Maryland basketball senior Julian Reese looked to set aside his emotions in his final game inside the Xfinity Center on Saturday as he notched his 36th career double-double with 19 points and 11 rebounds. With a chance to end the regular season sitting 17-2 at home, the program’s best record since 2014-15, Reese knew winning cured all.
“It was a lot, but we had to just put them aside for the sake of the team, and just get the dub. And that's what I ended up doing in the second half, and we were just able to lock in and smooth things out.”
But with a chance to soak in a second consecutive sellout to close out the regular season, Reese noted he was “grateful” for the support through his four years in College Park.
“Just really grateful that like the fans came out to see me. Like a lot of people have my number on and it's just great to have that kind of impact on people's lives and just them showing love like that. I'm just really grateful.”
After signing to the program under former head coach Mark Turgeon, then playing through the transition season under interim head coach Danny Manning, Reese’s journey in College Park has been filled with ups and downs though his senior season has added plenty to his highlight reel. The Baltimore big emerged as the centerpiece in the starting unit to fuel Maryland to convincing road wins against Illinois and Indiana within a four-day stretch, combining for 41 points and 27 rebounds to flip the trajectory of the season.
The performances on the road also sparked the first of seven double-figure scoring games and six double-doubles over the next eight games, helping him climb the record book where he now sits top-20 all-time in five categories (double-doubles, career FG %, season FG %, career rebounds, career blocked shots).
Head coach Kevin Willard noted the magnitude of Saturday’s Senior Day.
“I think [Reese] really embraced his last time being here. And I'm very thankful for our students and our fans to get here and give him I think - you're probably looking at maybe one of the last guys ever to spend four years or been here for four years at Maryland. So I think it was really special for him to get that moment.”
Jordan Geronimo, who added four points, four rebounds and a steal in his final game inside the Xfinity Center after two years with the program, knows the impact Reese left on him and his teammates.
“Everybody knows Ju as the physical, dominant big man as he is and that's what he has been for us this season. And he just keeps giving us opportunities to succeed.”
Maryland now shifts its attention to the Big Ten Tournament where despite seeding still unsettled, a double-bye has been secured giving the team six days before their first game. Maryland is 5-9 all-time, including 2-2 under Willard, at the Big Ten Tournament and haven’t advance to the semifinal game since 2016 vs. Michigan State. With the added buzz around the team’s success fueling Maryland into its hopeful postseason run, the team will now look to adjust “more mentally,” as Julian Reese noted.
“Every time we break we say ‘tourny’ so we know what's at stake,” Geronimo added. “And we're just excited that we're finally here.”
More from Reese, Geronimo on Senior Day
Reese on what he’s most proud of during his time at Maryland
“Definitely, like the fans and stuff like that, just the love that they’ve shown and them staying with us through the hard times. We started off 1-3. It was a lot of people saying some stuff about us, and we kind of fought back and stayed strong like we did. And it's just a blessing to have fans like that.”
Reese on outrebounding Northwestern +22
“I think that was key to this win. They have that Martinelli, that was going off. He was taking advantage. He was playing really well. And I feel like we had to take over in some facet of the game and it happened to be rebounding. So I feel like we take care of the glass like we did today, we're a really took a hard team to beat.”
On the momentum heading into the conference tournament, what Reese likes most
“I like how solid we're playing on. We battled adversity early in the season, like I said, with 1-3, and just staying together like we did. We had a tough stretch [against] Michigan State and the buzzer beater against us. We stayed together, though. We just stayed [as] a team and stayed a family. That's what I like most about this group.”
On whether Reese had any goals for Senior Day
“It just kind of came to me. First play was drew up for me but it was kind of a secondary option for me to score, but, yeah, it wasn't really a mindset all about me. It was more so like, just getting the team winning and just making sure we get the dub.”
Reese on sticking it out for four years at Maryland
“It means a lot. Like you said, my freshman year it was a coaching change, it wasn't really a good season. Willard came in second year, we had a dominant season, my first year getting in the tournament. And then junior year had a mediocre regular season, and now for us to do what we're doing now special, and it just means a lot going out like this.”
Reese on what the team can do during the rest heading into conference tournament
“Just changing our activity that we're doing during these days off, I'm just staying locked in and practicing taking days off, but also staying locked in, doing other things off the court, recovery wise and things in that nature. And just staying locked as a team, doing things that less physically impactful to the body and just more mentally.”
Geronimo on his evolving role through the 2024-25 season, maintaining energy
“Really, it's just me telling myself that being productive is always a positive thing. Whether I play two minutes or I play 20 minutes, every time I get out there, I tell myself that once I step in between those four lines, I'm supposed to play hard and that's kind of my identity. I hold myself to a certain standard. So with that mentality, I just try my best and whatever happens.”
On the momentum heading into the conference tournament, what Geronimo likes most
“The chemistry is off the charts right now. Like so during warm up, shootaround, some players had their Crab Five shirt on, representing our teammates. I think 40 - Ben Murphy I call him 40 - he had Derik Queen shirt on. Everybody's rooting for each other and that chemistry kind of plays out on the court. Everybody's looking for each other. Everybody know each other's tendencies and stuff. So it's coming together really nice, and at a great time, too.”
Geronimo on the challenges of overcoming a long break
“Staying sharp, staying consistent. We have a couple days off, and we haven't had, I guess, the best record of coming off, a long string of off days. But we're aware of it. We're going to plan accordingly and make sure when we come into this next important game, we're going to be ready to fight.”
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