Preview: Maryland basketball ready for quick turnaround vs. 12th-ranked Gonzaga in Players Era Tournament

Ahmed Ghafir
23 hours ago
3 min read

Updated: 16 hours ago

Maryland (5-1) vs. #12 Gonzaga (6-0)

When & Where: November 25, 2025 | 9:30 PM ET (6:30 PM PT)

TV: truTV

Stream: HBO Max

Radio: 105.7 FM (Baltimore) | 980 AM (DC)

Betting: Maryland +14.5 | O/U: 157.5

Maryland is coming off a seven-point win vs. UNLV, overcoming 15 first half turnovers as Pharrel Payne, Darius Adams and Diggy Coit led the second half comeback to account for 35 of the team’s 47 points over the final 20 minutes. The three ball began to drop for Maryland with both Adams and Coit hitting a pair, though it was Andre Mills’ fastbreak layup that sparked an 18-6 run spanning over the next eight minutes to cement the game.

But now, Maryland will face its toughest test of the season in its first game against a ranked opponent with 12^th-ranked Gonzaga up next. Maryland is looking for its first win against a top-12 ranked team since beating Illinois, 76-67, in Champaign during the 2023-24 season.

Gonzaga is fresh off its 95-85 win vs. Alabama, the first top-ten win of the season and already the second ranked win after downing Creighton, 90-63, back on Nov. 11.

Maryland fans will face a familiar name once again with Tyon Grant-Foster, who faced Maryland in the opening round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament while at Grand Canyon, tying Graham Ike for a team-high 21 points in the win vs. Alabama. Five players finished in double figures as Gonzaga outrebounded Alabama, 48-36, to set up a tough test for Maryland’s frontcourt.

Three things to watch

Rebounding battle

Maryland is coming off an impressive showing on Monday night after winning the rebounding battle, 46-34, for its largest rebounding margin of the season. Gonzaga ranks inside the top ten nationally averaging over 46 rebounds per game while outrebounding their opponents by an average of 15 through its first six games. Maryland gets a big boost with Pharrel Payne and Myles Rice back, as reported on IBG this week, with skepticism that Solomon Washington able to make his debut despite targeting game two of the Players Era Tournament. Andre Mills has proven to be a big piece on the boards, averaging six per game this season and tying Payne with a team-high eight rebounds vs. UNLV.

Fatigue factor

One to watch for both teams given Gonzaga and Maryland were the final two games on day one of the Players Era Tournament, but how does Maryland respond to the quick turnaround? Two games in under 24 hours is a daunting task, especially for a revamped roster facing its toughest test through the first seven games.

Update: both Solomon Washington and George Turkson remain out

Starting lineup

The return of Myles Rice gives Maryland much-needed stability in the backcourt after the Indiana transfer added eight points including a pair of threes, but he came off the bench in his first game since scoring 19 vs. Georgetown on Nov. 7. Head coach Buzz Williams inserted Payne back into the starting lineup alongside Elijah Saunders in the frontcourt, while Darius Adams, Andre Mills and Diggy Coit rounded out the backcourt. But with fatigue one to watch, will Rice make his first start of the season? And after playing 23 minutes on Monday, will Maryland be able to lean on the transfer guard for a heavier load in game two?

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