Maryland Terrapins Basketball

Buzz Williams is yet to coach a game at Maryland, but he already has a significant victory thanks to his efforts on the recruiting trail.

Joe Tipton of On 3 reported Tuesday that guard Darius Adams committed to the Terrapins men's basketball team after he previously reopened his recruitment after decommitting from UConn. Adams chose Maryland over Georgetown, Tennessee and Michigan State.

According to 247Sports' composite rankings, he is a 5-star prospect and the No. 23 overall player and No. 4 combo guard in the 2025 recruiting class.

“Buzz Williams is known for winning at every different program he goes to," Adams said, per Tipton. "He develops guards and has off-court relationships with his players. Maryland has a great history of basketball, and I can't wait to show the fans what I'm going to bring to the table."

The first thing that jumps out about the McDonald's All-American's game is his shooting stroke.

He can hit from beyond the three-point line and float shots over defenders from mid-range. He is also a solid passer with the ball in his hands when defenses close on that shooting, which should help him contribute right away at the next level.

"Where there is untapped potential is in his frame and the amount of sheer force he plays with," Adam Finkelstein of 247Sports wrote in his scouting report. "He's still growing into his body a bit and doesn't always yet have the same amount of athletic burst as other top prospects.

"Once that frame clicks though, it could unlock new aspects of his attack, help him play through contact more consistently, and make him more efficient in the lane. Right now, he can be fluid with the ball in the open floor, but doesn't pressure the rim or finish as well in a half-court game."

Adams is the first high-school prospect to join Williams at Maryland, but the new head coach is bringing in plenty of firepower through the transfer portal.

The 2025 class includes eight different transfers, including forward Elijah Saunders from Virginia and guard Isaiah Watts from Washington State. Williams also brought Pharrel Payne, Solomon Washington, George Turkson Jr. and Andre Mills with him from Texas A&M.

The Terrapins reached the Sweet 16 last season but will have an entirely new look in 2025-26 following the coaching chance.

Adams figures to be a major part of it as a high-profile recruit.

Maryland officially hired Buzz Williams as its next head coach on Tuesday, and a couple of program legends have offered their endorsement of the move.

Steve Blake and Greivis Vásquez each expressed their excitement over the hire, as Williams will replace Kevin Willard, who left the Terrapins to join Villanova.

Previously, after Willard's exit on Sunday, both Blake and Vásquez took to social media and commented on the vacancy:

Blake played at Maryland for four seasons from 1999-2000 to 2002-03 and was a two-time All-ACC selection during his collegiate career. Yet his most notable accomplishment was being a member of the 2002 national champions.

The guard played the role of primary facilitator on a roster that also included Juan Dixon, Lonny Baxter and Chris Wilcox and parlayed that experience into a lengthy NBA career.

Blake played in the NBA for 13 seasons with stops on the Washington Wizards, Portland Trail Blazers, Milwaukee Bucks, Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State Warriors and Detroit Pistons. He was also an assistant coach for the Trail Blazers and Phoenix Suns following his playing career.

As for Vásquez, he played for the Terrapins for four seasons from 2006-07 through 2009-10 and amassed a resume that included an ACC Player of the Year, three All-ACC selections and an All-American nod.

He was more of a scorer than Blake but was also happy to facilitate if necessary when defenses collapsed. He also played in the NBA during a seven-year career that started in 2010 and included stops with the Memphis Grizzlies, New Orleans Hornets, Sacramento Kings, Toronto Raptors, Bucks and Brooklyn Nets.

Like Blake, he has some coaching experience considering he was an associate head coach for the Erie BayHawks of the NBA G League.

With Williams in the fold, both Blake and Vásquez's excitement over the move is a good start for the head coach as he looks to build on this year's run to the Sweet 16.

Maryland has reached an agreement with Buzz Williams to make him the new men's basketball coach, according to CBS Sports' Jon Rothstein.

Pete Thamel of ESPN reported the sides finalized a six-year contract.

Williams just wrapped up his sixth season with the Aggies, who went 23-11 and lost to Michigan in the second round of the NCAA tournament. It was the school's third straight trip to the Big Dance.

Williams leaves with the third-most wins (120) in program history along with a .622 winning percentage.

Maryland will be the fifth stop in his coaching career. His best run came at Marquette, where the Golden Eagles made the Sweet 16 in 2011 and 2012 before advancing to the Elite Eight in 2013. He also guided Virginia Tech to its first Sweet 16 appearance in more than five decades in 2019.

Beyond the fact Williams has a positive track record, he's likely to receive some residual goodwill by virtue of how much the fanbase turned on his predecessor.

Villanova made the hiring of Kevin Willard official Sunday. From Maryland's perspective, a sense of inevitability was associated with Willard's exit. Fans didn't take kindly to the fact the speculation overshadowed the Terrapins' Elite Eight appearance. Preemptively announcing the departure of athletic director Damon Evans was a puzzling choice too.

For as much success as Maryland enjoyed in 2024-25, Williams will inherit a difficult challenge.

Star center Derik Queen is the projected No. 5 overall pick in the newest mock draft from Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman. Queen hasn't said whether or not he's declaring, but it's safe to assume he won't be back next year.

Guards Ja'Kobi Gillespie and Rodney Rice are in the transfer portal, while forward Julian Reese and guard Selton Miguel are graduating.

That's all the players who averaged double figures in scoring for the Terps.

The portal presents coaches with an opportunity to quickly replenish the roster. Williams and his staff will have their work cut out for them in order to hit the ground running in Year 1.

Maryland men's basketball head coach Kevin Willard believes that Terrapins freshman center Derik Queen would be the No. 1 pick in the draft if he was European and white, per comments made to Matt Norlander of CBS Sports.

"If he was European and white he'd be the first pick in the draft," Willard said to Norlander, who penned a profile of Queen that published Thursday. "He gets a little penalized because he doesn't have the greatest athleticism. He has better ballhandling skills than most guards, he's like a 15-year-vet in the fact he knows and understands the game."

The 6'10", 246-pound big man is averaging 16.0 points on 54.9 percent shooting and 8.8 rebounds for the No. 20 Terrapins, who have won seven of eight games to move to 10-5 in the Big Ten and 20-6 overall. Queen has been phenomenal over Maryland's last three games, posting 23.7 points and 13.0 rebounds.

The latest Bleacher Report NBA mock draft (Feb. 5) from Jonathan Wasserman had Queen going 18th overall.

The latest aggregate NBA mock draft (Jan. 22) from HoopsHype lists Queen at No. 17.

Obviously, given how well Queen has performed of late, he could very well rise up the boards. It certainly wouldn't be a surprise to see him merit strong lottery (top 14) consideration in June.

The 20-year-old will not be the No. 1 overall pick in this draft, though. This is a loaded 2025 class, with the frontrunner for No. 1 currently being Duke forward Cooper Flagg. Rutgers' dynamic duo (Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper) is up there as well, and Baylor guard VJ Edgecombe is looking like a top-five pick.

Still, Queen is exceptional in his own right, and Willard continued raving about him to Norlander.

"He's by far the best player I've ever coached," Willard said in part. "What makes him so unique is he's such a good kid. There's no bulls--t. He just loves to hoop, he comes in the gym every day smiling, joking, works hard. He's so fun to coach because he's so talented on the court and so fun off the court. It's been a blast."

Willard also likened playing Queen to having a "6'11" point guard on the court."

Queen will certainly be a player to watch come March, both because of his ability to elevate Maryland to a higher level and his NBA potential. For now, the Terps hope to finish the regular season strong before the Big Ten tournament begins on March 12.

The University of Maryland men's basketball team will wear a patch honoring late coach Lefty Driesell for the remainder of the 2023-24 season.

Driesell, who coached at Maryland from 1969 to 1986, died Feb. 17 at the age of 92.

A 2018 Basketball Hall of Fame inductee, Driesell was named ACC Coach of the Year in 1975 and 1980 and won the 1984 ACC conference tournament. He resigned in 1986 and took a job in the athletics department amid the fallout from star Len Bias overdosing and dying on campus.

James Madison hired Driesell in 1988, and he had a successful nine-year run at the program, winning five regular-season conference championships and the 1994 CAA conference tournament. Driesell finished his coaching career at Georgia State, reaching the second round of the 2001 NCAA tournament.

Across his 41 seasons as a head coach, Driesell posted a 786-394 record. He ranks 16th on the all-time wins list in men's college basketball.

The University of Maryland inducted him into its Hall of Fame in 2002.

Derik Queen, a 5-star center in the class of 2024, told Joe Tipton of On3 on Wednesday that he was committing to the Maryland Terrapins over Indiana, Kansas and Houston.

"I chose Maryland because I felt the most comfortable there and it'll be a great fit," he said, adding that he has a "great" relationship with the coaching staff that began when he was in the 10th grade.

According to 247Sports' composite rankings, the Montverde Academy star is the No. 15 player in the class of 2024, the No. 3 center and the No. 4 player from the state of Florida.

Adam Finkelstein of the recruiting site noted that Queen "projects as a skilled facilitating big who can handle, pass, rebound, and create all kinds of mismatch problems because of the rare overlap of those tools. If his shooting, conditioning, and athleticism evolve, it will unlock new levels to his game altogether."

It's a huge get for Maryland, who before his commitment had just 3-star combo guard Malachi Palmer locked in for the class of 2024.

The school was something of an ACC power in the late '90s and early 2000s under former head coach Gary Williams, winning the national championship in the 2001-02 season, reaching the Final Four the year prior, making seven Sweet 16 appearances during his tenure and at one point reaching the NCAA tournament 14 times in a 17-year span.

Since he retired following the 2011-12 season, however, Maryland hasn't gotten past the Sweet 16 and only made it that far once. The team has since moved to the Big Ten and has struggled this season under second-year head coach Kevin Willard, going just 14-13 overall and 6-10 in league play.

So for Queen, the goal is pretty simple after joining the Terrapins.

"Make Maryland great again," he told Tipton.

It's a message that Maryland fans will undoubtedly be thrilled to hear.

Iona head coach Rick Pitino removed himself from consideration for the Maryland head coaching vacancy Wednesday, saying he's committed to the Gaels program.

Pitino posted a statement on Twitter amid heavy speculation the Terrapins were making a strong push for him after Mark Turgeon stepped down in December:

Turgeon posted a 226-116 record across 10-plus seasons with the Terps, but he reached the conclusion it was time to step aside after "several in-depth conversations" with athletic director Damon Evans early in the 2021-22 campaign.

"I have always preached that Maryland Basketball is bigger than any one individual," Turgeon said. "My departure will enable a new voice to guide the team moving forward."

Danny Manning, a former college basketball standout at Kansas who previously led the Tulsa and Wake Forest programs, took over at Maryland on an interim basis after being hired as an assistant in April.

USC's Andy Enfield, Providence's Ed Cooley and St. Bonaventure's Mark Schmidt are among the other coaches linked to the Terps' vacancy.

Pitino is in his second year at Iona and is building a strong foundation with a 36-11 record, including a 16-2 mark in conference play this season to sit atop the MAAC standings.

It's his first NCAA coaching job since being fired by Louisville in 2017 amid a federal investigation into corruption within college basketball, which ultimately led to 10 arrests by the FBI. Pitino didn't face any criminal charges in the case.

The 69-year-old New York City native spent two seasons with Panathinaikos in Greece before returning stateside to lead the Iona staff.

Pitino owns an 806-282 career record at the NCAA level with stops at Hawai'i, Boston University, Providence, Kentucky, Louisville and now Iona. He's captured two national championships, the first with the Wildcats in 1996 and the second with the Cardinals in 2013, though the Cards later vacated the latter title.

His success at the highest levels of college basketball with Kentucky and Louisville is sure to garner continued interest from top programs, but he seems content with the Gaels.

In February, Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog reported Pitino was in discussions with Iona about signing a potential lifetime contract.

For now, the UMass product is likely focused on trying to help the Gaels earn an NCAA tournament bid, which may require winning the MAAC tournament next week.

Rick Pitino's return to high-major college basketball may be nigh.

Eric Bickel and Jason Bishop of 106.7 The Fan's Sports Junkies reported Wednesday that Maryland is "heavily pursuing" Pitino, who's in his second season at Iona.

Bickel said the 69-year-old is the Terrapins' "No. 1 choice" and that some donors are "leading the charge."

Mark Turgeon stepped down as Maryland's head coach in December following a 5-3 start to the season. The pressure had been mounting following a 17-14 finish for the Terps in 2020-21.

Turgeon's departure was an example of the high expectations in College Park. He compiled a 226-116 record in 11 seasons but couldn't overcome his relative lack of NCAA tournament success—one trip to the Sweet 16.

Pitino is a proven winner. He led Kentucky and Louisville to one national championship apiece and guided his teams to seven Final Fours.

His impact is already being felt at Iona, with the Gaels on pace to finish with their third-highest winning percentage (.828) thanks to a 24-5 start.

The dilemma for Maryland or any other major program is whether hiring Pitino is worth the inevitable scrutiny it would bring.

Louisville vacated its 2013 national title and its 2012 Final Four run in February 2018 after a former assistant coach allegedly paid to have exotic dancers at parties for players and prospective recruits at an on-campus dorm.

Pitino was already gone by that point, getting fired in October 2017 after the school was implicated in the FBI's investigation into corruption in college basketball.

Basketball insider Adam Zagoria reported in February that Pitino was discussing a "lifetime" contract with Iona, so any speculation linking him to Maryland or another school could be moot.

Because of his age, the legendary coach might nevertheless relish the opportunity to win one more championship before he retires. Maryland clearly isn't at that level right now but because of its general stature shouldn't require a long rebuild to be nationally relevant again.

Bruce Shingler, an assistant coach for the Maryland men's basketball team, has been suspended by the program after he was arrested in October for allegedly soliciting a prostitute. 

Per court documents obtained by TMZ Sports, Shingler was arrested when he responded to a "women seeking men" ad and attempted to pay an undercover police officer $80 in exchange for sex. 

Per an announcement from the University of Maryland (h/t Jeff Ermann of 247Sports), Shingler was being suspended 30 days for "a violation of his employment agreement."

Shingler has been charged with two counts of soliciting a prostitute. 

Interim head coach Danny Manning did not comment on the situation when asked about it after Maryland's 94-87 win over Northwestern on Wednesday. 

"Our athletic department will handle everything from there," Manning told reporters (h/t TMZ Sports). 

According to court documents obtained by Ryan McFadden of the Baltimore Sun, Shingler was taken to the department of corrections for processing and waived an attorney at his initial court appearance before being released from custody without bail. 

McFadden noted Shingler has a trial date set for Feb. 28. His charges carry a maximum sentence of one year. 

Shingler was hired as an assistant for the Terrapins in January 2021 by former head coach Mark Turgeon. He previously spent five seasons as an assistant coach at South Carolina under head coach Frank Martin. 

His 30-day suspension is scheduled to end on Feb. 12. He could be back on the bench for the Terrapins game against Purdue at Mackey Arena on Feb. 13.