Maryland basketball transfer portal: Full list of Terrapins set to transfer following Kevin Willard's Villanova move

The Maryland Terrapins are undergoing a season of change. Head coach Kevin Willard decided to leave the team after their March Madness exit and took the head coaching job at Villanova. In response, the Terrapins hired a former Texas A&M Aggies coach as their next head coach.

However, having a new head coach has not helped the Terrapins in the transfer portal. Several players have entered the portal since the news that Kevin Willard would be leaving the team. The transfer portal officially opened on March 24th and will close on April 22nd.

Maryland players in the transfer portal following Kevin Willard's Villanova move

DeShawn Harris-Smith

DeShawn Harris-Smith is the most recent player to announce his intention to enter the transfer portal. This is not a surprise, as he saw his usage rate drop significantly in his sophomore season.

After a freshman season where he averaged 29.5 minutes and 7.3 points per game, his usage rate dropped to 15.3 minutes and 2.5 points per game. As a result, he is entering the portal for a fresh opportunity.

Ja'Kobi Gillespie

Ja'Kobie Gillespie transferred to Maryland this past season and started all 36 games. He had a successful year, averaging 14.7 points per game. However, he has opted to enter the transfer portal again. It is unclear if this is in direct response to the news that Kevin Willard will not be returning to the team.

Rodney Rice

Similarly, Rodney Rice transferred to the Terrapins this past offseason from Virginia Tech. In his first and only season with the team, he started 32 of 36 games and averaged 13.8 points per game. This was a big step up from the previous year, when he only averaged 7.4 points per game at Virginia Tech. However, he will not be returning.

Tafara Gapare

Tafara Gapare will be joining his fourth team in as many seasons with the announcement that he is entering the transfer portal. The forward has struggled to become more than a role player on each team he has joined. This past season, he only averaged 3.4 points per game for the Terrapins.

Jay Young

Jay Young is looking for a new opportunity. After only averaging 1.8 points per game at Maryland this past season, he is entering the transfer portal. He will be joining his fourth team in four seasons.

Players joining Maryland

Pharell Payne

A career 10.4 PPG scorer, Payne provides Maryland with much-needed size in the paint. The 6'9 forward averaged 5 RPG, and shot 64.6% from the field over 20 minutes per game for Texas A&M in the 2024-25 season.

Elijah Saunders

Another forward joining Kevin Willard's squad is Elijah Saunders. Saunders is coming off of a career year for Virginia, where he averaged 10.4 PPG, 5.0 RPG on 34.7% shooting from 3-point range. After spending the entire season under interim coach Ron Sanchez, Saunders will now have a chance to play for Buzz Williams.

A heavily recruited athlete, Saunders committed to San Diego State despite offers from Notre Dame, South Carolina, and more.

Myles Rice

Leaving for his third school in as many years, Rice is set to join Buzz Williams' Maryland after a year at Indiana. Rice, originally recruited to Washington State, missed his first season due to health issues. However, the 6'3 guard came back strong, averaging 14.8 PPG and 3.8 APG in 2023-24.

Rice topped his first season off with a move to Indiana following the Pac-12 saga, and saw a dip in his playing time, from 33.2 MPG to 27.5 MPG playing for Mike Woodson.

Updated list of transfer moves for Maryland

Name	Old Team	New Team
Elijah Saunders	Virginia	Maryland
Isaiah Watts	Washington State	Maryland
George Turkson	Texas A&M	Maryland
Jayhlon Young	Maryland	Undecided
Andre Mills	Texas A&M	Maryland
Chance Stephens	Maryland	Undecided
David Colt	Kansas	Maryland
DeShawn Harris-Smith	Maryland	Georgia
Pharell Payne	Texas A&M	Maryland
Ja'Kobi Gillespie	Maryland	Tennessee
Malachi Palmer	Maryland	Undecided
Jahari Long	Maryland	Undecided
Tafara Gapare	Maryland	Undecided