Ready to Compete

Big Ten basketball looms near and the Terps are fresh off a brilliant season that saw them make their first Sweet 16 appearance since 2016. Since then, Maryland’s brought in an entire roster of new faces and new leadership in the form of head coach Buzz Williams and his staff.

“Excited for the opportunity,” Williams opened his time at Big Ten Media Day. “We enjoyed our time at Texas A&M. The community, the family, the administration. I fondly remember the 96 wins over the last four years. It was a lot of fun, not only as a coach, but also for our family.”

Williams has coached in a variety of leagues and conferences, finding success in all of them. He was the SEC Coach of the Year twice in his tenure in College Station, but recognizes the strengths and challenges of his new conference. 

“It seems as though the level of coaching and the level of talent is probably similar,” Williams said of the Big Ten. “I think the styles of play probably play more towards skill, maybe not quite as many athletes above the rim. I don't think that it means that it's not athletic or that it's not physical, but the approach to the skill and how you defend that skill seems to be a little different.”

The Big Ten will be loaded with talent again in 2025 and the Terps are looking to build off a tremendous 2024-25 season. Having a new leader with knowledge of varying playstyles will only aid Maryland’s efforts to do so. 

“Elite coaches, distinct style of play per coach,” Williams said of his peers in the Big Ten. “It's been interesting spending time learning from each of those coaches, not really paying attention to their rosters, because they’re ever-changing, but just having a feel for how they play and how they coach. It was fun watching and learning from all of the coaches in this league.”

The new-look Terrapin roster features 15 new players — 10 transfers and four freshmen. Williams brought four players with him from Texas A&M and they’ve stepped into bigger leadership roles than he had anticipated. 

“One thing that I've learned that I didn't take into account is as we're teaching 11 new players things that they've never seen, we seem to have four more assistant coaches than I was expecting,” Williams said. “I'm trying to be sensitive to that, making sure that in what we're doing and how we're doing it and why we're doing it, we're all moving in the same direction.”

Williams brought a few of his new athletes with him to Big Ten Media Day on Thursday to break down the upcoming season and talk about the chemistry and consistency they’ve found on their new squad. 

“Every day is physical when you play for Buzz Williams,” Virginia transfer Elijah Saunders said. “It's been a lot of work. It's probably been the hardest I've worked since I've been in college, but the experience has been amazing.”

His new teammate, Kansas transfer David Coit, agrees.

“This is definitely the hardest I’ve worked,” Coit said. “But it’s the most connected group I've been with. The coaches are connected. I’ve been challenged so much mentally, more than physical, as well. A lot of mental challenges and practice being uncomfortable and being pushed to a limit. It's been a blessing.”

The first months together featured a process of getting an understanding of the new team and finding a way to gel so many players and skillsets together. 

“I do have a better feel for our personnel, and I'm trying to adapt to their skill set based on what I think gives us our best chance,” Williams said. “I think there are some threads of commonality in how we play. I want to shoot more balls than other team. That's kind of an evolution of our time at A&M. From a defensive standpoint, we're trying to have a little bit more synergy as we go with each passing day to get on the same page.”

As for a student-athlete that’s been a pleasant surprise amongst a cast of new characters? It’s one of the guys he brought with him to Media Day:

“I really like Saunders,” Williams said. “I love who he is as a human: Tough-minded, tough competitor, high-IQ as a person, high-IQ as a player. We've got to continue to find ways to have him involved, using his versatility, not just defensively, but offensively.”

The feeling is mutual. Saunders comes to the Terps from Virginia after a couple other stops around the nation. He credited Williams’ attention to detail and said it was a major thing he was searching for in the portal.

“I would say the thing about Buzz is just how he is as a person,” Saunders said. “You know, he cares about you more than basketball. He tries to build you as a man, not just as a player. The impact he's had on me the past couple months I've been here has just been a blessing.”

Saunders brings loads of experience to Maryland in 2025, both in regular season and NCAA Tournament play. He’ll be a leader on this year’s edition of Terrapin basketball as he shares the lessons his time in different programs have bestowed upon him. 

“I’m just using those experiences and expanding my game,” he said. “Stretching the floor and now trying to be more of a leader. I'm more of a lead-by-example person, but I’m also trying to lead vocally.”

Williams’ recruiting efforts have already paid off in dividends for the Terps. Both of the guys he brought to Media Day praised how personal of a coach he is and the care he has for his athletes. 

“I chose to play for him just because I know the culture that he built on every team that he's had,” Coit said. “A lot of guys who play hard. He plays through his guards, allowing them to have the freedom to be creative with the ball, but also building them as men. And I know that was going to be a main thing I wanted to do coming into my last year. I obviously want to be a pro, but I also want to be a better man.”

Coit was overflowing with praise for his new team at Media Day. When asked who’s been standing out to him in practice, it was impossible for him to pick just one stud:

“Isaiah Watts and Myles Rice,” Coit said. “Those are two guys who played at Washington State together. Obviously, they had some chemistry, but they’re just great guards. I think everybody’s for real. There's Darius Adams, a freshman. He’s very skilled and can score very well. I think we’ve got guys that can do a little bit of everything. “George Turkson Jr.’s a very hardworking guy. We’ve got a lot of high-character dudes in the gym.”

As for Coit, he already knows what’s ahead of him this season. He’s ready to make an instant impact on his new team. 

“I would say people could expect me to be creative with the ball, score, play-make, but also be a great leader and a great person,” Coit said. 

While the faces are new, they all share the same goals and love for their coach. Williams and his squad will be in action soon as it continues to gel and prepare for the upcoming season.