Former Illinois and Kansas State basketball coach Bruce Weber, now a Big Ten Network basketball analyst, says he likes what he is seeing from Maryland head coach Kevin Willard and the Terps this season and believes they can make a run in the NCAA Tournament.
Willard, 47, has taken five teams to the NCAA Tournament throughout his career. He was brought to Maryland after a three-month search to help stabilize the team in the Big Ten.
Weber talked to Willard on Big Ten Media Day, and the Maryland coach seemed pretty excited about his group of players. Weber also mentioned the excitement of the players as well during media day.
“The players when you heard them talking, they were confident, and you can tell,” Weber said on Glenn Clark Radio on Jan. 30.
The preseason expectations for Maryland’s team were low, and the Terps have gotten “their butts kicked” a couple of times this season, as Weber mentioned. Yet, Maryland has steadied itself and now has an overall record of 15-7 and 6-5 in Big Ten play this season.
The Terps have had some big wins lately, most recently three straight at home against Wisconsin, Nebraska and Indiana. On Jan. 31, they earned a 66-55 win at Xfinity Center against Indiana, breaking the Hoosiers’ five-game winning streak. Maryland now has a record of 12-1 at home and is the only Big Ten team without a home loss in conference play.
“I’m not sure what happened there in that little stretch [in early January], but it seems they’ve kind of got their energy back,” Weber said. “I thought last week, the Wisconsin game and the Nebraska game, just playing, playing hard, playing together. They’re clicking a little bit.”
Weber likes what he has seen from Willard.
“I like what Coach Willard’s done. He brings a little bit of that East Coast toughness that to me, I’ve always admired as a coach from the Midwest,” Weber said of Willard, a Long Island native. “… But there’s no doubt he’s brought that toughness to them.”
Weber believes this is a solid Maryland roster and likes how the Terps have mixed things up defensively. He specifically noted that senior guard Jahmir Young has taken a step forward in his game. Young is averaging 16.1 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.2 assists per contest.
“I think Young is playing with a lot of confidence now and has taken a nice step for them,” Weber said.
Weber says he can see this Maryland team going on an NCAA Tournament run if the Terps can get the right matchup, as matchups are really the key in postseason play.
The Terps have nine more regular-season games to show what they’ve got. These games will all be important in the team’s road to the Big Ten conference tournament and then the NCAA tournament.
“I can see a Maryland team going in the NCAA, you get the right matchup, they could win a couple of games and get somewhere,” Weber said. “There’s going to be several teams in the Big Ten that that can move on to the Sweet 16.”
For more from Weber, listen to the full interview here:
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