After winning the first three games by 30 or more points, the first time in program history, Maryland men’s basketball prepares for its first big test of the 2024-25 season when they welcome 15th-ranked Marquette to College Park on Friday night. The chance to suit up in a marquee game inside the Xfinity Center.
“I feel like everybody wishes for these games,” DeShawn Harris-Smith said during Wednesday’s media availability. “A Friday night ranked opponent. Like everybody dreams of that. Like growing up, you want to have, like, a big game on Friday night. So, I mean, I feel like it's excitement. I know a lot of people [are] going to be there, and I feel like we go ready to go out there and play hard and get a [win].”
Led by fourth-year head coach Shaka Smart, the Golden Eagles are looking to build on last season’s Sweet Sixteen finish with Big East Player of the Year candidate Kam Jones leading the way as one of three players averaging double-figures. But Maryland head coach Kevin Willard sees a key difference between last and this year’s Marquette roster.
“I think the biggest difference is their big last year was not a threat from the outside. He was a heck of a player. And obviously where he is, where he got drafted, [Tyler] Kolek. I think Kam has taken over Kolek’s role pretty darn good,” Willard said.
“I think the biggest difference from them is I think you could always kind of clog them up just a little bit from watching film last year to where this year I think a little bit smaller, a little bit quicker. And obviously with [Ben] Gold and [David] Joplin at the four and five, technically, you have two guys that can really shoot the ball – Joplin I think took 10 threes the other night. Gold, I mean, he's gonna put them up as quick as anybody. So I think that's the biggest difference. They have five shooters on the floor, where last year they maybe had three and a half – I would count Kolek as a half.”
“He's kind of more face-up big that stays on the perimeter a lot,” Julian Reese said about Gold. “So I guess this is a gameplan switch, but I feel like it's preparing this for the next level where all the bigs on the perimeter more and being able to guard one through five. Our defense is kind of tailored to stuff like that. And I feel like we will make the adjustments as the game [gets] going.”
Derik Queen, meanwhile, offered a different response when asked about Gold.
“He just wants to shoot. He [doesn’t] want to do [anything] else,” he said during Tuesday’s media availability.
For a Maryland team that, as of Wednesday, rank seventh in the country in points allowed (51.3), Reese knows Friday marks their toughest test yet.
“Being a defensive-minded team like we are, just kind of stay to our principals and our culture and just come out firing on defense and I feel like [the] offense will take care of itself.”
“They’re such a different team from last year, just for the fact that although they're a veteran team, you have Gold out there picking and popping. They do a lot of slipping. Kam does a great job. A lot of throwbacks. They take a lot of threes. It’s just not Kam,” Willard said. “Kam does a great job facilitating, but I think Stevie Mitchell does a really good job in their offense too. They're a very balanced team, even though Kam is, I think he's averaging 25 [points] whatever he's averaging, but they're a much more balanced team than just Kam.”
What does Willard want to see from his team on Friday night?
“I want to see our defense translate to the next level I think more than anything.”
More on Marquette
Willard on playing two bigs in the paint vs. Marquette
“It's a good contrast. We're gonna have to throw it in and really try to be physical inside early in the game. And at the same time, our big guys are gonna have to guard a little bit differently than what we have. The good thing is we've played three games to where we've seen three different styles that they've at least had to adjust. This is a new style. We're gonna have to do a lot of different pick and roll coverages that we haven't done just because of all the stuff Gold does.”
Harris-Smith on limiting Kam Jones
“I feel like he's a great player. Definitely gonna be a tough matchup. And I feel like you just gotta limit his touches and make him do things that he's not as comfortable doing. I know he's a great shooter. He likes to get to his left a lot. So I mean, for me, I'm gonna try to just deny him the ball when he gets off it, and then when I'm on him, try to force him to use his right hand and keep him that way.”
Harris-Smith on where Harris-Smith sees opportunities to attack vs. Marquette
“I feel like every game I go on with the attention to get downhill and like getting guys involved. I feel like that's one of my biggest talents, like getting paint touches and getting easier shots from my teammates. So I feel like that's my mindset every game.”
Willard what he hopes to gain from playing ranked opponent on Friday night
“I think this is a great test. This is a little bit like going to play Iowa or five guys that can shoot, space you out, tempo. I want to see our defense translate to the next level I think more than anything. And obviously, playing in a different environment is probably the next biggest thing. Playing in front of fans is something that we're going to see. And so our guys getting used to it and being ready for that is something that, I want to see how they react to that a little bit too because it's a different feeling in this building obviously, for a Marquette than a Florida A&M. And that's not a negative connotation. It's just reality of college basketball.”
Harris-Smith on evaluating Marquette
“Definitely just their shooting ability. Everybody can shoot it, one through five, and then you always know they're going to play hard. Every single year, they got a great coach, so I feel like they got a great coach over there. They're going to play hard and like I said, the three ball, everybody can shoot one through five.”
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