Maryland men’s basketball has a new look for the 2022-23 season

Crab cakes, chicken sandwiches and rebounding from last year’s disappointing season headlined Maryland men’s basketball’s media day Thursday.

Former Seton Hall head coach Kevin Willard inherits a talented men’s basketball team in Maryland following five NCAA tournament appearances in 12 seasons at the helm of the Pirates. Willard tipped off media day by showcasing a fun-loving yet earnest demeanor as he stood before a swarm of questions at midcourt. 

“I like crab cakes, I don’t like cracking crabs,” Willard said. “I eat the crab cake but the cracking thing is a lot of work for a minimal return. I just think it’s a lot easier to order a crab cake.”

While Willard did make a light-hearted comment about crabs, he also made it extremely clear he came to Maryland to win championships.

“Our goal won’t be anything different besides win a Big Ten championship and hang another banner,” Willard said. “No other expectation is allowed in this program.”

It’s clear that Willard already understands how basketball runs deep within the Terp family. Willard was told how passionate the fanbase can be and was still surprised by how basketball brings together alumni and the entire state of Maryland. 

Willard aims to bring intensity to Maryland basketball, something the team lacked last season. One of Willard’s focal points is style of play, and he says the team will play extremely fast, shoot a ton of threes and press early and often. 

This play style is physically demanding, requiring athletes to be well-conditioned and in shape. Coaches have made conditioning as a team an emphasis during practice, and teammates have pushed each other to get better. 

Senior forward Donta Scott dialed in his nutrition, cleaning up some of his bad eating habits. Scott dropped nearly 30 pounds this offseason by eliminating high-calorie foods from Wendy’s, Chick-fil-A and Popeyes. 

“As a team we did conditioning and we all pushed each other to get better,” Scott said. “And just trying to tidy up my nutrition, [coach] Kyle [Tarp] really helped with that, trying to talk to me and list off some things I shouldn’t be eating and some things that would be bad for me.”

Scott feels more comfortable than ever before not only because of his physical ability, but because of the trust that Willard has in him and his teammates. 

Scott is regarded as a leader for the Terps, displaying loyalty despite having good reason to transfer following a mess of a season where Maryland had its first losing record since the 1992-93 season.

“I’m very loyal to my teams, even AAU and high school wise, I never transferred or switched over from teams,” Scott said. “I pride myself in being a loyal person to my team, especially the people who helped me get to the places I am now. The Terps helped me become the player, student, and man I am today.”

Another Terp regarded as a leader is senior guard Jahmir Young. Young, a transfer from Charlotte, returns home to College Park. Young graduated high school from nearby DeMatha Catholic. Young received two first-team All-Conference USA honors in his three years at Charlotte.

Maryland landed a dynamic playmaker in Young at the point guard position — a position that needed to be addressed after the departure of Fatts Russell.

“It’s a good opportunity, you know the lights are on, the cameras are on, something I’ve always dreamed of,” Young said. “Playing in front of my family, the people I love, it’s just a great opportunity to come back home and do something special.” 

The Terps have brought in many new faces this season. Despite that, Willard couldn’t make the end goal more clear — high expectations for this Mayland team. So far, everyone has bought into the process.