Maryland Men’s Basketball Narrowly Escapes UMBC in Thrilling 82-81 Exhibition—What Went Right, What Went Wrong, and What Remains a Mystery

Maryland men’s basketball squeaked out an 82-81 victory Monday at Xfinity Center in its preseason exhibition with UMBC.

6-foot-7 redshirt freshman guard George Turkson’s last-minute 3-pointer gave the Terps a lead they never relinquished on a night they showed a lot of good and a lot of bad.

Don’t expect Maryland’s play style to vary much from previous teams led by head coach Buzz Williams. The Terps’ offensive gameplan centered around the frontcourt, they rebounded effectively and aggressively and they didn’t set up many looks from beyond the arc.

Here’s the good, the bad and the unknown from the exhibition.

If Monday proved anything for the Terps, it’s that Pharrel Payne is going to be a joy to watch this season.

The Texas A&M transfer center’s physicality stood out immediately. Payne scored the game’s first bucket on Maryland’s opening possession and followed it up with a block on the other end.

The 6-foot-9, 250-pound redshirt senior did whatever he wanted all night. Payne showcased impressive mobility and finishing ability for his size. UMBC isn’t exactly a top-tier opponent, but at his size, they’re skills that should translate to Big Ten play. Payne ended his night with 26 points on 9-of-12 shooting, nine rebounds and three blocks.

Freshman guard Darius Adams led Maryland in minutes against the Retrievers, getting a big opportunity to prove himself with Diggy Coit, Myles Rice and Isaiah Watts out. He wasn’t perfect, but flashed serious potential as a projected depth piece with upside for the future.

Adams’ 3-of-13 showing from the floor isn’t great. There were plenty of good looks he failed to finish. But also on display was the athleticism and tenacity that made him 247Sports’ No. 39 player in the 2025 class. Adams finished with seven rebounds, can create scoring opportunities for himself and isn’t afraid to fire from deep. He was 2-of-6 from 3-point range and 11-of-13 at the free throw line.

Maryland will take that from a freshman who likely slots in as the fourth or fifth guard. If Adams is forced into a key offensive role, that will be an issue.

Turkson and redshirt freshman guard Andre Mills also impressed. Turkson’s last-minute 3-pointer was the cherry on top of an 11-point, 10-rebound performance for the 6-foot-7 redshirt freshman.

Mills, a Texas A&M transfer, fouled out late but finished with six points and nine rebounds, also coming away with an impressive chasedown steal in the second half.

“Those guys that started on the perimeter, that was their first [collegiate] game,” Williams said. “That’s good long-term. It’s just a steep learning curve.”

It’s hard to draw many conclusions about a defense missing four key players, and already dealing with the issues that come with 15 new players and a turned-over coaching staff. Especially given Williams teams are almost always some of the best defensive teams in the country.

But there was plenty to be desired Monday. UMBC had too many physical wins for a mid-major team playing a Big Ten school, and a big part of its 9-of-22 3-point performance was the open looks it got from poor communication by Maryland.

Those issues only got worse with Payne off the floor. Payne was the only Terp with a plus/minus greater than two Monday. His partner in the frontcourt, Elijah Saunders, did not have a great early showing.

Maryland turned the ball over 17 times, well more than it would like in the regular season. Eight of those turnovers came from Payne and Saunders, both expected starters. Adams added three more.

“We want to shoot more free throws than the opponent. The two things that aid in that the most are playing with a low turnover rate and a high offensive rebounding rate,” Williams said. “Tonight we turned it over too much, and we allowed them too many extra possessions on the offensive glass.

There doesn’t seem to be a good backup center option behind Payne. When he went to the bench, 6-foot-10 freshman Aleks Alston was paired with Saunders and Turkson played the three for size.

Alston does not yet look ready for a big role in Division I basketball. He was a clear defensive liability and had just one point and two rebounds in 15 minutes. Alston being forced into significant minutes early in the regular season has potential to be a recipe for disaster.

Senior center Collin Metcalf, a Northeastern transfer, only played one minute and did not record a stat. Metcalf, Alston, Saunders and Payne are Maryland’s only healthy frontcourt members with Washington hurt.

The unknown

Monday’s exhibition should be taken with a grain of salt due to the names that didn’t play in the game.

Maryland showcased four guards. None of them have appeared in a regular season college basketball game. Rice, Coit and Watts — the Terps’ expected top three backcourt options — did not suit up. Solomon Washington also did not play as he works his way back from an ankle sprain that is expected to keep him out for the beginning of the season.

Perhaps the biggest story from the exhibition was Rice’s absence from it. The redshirt junior Indiana transfer was sidelined with an ankle injury that has him in a walking boot, per Eli Cohen of InsideMDSports. Rice appeared fully healthy at Thursday’s media day. His timeline for return is yet to be announced.

Maryland’s in-season product will differ from what was shown against UMBC. Monday was little more than an opportunity for Williams to give his depth pieces extended minutes.

“I’m just proud of the way some of the younger guys competed,” Saunders said. “The theme this preseason has been whoever’s available. You get opportunities to try to prove that you deserve to play.”