During home games, the Terrapins women’s basketball team typically has about an hour between its pregame meal and its warm-up. Some players return to their rooms to take naps, while others cozy up on couches in the locker room.
But for three players, the break is invaluable. To guard Kristen Confroy and centers Brionna Jones and Malina Howard, it’s a period to focus on their studies.
“The hour makes a big difference,” Confroy said.
In addition to leading the No. 5 Terps to a 10-0 record this season, the trio has been grinding through a series of rigorous courses — cell biology, organic chemistry and genetics, among others.
For them, studying doesn’t stop with reading scouting reports. Confroy, Jones and Howard want to attend medical school.
And as the Terps continue their quest for a third straight Final Four, it’s a balancing act these players have appeared to master.
“I can’t imagine the amount of science classes and the hours that they’re taking,” coach Brenda Frese said. “But all three of them come in every day, and they’re consistent — consistent moods, personalities, happy — where I think the general population would have a tough time in terms of everything that they’re juggling as student-athletes.”
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Confroy, a three-sport athlete at Solon High School in Ohio, always knew she wanted to pursue some sort of career in athletics. And toward the end of her high school career, she became intrigued when she saw doctors help her teammates through sports-related injuries.
So before stepping foot on the campus, her decision was made. The 5-foot-9 sharpshooter would major in biology and pursue a career in sports medicine.
Jones flirted with the idea of becoming a doctor in high school, too, though at times, the preseason All-Big Ten honoree considered going into criminology.
“But then I ultimately went back to wanting to be a doctor,” Jones said. “And I just enjoy working with kids. I think I wanted to be a pediatrician because of that.”
Howard didn’t leave high school wanting to be a doctor. She didn’t think she’d pursue pre-med after her freshman year, either. But taking two anatomy classes the summer before her sophomore year piqued her interest.
She found herself interested in learning about diseases and the various systems that comprise the human body. The low-post presence is now taking prerequisite classes for the MCAT, which she plans to take next fall. She wants to be a cardiologist.
Confroy, Jones and Howard all want to go into different professions. But as teammates on a Division I team studying pre-med, they’re one in the same.
“It definitely makes it a little bit more easier to go through those times knowing you have other people around you that can relate,” Confroy said.
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Walk into the living room of their apartment at The Varsity around test time, and you’ll likely see Jones and Howard sitting on their own couch studying silently. Confroy, who also lives in the apartment, does her best work in her room.
Confroy’s senior year in high school was the first time the Terps decided to have all their players live together in apartments. And having already expressed her interest to go pre-med before enrolling at this university, the staff decided it was best to pair Confroy with older players that had balanced a heavy workload with college basketball before.
Guard Kristen Confroy drives down the lane during Maryland’s 105-50 win over High Point at Xfinity Center on Nov. 18, 2015. (Alexander Jonesi/The Diamondback)
“It’s tough because you’re always having to balance finding time to study and then finding time to still work on your game,” Jones said. “It always helps because there’s three of us, so we help each other.”
Howard and Jones spent a lot of time together last season manning the starting frontcourt. But Howard also served as a mentor for her younger teammate, giving her studying techniques and notes for the classes she’s already taken.
Their tracks have since varied — Jones spent last summer outside the classroom in Gwangju, South Korea, representing the U.S. at the World University Games — but Howard isn’t alone.
While preparing for the MCAT, she found herself sharing some science classes with Confroy. It allowed the duo to start every morning together before reconnecting on the basketball court in the afternoons.
“We leave and start the day together, and it’s just nice,” Howard said.
Though Confroy said each player likes to study individually, they’ll convene if they have questions. They’re determined to help their teammates reach a common objective that extends beyond the court.
“It’s definitely helpful to be around like-minded people just who are committed to their goals and willing to put in the work,” Confroy said.
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Shortly after joining the Terps in 2012, Howard was stressed.
“It was the first time I actually had to completely really try hard at school,” Howard said. “And so sometimes I think I would bring [stress] on the court.”
Confroy faced a similar problem as a freshman last season. She would come into the gym frazzled from a test earlier in the day, and her worries would linger into practice.
Both players eventually realized, however, that basketball and grades were unrelated. Bombing a test didn’t guarantee a poor performance, just as acing one wouldn’t ensure a quality outing.
They dedicated themselves to thriving in both aspects separately.
And Howard and Confroy have done just that. Both players have averaged at least 17.5 minutes per game for a Terps team outscoring opponents by an average of 37.8 points, the second-best margin in the country.
“This year, I think I really understand that this is my escape from it,” Confroy said. “To kind of lock in and enjoy the time here and then lock back into school when I’m done here.”
Howard has reacted the same way. While she tends to worry about school while socializing with the rest of the squad, her coaches have helped ease her worries while on the court.
Howard now views basketball as a place to let go.
“I don’t know how they do it to this day, and I’m with them 24/7,” guard Ieshia Small said. “But I think they do a great job with it.”
Added Frese: “They do a remarkable job. You know when they kind of have these workloads, but you never really feel they’re stressed.”
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Jones and Howard could see themselves playing either in the WNBA or overseas, while Confroy wants to go straight to medical school after graduation. She already has a list of schools she plans to apply to. North Carolina is her first choice.
But first, each player will have to get through finals week, which starts Monday. Jones has two tests and two papers — an easy finals schedule compared to previous semesters — while Howard has four exams. Confroy may have it toughest of all, as she’ll prepare to take five assessments.
“The last two weeks have been brutal, and finals haven’t even started yet,” Confroy said Thursday.
The Terps will at least have the luxury of a lightened workweek. Their next game isn’t until Sunday against Maryland Eastern Shore, and Frese used phrases like “short” and “intense” to describe this week’s practice schedule.
Not that Howard, Jones and Confroy aren’t used to a demanding schedule. Besides, if the workload becomes too much, they know where to turn.
“If they’re stressing they can turn to me,” Howard said. “And we always just have a positive interaction with each other to help each other get through. Because it is really tough and it is vigorous. But I mean it’s just having the right attitude is what gets you through.”