Maryland men’s basketball defeated Mount St. Mary’s, 68-53, in its 2023-24 season opener on Nov. 7 at the Xfinity Center. The Terps have now won 47 straight home openers dating back to the 1977-78 season during the Lefty Driesell era.
Even though it came away with a win, Maryland struggled in some key areas that carried over from last season, particularly late in the game. Maryland’s largest second-half lead was 22 before Mount St. Mary’s cut into it. Three-point shooting and ball security held the Terps back from winning in a more dominant fashion.
Last season, the Terps finished eighth in the Big Ten in 3-point percentage and sixth in turnovers committed. Against the Mountaineers, Maryland shot just 19 percent (3-for-16) from three and committed 15 turnovers.
“That’s something we struggled with so far. Our two scrimmages … Cincinnati, we had 16 turnovers, Virginia we had 15 turnovers,” head coach Kevin Willard said. “But we have to take better care of the ball.”
Still, there was plenty for Maryland fans to be excited about.
Willard trotted out many different lineup combinations throughout the game. At one point, both Caelum Swanton-Rodger and Mady Traore shared the floor, occupying the paint with their 6-foot-11 frames.
Freshmen DeShawn Harris-Smith and Jamie Kaiser Jr. both saw significant playing time and made an impact. Harris-Smith notched 12 points, four rebounds, two steals and one block, while Kaiser had five points and two rebounds.
“I thought the freshmen played phenomenal. I thought that was much better than I anticipated,” Willard said. “Jamie playing 15 minutes, obviously DeShawn playing the minutes he played, even Mady going out there in really his first college game. I thought they did fantastic, especially from a defensive standpoint.”
Willard had previously mentioned that his team lacked depth last season, but the different lineup combinations paired with freshmen who are ready to make an immediate impact give him many options.
Junior big man Julian Reese looks primed for another big season after averaging 11.7 points and 7.2 rebounds last year. He led all scorers with 18 points and contributed on the boards and defensive side with eight rebounds and two blocked shots.
Willard has given his star big man high praise, and his team’s willingness to get him the ball down low is indicative of that. Reese’s size advantage over smaller Mount St. Mary’s defenders was evident throughout the game.
“I feel like I still left a lot of points out there and I could’ve gotten a couple more rebounds but nonetheless, I’m really proud of myself and proud of my team for getting a win,” Reese said.
The Terps’ defense also picked up where it left off after holding opponents to 63.5 points per game last year (fourth in the Big Ten). Maryland held Mount St. Mary’s to 35.6 percent shooting from the floor. Mountaineers senior guard Dakota Leffew, the Mount’s leading returning scorer, was held to eight points on 3 of 14 shooting.
Although 3-point shooting and ball security still seem to be areas of concern, Willard’s squad appears ready to build off what made it a postseason team a year ago.
Next, Maryland will travel to Asheville, N.C., for the 2023 Asheville Championship. The Terps tip off tournament play against Davidson on Nov. 10 and will play either UAB or Clemson on Nov. 12. Maryland will have more opportunities to experiment with its rotation after 11 players saw the floor against Mount St. Mary’s.
“It was definitely different — guys coming back off [minor] injuries. It’s a great thing to get it out of the way early in the season,” Reese said. “We’ve got another test on Friday with Davidson. With our team fully back, knock on wood, I feel like we’ll be good.”
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