Pharrel Payne, Baba Oladotun draw preseason honors, where Maryland men's basketball ranks in preseason Big Ten poll

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After a lackluster season, Maryland men's basketball will need to outperform preseason expectations.

Maryland landed at 12th in the annual preseason Big Ten poll, released by The Columbus Dispatch on Monday. Maryland's 203 votes were sandwiched between Wisconsin's 240 votes and Minnesota's 168 votes, though a handful of players were also recognized.

Pharrel Payne was one of eleven players included in the preseason All-Big Ten teams. Payne and Baba Oladotun also both drew votes for All-Big Ten teams released by The Columbus Dispatch with Payne's eight votes the most any player received outside of the First and Second All-Big Ten teams. Oladotun also drew one vote for Freshman of the Year.

Oladotun will have a chance to showcase why he's been nearly consistently viewed as an elite prospect through his high school career. The five-star committed to Maryland over Georgetown in addition to reclassifying from 2027 to 2026, though his senior season at Blake High School was limited to the end of the postseason run before winning a 4A state championship. Oladotun is expected to start at the three as a freshman, giving Maryland length and upgrading the defense in year two of the Buzz Williams era.

Payne, meanwhile, saw his first season in College Park cut short before suffering a leg injury. Maryland never commented on his status through the rest of the 2025-26 season before the Texas A&M transfer earned a medical waiver this summer, cementing a second season with the program. Payne started ten games last season and averaged 17.5 points and 7.2 rebounds while posting three double-doubles.

Maryland is set to face Georgia Tech this upcoming weekend in the first of two exhibition games before kicking off the regular season vs. Bucknell on Nov. 2.

2026-27 Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year

Jeremy Fears Jr., Michigan State

2026-27 Preseason All-Big Ten Team*

David Mirkovic, Illinois

Andrej Stojakovic, Illinois

Pharrell Payne, Maryland

Elliot Cadeau, Michigan

Trey McKenney, Michigan

JEREMY FEARS JR., Michigan State

PRYCE SANDFORT, Nebraska

John Mobley Jr., Ohio State

Trent Perry, UCLA

Rodney Rice, USC

Nolan Winter, Wisconsin

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