Maryland men's basketball handles Bucknell, 96-67, in season opener.

Andre Mills ended last season on a tear for Maryland men’s basketball, averaging nearly 18 points per game over the Terps last 13 contests.

The sophomore picked up right where he left off. He finished with 22 points in 23 minutes, showcasing his ability to score from anywhere on the court.

His effort helped lead a new-look Terps offense that featured five players in double figures as Maryland handled Bucknell, 96-67, at Xfinity Center Monday night.

“I thought the energy was great. There was a lot of first-game jitters,” head coach Buzz Williams said. “[I’m] just encouraged by who they are and the togetherness that they want to play.”

The Terps had their worst season in program history in 2025-2026, finishing 12-21.

But Maryland knew what needed to change after averaging the second-lowest points in the Big Ten.

“I think the most connected teams are the teams that are the most productive and the most winning teams,” George Turkson said on Oct. 22.

That connectedness was felt in Maryland’s home opener. Maryland dished out 11 assists, more than its 10.5-assist average last season.

However, the Terps were slow to find their groove through ten minutes of play; Maryland shot just 28% from the field and trailed Bucknell.

The Bison’s aggressive 1-3-1 zone defense created issues for the Terps. Maryland struggled to create open shots. And even at the free-throw line, it couldn’t convert, shooting 67 percent from the charity stripe.

Mills kept the Terps alive. The sophomore consistently sliced through the Bucknell defense and got to the rim numerous times. His three-pointer, followed by a fast-break layup, punctuated an 11-2 Maryland run to end the first half.

Mills was not only the highest scorer, but his 11 rebounds were the most of any Terp.

With a giant starting frontcourt of Tomislav Buljan and Pharrel Payne, rebounding is expected to be a Terps strength. That was certainly the case on Monday. Maryland won the rebounding battle, 54-22, which included a plus-22 edge on the offensive boards.

“What we’ve been trying to do a better job of in the week that we’ve been off is defensive rebound percentage,” Williams said. “We were not great in the three preseason games. We were great at offensive rebound percentage.”

A pair of Maryland newcomers had strong showings in their first outing. Oklahoma State transfer Robert Jennings contributed seven points off the bench. His impressive first half earned him the start in the second half.

Along with Jennings, graduate Mike McNair Jr. demonstrated why he earned a spot in the starting lineup- his lights-out shooting. He finished with six points and shot 2-of-3 from beyond the arc.

The Terps carried the momentum from their big late first-half run through the rest of the game. It mirrored their Oct. 18 exhibition game against West Virginia, where they outscored the Mountaineers by 15 in the second half.

Maryland outpaced the Bison by 15 in the second half. Payne finding his mojo certainly helped that effort. The star senior added six points in the half, bringing his total to 13.

Freshman Kaden House impressed in his debut. He was the team’s second-highest scorer with 14 points, but his defense stood out.

House, who compared himself to Marcus Smart at media day, had two steals and gave Bucknell ball handlers problems all night long.

Maryland put together an encouraging opening performance ahead of a big test at Georgetown on Friday. The Terps’ offense often became one-dimensional during the 2025-26 season, but with multiple high-level scorers, led by Mills, it looks primed to take a big leap.