Maryland men’s basketball pulled off its first comeback of the 2024-25 season after trailing by as many as 14 and down 12 at halftime, only to storm back for a 76-75 win vs. Villanova. Derik Queen led the way as one of four in double-figures after scoring a team-high 22 points, including the final four points to seal the win. More from head coach Kevin Willard, Derik Queen and Julian Reese on Sunday’s win:
Willard on the difference in the win vs. Villanova
I think the biggest thing was – I mean, you’ve got to give Nova a lot of credit and [Eric] Dixon. They came out and were more aggressive. And again, I think the Marquette game, I think these guys get used to the physicality and I thought they came out were more physical, played more physical, created turnovers. And I just challenged them to play the way that we practice, which is much more physical, much more aggressive. And I thought everybody came out in the second half did a great job.”
Willard on 11 vs. 1 turnover in the first to second half
“It was just being more physical and just everyone getting used to, whether it's Ja’Kobi [Gillespie], Derik [Queen], Selton [Miguel], Malachi [Palmer], even Rodney [Rice]. The only two guys are really used to the physicality every day is probably [Julian Reese] and Deshawn. So if you look at them, sometimes you have guys out there, and it's understanding that when [Queen] and [Reese] want to impose their will on people, they can do whatever they want. It's just not letting the game go, kind of getting into it right away. And I think that's – when you play against big, physical teams, it's got to be a little bit more of a priority.”
Queen on scoring 18 of his 22 points in the second haf
“First all, the coaches getting on me and me, just understanding how they [were] playing me and slowing down and trying to make the right decision every time.”
Willard on Villanova forward Eric Dixon
“He's a tough matchup. I mean, I've been playing against Eric now for six years. He's really evolved his game. He made his first couple and just got going. I mean, banked one in. Again, and even the second half, I thought we did a much better job of making him work. I thought again, we just didn't come out play physical enough with them to start. But you also got to give him a lot of credit. He made a lot of tough shots and played really well. That's what good players do.”
Willard on the halftime adjustments
“Sometimes it's a little keep it simple and just play a little bit more physical. And I thought we wore him down a little bit. I thought the top of the press did a really good job of kind of getting them. Again, we were able to score when we can score consecutive possessions, our defense is really good. And again, the first half, we didn't really – we struggled to score. We turned it over nine times. That's not where our defense is built. That's where we struggled.”
Willard on getting Queen going in the second half
“To be honest with you, he's such a talented player, the game comes easy to him. But I would say he was a little bit too lackadaisical, a little bit too cool in the first half, and I think he got a little pissed off in the second half. And I think when he plays that way, he's as good as anybody there is. But when he comes out and he plays like lackadaisical, that's what happened. We didn't really change anything. We kept running the same play and get him with the elbow. And when he's angry and he's mad and he plays that way, he's a dominant player.”
Willard on Malachi Palmer and DeShawn Harris-Smith in the second half
“I thought Jay and Malachi and Deshawn in the second half. I thought their defense and again, physicality. They shot, got two big deflections, got a huge box out. And I thought Jay with Ja’Kobi and the press, just kind of – when those two guys are out there together, really trying to, you gotta worry about those guys. And I thought all three of those guys did a good job of, again, changing tempo, putting pressure, a better pressure than that first group did.”
We wanted to start out trying to get Brickus involved in the pick and rolls with them, because either going to switch and they, we had him on them. And when they went small, it's kind of, it's like, alright, then you got to deal with him, and you got to deal with him, and you got to pick your poison. And again, it was more or less just taking our time and just getting them the ball in those positions, on that really left elbow where he can go to work.”
Willard on Villanova
“I think they're gonna I think they're gonna figure it out, to be perfectly honest with you. The only player that we played against last year was Dixon. So he's put together a whole new team. He's got some really talented young kids that I like. He's got five seniors that it's going to take a little time for them to figure it out, but I think Kyle [Neptune] is going to do a really good job with that group. That's going to be a team that's very, very good as the season goes on.”
Queen on his mentality at the free throw line in final minute
“I just looked at it just like it just was, what, 13 minutes in the second half, just make two free throws and any free and I don't like to miss out on free points.”
Reese on what kind of momentum the win can produce
“It builds confidence within the team. It's a great win, especially knowing how we came out in the first half and just bouncing back, all it did was build confidence in each other.”
Willard on whether Villanova’s struggles factor into gameplan
“I think the way they came out. I was really impressed with the way they came out. Obviously they struggled playing against Virginia at Baltimore where the one kid got hot against them, but Kyle, in this system, he's got a great staff. They're going to figure it out. And you know, for us, Derik's new, Jakobi’s new, Selton's new, Rodney’s new. The only one out there that for us has been Deshawn and Ju so it's more about us, it's more about learning what we need to do and focusing on us. You can't worry about like, hey, they haven't been together for more than five games, because we have been together for more than five games either. So this was a good stepping stool for us.”
Reese on his first half production
“I feel like I had to step up to the plate. We was kind of lackadaisical like coach said and just bringing my energy and being there and wholeness, keeping us in the game till the first half, till guys get comfortable and whatnot. And I feel like I did a good job of that, and going into the second half, I did the same thing.”
Willard on Queen-Reese chemistry and how they work well together
“I think they work really well together. I think the one thing that I think they both done for each other, I thought was gonna be a little bit hard spacing for both of them but they're such they're both such good passers. I think they have a really good feel for where the other guy is. They're both unselfish. Derik has five assists, Ju has two assists. So I think they have a good feel for where each other is and so for both guys being as big as they are and taking up as much space and being in there, you look at the first game against Marquette, to this game, just them working off each other, I think they're just going to get better and better with it.”
Willard on outrebounding Villanova for the first time this season
“I thought rebounding, I thought that was a big part of why we got in the hole in the first half, their offensive rebounding. Again, that's kind of what Nova has always done. They're one of the better rebounding from the guard spots always have been -- if you think about Josh Hart, Mikal Bridges and all those guys crashing in. It's never just been the big guys for them. So they've always been a great guard rebounding team. And then it really again in the second half. I thought we did a good job of making them just rush under three point shots. Everything was kind of rushed everything was a little bit not in rhythm and when you can get a team that's used to being in rhythm not in rhythm, that's means you're playing good defense.”
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