The pressure is on Maryland men’s basketball head coach Buzz Williams entering his second year at the helm after a disastrous campaign saw the Terps finish with their worst record since 1941.
While Maryland’s 2026-27 season begins on Monday, much of the Terps’ roster will look vastly different. Maryland returns just four players, headlined by leading scorers Pharrel Payne and Andre Mills. The Terps brought in the No. 14-ranked recruiting class and a seven-man transfer portal group littered with impact
players.
Maryland, which won its two open exhibition games against power conference foes, will look for its 13th straight season-opening victory. While Bucknell likely won’t test the Terps, Monday’s game will mark a true Xfinity Center debut for the 11 offseason additions.
“I spent three years at one university in Boston, and this is my first time being on a new team at college,” Mike McNair Jr. said. “So just being with a new group of guys, a blue team, it’s definitely special.”
The contest starts at 7 p.m. and will air on Big Ten Plus.
Bucknell Bison (0-0, 0-0 Patriot League)
2025-26 record: 10-23, 6-12 Patriot League
Head coach John Griffin III returned to his alma mater in 2023 after Bucknell’s fourth consecutive losing season. While his first year at the helm saw slight improvement — the Bison finished with a 10-8 conference record — the necessary leap to contend for a postseason berth was just one season away. The Bison earned a share of the Patriot League regular season title, but ultimately fell two wins short of an NCAA Tournament bid.
Bucknell unraveled last season, though. It followed up a 2-1 start with a nine-game losing streak. While the Bison snapped the skid heading into conference play, the offense never fully clicked. They finished with the 25th-fewest points per game (67.4) in the country.
Bucknell saw significant roster turnover, with nine players and 73.3% of its offensive production departing. While it recouped some of those losses, that largely came via a substantial recruiting class. The Bison brought in seven freshmen and four transfers, leaving this season’s roster with little experience.
Players to know
Rocco Lamuno, junior guard, No. 4 — Lamuno doesn’t bring any Division I experience, but the Spring Hill College transfer certainly can score. He was the leading scorer in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, averaging 18.5 points on 46% shooting from the field and a 36% 3-point percentage.
Lamuno posted a team-high 16 points in the lone exhibition game and is a feisty defender — he totaled four steals in just 28 minutes.
Jayden Williams, junior guard, No. 2 — Williams is Bucknell’s top returner after operating as the starting point guard last season. He averaged 7.5 points and four assists per game but recorded 58 turnovers in his 33 starts. Maryland’s lengthy backcourt should present problems for the undersized 5-foot-10 guard.
Aleksander Pachucki, junior guard, No. 3 — In his first season with the Bison, Pachucki was a versatile weapon, mainly off the bench. He was the top 3-point shooter, knocking down 35.9% of his shots while producing 5.9 points per game. At 6-foot-5, Pachucki also offers a threat on the glass — he hauled 2.8 rebounds per game, which was the second-most on the team.
Strength
Scoring depth. While it was just an exhibition game, Bucknell’s offense was balanced against Endicott. The Bison had four players in double-figures, led by a combined 45 points from Lamuno, Pachucki and Division III transfer Luke Soden. Williams, who didn’t appear in that game, adds depth to a guard-heavy scoring load.
Weakness
Lack of experience. The Bisons’ six returners combine for 46 starts, with Williams accounting for 33 of them. While Bucknell secured four transfers, only Luca Soroa Schaller and Kyle Marshall bring Division I experience. Against a talented Maryland team, that inexperience will be an uphill battle to overcome.
Three things to watch
1. Status of Bishop Boswell. After entering last season with injury concerns, Maryland is nearly fully healthy ahead of Monday’s season opener. Boswell, who played just eight minutes in preseason, is the lone player who didn’t suit up against West Virginia. The Tennessee transfer figures to be a key contributor off the bench this season.
2. Contributions from the new pieces. Mills and Payne combined for 53 points to will the Terps back from their 19-point halftime deficit in the final exhibition game. While the returning duo is expected to shoulder some of the scoring load this year, they will need help.
McNair and Kaden House each scored in double-figures during preseason. But starters DJ Wagner and Tomislav Buljan haven’t yet found their offensive rhythm, shooting 2-for-14 from the field with seven total points against West Virginia.
3. Lineup tinkering. Williams is known for his frequent substitutions. But that changed during Maryland’s lone competitive preseason game, as he turned to a seven-man rotation in the second half. With the Terps expected to face little trouble Monday, Williams will continue to search for effective lineup combinations.
