Before the beginning of fall sports, we asked readers to submit questions for a summer mailbag last week, and there were a number of engaging inquiries that will be answered in detail.
Thank you to those who sent in questions! If you didn’t get a chance to submit one, don’t worry, there will be more opportunities to do so later in the year.
Note: Questions have been edited for brevity.
What blueprint is the athletic department implementing to return to the Debbie Yow glory days of averaging at least one national championship per year, multiple conference titles per year and top 25 football and basketball most years?
Colin — I haven’t heard much about the athletic departments’ specific plans for the future, but I think it’s pretty clear they are trying to upgrade both the football and basketball facilities as a way to attract higher-ranked recruits. The DMV has all the talent the Terps need, they just cannot give these recruits a reason to leave, such as worse facilities and amenities. I also think the athletic department and football program are figuring out ways to get more fans to the home games and actually make them stay, which I understand can be difficult in an area with so many entertainment options on weekends. While NIL money does make things more difficult for Maryland, especially with this new era of Big Ten football, it has to improve the controllable first.
As far as the other sports go, I feel like Maryland is well ahead of the pack. Both lacrosse teams or national championship contenders every year. The field hockey program is still among the best in the country. And the baseball and men’s soccer teams, although they struggled last year, have been consistently at the top of the Big Ten.
Is Willard going to play slow again, despite knowing we all hate it and that he was in full acknowledgement of this fact the day he was hired?
Ryan — I definitely don’t think it’s in Maryland’s interest to play slow this year. I kind of understand why Willard did it in the 2023-24 season, given that Jahmir Young was the team’s superstar. He probably felt more comfortable deferring to him and letting him create his own shot rather than moving the ball around too quickly and risking turnovers or missed shots by young, inexperienced players.
Now, it’s different with Young gone.
With Julian Reese and Derik Queen likely headlining the attack up top, it will be imperative for Willard to find mismatches and fast-break opportunities. Size and shooting will be the name of the Terps’ game in the 2024-25 campaign. Working with pace on offense will create those open shots and post-up opportunities with smaller defenders. It’s a simple formula, and one that Willard should adhere to if he wants to give the offense a much-needed spark.
In lacrosse, as well in all team sports, it takes a group of talented athletes to win consistently. But it takes a special player, like Logan Wisnauskas, to get us to National Championship weekend. This year we got there without one of these players which might have been an anomaly. All year I heard, “who is our alpha player?” I don’t believe one actually emerged. With the large amount of transfers coming in, has Tillman potentially addressed that need if one or two of the returning players, like Eric Spanos or Braden Erksa, doesn’t progress to that level and claim that spot?
Colin — Maryland’s lack of a true alpha on the offensive end has been a major talking point over the last two years since Wisnauskaus left. In 2023, the team had an extremely difficult time generating goals at times, and while better in 2024, goals were still hard to buy toward the end of the regular season and in the championship game when it mattered most. Spanos has been phenomenal since the end of the 2023 season and has continued to improve, which is why I think he will most likely lead the Terps in goals next year, but whether he can put up the 50 to 60 goals that has become the standard for Maryland’s lead attacker has yet to be seen, and is probably unlikely.
I think Spanos and Erksa, along with transfers Bryce Ford and Matthew Keegan, will most likely form another committee on the offensive end similar to last year, and the Terps will just hope they don’t run into a team as good as Notre Dame next year. Unfortunately, it looks like the Terps will have to wait until a high school recruit is eventually molded into the alpha they want.
Additionally, Ajax Zappitello was essentially Wisnauskas on the defensive end, and replacing his impact is more of a concern to me.
What’s the scoop on the men’s basketball team? Does Derik Queen look good?
Colin — From what I’ve heard, Maryland’s starting lineup will consist of Ja’Kobi Gillespie, Selton Miguel, DeShawn Harris-Smith, Queen and Julian Reese. Harris-Smith, Queen and Reese have been locks since last season, Miguel transferred from South Florida seeking a starting job, which I assume head coach Kevin Willard promised him, and Gillespie adds much needed shooting around the front court. In a June interview with Kevin Sheehan, Willard said Queen and Reese will play roughly 12 to 13 minutes per game together surrounded by as much shooting as possible. And from what I have been told, the biggest concern with the team is playing Queen and Reese together while still running Willard’s press.
CBS Sports college basketball insider Jon Rothstein reported earlier this month that Queen looked great in practice. “Derik Queen’s skill level for his size is ridiculous. Taking and making 3’s. An effortless offensive player,” he wrote on X.
I expect an impressive freshman season from Queen and the Terps to have one of the best frontcourts in the conference.
What was the injury Jahari Long suffered at the end of the season last year and what is the prognosis and timeline on his full recovery? Also, has Chance Stephens recovered from his injury last year and will he be ready to play when the season opens?
Colin — The team never released an official update or diagnosis of Long’s injury, but his knee buckled and it seemed serious. He’s expected to miss at least some time.
Stephens has been working out with the team; however, I’m told he won’t receive much playing time stuck behind Gillespie, Miguel, freshman Malachi Palmer and transfer Rodney Rice on the depth chart. Transfer Jayhlon Young also adds competition and is more experienced.
Will the Maryland quarterback room sort itself out and show that they can win some big games?
Ryan — In my opinion, it’s a situation that ultimately boils down to the playing style head coach Mike Locksley prefers, and whether or not it will be effective in closing out big games. Taulia Tagovailoa was effective on the move, but when it came time to deliver in big moments, he faltered a bit as a field general and pocket passer.
I don’t know if or how Locksley plans on altering the offensive playbook. Billy Edwards Jr. is probably the most mobile of the three quarterbacks in contention for the job; however, it would be remiss to not mention MJ Morris’ dual-threat ability, as well as Cameron Edge’s pure arm talent. In some ways, the diversity of skill sets makes the decision both easier and tougher for Locksley simultaneously. It’s easier in the sense that he has a variety of options that can work in a number of different spots during the game. The downside, as the old adage goes, when you have two quarterbacks (or three), you have none.
To fully answer this question, I do think that the quarterback room will become fleshed out as the season progresses. I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if the starter changes more than once. As the new offense finds its identity, one of the three field generals will find a home in it.
Colin — I second much of what Ryan said. Edwards has the familiarity with the offense, which is why he may get the initial nod, but I think Morris and Edge are both better passers. I would not be surprised if the starter changes a few times throughout the year and if each player is given a shorter leash. We’ll definitely know more after the first game against UConn.
What’s the status and payout of the Maryland basketball NIL program? How does it compare to other Big Ten programs and other major college programs? What’s going on with the women’s basketball team and its constant turnover?
Colin — Without going into detail on the specific numbers, from what I’ve read, Maryland does not stack up very well to the rest of the Big Ten and other Power Five conferences in terms of NIL. Most funding is private so I don’t want to speculate too much, but it could be better, to put it plainly.
Ryan on Women’s basketball — I agree. The results haven’t been exactly what Terps’ fans have been hoping for over the past 10 years since the switch from the ACC and Alyssa Thomas departed for the WNBA. In addition, there have been stellar recruiting classes, namely the No. 1-ranked class in 2019, that haven’t taken Maryland to the promised land.
However, I think it’s important to also recognize that the Big Ten has vastly improved as a conference, making it a bit tougher for the Terps to scoop up the big names, whether it be in the transfer portal or in recruiting.
In response to your comment about year after year of turnover, playing time certainly factors in, as head coach Brenda Frese isn’t afraid to mess around with different lineups. But the turnover can also be attributed to one of the biggest factors nowadays: NIL. Sometimes, you just can’t compete with money, even if you’re one of the most storied programs in women’s hoops with a hall-of-fame-caliber coach, which Frese is.
We saw examples of how both factors can lead to players leaving the Terps just this past year, as 5-star freshman Riley Nelson left for Duke and longtime leader Faith Masonius left for Seton Hall. Personally, I’m optimistic about Maryland’s turnaround, especially after an above-average offseason in the transfer portal, some key players returning and a few promising freshmen who have the opportunity to make a name for themselves.
Have you guys played College Football 25 yet? I’m spending all week reliving my childhood. I couldn’t help but notice a few things for Maryland that were a bit off, though. No victory song (fight song instead), players rub Testudo’s back instead of his nose, crowd should probably be red and white instead of red and gold and we’re somehow rated as the worst team in the conference, both on the field and in the classroom, which feels pretty wildly off.
Colin — Ryan and I have not had the opportunity to play the game yet, but we have both heard great things. However, Maryland seems to have been slighted a bit, which has made its rounds on X. I don’t blame EA for getting the small details wrong, such as the fight song and rubbing Testudo’s back, as there is so much information piled into one game, things are bound to fall through the cracks. Yet Maryland being rated last in the conference is a massive swing-and-miss in my opinion. Three consecutive winning seasons and bowl game wins deserves much more respect than that, especially when the Terps regularly beat up on teams they are ranked the same or lower than *cough* Rutgers *cough.*
Academically, as a student at Maryland, I’m a bit offended by the rating, but it is a football video game at the end of the day and has no merit outside of a TV screen. I’ll take Maryland’s new “public ivy” status and move on.
Should chicken wings’ heat index for devouring be suicide, hot, medium or mild? And should the side be ranch dressing, creamy blue cheese or nothing at all?
Ryan — Now this is an interesting one. If I were in an eating competition and attempting to devour the most in one sitting, I’d settle for the mild. I wouldn’t want anything getting in the way of my tastebuds, although I do have to admit my palate is already quite sensitive to spicy foods.
However, if I were to go to a restaurant and order chicken wings as a meal, I would opt for the medium level of spice. I consider medium to be somewhere in the cayenne pepper/jalapeño range, which is about on par with the degree of spice that I’d normally eat. Hot, for me, is just a little bit too significant of a kick, as I’d consider this to be the habanero pepper range. I could probably find a way to enjoy it, but it would take a little getting used to. Suicide, on the other hand, is something I’d only consume if it were for a bet. This is Carolina Reaper/ghost pepper-esque heat, and I just can’t even fathom that.
The side will always be ranch dressing for me. I’ve given creamy blue cheese a try, but it’s just never had the same effect. Ranch is my go-to for a lot of foods, including pizza, carrot sticks and, of course, on salads. Going with nothing as the side feels like torture. You need to balance the dryness of the chicken with some sort of sauce, no questions asked.
Colin — I’m very boring when it comes to wings. I stick to medium or mild with nothing on the side. Sometimes I’ll spice things up, or down rather, and opt for barbecue or garlic parmesan.
