The opening days of the 2026-27 season could not have gone more differently for Virginia and Maryland.
The ’Hoos (4-0, 0-0 ACC), fresh off a 30-win season and the only power-conference program to retain all of its eligible players, hit the ground running. With a trio of dominant home wins over Drexel, Northeastern, and Bucknell sandwiching its statement neutral-site victory over then-No. 12 Arkansas, No. 6 Virginia will enter College Park boasting its highest AP Poll ranking since late February 2023.
Meanwhile, the Terrapins (1-1, 0-0 B10) brought back just four players from last season’s disappointing 12-win season and have already encountered another speed bump as they try to find their footing in the early days of the Buzz Williams era, losing to rival Georgetown by 12 last Saturday.
The vibes in Charlottesville and College Park are at opposite ends of the spectrum, and KenPom projects a six-point Cavaliers win on Friday night. But college basketball never ceases to surprise, and Ryan Odom’s ’Hoos need to be fully prepared for a rock fight.
Tip-off for the 186th meeting between Virginia and Maryland is set for 8:00 PM EST on Friday at the Xfinity Center in College Park, with TV coverage available on Peacock. In the meantime, here are three Terrapins to keep an eye on and two reasons why the ’Hoos will need to bring their A-game to take down their former ACC rival.
Three Maryland players to know
#21 | Pharrel Payne
A 6-foot-9, high-motor fifth-year senior who dominates in the low post, Pharrel Payne personifies Buzz Williams’s gritty, hard-nosed coaching philosophy.
Payne followed his head coach over from Texas A&M, averaging 17.5 points and 7.2 rebounds per game in his first season for Maryland last year. Now, after checking in at No. 73 in CBS Sports’ preseason top 100 and 1 players in college basketball list, Payne is off to another hot start, posting 28 points (10-for-14 FG) and eight rebounds against the Hoyas on Saturday.
He’s not a floor-spacer — Payne has just one three-point attempt this season — but he’s a pain to keep off the offensive glass, and he excels at getting to the free-throw line. Some combination of Johann Grunloh and Thijs De Ridder will likely get the matchup with Payne on Friday night, and staying out of trouble will need to be a point of emphasis for the Cavalier’s’ bigs.
#7 | Andre Mills
A 6-foot-4 pure scorer with a 13.5-to-1 shot-attempt-to-assist ratio through two games, Andre Mills is another of the few holdovers from last year’s roster, after averaging 12.2 points per game for the Terrapins last season on 40.9% shooting from the field and 34.6% from beyond the arc.
A lefty sophomore from Boston, Mills likes to use his speed and physicality to get downhill with his left hand. Though he’s not an overly efficient three-point shooter, Mills can certainly score in bunches when he gets hot. He knocked down six triples and scored a career-high 39 points in a February game at Northwestern last season and went for 30 against Illinois in the final game of the regular season.
Virginia will need to turn off his water early on Friday night.
#10 | Baba Oladotun
The third Terp to know for Friday night, freshman Baba Oladotun is a true wild card. A 5-star freshman from Silver Spring, Md., Oladotun was ranked No. 10 in the class of 2026 by ESPN, though he has yet to make much of an impact this season.
At 6-foot-10 with a long, lanky frame, the Maryland product has otherworldly ball-handling and three-point shooting skills for a player of his height. But at just 17, he hasn’t looked ready for the college game yet and is averaging 4.5 points and 3 rebounds in 18.5 minutes per game through two contests.
Oladotun is too talented not to figure things out at the collegiate level eventually; however, the ’Hoos need to make sure that the breakout doesn’t come on Friday night. Oladotun has struggled with physicality and strength so far, areas where Virginia should have a clear advantage over the Terps.
Two reasons for Virginia to bring its A-game
The fatigue factor
Virginia will play its fifth game of the season Friday night, while the Terps will suit up for just the third time. Ryan Odom set a very aggressive schedule in the early part of this season, subjecting the ’Hoos to three games in five nights against Northeastern on Nov. 6, Arkansas on Nov. 8, and Bucknell on Nov. 10.
It’s a test likely to pay dividends come March, but it also undoubtedly makes Friday night more challenging, as, on just two days’ rest, Virginia will hit the road for College Park and take the floor yet again to face the Terps.
Buzz Williams, meanwhile, has taken the exact opposite approach, easing his Terps into the season like they’re dipping their toes into a scalding hot tub. Maryland began its season at home on Nov. 2, got four days of rest before taking on Georgetown on Nov. 7, and hasn’t played since. Friday night included, that’s just three games in 12 days.
The Terps will be the squad with lighter legs, meaning the ’Hoos need to dig deep and avoid succumbing to the fatigue factor.
Virginia’s first taste of a road environment
In what is quickly becoming a make-or-break season for Buzz Williams at Maryland, the Terps are coming off a humiliating double-digit loss to rival Georgetown. Now Maryland is back on its home floor after nearly a week of what were surely not the most pleasant practices.
Meanwhile, fueled by 8,000 free ‘Crush the Cavs’ t-shirts, it’ll be a red-out at Xfinity Center against a Virginia team with a big ‘No. 6 in the AP Poll’ target on its back. Maryland is far from the best team Virginia will face this season, but on the road for the first time in a hostile environment against a highly motivated team, this is about as dangerous a spot as the ’Hoos will encounter all season.
