Under Maintenance

We deeply apologize for interrupting your reading but Vendetta is currently undergoing some important maintenance! You may experience some layout shifts, slow loading times and dififculties in navigating.

Kevin Willard Has Maryland Basketball Way Ahead of Schedule

Kevin Willard
(Zach Bland/University of Maryland Athletics)

Kevin Willard Has Maryland Basketball Way Ahead of Schedule

Maryland Basketball wasn’t supposed to be very remarkable in Kevin Willard’s first season as head coach. Following the rocky end of the Mark Turgeon era, it was clear that UMD needed some time to rebuild. Almost every analyst considered them a team destined for the bottom third of the Big Ten standings. I was definitely higher on Maryland than consensus, yet still predicted they would finish 9th in my 2022-23 season preview.

The Terrapins went on to drastically outperform expectations in Willard’s first season. They finished 22-13 and tied for fifth in the Big Ten with an 11-9 conference record. UMD went on to defeat West Virginia in the Round of 64 of the 2023 NCAA Tournament. A tournament win was certainly not what anyone predicted for Maryland in a bridge year.

Willard has already proven to be a fantastic hire for Maryland’s culture. It’s pretty evident he understood what type of coach the school was looking for.

He’s been aggressive in recruiting out of the DMV area, something Turgeon always struggled to do. Charlotte transfer Jahmir Young was the first DeMatha Catholic player to commit to UMD in two decades despite the prominent high school program sitting just a few miles down the road from the University of Maryland.

2023-24’s Positive Outlook

Entering the 2023-24 season, Maryland Basketball returns three starters in Young, Donta Scott, and Julian Reese. They add the No. 18 recruiting class in the country per 247Sports. What’s even better is that DeShawn Harris-Smith, Jamie Kaiser, and Jahnathan Lamothe are all local recruits. Willard is building a strong program and using Maryland’s backyard to do it. Coming off a 2023 NCAA Tournament berth, the Terrapins are primed to reach that stage again. They certainly have the talent to win more than one game in March Madness.

Maryland Basketball fans have high expectations, which isn’t unjustified. The job Kevin Willard has done thus far is extremely encouraging regarding his ability to lead the program back to prominence.

***

SUBSCRIBE to the Vendetta YouTube Channel!

SHOP for Vendetta Merch!

SUPPORT Vendetta on Patreon!

Share Karl Heiser post!

Table Of Contents

Recent Posts

Sean Marks

Sean Marks explains rationale behind Nets’ bold 2025 NBA Draft strategy

Sean Marks explains rationale behind Nets’ bold 2025 NBA Draft strategy The Brooklyn Nets went bold — really bold — in last week’s NBA Draft, becoming the first team in…

Read More
Deandre Ayton

BREAKING: Deandre Ayton Signs With The Los Angeles Lakers

BREAKING: Deandre Ayton Signs With The Los Angeles Lakers Deandre Ayton has decided to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers. This has been confirmed by Shams Charania on Twitter/X: After…

Read More
Alex Verdugo

Atlanta Braves DFA Alex Verdugo

Atlanta Braves DFA Alex Verdugo The Braves have officially designated Alex Verdugo for assignment, MLB insider Ken Rosenthal reported Wednesday. Honestly, it’s about damn time. What started as a “maybe…

Read More

Categories

Close Window

23886 Posts Found

Please hold while we search for your results.