After riding a dominant second half to a win over Michigan last week, fans saw arguably their best performance from Maryland this season after taking down then-No. 10 Illinois on Sunday afternoon. While head coach Kevin Willard and the staff looked to iron out its offensive kinks, it was the Terps’ defense that loomed large down the stretch.
“That starting lineup has been one of the best in the country defensively,” Willard said postgame. But what else stuck out about the win? Highlight the biggest on-court takeaway and what it means as Maryland looks to capitalize on the season-changing win:
Bounce back game for Julian Reese
After finishing with zero points and four fouls in 34 minutes against Purdue, head coach Kevin Willard wasn’t shy about what he needed from his star big man.
“Julian [Reese], he’s got to realize that he’s number one on the scouting report and he’s got to bring it a little bit more than he has the last couple [of] games.”
The Baltimore native followed that up with consecutive 14-point performances, along with his seventh double-double of the season in the comeback win against Michigan. Sunday’s game was the next test for Reese to assert himself against a dominant big man, and after taking exception to the lack of double teams in the post, Reese paved the way in the paint en route to a 20-11 night while shooting 50% from the field.
Behind him, Maryland saw other bigs step up like it needed all season. After posting zero points in each of his last two games, Jordan Geronimo was able to step in with nine points and three blocks in 30 minutes, but it was his timely triple with just over 12 minutes remaining that bolstered Maryland’s momentum on just his third made three of the season. On the next offensive possession, Caelum Swanton-Rodger was able to capitalize on the pick-and-roll with Jahmir Young for a contested layup to put Maryland ahead, 54-50, as he was efficient in his four minutes. Geronimo also helped Maryland cement the game in the closing minute after Young beat the Illini’s full-court press, finding the transfer big at the rim for a dunk to push the lead to 72-65.
Reese wasn’t the only star on Sunday, but that’s become expected of Jahmir Young this season. Young led the way with a game-high 28 points, scoring at least 20 points for the fifth time in the last six games he’s been made available, as he’s averaging just under 20 points per game this season.
While Jahmir Young’s floaters were a driving force in Maryland’s dominance in the paint as they outscored Illinois, 52-26, the production from Julian Reese was the catalyst to a convincing performance from Kevin Willard’s team.
“[Julian Reese] goes 8-for-16, he gets 20 [points] and 11 [rebounds] but even if on his missed shots, we were making [Coleman Hawkins] defend. We were hitting them, we were pounding them. That wears you out, dealing with a guy like Ju if you’re not really used to it,” head coach Kevin Willard said postgame. “So our whole thing was let’s get it inside the Ju early. Let’s try to wear out Coleman Hawkins because you can’t just let, if you just let him switch pick and rolls and play perimeter defense, he gets a rest.”
Kevin Willard addresses road critics with win
For just the second time in five tries this season, Maryland found a way to win outside of College Park. Sunday’s win also marked Maryland’s second conference road win under Kevin Willard after ending the Illini’s seven-game home win streak, continuing a streak of dominance against Brad Underwood as the Terps have now won ten of the last 12 matchups.
More importantly, the road win came off the heels blowing a double-digit lead against Minnesota en route to a 65-62 loss just one week prior.
“It’s definitely a good sign to see us win on the road and at home like we’ve been doing. It’s definitely a good sign to a turnaround,” Julian Reese said postgame. “I feel like beating the No. 10 team in the country is definitely a good sign for us and it’s a good stepping stone for what’s to come.”
Granted, Sunday’s win still moves Maryland to just 4-12 in true road games and 8-17 in all games away from the Xfinity Center under Kevin Willard, but with a test against Northwestern on Wednesday night, the Terps have a chance to point to tangible momentum. Head coach Kevin Willard pointed to his three-game homestand following the Asheville Tournament as the time when he expected his team to begin gelling together. While the inconsistent offense has been the tale of the season, Willard a chance to watch his team begin putting the pieces together as they attempt to make their late postseason run.
Mixed reviews on Maryland’s updated postseason outlook, but the Terps get its signature win
Maryland’s road win was the talk of college basketball on Sunday after head coach Kevin Willard’s team was able to turn heads across the country.
“This is what we’ve been wanting from Maryland. This is what we were expecting going into the season,” former UMass head coach Matt McCall said on the Field of 68. “Jahmir Young, 28 [points]. Julian Reese, 20 [points]. That’s a 1-2 punch backcourt-frontcourt. This is what we’ve been wanting and we just haven’t gotten it yet from Maryland and then they go on the road and they win a game like [Sunday].”
While the Terps were able to pick up the signature win they desperately needed to begin the postseason conversation, another analyst wasn’t as sure.
“It’s too late,” Jeff Goodman later added. “That’s what they should’ve been doing all year.”
Matt Norlander, meanwhile, was more optimistic about the ramifications of the Terps’ road win on another show.
“That’s a notable one for Maryland because it is a resume adjuster. Now, the Terps did not have an NCAA Tournament resume coming in. This is a Quad One win. Jahmir Young had 28 points, eight assists. Julian Reese had 20 and 11, 11 being the boards there. Maryland gets level in the Big Ten, they’re 3-3,” Norlander said on ‘Eye on College Basketball.’
While still far from bubble consideration, Maryland has climbed back inside the top-100 in the NET rankings after picking up its first Quad 1 win of the season. Still, the Terps sit 1-4 in Quad 1 and 2 games this season but they’ll get a chance to add to that when they head to Evanston on Wednesday to face Northwestern, who sits 69th in the updated NET rankings. There’s another Quad 1 opportunity around the corner with the first of two matchups against Michigan State set for Jan. 21 in College Park, but Sunday’s win gives Maryland a chance and, more importantly, avenges the missed opportunity against Purdue back on Jan. 2 in College Park.
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