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Maryland opens its 2024-25 college basketball season determined to bounce back from a disappointing regular-season finish, which proved costly in its bid to make the NCAA Tournament last year.
This year, Terrapins coach David Willard has assembled a 15-man roster that features a five-star high school prospect, who will likely form a twin-tower combination with the team's top power forward and a transfer guard determined to help the program return to the postseason.
Here's a closer look into Maryland's upcoming NCAA campaign from its notable games to key players to watch out for this season.
Maryland's biggest games of the 2024-25 season
Maryland will have three notable non-conference games this season, starting off with its clash against Big East squad Marquette at the Xfinity Center in College Park on Nov. 15.
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This will be the second meeting of both teams, with the first taking place on Dec. 1, 2019. Maryland won that encounter, 84-63.
Kevin Willard's men head to the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, for their showdown against Villanova on Nov. 24 as part of the Saatva Empire Classic tournament. The Terps haven't been fortunate in recent clashes against the Wildcats, losing five straight games since winning their first meeting in Jan. 1985.
Maryland travels to Brooklyn on Dec. 21, locking horns with Syracuse at the Gotham Classic at the Barclays Center. It will be the 10th meeting between the two teams, with the Terrapins holding a 5-4 head-to-head edge.
Maryland's Big 10 Conference schedule matrix has also been released. They face Nebraska, rival Northwestern and Ohio State twice in a home-and-away format.
The Terps host Iowa, Michigan State, Minnesota, Rutgers, UCLA, USC and Wisconsin. they also visit Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Oregon, Penn State, Purdue and Washington.
Top Maryland players to watch out for in the 2024-25 season
Maryland concentrated on rebuilding its roster during the offseason and secured five players from the transfer portal and two from the high school ranks.
One of them is a highly rated recruit, who's the third-best center in the class of 2024, while the other is an explosive point guard capable of scoring in bunches. Here are the three players to watch out for in the Terrapins' 2024-25 men's basketball campaign.
#1 Julian Reese
Reese is coming off his best season as a Terrapin. He played 32 games and averaged 13.7 points, 9.5 rebounds, 1.9 blocks, 1.3 assists and 1.0 steals per game.
Reese is expected to form a twin-tower partnership with high-school recruit Derik Queen in manning Maryland's frontline this coming season.
#2 Ja'Kobi Gillespie
Gillespie shot the lights out when he was with Belmont last season. In 25 games for the Bruins, the six-foot-one guard averaged 17.2 points, 4.2 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 2.2 steals per game.
Gillespie shot 56.1% from the field, including a decent 38.7% from way downtown, and 83.1% from the free-throw line. He's expected to produce big offensive numbers for Maryland and help the twin towers dominate the Big 10 Conference.
#3 Derik Queen
Queen was a consensus five-star recruit and was named the Co-MVP in the McDonald's All-American Game, tallying 23 points, eight rebounds, five assists, three steals and two blocks. The six-foot-10 Queen led Montverde to a 33-0 record in 2023-24, averaging 16.4 points and 7.5 rebounds per game.
The Maryland center is expected to terrorize the paint this season and help the team dominate the Big 10 Conference. His draft stock would also depend on his production with the Terps this year.
Predictions for Maryland's 2024-25 season
The new acquisitions from the transfer portal and high school recruitment would help place Maryland as one of the contenders in 2024-25 season. A 20-win season is possible for the Terrapins, with a complete lineup led by Queen, Gillespie and Reese.
The only issue that could affect Maryland this season is how would they keep up with their Big 10 Conference-mates. The Terrapins' regular-season performance would be critical in their quest this season.
Will Maryland make the 2025 NCAA Tournament? Let's know your views in the comments section:
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