Maryland Men’s Basketball Eyes Transfer Portal for Key Role Additions

The Maryland men’s season ended after a 75-64 loss to Iowa in the Big Ten tournament second round. That game came on Wednesday, March 11. The Terps had beaten Oregon 70-60 the previous day.

Maryland finished 12-21 overall and 4-16 in conference play. It was the program’s first 20-loss season since 1988, when the Terps went 9-20 and 1-13 in the ACC.

Statistical shortfalls and on-court issues

The team struggled to create for others. No Terrapin averaged more than 3.0 assists in 2025-26.

Graduate transfer Diggy Coit led the roster with 2.8 assists, yet he often prioritized scoring. Freshmen Darius Adams and Guillermo Del Pino also logged minutes at point guard.

Maryland ranked last in Big Ten assists, averaging 10.5 per game. That lack of consistent facilitation hurt offensive cohesion.

Coach Buzz Williams’ track record and outlook

Buzz Williams arrives with a history of program turnarounds. His first Virginia Tech season in 2014-15 produced an 11-22 mark.

Virginia Tech then recorded 20-plus wins from 2015 to 2019. The Hokies also made three NCAA Tournament appearances during that stretch.

Williams later coached at Texas A&M. His first season there was 16-14 in 2019-20.

The 2020-21 campaign featured only 18 games because of COVID-19. Williams then won 21 or more games in each of his final four seasons at A&M.

Now entering his second year at College Park and first with a full offseason, Williams faces the task of rebuilding. Expect roster turnover and strategic additions.

Recruiting haul and transfer window

Maryland currently holds the No. 7 recruiting class, per 247Sports. The group includes five-star forward and Silver Spring native Baba Oladotun.

Also in the class are four-star guard Kaden House and four-star forward Adama Tambedou. Three-star forward Austin Brown rounds out the group.

The transfer portal opens next month and will be central to roster upgrades. Maryland Men’s Basketball Eyes Transfer Portal for Key Role Additions as a priority moving forward.

Point guard

The program needs a true floor general. Assist numbers and playmaking were glaring weaknesses last season.

A veteran facilitator who can drive, create, and organize the offense is a priority. That player would immediately impact tempo and spacing.

Big man

Pharrel Payne suffered a season-ending injury in December. His status for next season remains uncertain.

Seniors Collin Metcalf, Elijah Saunders and Solomon Washington shared minutes inside. Maryland still needs more size and physicality for Big Ten play.

Three-point specialist

Elijah Saunders was the team’s most efficient 3-point shooter at 41.1 percent. Diggy Coit made the most long-range shots with 71 made threes.

Still, the Terps ranked 16th in conference 3-point percentage at 31.7. UCLA led the league at 38.2 percent.

Buzz Williams stressed attacking the free-throw line and winning the rebounding battle. Adding a proven shooter would better space the offense.

Filmogaz.com will monitor portal movement and roster updates. Expect focused additions to address each listed need.