2024/2025 College Basketball Season - Team Previews: 26 - 30
#26: Cincinnati Bearcats
Returning
Dan Skillings Jr. (12.9 ppg - 42% / 28% / 67%)
Simas Lukosius (11.8 ppg - 39% / 39% / 83%)
Day Day Thomas (10.4 ppg - 39% / 28% / 81%)
Jizzle James (8.8 ppg - 43% / 29% / 78%)
Aziz Bandaogo (6.6 ppg - 64% / 50% / 55%)
CJ Fredrick (6.1 ppg - 42% / 43% / 73%)
Josh Reed (2.0 ppg - 37% / 31% / 73%)
Rayvon Griffith (Redshirt)
Transfers
Connor Hickman (14.5 ppg @ Bradley - 47% / 40% / 70%)
Dillon Mitchell (9.6 ppg @ Texas - 59% / 0% / 59%)
Arrinten Page (3.1 ppg @ USC - 49% / 31% / 53%)
Recruits
Tyler Betsey (ESPN #62 / 247Sports #52)
Tyler McKinley (ESPN #85 / 247Sports #88)
This is the 4th year of Wes Miller’s tenure at Cincinnati, and it feels like this might be his breakthrough season. If it’s not, his tenure may not last much longer. The Bearcats have improved incrementally in every season under Miller, but have yet to make the NCAA Tournament field - they were on the bubble last season, but had to settle for a second consecutive 3rd round exit in the NIT. Cincinnati was one of the best defensive teams last season, but struggled on offense. Like many Big 12 teams, they were probably better than their 22-15 record indicated, and may have gotten their shot at the tournament if they had won 1 or more of the 8 games they lost by 5 or fewer points. They also might have benefitted from having more than 3 healthy guards on the roster. This season, Cincinnati’s hopes are high as they return a strong core and bring in 3 solid transfers and 2 Top 100 freshman recruits.
Miller managed to retain 6 of his Top 9 scorers, including the Top 3 guys. Senior guard Day Day Thomas and sophomore guard Jizzle James (...yes, still an incredible name) will handle ball-handling responsibilities once again. Both are strong facilitators, but neither are particularly impressive shooters (both shot between 28-29% from 3). Thomas is a better defender (Top 50 in steal rate), so he will likely start and play more minutes unless James proves to be a much stronger offensive threat…which is possible. The top two scorers on last season’s team, junior wing Dan Skillings and senior forward Simas Lukosius, also return to lead the Bearcats again. Skillings is a versatile player who can play (though not shoot well) around the perimeter and drive to the rim against pretty much anyone. While he’s not a great outside shooter, he’s incredibly athletic and confident with the ball, and he’s got the moves to get going downhill, take on multiple defenders, and finish in acrobatic fashion. Lukosius scores a bit differently - he was far and away the best 3pt shooter on the team after CJ Frederick got hurt, hitting 90 of them on 38.5% 3pt shooting last season. He’s also one of the better passers on the team, and although he’s not super athletic, he can drive with the ball in his hands and finish around the rim a bit. Outside shooting specialist CJ Frederick returns after only playing 15 games last season - he was shooting nearly 43% from 3 before his injury, which could be useful for Cincy if he can stay healthy this season, as the Bearcats finished with a 33% team average from beyond the arc, ranking 226th in the country. Starting center Aziz Bandaogo is back for one more season as well, which is great news for the Bearcats. Bandaogo wasn’t a prolific scorer, but he was a highly effective presence at center - he shot 64% from the field, drew fouls at a HIGH clip, finished Top 60 in shot blocking rate, and was one of the most efficient rebounders in the game. His biggest problem was staying in the game, and out of foul trouble.
That is a very respectable cast of returning contributors - so who are the new guys, and how do they fit in? Senior guard Connor Hickman from Bradley, should give the Bearcats some more desperately-needed shooting firepower. He made 74 threes on 40% shooting last season. Junior forward Dillon Mitchell, is an athletic stud from Texas who can play at the 4 as more of a true big than Lukosius or Skillings, and will be a big upgrade over other guys on the roster at that spot. He made some big strides last year after an underwhelming freshman season. Mitchell has the athleticism and skill to drive from the perimeter, explode on cuts to the basket, and score effortlessly at the rim (especially in transition) - but his length and size also make him a great rebounder and solid shot-blocker. Mitchell can also play the 5 in small-ball lineups, which the Bearcats may shockingly need to employ at times next year. Sadly, Cincy no longer possesses an embarrassment of riches at the center position after Viktor Lahkin transferred away and Jamille Reynolds graduated. Arrinten Page joins the team as a backup option for Bandaogo, but he’s still pretty raw after limited playing time at USC. The incoming freshmen Tylers may get some opportunities to shine too - 6’6” small forward Tyler Betsey and 6’8” power forward Tyler McKinley will bolster the Bearcats’ frontcourt depth. Betsey is more of a shooting wing, while McKinley is a traditional rim-rocking big with some offensive skill. Oh, and keep an eye out for Rayvon Griffith, who is a big 6’7” shooting guard and former Top 100 recruit coming off a redshirt year - he’s quick and very athletic, and seems like a capable scorer. He could be an under-the-radar x-factor for this team.
This is Wes Miller’s best chance to date, to have a good team at Cincinnati, and to make the NCAA Tournament. Sure, the team lost a couple of good players, but he’s returning most of what was a pretty good team last year (#39 overall, per KenPom) and has added pieces to make it more well-rounded and even deeper. I expect the defense and rebounding to continue to be awesome, and I think the offense will improve…not that that’s a high bar to clear. I also just think another year of experience and more shooting options should make it easier for Cincinnati to close out more of those close games than they did last year. Wes Miller has always been a defensive-minded coach, but if this Cincinnati Bearcats (I really like saying their mascot name) team of his can finally put together a Top 40 offense, they could be one of the more surprising teams in the country next season.
#27: Illinois Fighting Illini
Returning
Ty Rodgers (6.2 ppg - 53% / 0% / 59%)
Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn (2.4 ppg - 34% / 22% / 67%)
Transfers
Ben Humrichous (14.7 ppg @ Evansville - 48% / 41% / 76%)
Tre White (12.3 ppg @ Louisville - 46% / 30% / 75%)
Kylan Boswell (9.6 ppg @ Arizona - 40% / 38% / 80%)
Jake Davis (9.0 ppg @ Mercer - 42% / 39% / 85%)
Carey Booth (6.4 ppg @ Notre Dame - 39% / 30% / 63%)
Recruits
Will Riley (ESPN #24 in 2025 / 247Sports #20)
Morez Johnson (ESPN #29 / 247Sports #31)
Kasparas Jakucionis (247Sports #36)
Tomislav Ivisic (247 Sports #51)
Jason Jakstys (247Sports #131)
This was one of the hardest teams to figure out and rank. The range of potential outcomes is wider for Illinois than most teams - they could be in for a volatile year. Brad Underwood lost his Top 4 scorers (8 of his Top 9, to better paint the picture) from last season, and there is a chance that the roster replacements, while very talented, MAY not be ready to operate at the same level in college basketball this season. The only notable returning player is Ty Rodgers, and he’s a good player to bring back but he’s only as valuable as a guard who doesn’t shoot threes can be. To be clear, it’s hard to ask a coach to replace Shannon, Domask, and Hawkins…but 247 Sports ranks Illinois’ transfer class 19th, and it’s headlined by Kylan Boswell who was Arizona’s 5th best player last year and was very inconsistent. Player / class rankings aren’t everything of course, and it’s possible the players improve and/or translate well…but that could leave a big gap. On a more optimistic note, this team (aside from Boswell) should be LARGE yet again, which seems to be a deliberate stylistic theme on Underwood’s part. I think damn near everyone else on the roster is 6’5”+. What’s interesting is that the Freshmen class is actually pretty damn impressive and likely has more (eventual) NBA-level talent…but keep in mind, that’s not exactly a common setup among successful teams in the Portal / NIL era. Let’s take a look at what they’ve got to work with this year, starting with the transfer class.
Kylan Boswell is from Champaign, IL so this homecoming could be an emotional catalyst that propels him to perform like a star point guard. He’s a really strong 3 pt shooter with a great stroke, and he’s a good passer / facilitator, which Illinois has been missing in a true PG. My biggest concern with him is that he could really disappear when the going got tough last year. Look at Zona’s losses, and in most of them he’s got single digit points and bad shooting numbers. Ben Humrichous from Evansville is interesting - he’s a dynamic forward who has the skill / feel of a big guard or wing, and he can shoot the lights out of the ball (42% from 3). He’s not an explosive athlete like Dalton Knecht, but he’s similar in that he’s the kind of big, skilled player that not many other teams have. Tre White is a decently big wing who played for Louisville last year, but we’re gonna try not to hold that against him. He does his best work inside the arc, where he shows off a strong mid-range jumper and can drive pretty effectively. He’s also not a bad spot-up shooter, but he’s yet to shoot well from 3 (finished just under 30% last year). Carey Booth from Notre Dame is a good pickup as a developmental piece. He’s a fast, athletic 6’10” forward who can rebound and protect the rim, and he’s got a promising (but not yet great) three point shot as well. But his entire highlight reel consists of catch-and-shoot threes and driving dunks off pump fakes from three…so he may need to round out his game a bit more.
The more intriguing part of this new roster are the incoming Freshmen…there are some lesser known, high-upside variables in there. 6’6” Kasparas Jakucionis from Lithuania looked incredible on the FIBA U18 EuroBasket circuit for Barcelona this summer. He’s a really smart, do-it-all combo guard with great handles, great change of direction especially off ball-screens, and a pretty stepback with some *range* to it. Tomislav Ivisic is a 7-footer from Croatia. He seems to have decent feel around the basket - his signature move is a dribble-turnaround hook. He will be valuable as a pick-and-roll piece, as he rolls to the basket well but also has a really nice jump shot that he fires off confidently. He’ll probably need to bulk up and get tougher / stronger before he’s super impactful in the Big Ten, but don’t be surprised if he’s a menace for them in a year or two. Let’s return stateside for the other impactful freshmen: Morez Johnson is a 6’9” Center from Chicago, who plays like a true rim-running big man. He’ll see rotation minutes off the bench, but he still looks pretty raw, especially offensively. Last but definitely not least, is the 2025 5 Star wing Will Riley who reclassified to 2024 upon committing this summer. Riley is a talented, true multi-level scorer - he’s a good shooter, he can create off the dribble and get the shot he wants…basically, he requires a lot of the defense’s attention. He’s pretty skinny so he may need some time to bulk up before he hits his stride, but he will likely be a formidable player very soon.
I expect the Illini to be a rollercoaster team this season. They have some incredibly talented young guys, but talented freshmen don’t always equate to instant success in college basketball. Their ceiling is high if those guys can figure it out, but I don’t know if, nor when all of those young dudes are going to hit their stride. But if the team has to rely on the more experienced players while the freshmen get going…that may not be good. Look, no one knows how the pieces are going to fit because all of these guys are playing together for the first time. I’m not saying they’re definitely going to be mid or bad, but there are a lot of variables and unknowns, which keeps me from confidently ranking them higher. I’m definitely going to keep my eye on the Illini early to see how the team is coming together, but I will be more interested to see if they figure some things out and pick up steam in February / March.
#28: Texas A&M Aggies
Returning
Wade Taylor IV (19.1 ppg - 37% / 33% / 85%)
Henry Coleman III (8.8 ppg - 57% / 0% / 70%)
Solomon Washington (7.4 ppg - 48% / 28% / 71%)
Manny Obaseki (7.0 ppg - 41% / 40% / 58%)
Jace Carter (6.9 ppg - 33% / 25% / 63%)
Andersson Garcia (6.0 ppg - 55% / 45% / 71%)
Hayden Hefner (5.0 ppg - 34% / 29% / 60%)
Transfers
Zhuric Phelps (14.7 ppg @ SMU - 39% / 22% / 74%)
Pharrel Payne (10.0 ppg @ Minnesota - 60% / 0% / 47%)
CJ Wilcher (7.7 ppg @ Nebraska - 45% / 39% / 94%)
Recruits
Andre Mills (247Sports #92)
George Turkson (247Sports #123)
Rob Dockery (Redshirt)
This Texas A&M team is kind of a hard one to rank this year too, man. The general CBB media landscape seems pretty high on them, but last year they were basically a slightly worse version of their 2022-2023 selves. The Aggies, who were #15 in the 2023 AP preseason poll, finished last season 21-15 and 35th in KenPom, earned a 9 seed in the NCAA Tournament, then beat 8-seed Nebraska before narrowly losing to 1-seed Houston in an OT thriller. The prior season, they finished 25-10 and 33rd in KenPom, with a slightly worse offense and slightly better defense, and lost in the first round of the tourney. So have there been big changes to the roster this offseason, did Buzz Williams address some of the Aggies’ gaps with new players? Maybe, but maybe not…I’ll explain what I mean by that unenthusiastic summary, in a bit. The only significant loss for A&M is Tyrece Radford, the second leading scorer and starting shooting guard. Otherwise, they return 7 of their Top 8 scorers, and added 3 transfers. Wade Taylor IV has earned 1st Team All-SEC honors in two consecutive seasons, and I expect he will be similarly good again this year. He’s the best thing the Aggies have going for them - he can make the clutch plays A&M needs to help them win close games. Manny Obaseki (the team’s most accurate 3pt shooter) and wings Jace Carter and Hayden Hefner are all back, offering some good continuity in the backcourt.
Zhuric Phelps, SMU’s leading scorer last season, will look to fill the gap created by Radford’s absence. Phelps isn’t a great shooter, but neither was Radford (nor most of A&M’s team), and Phelps brings something that Radford didn’t have: the ability to create turnovers on defense. He’s finished Top 50 in steal rate each of the past two seasons - he and Taylor (also great at forcing steals) will be a nightmare for opposing guards next season. CJ Wilcher, formerly of Nebraska, is a solid addition at guard for Buzz and A&M, as well. He’s a ~40% 3pt shooter, and made 50 threes while playing only 18 minutes per game. He took twice as many shots from deep as shots inside the arc, and I’m guessing he’ll be asked to focus on outside shooting as his specialty for the Aggies, as they were not very good at it (29.3% as a team - ranked 342nd in the country). The whole frontcourt is back for A&M, as well: Andersson Garcia, Solomon Washington, and Henry Coleman are all returning to College Station. Andersson Garcia returning is great for the defense - he made the SEC All-Defense Team last season. Apparently, his nickname is “the Dominican Dennis Rodman”, which should paint a pretty clear picture of his role / value for you. He’s a fantastic defender, a top-tier rebounder, and he finished 2nd in all of D1 in free throw rate last season. The mainstay big men are joined by Pharrell Payne (underrated name) from Minnesota. I like Payne quite a bit - he fits the strong-rebounding profile of the rest of the A&M team, could be the best shot-blocker on the team, and finishes around the rim really well.
Texas A&M has been roughly the same over the past two seasons…they shoot pretty damn badly, they crash the offensive boards better than almost anyone, and they get to the free throw line like their lives depend on it. They took a step back last year, but they still have their best player, they landed a direct replacement for their 2nd leading scorer, they recruited a true center (which they were missing last season with Julius Marble out), and they brought in some reliable outside shooting. Intuition would suggest that they should be better this season! But the team identity is still the same, and they’re still going to play pretty ugly, grind-it-out basketball. I think they’ll make the tournament again, but I doubt they’re going to be anything better than a fringe Top 25 team. The preseason AP poll has them at #13, and I certainly think that’s too high.
#29: St. John’s Red Storm
Returning
RJ Luis Jr. (10.9 ppg - 42% / 20% / 75%)
Zuby Ejiofor (4.3 ppg - 49% / 38% / 71%)
Brady Dunlap (3.2 ppg - 38% / 31% / 42%)
Simeon Wilcher (2.8 ppg - 43% / 42% / 63%)
Sadiku Ibine Ayo
Transfers
Kadary Richmond (15.7 ppg @ Seton Hall - 44% / 27% / 81%)
Deivon Smith (13.3 ppg @ Utah - 47% / 41% / 68%)
Aaron Scott (11.0 ppg @ North Texas - 42% / 37% / 79%)
Vincent Iwuchukwu (5.5 ppg @ USC - 50% / 0% / 70%)
Recruits
Jaiden Glover (ESPN #75 / 247Sports #78)
Rick Pitino’s first season as the head coach of St. John’s was moderately successful. With only last offseason to completely overhaul the roster and field a team that could compete in a tough Big East, Slick Rick led the Red Storm to a 20-13 record (11-9 in Big East), a #21 KenPom ranking (18th in off. efficiency, 57th in def. efficiency), and just narrowly missed an NCAA Tournament berth. Though they were squarely on the bubble, the omission of St. John’s from the tournament field was somewhat surprising, especially given their 6-1 stretch to end the season. But one could very easily make the case that Coach Pitino and his team had plenty of opportunities to win close conference games that would’ve granted them an invitation to March Madness: they lost 8 of 10 between mid-January and mid-February, and half of those losses were by 6 points or less. But Rick didn’t hang his head or complain about the snub - he took the bad news in stride and looked to the future. “We tried to do things the right way and we didn’t get in. I never make excuses…[the committee] didn’t think that we measured up to their standards and we’ll take it very positively like men and move forward.” Gotta respect that. Pitino and St. John’s declined an invitation to the NIT, opting instead to focus on rebuilding the roster again. Many of the players on last year’s teams were seniors and/or grad transfers, so the pressure was on to recruit some dudes who could be key players on this year’s team. While Year 1 should be considered a mostly successful first season of Pitino’s tenure, the pressure is on to show results - the expectation is that Rick restores St. John’s reputation as a competitive basketball program, and that starts by making the NCAA Tournament.
If St. John’s does reach the NCAA Tournament, it will be due in large part to the efforts and talents of 5th year senior guard and Seton Hall transfer, Kadary Richmond. Richmond is one of the best returning players in college basketball - he’s a big, ball-handling combo guard, and one of the most talented defenders in the game. He does most of his scoring in the lane, where he can finish in traffic, against good defense. What he lacks in outside shooting ability, he makes up for in excellent court vision / passing (led Seton Hall w/ 5.1 apg), strong rebounding (also led Seton Hall w/ 7 rpg), and aggressive defense (2.2 spg…yep, led Seton Hall). If there is an all-dawg college basketball team that values hustle above all else, he is certainly a member of it. Fellow 5th year senior and Utah transfer Deivon Smith will join Richmond in the St. John’s backcourt, likely as the primary ball-handling point guard. Smith isn’t a household name yet, but he was quietly one of the most efficient point guards in the country last season. He finished with the 3rd best assist rate in the country, averaging >7 assists per game, shot nearly 47% from the field, and was the 2nd best rebounder at 6’0” flat on a team with multiple 7-footers. The Big East is full of formidable backcourt duos, and the Red Storm’s will be capable of going toe-to-toe with any of them. Sophomore guard Simeon Wilcher may be a capable backup ball-handler - but he only played about 9 mpg and he turned the ball over at a pretty high rate. Incoming Top 100 freshman, shooting guard Jaiden Glover, could also get some run off the bench to provide some relief for the starters - he’s very athletic and can play above the rim, runs the floor well, and scores well off the dribble at all 3 levels.
Let’s look at the frontcourt - there’s some good talent, especially in terms of defense and rebounding, but the scoring capacity is somewhat sparse. The only remaining player who finished Top 5 in scoring for St. John’s last season is small forward RJ Luis Jr. He’s a 6’7” sophomore wing who has proven very effective in not a ton of playing time - he averaged almost 11 ppg and 5 rpg in just over 20 mpg. He’s a very quick player who moves like a slashing guard, he has great feel around the rim and in mid-range, and he has very active hands on defense. The only other player who even sniffed a double digit point average last season is incoming transfer forward Aaron Scott, from North Texas. He’s a well-rounded player at the 4, a solid shooter, and he averaged almost 6 rpg and blocked shots at a very high rate for his position. At center, St. John’s has some great defensive options. Returning junior power forward Zuby Ejiofor is a damn good offensive rebounder, and he blocks shots like he’s 5 inches taller than he is. Incoming junior transfer center Vincent Iwuchukwu will likely back Zuby up - he’s a bit bigger at 7’1”, also a dominant rebounder on the offensive glass, and a very capable shot-blocker.
I think this St. John’s team will be about as good as last season’s team - possibly better defensively, and possibly worse offensively. Joel Soriano was a tremendously efficient scorer - and he’s being replaced by a defensive-minded player who isn’t nearly as skilled offensively. Those points will have to come from elsewhere - but I think the starting backcourt is improved and the wings / SFs are capable. I think they’ll still be powerful on the offensive glass (4th last season), and hopefully improved on the defensive end (237th last season). The Red Storm also blocked shots at the 10th highest rate in the country, and I think that will continue to be a strength for them, but they can’t allow 35% from 3 again (255th in the country). If this team performs similarly to last season’s, that will still be a victory for St. John’s fans, who have only seen a season that successful maybe twice in the last decade. But Pitino’s presence as the head coach carries expectations of tournament berths and wins - by everyone, including himself. The Johnnies need to make the tournament - I think they can and will, provided they win a few more close games. But for them to do so, and to have any chance at a fun run in March, Kadary Richmond needs to play like an All-American, and some of the other guys will need to outperform expectations too.
#30: Maryland Terrapins
Returning
Julian Reese (13.7 ppg - 55% / 0% / 57%)
DeShawn Harris-Smith (7.3 ppg - 37% / 20% / 58%)
Jordan Geronimo (5.4 ppg - 43% / 17% / 66%)
Jahari Long (4.7 ppg - 42% / 36% / 77%)
Transfers
Ja’Kobi Gillespie (17.2 ppg @ Belmont - 56% / 39% / 83%)
Selton Miguel (14.7 ppg @ South Florida - 41% / 39% / 80%)
Rodney Rice (7.4 ppg @ Virginia Tech in ‘22 - ’23 - 32% / 33% / 83%)
Chance Stephens (6.0 ppg @ Loyola Marymount in ‘22 - ‘23 - 36% / 37% / 74%)
Tafara Gapare (5.1 ppg @ Georgia Tech - 35% / 17% / 68%)
Jayhlon Young (2.2 ppg @ Memphis - 43% / 31% / 77%)
Recruits
Derik Queen (ESPN #8 / 247Sports #12)
Malachi Palmer
Braden Pierce (Redshirt)
Welcome to Year 2 of the Kevin Willard era! First year: not great! But not so disastrous that there isn’t hope for improvement in the 2nd go-round. The Terrapins finished 16-17 and 12th out of 14 teams in the Big Ten, but they were one of only 2 teams to finish in the KenPom Top 75 with a losing record (#62, behind Xavier who did the same). They had a Top 15 defense, but were just abysmal offensively (#155). They return a few key pieces, including their anchor down low, Julian Reese, who will give them another high floor on the defensive end. Reese might be one of the more underrated bigs in the country - he’s a great rebounder on both ends, he’s an effective shot-blocker, he draws a LOT of fouls, and he finishes pretty well around the rim. Sophomore wing DeShawn Harris-Smith had a rough first season, but he definitely has some talent to build upon after being asked to start as a freshman. I expect Jordan Geronimo and Jahari Long to serve as veteran rotational glue guys, but not much more.
At this point in the overview, you’re probably saying to yourself “why is Maryland in the Top 40, they don’t sound very good” - great question! The answer is that they are bringing in 3 new high-impact additions that could drastically alter their fortunes this coming season: transfers Ja’Kobi Gillespie and Selton Miguel, as well as 5 star freshman Derik Queen. Point guard Jahmir Young was inarguably Maryland’s best and most important player last season, and he’s gone - but Coach Kevin Willard landed one of the best point guards in the transfer portal - Ja’Kobi Gillespie - to take his place this coming season. Gillespie averaged 17.2 ppg, shot 66% from 2, 39% from 3, was Top 120 in assist rate, and was Top 100 in steal rate. Those numbers are bananas, that’s the kind of stat line you dream of when you think about getting a transfer guard. He was undoubtedly one of the most efficient, most effective players in the country last year, by the numbers. Watch his tape, and you’ll see a guy who does EVERYTHING: finish at the rim, score in transition, shoot spot-up, shoot off the dribble, shoot off ball screens and DHO’s (dribble-handoffs), drop dimes in PNR (pick & roll)…he’s a DAWG (not an acronym, just “dawg”). And he’s way, way up high on my list of transfers that I’m excited to watch this season. The next key add is Selton Miguel, reigning AAC “Most Improved Player” and “Sixth Man of the Year”. Miguel is a fast, versatile combo guard with good scoring ability and great vision . His shooting numbers don’t do his shooting skill much justice - he’s much better catching and shooting vs. scoring off the dribble or in mid-range - but he should be able to play to those strengths playing off the ball more this season. Incoming freshman Derik Queen, possibly the 5th starter on this team, is a powerful big with great size / strength, great hands, and impressive skill and footwork, which makes up for some of his immobility. I’m not sure how he’ll pair together with Julian Reese on the floor, but he’s going to be an immediately impactful player for the Terps. Willard also added some more rotation depth via the portal, landing guys like Rodney Rice (from Maryland, mysteriously left VT last year after battling injuries Freshman year, aspiring shooting specialist), Chance Stephens (tore his patellar last offseason after transferring to Maryland, also a solid 3pt shooter), and others.
I think Maryland will be better than last year - perhaps even good enough to make the NCAA Tournament. The roster is more balanced and well-rounded, the offense should be better with two effective passers and better overall shooting, and the defense should still be one of the best in the country. The frontcourt features two very talented centers, and if Willard can get Harris-Smith or Rodney Rice or some other young player to outperform expectations, then this could be a very good team that defies low expectations in the Big Ten.