Julian Reese is the lone active player left from Maryland men’s basketball’s 2022-23 NCAA tournament team. The senior has a unique perspective on the value of an effective press defense, which worked well for coach Kevin Willard in his first season at the helm.
Four of the Terps’ five starters are either learning Willard’s press for the first time or adjusting to a new role in it. Reese oversees the same spot on the backline that he’s had the past two seasons, assuredly understanding the identity Willard is trying to establish with his current team.
“We’re trying to [implement] that culture into all the new guys,” Reese said. “From that winning season my sophomore year that was our identity, and for us to get back to that we’ve just gotta come out punching guys in the mouth like we did today.”
The Terps pressed heavily in the opening minutes of the contest against Florida A&M on Monday. It helped them get off to an early 15-0 lead where they forced a pair of 10-second violations and scored 12 points off turnovers.
Transfer guard Ja’Kobi Gillespie forced the first violation on the Rattlers’ opening offensive possession, hounding graduate student Milton Matthews after Selton Miguel stonewalled senior Sterling Young.
[Julian Reese, Selton Miguel lead Maryland to third straight blowout win, 84-53]
The next violation came two minutes later. Maryland’s backcourt partners double-teamed Florida A&M’s Roderick Coffee III before Gillespie tipped the ball in the air. Coffee recovered it but couldn’t get over the halfcourt line until the shot clock struck 20 seconds.
Gillespie and Miguel sit on the frontline of Maryland’s press. They’re tasked with sending initial pressure to the opposing ball handler and holding them behind the halfcourt line for as long as possible.
After playing the frontline last year, DeShawn Harris-Smith has moved to the second line as a sophomore. Willard said he likes Harris-Smith more in that spot because of the guard’s length and processing speed.
“With Ja’Kobi and Selton at the front of the press, it’s much different than it was last year with Jahmir and DeShawn,” Willard said. “[We were] trying to save Jahmir minutes knowing we didn’t really have a backup … the press is much more effective this year just because of the guys that we have on it.”
Harris-Smith shares the second line with freshman Derik Queen. Willard’s main concern with Queen in the preseason was how he would adjust to the press, but the coach said he’s picked it up well.
[Rodney Rice scores 28 points as Maryland men’s basketball defeats Mount St. Mary’s, 86-52]
Maryland couldn’t press at the rate it wanted to last season due to immense shooting woes. Willard said he hopes to press more this season. He expects to if the Terps improve offensively.
Gillespie said the press was tough to learn initially, but the team improved during preseason practices. Miguel said it opens up a lot of opportunities for the Terps, especially when they force 10-second violations like they did against Florida A&M.
Maryland’s newcomers heard about Willard’s press defense long before playing their first games. Monday’s suffocating start may have opened their eyes to the value of it when it’s thriving.
“Anybody can have a good night, but at the same time, we’re trying to be known as a [defensive] team,” Miguel said. “Especially with that press, because that press can open up a lot of things.”
