The Buzz Williams era in College Park unofficially began with Maryland men’s basketball’s exhibition matchup against in-state foe UMBC. Eight faces made their first appearance at the Xfinity Center in front of a noisy crowd.
With a complete roster overhaul heading into the 2025-26 campaign, Monday night’s game produced mixed reviews.
While the Terps were without five players — David Coit, Rakease Passmore, Isaiah Watts, Solomon Washington and Myles Rice — two players stood out. Pharrel Payne and Darius Adams will quickly become household names in the Big Ten. The duo combined for 45 points in Maryland’s 82-81 victory over UMBC.
Despite their strong performances, the Terps needed some late-game heroics from George Turkson Jr. to secure the win. The redshirt freshman nailed a game-winning three-pointer with 48 seconds left to give Maryland a one-point lead.
It may not have been pretty at times — largely due to some sloppy play, totalling 17 turnovers — but the Terps’ eked out the narrow victory, showcasing some of their young talent.
“Our turnover rate was one thing from an offensive standpoint … we’ve got to lessen,” head coach Buzz Williams said. “It’s just the volatility of the learning and executing. There’s going to be some bumps.”
Maryland’s seven-man rotation featured three true freshmen, a pair of redshirt freshmen and two seniors. While those inexperienced players were forced into extensive action, they shined in their debuts.
The Terps relied on three players in their backcourt who have never recorded any game action at the college level. It showed at times. Adams, Guillermo Del Pino and Andre Mills combined for six turnovers, with Adams and Del Pino largely taking over the role of the primary ball handler.
“I’m just proud of the way some of the younger guys competed,” Elijah Saunders said. “I feel like the theme this preseason has been whoever’s available. You get an opportunity to try to prove that you deserve to play.”
Adams — a consensus top-25 recruit in the class of 2025 — made his presence felt early on. Playing all 40 minutes, the highly-touted prospect made it his mission to get downhill often. It resulted in 13 free-throw attempts and fueled his 19-point performance.
While Adams was relatively inefficient from the floor — finishing 3-of-13 on the night — his aggressive nature allowed him to get two feet in the paint often. After blowing past his primary defender with ease, he often drew fouls from those help side defenders.
“It was just a regular game for me,” Adams said. “I’m always that aggressive … just doing whatever the team needs.”
Despite Adams serving as the main offensive threat from the backcourt, Payne was the Terps’ most dangerous player on the night.
With 15 new faces on the roster, Maryland fans had one glaring question heading into the season: who is going to be the go-to attacking option? Payne quickly answered that in the opening minute.
The Terps made it a point of emphasis to feed the 6-foot-9 Texas A&M transfer down low. It paid dividends.
Payne contributed six of Maryland’s first eight points, with paint touches on nearly every single possession early on. Working with a significant advantage in the frontcourt, Payne muscled through his defender to get point-blank looks at the rim. That largely contributed to his efficient outing, shooting 9-for-12 from the field in his 26-point performance.
“His physicality was excellent,” Williams said. “We’re probably going to need him to play even better than he did tonight.”
While people may point to the opposition as a sign to easily dismiss his offensive performance, Payne’s footwork in the post will give Big Ten centers trouble defending. His mobility is also unmatched for a guy of his size.
Payne showed his athleticism on the Terps’ first defensive possession. With UMBC forward Josh Odunowo open in the paint, Payne quickly shuffled over and leaped into the air to swat away a quality look. That was one of his three blocks.
Behind Payne and Adam’s first-half performance — the duo scored 25 of Maryland’s 36 points in the first 20 minutes — the Terps took a narrow 36-34 lead into halftime.
Despite 11 turnovers and 1-for-6 from behind the arc, the lone make coming from Adams with 1:32 left, Maryland maintained control of the game heading into the break. The Terps didn’t need to knock down three-pointers.
Maryland attempted one shot from deep in the first nine minutes, instead relying on Payne’s mismatch down low. While the Terps’ lack of volatility from three-point range in the opening half wasn’t harmful, they needed big shots down the stretch.
After starting 1-for-11 from behind the arc, Maryland nailed its last four attempts to overcome a six-point deficit with six minutes left. Adams and Del Pino rained in consecutive three-pointers within 35 seconds of each other. Saunders tied the contest at 74 before Turkson Jr. hit the game-winner.
While the Terps will have to make improvements when they face quality opposition, getting guys back to full strength will boost their performance significantly.
Maryland begins its season against Coppin State on November 3rd at 6:30 p.m. as part of the Hall of Fame Series in Baltimore.
