Welcome to The Diamondback Sports Digest. Every week, we send you a rundown of the latest Maryland athletics news.
Men’s and women’s basketball kicked off their Big Ten seasons last week, continuing a strong start to the year for both squads.
In this week’s newsletter, we’ll share some takeaways from the start of Big Ten play and football’s busy recruiting week.
Men’s basketball splits its week
Coach Kevin Willard’s squad started its conference slate on a high note, thrashing Ohio State, 83-59, on Wednesday.
Junior guard Ja’Kobi Gillespie started the game with a 3-pointer on Maryland’s first possession and the Terps dominated from then on. Phenomenal play on both ends created a 20-point lead less than 13 minutes in and a 50-17 advantage at halftime.
Maryland coasted on its massive lead in the second half. Five players notched at least 10 points, led by Gillespie’s 23.
The Terps had a shot at a massive upset over No. 8 Purdue on Sunday, but ultimately couldn’t contain the Boilermakers in a 83-78 loss in West Lafayette.
Freshman center Derik Queen shone with 26 points and 12 rebounds, his fourth double-double of the season. Gillespie added 18 points and four 3-pointers in another strong showing.
But Purdue’s second half offense was too powerful. Boilermakers juniors Braden Smith and Trey Kaufman-Renn each scored 15 points after the break, charging a group that led in the final seven minutes.
Women’s basketball survives in West Lafayette
Maryland women’s basketball entered Saturday’s outing at Purdue as one of six undefeated teams in the Big Ten. The Terps were on the verge of falling out of that group with their’ first half performance.
Coach Brenda Frese’s team got off to a dismal offensive start, scoring just six points on 11.8 percent shooting in the first quarter en route to an 18-6 deficit. Maryland rebounded with a 23-point second frame, but still trailed 38-29 at halftime.
Junior guard Bri McDaniel took over for the Terps in the third quarter. She scored 13 points on 5-of-6 shooting, giving Maryland its first lead of the game. She finished with a season-high 16 points.
While McDaniel keyed the third frame, the Terps used an all-around effort from six players in the final quarter. Redshirt junior guard Saylor Poffenbarger led the charge with eight points.
The strong second half pushed Maryland to a 78-69 win in its third game in a six-day stretch.
Football’s future becomes clearer
While coach Michael Locksley didn’t snag a flip during college football’s class of 2025 early signing day on Wednesday, he secured the commitments he previously had.
Four-star quarterback Malik Washington headlined the 20 class of 2025 recruits that signed their letter of intents. Washington, from Archbishop Spalding High School, was one of four four-stars that officially committed to the Terps.
Interior offensive lineman Jaylen Gilchrist is the highest-ranked commitment behind Washington. Locksley compared Gilchrist to NFL offensive tackle and former All-American Jedrick Wills.
But Locksley made a massive splash on Saturday, getting a verbal commitment from top-ranked class of 2026 prospect Zion Elee.
Elee is the No. 13 recruit in the nation, according to 247Sports’ composite ranking. The five-star edge will be the top recruit in program history if he doesn’t decommit.
Best Bits
- Maryland football’s worst season since 2019 was doomed by inexperience at key positions.
- A disastrous season that included a mid-season coaching change left Maryland women’s soccer with more questions than answers.
- Senior forward Julian Reese tweaked his free throw form in the offseason, turning his weakness into a potential strength.
- Elee’s commitment to Maryland left the Terps’ coaching staff and recruiting world stunned.
Stat of the week
Maryland men’s basketball’s 50 first-half points and more than 33-point margin were its most in a Big Ten regular season game and conference outing, respectively.
Quote of the week
“It’s literally unstoppable,” Queen said about his two-man pairing with Gillespie.
