Maryland men's basketball returns to action in its season opener at Coppin State
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It's here, the Maryland Terrapins men's basketball team begins its 2025-26 regular season under the Buzz Williams era on the road against Coppin State.
This matchup is part of the Naismith Hall of Fame Baltimore Series at CFG Bank Arena. Tipoff is at 6:30 p.m.
The Terps have a completely new look with 15 new players out of 16 on the roster. Williams and his staff brought in some key potential contributors in guards Myles Rice, Isaiah Watts, and Darius Adams. Forwards Pharrel Payne, George Turkson Jr., and Solomon Washington. follow Williams from Texas A&M.
This will be the fourth meeting between the two teams. Maryland leads the overall series 2-1. The Terps took the last meeting in 2023, defeating Coppin State 75-53.
Coppin State Eagles last season
Record: 6-24 (AAC record: 4-10)
Leading scorers: G Derrius Ward (13.2 points) & G Toby Nnadozie (12.6 points)
Leading rebounder: G Julius Ellerbe III (5.6 rebounds)
Head coach: Larry Stewart
Stewart has been the head coach since the 23-24 season, posting an overall record of 8-51.
Maryland Terrapins last season
Record: 27-9 (Big Ten record: 14-6), loss to #1 seed Florida in the NCAA Sweet Sixteen
Leading scorers: F Derik Queen (16.5 points) & G Ja'Kobi Gillespie (14.7 points)
Leading rebounders: F Derik Queen (9.0 rebounds) & F Julian Reese (9.0 rebounds)
Leading assists: G Ja'Kobi Gillespie (4.8 assists)
Head coach: Kevin Willard (left in the offseason)
Injuries
Maryland:
G Myles Rice: Ankle (Out)
F Solomon Washington: Ankle (Out)
An interesting stat was provided from the Maryland athletic website on opening days for Maryland men's basketball is that Maryland is 76-30 all-time in season openers; the Terps have won 11 straight season openers; head coach Buzz Williams is 15-3 in career season openers; and Maryland head coaches are 8-1 in their head coaching debuts.
Terps player to watch:
Forward George Turkson Jr.: Turkson Jr. had a nice showing in the exhibition matchup against UMBC. He posted a double-double performance of 11 points & 10 rebounds on 3-of-3 shooting from the field, 1-1 3pt fg, and 4-of-6 from the free throw line. In his September sit-down interview for his introduction to Maryland fans, he described his playing style as "hard-nosed and 'blue collar". "I play with great energy and am a team player. I can shoot and rebound, which is the main thing they can expect from me, and I'll be the one to bring the energy, and they'll be able to see that."
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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.