Maryland basketball announces its 2023-24 non-conference schedule
- Ahmed Ghafir
- Jul 20, 2023
- 3 min read
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NODb3VbTQrI Maryland men’s basketball announced its 2023-24 non-conference schedule, featuring seven home games and a pair of tough tests on the road. Maryland will open the season on Tuesday, Nov. 7 against Mount St. Mary’s before heading to the Asheville Championship beginning Friday, Nov. 10 featuring Clemson, Davidson and UAB. Maryland will then travel north to face Hakim Hart and Villanova on Nov. 17. Maryland then begins a five-game homestand featuring UMBC, South Alabama, Rider, Alcorn State and Nicholls State before traveling to UCLA for a return matchup in a two-year home-and-home series. Maryland will close out non-conference play against Coppin State on December 28 before shifting gears to conference play. Schedule Nov. 7: Mount St. Mary’s Nov. 10, 12: Ashveille Championship @ Harrah’s Cherokee Center Nov. 17: @ Villanova Nov. 21: UMBC Nov. 25: South Alabama Nov. 28: Rider Dec. 12: Alcorn State Dec. 19: Nicholls State Dec. 22: @ UCLA Dec. 28: Coppin State Maryland is undefeated all-time against four of its non-conference opponents and holds the all-time series lead against all but three teams. Maryland’s Thanksgiving weekend matchup against South Alabama will mark the first-ever matchup between the two teams, while both Villanova (1-4) and UCLA (2-7) hold a commanding lead over the Terps. Villanova won the last matchup, 74-66, back in 2011 while UCLA steamrolled the Terps at home last season for what was their third consecutive loss. The Big Ten previously announced that Maryland will host Michigan, Nebraska and Purdue while traveling to Minnesota, Ohio State and Wisconsin. Maryland will also have a home-and-away with Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan State, Northwestern, Penn State and Rutgers. Maryland is coming off a 22-win season in Kevin Willard’s first season as head coach and are led by All-Big Ten selection Jahmir Young along with Donta Scott, Julian Reese and a heralded four-man freshmen class. Maryland’s upcoming schedule features 21 games against teams in the postseason last year with eight reaching the NCAA. “I think it’s good balance,” Willard said about his new-look roster. “Obviously we have a terrific class of freshmen but I think what’s really going to help them is the fact that they do have juniors and seniors that have been through this, who have been through college basketball that understand what’s going on that can help them, keep them going in the right direction when freshmen hit the wall a little bit and I think it’s been a really good mix so far.” Maryland will embark on a ten-day trip through Rome, Florence, Venice, and Lake Como beginning July 31 in a preseason tune-up heading into Willard’s second season. “It gives the coaches a chance to see what works, what doesn’t work, what you can do but I think most importantly I think it’s a great opportunity for the guys on the team to bond, get to know each other, spend serious time off the court together, do some really interesting things,” Willard added. “It gives them an opportunity to see, culturally, what they might not have been able to see so I think these trips are invaluable. I think it’s something that players get a lot out of it, coaches get a lot out of it, fans get an early peak.” Related Links