Andre Mills Reflects On Season After Big Ten Second Round Exit
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After a great showing in the opening round against the Oregon Ducks in the Big Ten Tournament, the Maryland Terrapins unfortunately couldn't carry their first-half lead all the way through their second-round matchup with Iowa in a 75-64 loss.
Guard Andre Mills, who's had a great second half to the season, was visibly emotional when speaking to the Diamondback's Ben Geffner in the locker room after the game. Here's what Mills had to say about a tough 2025-26 season for the Terps:
“We had a shit ton of growth … [it’s] the reason I’m in tears now.”
When asked about returning next season: “I’m excited. And now we all know what direction we want to take.”
An emotional Andre Mills reflects on Maryland’s season:
— Ben Geffner (@BenGeffner) March 11, 2026
“We had a shit ton of growth … [it’s] the reason I’m in tears now.”
When asked about returning next season: “I’m excited. And now we all know what direction we want to take.” pic.twitter.com/w3qzAE16km
Maryland fell apart in the second half in part to a key 21-0 run by the Hawkeyes in the second half that propelled them to victory.
Mills had a tough game shooting-wise, finishing with 9 points on 1-of-13 from the field, going 6-of-8 at the free throw line, with three rebounds and two steals.
In the end, Mills showed a huge amount of growth in his freshman season where he finished the season averaging:
12.2 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.6 assists, on 40.9% shooting from the field and 34.6% from behind the arc.
Mills displayed tremendous ability to create shots off the dribble, using not only his size but also his quickness to attack the rim through contact and shoot confidently from around the perimeter.
As for the Terps as a whole, the season was an inconsistent mess for head coach Buzz Williams and his team. Injuries hurt the team, which was mostly made up of brand-new players, with Myles Rice, Pharrel Payne, and Solomon Washington missing time at one point. Payne was the killer, going down in December with a leg injury that forced him to miss the entire season.
The offensive play was frustrating, with consistent, efficient scoring hard to come by on a game-to- game basis and the lack of a true No. 1 go-to guy to carry them out of cold spurts. Senior David Coit had those moments at times, with multiple 30- and 40-point explosions, but struggled to finish the season scoring-wise.
But it was clear in the second half of the season that this Terps team didn't have quit in them. In early February, the Terps had their best stretch since the beginning of the season, winning three of five contests from Feb. 8 to Feb. 21.
The end of February saw them push ranked opponents, No. 12 Nebraska (74-61) & No. 11 Illinois (78-72) to the brink of upsets in tightly contested finishes.
A notable aspect of the improved play was the defensive intensity and mindset that helped them play more competitively, with greater intention and detail. One of the main staples of that turn was forward Solomon Washington, the squad leader, who brought energy and hustled on every possession, leading by example.
What will be key is carrying over guys such as Mills, Rice, Payne, and Darius Adams into 2026, along with their incoming class led by five-star recruit Baba Oladotun to build a formidable program in the Big Ten for years to come.
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Jaden's sports journalism career began at the College of Southern Maryland from 2022-2023, where he was brought in to cover baseball, softball, basketball, soccer, and volleyball at CSM. In late 2023, he began interning at the University of Maryland Athletics Department as a contributing writer to help develop feature stories and game recaps. He also creates his own sports media content on professional Washington teams with LegacyMaker Sports Network.