylor is being mentioned as a possible landing spot to watch, mostly because several Terrapins would appear to fit what the Bears want to do if they choose to explore a transfer route. Malik Washington, Zion Elee and Darrell Carey are among the names being floated as potential fits, which gives the situation some real intrigue beyond the coaching search itself.
For now, though, this is still more of a waiting game than a movement story. No Maryland player has officially entered the Transfer Portal, and the clock on any actual departures does not start until the Terps hire or announce a new permanent head coach. Once that happens, the roster could become much more fluid, and Baylor will be one of the programs worth monitoring closely as the window opens. [Read more 🡒]
Mike Locksley Opened Up About Maryland Exit And What Comes Next
After eight seasons at Maryland, Mike Locksley is no longer the head coach of the program, and he says he has made his peace with how it ended. In speaking with ESPN, Locksley reflected on the challenge of trying to rebuild the Terps while navigating the realities that come with trying to stabilize a football program over time.
The part that stood out most in his remarks was the strain of keeping the operation intact while success brought constant turnover around him. Even as he looks ahead to his next step, Locksley said he is weighing a few different paths in the game and beyond it, leaving his future as one of the more interesting storylines to follow now that his Maryland chapter is closed. [Read more 🡒]
Maryland Is Reshaping Buzz Williams Staff Before A Pivotal Season
Maryland is heading into a pivotal season with a reworked Buzz Williams staff and a clear sense that the behind-the-scenes structure matters as much as anything that happens on the floor. Williams recently announced updates for the 2026-27 season, including new titles and responsibilities across the coaching and support staff, as the Terps prepare to open Nov. 2 at home against Bucknell and lean into a year that will also feature special promotions tied to the 25th anniversary of the 2002 NCAA title team.
The moves come with the usual preseason buzz around tickets and expectations, but they also hint at a broader reset in how the program wants to operate day to day. Maryland has already put season tickets and single-game tickets on sale for fans looking ahead, and this next stretch will be about whether the new staff alignment can help sharpen the programs workflow while the spotlight intensifies around a season that figures to draw extra attention in College Park. [Read more 🡒]