Terrapin Men’s Basketball destiny looms over postseason play

With regular season basketball wrapping up and postseason play on the horizon, No. 11 ranked Maryland Terrapins look to the Big Ten tournament, as well as the upcoming NCAA tournament to cement their college basketball legacies.

The Terps hit their stride at the perfect time as they won seven of their last eight contests and three straight to end regular season play. This season is the Terps’ best finish since the 2019-2020 season was cut short due to COVID-19. Their record in that season – 24-7, the exact same as this year.

With the Big Ten tournament in Indianapolis starting Wednesday, this will be the first time the Terps earned a double bye as they battled to the No. 2 seed in the 15-team field, just below the No. 7 ranked Michigan State Spartans. 

Maryland Head Coach Kevin Willard talked about the allure of winning during a midweek press conference Wednesday afternoon.

“Obviously you want to win a Big Ten championship and improve your seeding in the NCAA tournament because that gives you better chances, so we’re looking to go to Indy and play well,” he said.

Willard stressed the importance of locking in on the task at hand.

“I love conference tournaments, I think it’s a great opportunity for your fans and your players to get experience.” Willard added, “I don’t even look at the NCAA Tournament right now, I’m just really focused on this conference tournament and who we play on Friday.”

Big Ten Freshman of the Year Derik Queen had a shorter sentiment.

“I mean we’re right there, three games, three days, might as well go win it,” Queen said.

Queen, who led the team in scoring with 15.7 points a game, was also named to the All-Big Ten First Team , All-Big Ten Second Team and was a unanimous selection to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team. 

He is the first Terp since Melo Trimble in 2014-15 to earn All-Big Ten First Team honors. 

During the midweek press conference before tournament play, Queen detailed how he was in the gym getting treatment when he found out he was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year on social media – that brought a huge smile to his face. 

Queen’s frontcourt mate, senior Julian Reese, earned honorable mention accolades from the coaches this year. Reese averaged 13.2 points with 9.3 rebounds in his final season in College Park. His 14 double-doubles led the Big Ten and tied him for 12th in the nation. 

Reese is just 24 rebounds away from being the third player in Terps’ history with 1,000 career rebounds.

Transferring from Belmont University, Ja’Kobi Gillespie has fit right into the rich history of Terps’ ball handlers. Gillespie was an All-Big Ten Third Team selection by both the coaches and media this year in his first year in the Big Ten. 

Gillespie was steady the entire season, scoring in double figures in all but six games while leading the conference in three-pointers made with 76. He was also third in the Big Ten with 1.9 steals a game and sixth in the league with 4.7 assists an outing. He was second on the team in scoring with 14.9 points a game. 

Selton Miguel was chosen as the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award honoree for Maryland. The fifth-year senior averaged 12 points a night and led the team shooting a blistering 42.7% from three-point range. He scored in double figures 23 times, leading the team.

Rodney Rice, who averaged 13.7 points on the season, kept the team in a few games where it seemed all was lost. 

In a blowout victory against Iowa where the Terps put up a season high 101 points, Rice kicked off a second half with eight straight points to gash the Hawkeyes, leading to a 54-24 second half for the Terps. 

Rice also scored 20 points in the heartbreaking loss to Michigan State. When no one could seem to score on either side, he scored 15 in the second half to keep the Terps afloat. Rice emphasized how great this team is and what to look forward to in the coming games. 

“We know how good we can be when we play together as a team, so the expectations are high but we can accomplish those.”

Rice looks to shun doubters, after not being named to any All-Conference honors. 

“It doesn’t bother me, but I thought it was really crazy. I’m definitely going into this tournament with a chip on my shoulder,” Rice said.

It takes a team, and Jordan Geronimo is always going to give his team a spark. 

“Every time I get out there, I tell myself that once I step between those four lines I’m supposed to play hard, and that’s kind of my identity, I hold myself to a certain standard,” Geronimo said.

Queen touched on comradery and how much this team and this run means to him. 

“We are brothers,” Queen added. “The more games we play, the more time we get to spend with each other and keep making memories.”

The Terps look to kick off postseason play Friday at 6:30 p.m.