Coach Kevin Willard had thought about tweaking his starting lineup for a while. Shortly after Maryland men’s basketball’s loss to No. 15 Marquette last Friday, he decided it was time.
Willard swapped two sophomore guards ahead of Maryland’s 71-point victory over Canisius on Tuesday, inserting Rodney Rice into his starting five and moving DeShawn Harris-Smith to the bench. Rice, a Virginia Tech transfer, has averaged 13.8 points through five games compared to Harris-Smith’s 5.8.
The coach said making Rice a starter protects Maryland’s big men, too.
Senior Julian Reese hasn’t made a 3-pointer in the last three seasons, and freshman Derik Queen has missed all seven of his attempts. Harris-Smith’s shooting struggles have continued this year while Rice is shooting 44.4 percent from beyond the arc with multiple makes in each game.
Rice started in the backcourt against Canisius alongside junior Ja’Kobi Gillespie and fifth year Selton Miguel — two players Willard chose from the transfer portal for their shooting.
[Maryland men’s basketball throttles Canisius, 108-37, for biggest win since 1998]
“I think we’re able to space the floor out a little bit better [with Rice],” Willard said. “You have three [guards] who are ready to pull the trigger, where DeShawn’s a much more ‘I’m going to try to make the next pass guy.’ So I thought it’d put a little bit more pressure on their defense.”
Rice scored 13 points and nailed three triples in his first collegiate start on Tuesday. He came off the bench in eight games as a freshman at Virginia Tech two years ago, then leaving the program before last season started.
The sophomore hasn’t shown any rust. He’s scored in the double digits for four of the Terps’ five games, highlighted by a 28-point outing against Mount St. Mary’s.
“I don’t think my role really changes,” Ricesc said. “I’m gonna play my game regardless and play within the team. I’m not going to change my game just because I’m starting.”
The move to the starting lineup didn’t surprise Rice. He said Willard told him he’d start in the team’s first practice after the Marquette loss and he’d played with the first team in practice.
[Maryland men’s basketball is still figuring out Derik Queen, Julian Reese pairing]
Harris-Smith had strong moments in the Terps’ loss to the Golden Eagles but also was costly for the Terps in perhaps the most important point of the night — missing two free throws that could’ve tied the game with 14 seconds left.
Part of Willard’s message for the struggling sophomore on Friday could also be applied for his demotion to the bench.
“He’s a big boy,” Willard said. “He’ll be alright.”
Harris-Smith came off the bench in his best game of his freshman year, a 17-point outing against Iowa. After that game, he said he didn’t mind the move because it let him see how opposing defenses were playing.
Willard feels the move could benefit Harris-Smith and Maryland’s second unit. With a more on-ball role — something Harris-Smith can’t achieve as frequently when he shares the court with Gillespie as a starter — the guard has a better chance to succeed.
“I needed another point guard out there,” Willard said. “For me, it just made more sense to be able to put the ball in DeShawn’s hands, let him be able to make plays with the basketball.”
Coaches often tinker with their rotations in early-season nonconference games. Given Tuesday’s result — and what Willard said about the swap benefitting both the starting and second units — his first starting lineup change could be permanent.
