Andre Mills talks development in year one, coaches, Maryland basketball's adjusted rotations

Ahmed Ghafir
1 hour ago
4 min read

Maryland (10-16, 3-12 B1G) vs. Washington (13-13, 5-10)

When: Saturday, February 21 | 3 PM

Where: XFINITY Center

TV/Streaming: Peacock

Radio: 105.7 FM Baltimore, 980 AM DC, SiriusXM channel 372

Maryland men’s basketball will look to end a two-game losing streak when they return to the Xfinity Center to host Washington in the lone matchup this season. Saturday also marks the final home game of the month with only two more at home and four games left in the 2025-26 regular season. For Maryland, Saturday will also mark a chance to pick up their first-ever win against Washington in a revenue sport after the Huskies handed the ‘Crab Five’ a six-point defeat on the road last season.

While Maryland will once again do so short-handed, they’ll also look to ride the hot hand again as redshirt freshman Andre Mills is days removed from a star showing.

Mills finished with 39 points vs. Northwestern to not only tie the program record for points by a freshman, but also set a new career high as he finished in double figures scoring for the fifth time in his last six games.

Mills opened up on his development in year one of his college basketball career, where he’s grown & more:

Whether he views himself as a lead guard

“Honestly, growing up, I never really had a position, because I'd say, like in elementary school, middle school, I was always taller than other people so I had to play big man. And middle school it catches up with you so I would say, like, I was probably, like a wing guard-ish. In high school, probably like the three through one area. And then college, now I've done played every position I could think of besides the five. So honestly, just impacting winning as much as I possibly can. I don't really have a position, but I'd say like, in terms of my game, just being aggressive, being downhill, playing off two feet, watching film, making reads, and impacting the game as much as I possibly can, honestly.”

On getting downhill, getting comfortable with physicality in Big Ten play

“Yeah, for sure, especially because, like last time we came in here, we talked about how after practice, we do a bunch of different layups from different angles and stuff like that. So at times, we also bring a pad involved, and you got to hit the pad at this time and that time, and it's like, one ticker two ticker like, type of thing. So we've been trying to, like, mix it up as much as possible. But I say I am getting way more comfortable with the physicality, the pace, and also like I said, scouting and film as well. Like I know this person really can't guard, or I know this person's better in the weakside and help side, so I'm gonna have this person come up and raise you because I'm not gonna beat this person one on one.”

On seeing the rotation trim through the season

“I think that in terms of people on the roster, I feel like it really hasn't affected us, or it hasn't shown in the locker room anyway. I think that everybody else is kind of just happy, happy to be cheering us on. I mean, we're all really close. We all kind of went through it together. We've been through a lot together, honestly, so we don't really feel it, I would say.”

Whether boot camp prepared the team for the 2025-26 season

“The ultimate bonding. Yes, it is. Yeah, that ain't nothing like that. So for sure, that is the ultimate bonding. That's stuff we still talk about to this day.”

A lesson Mills learned about himself this season

“Don't change. Be who I've always been, honestly. It might be rare or different to some people, but the way I'm playing right now is how I've played my whole life, just a little revved up a notch, obviously, because I'm bigger, faster, taller, stronger. Just be myself. Be who you are. Be the leader that I want to be. Be Dre.”

What the coaching staff has done to help Mills’ growth during the season

“I'd say reading like reading the defense, reading the second guy, reading the help guy, reading the gaps. Like I feel like that is the most important thing when it comes to college basketball. And I didn't really understand that. And it took me some time, but definitely, I'd say, the areas of the court where to move off the ball, I feel like I'm getting elite at moving off the ball because before I'd say earlier in the year, I would kind of just watch like in amazement sometimes. The movement and I say the same thing on defense as well. Like being on defense and knowing the spots on defense can also help you. Because obviously you want to stop the next person for scoring, but gotta take your break somewhere. So definitely knowing and being spatially aware of what's going on and being spatially aware of who's supposed to be on what spot. And if that's not going on, what's the next step to fix it? So for sure that.”

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