Maryland is nearly three months away from the first game of the Kevin Willard era as the last two months were spent rebuilding the roster. Headlined by point guard Jahmir Young, Maryland welcomes six new faces to the 2022-23 roster but Willard reiterated that finding complementary pieces to the returning players was the biggest emphasis.
“I think for me, it was really important for the guys that were here before to make sure that we didn't bring anybody in that was gonna be a duplicate of them,” Willard said on this week’s episode of Hear the Turtle. “I wanted to compliment those guys. They've been here. They've put the work so for me, it was really the balancing act of finding, mostly transfers, some freshmen that could come in and really compliment the group that was here and also build upon that group. And I think we've done a really good job top to bottom.”
The two impact additions were Young and former Georgetown guard Don Carey as they take over a backcourt that Eric Ayala and Fatts Russell commanded one season ago. Young’s quickness and ball handling allow Willard to “play a little bit quicker this year” while Carey has “a lot of stuff that he can do off the bounce.”
“I think there's playing quick, there's playing fast and I think you have to be really be able to shoot the basketball if you wanna play a little bit more up-tempo and both Jahmir and Don both can really shoot the basketball at a high level and they're both underrated going off the bounce.”
Meanwhile, forward Hakim Hart has been able to implement gradual leaps in his game following each season of experience, but Willard sees room for the veteran to grow. “He's really worked on his shooting. He’s become much more consistent in shooting the basketball. I think he just has to go out there and be a little bit more aggressive, you know? He’s got such a great personality. He's a terrific young man but I think sometimes you gotta have two different personalities when you play this sport. You can be a good person, great student, but then when you get between the lines, he's gotta get a little bit more of a killer attitude and really wanna be one of those guys that can play ‘cause he's got the work ethic, I think he has the game.”
While forward Donta Scott returns to an impact role, fans are anxious to see the second-year jump from Baltimore forward Julian Reese after a full offseason and a chance to work with big man whisperer Grant Billmeier. After bringing in the former Seton Hall assistant to develop the frontcourt, Willard noted that Billmeier is “as a good assistant coach as there is and again, we've had the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar award winner in Angel Delgado—Grant worked with him.” With portal addition Patrick Emilien and freshman Caelum Swanton-Rodger providing depth in the frontcourt, Reese arguably becomes the biggest ‘X’-factor heading into the season.
“Juju has worked ‘A’, really hard on getting his body, ready for the grind of the Big Ten but also he is really worked on being a little bit more, being able to kind of go outside a little bit, little bit more dribble handoffs, really worked on his mid-range shot. We really worked with his shot early in the summer to try to change his form just a little bit to get it up a little bit more and he's worked hard at that.”
Outside of the roster, Willard admitted it feels “like it’s Christmas morning” as he walks around Xfinity following his first few months on the job. The first-year head coach has brought on countless alums thus far this summer with guys like Greivis Vasquez, Jake Layman, Melo Trimble, Len Elmore and several more walking the court and halls of the arena. “I call this to the fraternity of greatness, all the great players that have come through here. This is their home.” While it’s been a clear emphasis from Willard’s end heading into year one, so has fan engagement as he gets to know the passionate fanbase through golf and events such as Terps on Tour.
“It’s one of the things I enjoy more than anything is just getting out and meeting all our fans, hearing what they like, what they don't like, how we should play, who should shoot, who shouldn't shoot,” Willard joked. “I think that's what being the head coach is one of the unique. I think it's one of the best parts about the job is you get to meet so many great people, whether it's just a season ticket holder who's been there for 32 years, a new season ticket holder, a new grad, or a guy that runs a Fortune 500 company. As a head coach, you get to meet so many great people and it's, to me, it's one of the best parts about the job.”
One aspect that fans have craved is the heightened competition leading into conference play and with Willard known to play tougher non-conference schedules, he gave the fans exactly that. Maryland opens the season on November 7 against Niagara and will play St. Louis and either Providence or Miami on November 19 and 20, while also hosting UCLA and facing Tennessee at the Barclays Center in December. Willard wanted to “challenge our guys” as Maryland looks to return to the NCAA Tournament following its first losing season in nearly 30 years.
“We have a stretch in December that's gonna be extremely, extremely challenging but at the same time, we're gonna have a stretch in January and February that’s gonna be extremely challenging. So, I think it just helps you prepare. It gives your players a chance to play against some of the best players in the country every night. And I think it's worked. My players always enjoyed playing against big games, whether it's in the Barclays or the Garden, playing in a good tournament against really good teams, being on TV.”
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On roster & recruiting: “First of all, it's been, it's been really exciting getting to meet a whole new fan base, a whole new team, athletic department, all the guys. So, it has, time has flown. I mean, it really has. I can't believe we're sitting here and it's end of July already but it's been exciting. It's been a whirlwind, moving a family down and, and selling houses, buying houses, getting a roster together, putting a schedule together. It's been a lot, but it's been extremely.”
On new backcourt: “I think the biggest thing is we really wanna play a little bit quicker this year so I think for the most part, I think there's playing quick, there's playing fast and I think you have to be really be able to shoot the basketball if you wanna play a little bit more up-tempo and both Jahmir and Don both can really shoot the basketball at a high level and they're both underrated going off the bounce. I mean, obviously Jahmir is not, but I think Don has a lot of stuff that he can do off the bounce and the fact that he can shoot the basketball so well, I think is gonna open up some driving lanes for guys like Donta [Scott] and Hakim [Hart] and give them opportunities to drive and kick and find guys that can make shots.”
On Hakim Hart: “I think for Hakim is he's had a great summer. He's really worked on his shooting. He’s become much more consistent in shooting the basketball. I think he just has to go out there and be a little bit more aggressive, you know? He’s got such a great personality. He's a terrific young man but I think sometimes you gotta have two different personalities when you play this sport. You can be a good person, great student, but then when you get between the lines, he's gotta get a little bit more of a killer attitude and really wanna be one of those guys that can play ‘cause he's got the work ethic, I think he has the game. He's really improved his shooting which I think is huge for that next step. It's just, again, being a little bit more vocal, being a little bit more aggressive, a little bit more assertive on the court.”
On Julian Reese: “I think Grant Billmeier did a great job with him. Grant's one of the best big guy coaches in the country, if not the best big guy coach in the country, in my opinion and Juju has worked ‘A’, really hard on getting his body, ready for the grind of the Big Ten but also he is really worked on being a little bit more, being able to kind of go outside a little bit, little bit more dribble handoffs, really worked on his mid-range shot. We really worked with his shot early in the summer to try to change his form just a little bit to get it up a little bit more and he's worked hard at that. His work ethic has been great and I think the biggest thing was getting being a freshman in this league is you’re not really ready for the physicality, maybe one game you are, but the repetition of a 20-game schedule is tough in the college game. So I think he's really put his mind to it to be ready physically to play at this level.”
On his coaching staff: “Tony is as good a, obviously he's a great recruiter, but he doesn't get enough credit for the job he does with guards. He really has, he was a high level player, played for the Nigerian national team in the Olympics, has a great way about him on the court. It's one thing I like more than anything is he's gonna be a head coach here in the future. Grant as a good assistant coach as there is and again, we've had the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar award winner in Angel Delgado—Grant worked with him. Guys that most improved players from Romero Gill, all big guys. I think those guys getting awards just shows how talented of a coach. He. And David for me is, I've always had so much respect for coach Cox. Not only as a coach, but probably one of the best people I've been around. When I put a staff together, I wanted a staff that we spend 13, 14 hours a day together. I wanted a staff that was gonna be great to be around but what was gonna be really good for the players and these guys all bring something unique to the players. David, with his being a former head coach, he's got a great mentality about the way he looks at practice and the way guys are working, Tony has a great work ethic and on the court, understands he's a little bit younger than us old guys. It helps, he knows all them new music, and I'm still trying to figure that out. And then Grant, he's been with me for now for 11 years so having a guy that was able to come with me, knows drills, knows our culture. I think we've put together as good a staff as there is in the country.
On recruiting on the trail: “It’s been great. I use it like every day, I walk into the office, I feel like it's Christmas morning. I feel like I've got the best present in the country. From that standpoint, I think it's been great. We've got great reception. Again, I've talked about this a lot, but I think the high school basketball and the AAU basketball in this area is unbelievable, it's unparalleled from a coaching standpoint, from a player standpoint, from a competitive standpoint, The June high school events were as good events as I've seen in a long time in any area. So, the event's been great. The reception's been great. It’s just getting the local kids that I have seen in the past, but now recruiting, just getting them to know our personalities, how we're gonna play, how we're gonna utilize them. Really, really get them to understand our player development, something that people in New York and New Jersey really understood about what we did more than anything was we really got our players better and we focused on that. Getting people in this area to understand the value in that for their games, the value in that for the program. Like I said, it's been a whirlwind, but it's been, I really feel every time I walk into the office, it's like Christmas morning.”
On meeting new fanbase: “Well, I got COVID for the third time on Terps on Tour so that was good. I knocked that out for the year. So don't worry about that. I don't have to worry about after the season. No, it was great. It was you know, it's something that's I think really vital. I love getting out and meeting alumni, playing golf with 'em or having dinner or meet and greets. It’s what this job is all about. You're representing a great fan base. It’s one of the things I enjoy more than anything is just getting out and meeting all our fans, hearing what they like, what they don't like, how we should play, who should shoot, who shouldn't shoot. I think it's what makes, I think that's what being the head coach is one of the unique, I think it's one of the best parts about the job is you get to meet so many great people, whether it's just a season ticket holder who's been there for 32 years, a new season ticket holder, a new grad, or a guy that runs a Fortune 500 company. As a head coach, you get to meet so many great people and it's, to me, it's one of the best parts about the job.”
“Every fan base is the same. I mean, it really is. I think that's why they're called fans. They're fanatics and, again, it's what makes college basketball unique is you do have a season ticket holder for 33 years that comes to every event and goes to your radio shows, comes to the meet and greets. And then you have a guy that maybe just shows up once every once in a while, but still is passionate about the guy that becomes the season ticket holder for 32 years. And I think it's what makes college basketball extremely unique.
On having alums on campus: “I want to do a much better job at that. We’ve been trying to build a roster the first two months was unbelievably time-consuming. We must have had 70 kids on campus in two months. And just, I think what's really great about, I call this to the fraternity of greatness, all the great players that have come through here. This is their home. We’ve had great coaches. I think it's what's unique about Maryland, we've had three great coaches in the time here. Coach [Gary] Williams, coach [Lefty] Driesell, coach [Mark] Turgeon, all their players. I want them to understand they’re one big family. This is their home. They've built it. They've had great memories here. They've built a fan base. This is their program. I'm just here now to try to help bring the next fraternity of greatness in here. So I feel blessed to be the head coach at the University of Maryland and for the guys to come back and welcome me for me, it made me feel like at home. The players have been great. It’s just we're gonna continue to kind of do more events, get more guys back. I kind of wanna bridge the generations a little bit ‘cause I think we have some guys that played. Len Elmore is coming in coming this week and you know, he's got more rebounds and than anyone combined that ever. Just I think there's so much knowledge out there from the last three guys. I want the knowledge passed on to our guys now. I think that's something that's really unique, very special about Maryland is that we have guys from generations that could really help not only this team, but recruits coming in for the future.”
On non-conference schedule: “Scheduling is hard. You gotta understand scheduling. I mean, we grind the schedule starting probably in January, we start looking at next year's opponents and where we want to go, how we're gonna be, what tournament are we playing in? For me, it's important that you have bye games, that you have some games that, some home games to kind of get repetition, competition. But I also like to challenge our guys and I think it's when you play a tough non-conference schedule, it prepares you for the Big Ten grind. We have a stretch in December that's gonna be extremely, extremely challenging but at the same time, we're gonna have a stretch in January and February that’s gonna be extremely challenging. So, I think it just helps you prepare. It gives your players a chance to play against some of the best players in the country every night. And I think it's worked. My players always enjoyed playing against big games, whether it's in the Barclays or the Garden, playing in a good tournament against really good teams, being on TV. I think even as a coach, I enjoy the challenge. I think it's something that's really necessary to kind of get ready for Big Ten play.”
On his first game at Xfinity: “I was smart. I scheduled that game for, I think it was December 22nd. I’d watched a lot of Maryland games. I was like, I'm not playing there when the students are there, man. I'm gonna play there end of December and I remember walking out being pissed, cuz I was like, man, there there's like 16,000 people here. I'm like this is not going to plan. I'm really excited. I'm excited to be having an on-campus arena where students can just walk to games. I think it's the ninth largest building on-campus arena. We're gonna try to play a little bit more up tempo, get the fans involved, shoot a lot of threes, get after it defensively a little bit more than I have in the last couple years. I think we have the personnel to do it, but I'm excited. I'm excited. And like I said, every day has been just as good as the last.”
On good local golfing: “I've gotten to play with coach Williams a couple times. You know, got to play Caves Valley which is a special place, Baltimore Country Club, special place. Haven't got to play around here much, just haven't had time but I've been able to get out with coach Williams a couple times. I played with Scott Van Pelt the other day, which was great. So I've gotten out a couple times. Great golf in this area coming from a place in Jersey that has probably some of the best golf in the country. It's a treat to be able, again, I love playing golf with our alumni ‘cause it's four hours where you can bust their balls and they can bust their balls and it's a relaxed setting. So I've gotten to play caves and Baltimore country club, which two are really. Great golf courses as a Baltimore country club, man, myself, I have to, I have to, uh, I have to endorse, I have to endorse that.”