Maryland men’s basketball took the floor for the first time in exactly seven months, opening its 2026-27 season with an exhibition game against Georgia Tech. Despite 10 players making their unofficial debut, the Terps came out hot.
Maryland started on an 8-0 run and led by as many as 27 points in the second half before the Terps took their foot off the gas. Pharrel Payne poured in a game-high 16 points to help fuel Maryland to an 85-70 rout of Georgia Tech.
Here are three takeaways from the game.
Freshman class showcases potential
While Baba Oladotun was the prized recruit in Williams’ 2026 freshman class haul, he wasn’t named to the starting lineup. Instead, three-star forward Austin Brown was Maryland’s lone freshman to earn the start.
But Kaden House, the No. 48-ranked recruit, was the standout performer Sunday, making his presence known off the bench. House had a team-high nine points in the first half and was a sparkplug defensively.
The 6-foot-3 guard used his active hands to force two of Maryland’s 13 steals. House took both turnovers himself, going coast-to-coast for a pair of easy transition buckets. But his physical presence came with a consequence — he had five personal fouls.
“I feel like my defense really made my offense,” House said. “I got to not reach as much and just be more solid.”
House’s offensive versatility was impressive. He shot 5-of-7 from the field and nailed both of his 3-point looks for a 14-point performance in just 14 minutes. House got downhill frequently, earning four free-throw attempts.
Oladotun wasn’t as impressive statistically. He finished with a 20% field goal percentage and only made four of his nine attempts at the charity stripe. But Oladotun’s length created problems for Georgia Tech’s offense, generating two steals.
Despite not appearing until nine minutes into the second half, Adama Tambedou’s short stint was memorable. Tambedou shot an efficient 3-of-5 from the floor, showcasing his ability to knock down looks in the midrange. Brown contributed five points on 50% shooting and had four boards in his 14 minutes.
While the four freshmen were impactful on both ends of the floor, foul trouble was an area of concern. They combined for 17 of Maryland’s 24 fouls.
“Some of it is they’re excited and some of it is just immature. But a lot of that will come to life, and we’ll be better,” Williams said. “We fouled way too much, and our execution of things we don’t do was very poor.”
Backcourt depth is evident
The construction of Maryland’s roster this season is guard-heavy, leaving Williams with several good options to choose from on a nightly basis.
Andre Mills, who averaged 12.2 points per game last season, is Maryland’s top returning guard. The redshirt sophomore was aggressive early Sunday, knocking down a 3-pointer just over two minutes into the game.
Efficiency was an element that Williams discussed at Big Ten Media Day as something he wanted to see Mills improve this season. Mills showcased that in the first half, connecting on three of his five shots. But that tailed off in the final 20 minutes, as he shot 1-of-4 from the field to finish with 11 points and three assists.
DJ Wagner’s first game after transferring in from Arkansas was far from efficient either. He chucked up a team-high 11 shots and made just 27.3%. But Wagner flashed his skillset, producing three steals and slamming down an emphatic dunk off Payne’s diving outlet pass.
Bishop Boswell was pulled from the game at the eight-minute mark in the first half, noticeably limping around the floor. Still, the Tennessee transfer figures to be a key piece in Williams’ rotation.
While Boswell isn’t expected to be a potent scorer at Maryland — he only attempted two shots Sunday — his defensive prowess and comfort on the ball allows Williams to have a steady presence off the bench alongside House.
Maryland played eight guards in total, with the backcourt combining for 31 of the Terps’ 45 first-half points.
“I feel like we have a lot of great guards, and you could put our four guards that we have in with any lineup, and I feel like it’ll have the same impact,” House said. “We have a really good backcourt on the bench and whoever starts.”
Maryland controls the glass
Rebounding was Williams’ main focal point last season — even with Maryland finishing as the third-best offensive rebounding team in the Big Ten.
The Terps brought in size over the offseason to add frontcourt depth behind Pharrel Payne, who was the lone big to return from last year. Those new pieces made their impact felt on the glass Sunday.
Even with Tomislav Buljan, the nation’s second-best offensive rebounder last season, held out of action, it didn’t matter.
Maryland outrebounded Georgia Tech, 26-15, in the first half, snatching 10 offensive rebounds for 15 second-chance points. The Terps finished with a nine-board disparity on the glass, with second-chance points contributing to 22.4% of Maryland’s points.
“It’s one of the pillars of our team,” Payne said. “It’s one of those things that we emphasize.”
Payne, who hauled in eight of his team-high nine rebounds in the first half, nearly recorded a double-double with only 20 minutes of playing time.