Men’s Hoops Kicks Off West Coast Challenge Against Washington: Can They Conquer the Road?

#24 Maryland (11-2, 1-1 B1G) at Washington (9-4, 0-2 B1G)

COLLEGE PARK, MD — No. 24 Maryland makes its return to Big Ten competition this week as the Terps travel to the West Coast for a road trip starting with Washington on Thursday evening. The match will commence at 6:30 PM PT (9:30 PM ET) on BTN. Supporters can tune into the game on the Maryland Sports Radio Network, with Voice of the Terps Johnny Holliday narrating the play alongside Chris Knoche.

The Terps wrapped up the non-conference schedule with an 81-66 victory over UMES last Saturday. Julian Reese spearheaded the effort with 23 points and 11 rebounds, succeeded by Derik Queen who scored 18 points with 14 rebounds.

Maryland holds the No. 24 position in this week’s USA Today Top 25 Coaches Poll, while also ranking as the leading team receiving votes in the AP Top 25 Poll (just six points short of No. 25). In various ranking metrics, Maryland is positioned at No. 13 in the NCAA NET, No. 19 in the Kenpom ratings, No. 16 in the Torvik ranking, No. 13 on EvanMiya.com, and No. 20 on the ESPN Basketball Power Index.

Maryland’s offensive performance has been remarkable, averaging 87.2 points this season, marking the third-highest average in program history and the No. 11 rank nationally. Defensively, the Terps allow only 61.1 points per game, which ranks 12th in the nation and is the best result for the program since the 1981-82 season.

 

Key Observations: Go West, Young Men

• Although it will be standard in the future, this marks the second consecutive season Maryland has engaged in a true away game on the West Coast. The Terps triumphed over UCLA last season at Pauley Pavilion 69-60 on Dec. 22.
• Before that matchup, Maryland hadn’t undertaken a true road game in the Pacific Time Zone since Feb. 19, 1990, when they edged USC 64-62.
• Maryland has only participated in six true road games on the West Coast prior to the Washington/Oregon trip: once at USC, twice against UNLV (1978, 1985), and thrice at UCLA (1973, 1981, 2023). The Terps’ record in those contests stands at 2-4.

Maryland’s scoring average of 87.2 points per game constitutes the third-best figure in program history.

Ja’Kobi Demonstrating The Range

• Since joining the Terps, Ja’Kobi Gillespie has scored in double digits in 10 of his 13 games played. 
• Against No. 15 Marquette, Gillespie recorded a season-high 24 points, going 10-of-17 from the field and 4-of-9 from beyond the arc. That figure was merely two points shy of his career-high of 26 points achieved against Southern Illinois (2/14/24) during his time at Belmont.
• Gillespie also leads the squad with 58 total assists (4.5 per game) accumulating 270 for his career. He established a new career-high with 11 assists in the victory over Syracuse as part of his inaugural career double-double (17 pts). The 11 assists marked the highest output by a Maryland player in a game since Melo Trimble recorded 12 against North Carolina (12/2/15).
• His average of 4.5 assists per game ranks tied for 7th in the B1G, but he has recently stepped up, averaging 6.8 per game over his last five outings.
• Gillespie now has 914 career points collectively from Belmont and Maryland through 70 career games.
• A highly-regarded football talent during high school, Gillespie received scholarships from ACC and SEC programs on the gridiron. As a wide receiver, defensive back, and special teams returner, he achieved a touchdown trifecta with a receiving touchdown, a pick-six, and a punt return all within a single game.

Ja’Kobi Gillespie averaged 20.5 points and 4.0 assists in his first two Big Ten games while going 8-of-15 from beyond the arc.

Juju Powerhouse

• Julian Reese commenced the 2024-25 season as one of the premier post players in the Big Ten and on a national scale. In the previous season, he earned All-Big Ten Honorable Mention accolades as a junior after receiving a spot on the Preseason All-Big Ten Team and the Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award Watch List.
• Reese achieved 15 double-doubles last term, which ranked as the ninth most in the nation and second in the Big Ten throughout the regular season.
• Reese has amassed 28 double-doubles after posting 23 points and 11 rebounds during the victory over Syracuse.
• Historically, Reese boasts the eighth-highest total for double-doubles among any Terp (28).
• Reese is one of nine individuals in program history to surpass 1,100 career points and 800 career rebounds.
• Despite the presence of a talented group of high-scoring guards and the addition of Derik Queen in the frontcourt, Julian Reese has nearly equaled his career-high statistics from the previous season. More impressively, Reese has achieved these numbers while playing 8.4 fewer minutes per game than last year.
• Furthermore, his 3.5 offensive rebounds per game lead the Big Ten and represent the highest average for a Maryland player since Jordan Williams averaged 3.7 during the 2010-11 season.

Queen Is The Truth

• Derik Queen made his entry into College Park as one of the most acclaimed recruits in the program’s history and has fulfilled the expectations early this season. Beginning his journey with a 20/20 double-double and achieving a personal best of 26 points against No. 8 Purdue, Queen has rapidly demonstrated he is among the finest players nationwide.
• Queen tops Maryland in scoring with an average of 16.8 points per game and ranks second with 8.8 rebounds per game. His scoring rate is the second highest among Maryland freshmen since 1947-48.
• From 2008-09 onwards, 34 20-point performances have been recorded by Maryland freshmen. In his first 13 games, Queen has already achieved five.
• Since 1996-96, Derik Queen’s personal record of 26 points at No. 8 Purdue signifies the highest score by a Maryland freshman in a genuine road match since Terrell Stoglin and Justin Jackson both scored 28 points in 2011 and 2017, respectively.
• Queen is part of an outstanding freshman class for 2024-25. He currently stands at sixth for total rookie scoring and is the leading center among all NCAA freshmen. Queen is among five freshmen in the country to achieve 20 points or more in five games this season.