Northwestern (16-14, 7-12) at Maryland (23-7, 13-6)
When & Where: March 8, 2025 | 3:00 PM | Xfinity Center
TV: Peacock | Noah Eagle (pxp), Stephen Bardo (analyst)
Radio: One Maryland App | 105.7 FM (Baltimore) | 980 AM (DC) | SiriusXM channel 85
Betting: Maryland -10.5 | O/U: 141.5 (DraftKings)
Senior Day is set to arrive tomorrow in College Park as Maryland men's basketball closes out the 2024-25 regular season vs. Northwestern with a chance to move to 17-2 at home this year at 44-9 at Xfinity under Kevin Willard. Maryland will also look to secure their first win against Northwestern in four tries as head coach Kevin Willard sits 1-4 all-time against the Wildcats.
Heading into the weekend, Maryland is the three seed in the upcoming Big Ten Tournament, trailing both Michigan State and Michigan, the latter of which Maryland beat in Ann Arbor on Wednesday. Right behind Maryland is Purdue at fourth and Wisconsin at fifth. All three teams have the same record with the Terps holding the overall tiebreaker advantage among the group. This game has a significant impact on the conference tournament, but the most important part of Saturday afternoon for Kevin Willard will be to send off his seniors with one last home victory as a Terp.
This group of seniors ranges from those who have sparingly played, to those who have come from all over the country through the portal, and one man who’s ending his college career in the exact place he started it. Maryland’s Crab Five has taken the nation by storm, but on Saturday, the story will be about the senior five that have one last go at it on their home court.
#40 Ben Murphy, 6-ft-1 guard, Reisterstown, Maryland
Murphy hasn’t seen much game action throughout his Maryland career across two seasons. His collegiate career started at nearby Howard Community College and earned a roster spot on Willard’s team ahead of the 2023-2024 season. He quickly turned into a fan favorite, and would often hear his name chanted in blowout games by the Terp faithful.
“We want Ben! We want Ben! We want Ben!”
With a sold out crowd for Saturday and student tickets selling out weeks in advance, the crowd will almost certainly get what they want and see Ben Murphy check into the game for one last home game.
#8 Jay Young, 6-ft-2 guard, Dallas, Texas
Jay Young is a transfer portal prodigy, to say the least. Maryland is his fifth stop in college after starting his career at Grambling State in 2019, followed by two years at Baton Rouge Community College, and then a year at both UCF and Memphis before he arrived in College Park for this season
Young has served as a reserve guard for the Terps that provides energy off the bench, especially on the defensive end. His contribution to the team has been being able to steady the waters when Ja’Kobi Gillespie comes out of the game for a breather and the team is in need of someone to run the point. The lack of depth, at times, on this squad has been put into question because of the lack of offensive output off the bench, but Young has been incredibly valuable when plugged into key situations that require a veteran presence. His college career has been a whirlwind, but he could finish out his playing days at NCAA level with a magical season in College Park.
#9 Selton Miguel, 6-ft-4 guard, Luanda, Agola
Selton Miguel, one of two seniors in the Crab Five, came onto the scene in Maryland after transferring in from USF and has been invaluable for Willard. After winning 6th Man of the Year honors in the AAC for South Florida, Miguel had big time expectations coming into College Park, and he’s exceeded them to say the least.
Miguel is one of Maryland’s most reliable offensive weapons, averaging just over 12 points a game and shooting just under 43% from the three point line. His unwavering confidence to pull from distance has been a refreshing sight for Willard, who has made it clear that he went portal hunting for confident and consistent shooters especially from deep. Miguel, being the third of three guards in the Crab Five, has been incredible in his first year at Maryland, and his final season of college ball.
#22 Jordan Geronimo, 6-ft-6 forward, Newark, New Jersey
Although Geronimo only got to College Park in 2023, his mark on the program has been undeniable. His unquestionable athleticism off the bench this season has been incredible to watch. Just last game, Geronimo reminded Michigan exactly how athletic he was with a vicious slam on Vladislav Goldin, so vicious that Geronimo made it onto the SportsCenter Top 10 later that night.
One could argue that Geronimo is the heart and soul of the team, and provides an energy that no one else is capable of from both a leadership standpoint and through his play on the hardwood. He started his career out at Indiana, but Jordan Geronimo will go down in history as a Terp, and on of the most exciting Terps to watch at that.
#10 Julian “JuJu” Reese, 6-ft-9 forward, Baltimore, Maryland
It doesn’t seem long ago that Terps fans began hearing about a four-star forward from Baltimore who was going to have an immediate impact on the team that was led at that time by Mark Turgeon. Fast forward to now, Saturday marks the final game inside the Xfinity Center for the Baltimore veteran.
“Julian, he went through a coaching change,” head coach Kevin Willard said after Wednesday’s win vs. Michigan. “He goes through a really tough year last year. Most people bail. He stayed true to the University of Maryland. He stay true to the Terps. He deserves an unbelievable ovation because of he showed what loyalty is all about. He shows what character is all about and not only that, but he's been a hell of a player.”
Reese has seen every peak and valley imaginable in his four seasons at Maryland. Two seasons without reaching March Madness, one coaching change, countless teammates and roster changes through the transfer portal, and yet Reese has been the one constant familiar face for the Terps. It’s a rarity to see a college player stay all four years in the same program in this era of college hoops, but Reese chose to create his legacy where he started out four years ago.
Reese’s career numbers are going to be compared with the greats that have dawned the Maryland uniform.
His 35 career double-doubles rank fifth-most in program history, two more than Jordan Williams and Lonny Baxter. He’s one of five players with 1,400 career points and 900 career rebounds with a chance to become one of two players to eclipse 1,000 career rebounds alongside Len Elmore. The senior also sits top ten in program history in career and season field goal percentage, career & season rebounds, along with career and season blocked shots.
He also has a pair of All-Big Ten honorable mentions already to his name, we can assume Reese will earn more honors at the end of this season as well. His final game at the Xfinity Center will be an emotional one for all those who have watched him grow and develop throughout his four years. Reese stayed loyal to the program that believed in him from the jump, and in return, he’s had a tremendous collegiate career for the Maryland Terrapins.
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