Maryland men’s basketball trounces Georgia Tech, 85-70, in first 2026 exhibition

Preseason expectations for Maryland men’s basketball have varied significantly in the weeks leading up to head coach Buzz Williams’ second season at the helm. But in Sunday’s neutral-site exhibition game against Georgia Tech, the Terps positively answered many lingering questions.

Maryland swarmed the Yellow Jackets from tipoff to the buzzer, displaying upgraded play in key areas in an 85-70 victory. Fourteen Terps saw playing time in the first opportunity for fans to get a look at their new-look roster.

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The Terps came out with a three-guard lineup to start the contest and quickly jumped out to a 10-4 lead, withAndre Mills and Mike McNair Jr. draining 3-pointers. But after Williams brought in a trio of larger alternatives, the offense briefly sputtered through disjointed sets.

Williams made five substitutions in the first seven minutes, a hallmark element of his coaching style. It didn’t take long for the offense to regain momentum as Maryland lunged to a 13-point advantage with 7:32 remaining in the first half.

At the matchup’s conclusion, the Terps’ bench contributed 38 points, with only freshmen Kaden House and Adama Tambedou clearing the 30% usage-percentage mark.

Rebounding became a huge point of emphasis for the Terps midway through the 2025-26 season, and a drastic improvement in the paint contributed to their dominant performance. Maryland out-rebounded the Yellow Jackets, 44 to 33, including 16 on the offensive end.

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Pharrel Payne was a major factor in the recalibrated rebounding efforts, hauling in nine on the day. His return to the hardwood brought tenacity to the Terps as he scored 16 points and grabbed three steals.

With 3:26 remaining in the first half, Payne knocked the ball loose from Colby Garland’s grasp and dove to gather the loose ball. The redshirt senior, from the floor, then tipped the ball to DJ Wagner, who emphatically jammed it home on a one-handed slam.

Wagner was one of eight Terps guards who saw playing time Sunday,…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/maryland-men-basketball-trounces-georgia-233926433.html

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Publish date : 2026-10-11 23:39:00

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