Maryland men’s basketball is winners of back-to-back games for the first time since November.
The Terps pulled off a shocker over an 18-5 Iowa squad that beat them by 19 points the first time around. They not only beat the Hawkeyes, 77-70, but it didn’t look fluky — they truly looked like the better team for stretches.
Buzz Williams shortened his rotation to eight players — with only six reaching double-digit minutes — and the change paid dividends.
Here are three takeaways from an electric Wednesday
night at Xfinity Center.
Andre Mills has arrived
Over the past six games, the Texas A&M transfer has put together a serious case that he’s Maryland’s most complete guard. And he’s only getting better.
The redshirt freshman’s athleticism was one of the first things that stood out on the Terps’ new-look 2025-26 roster, going all the way back to their preseason scrimmage with UMBC. It was clear how high the ceiling could be if he refined his game — the flashes were there, but so was the rawness.
Mills looks to have found his rhythm. His jumpshot is much more consistent from both 3-point range and pulling up in the midrange. He can drive through defenders and finish at the rim. And when his teammates miss shots, he can soar above the rim to salvage points.
The 6-foot-4 guard showcased all of those skills Wednesday night. They resulted in a career-high 23 points — the first time Mills has eclipsed 20 — on 9-of-14 from the field and 3-of-6 from deep. That came alongside three offensive rebounds, tied for the team lead.
Mills’ physical, poke-heavy on-ball defense leaves opponents visibly frustrated and often without points. He was the only Terp with a steal Wednesday night. Mills was credited with just two defensive rebounds, but nearly fought his way into multiple more — and one of the two he did grab sealed the game.
His development is an incredible sign for next season. Mills and Darius Adams could end up being a daunting 2026-27 starting duo — pending an even better transfer.
The Terps won the paint
There aren’t many Big Ten teams that Maryland can match up with down low in the post-Pharrel Payne phase of the season. Iowa’s one of them.
The Hawkeyes entered Wednesday night averaging 29.9 rebounds per game, second-lowest in the conference and bottom-15 at the Division I level. With Collin Metcalf in the starting lineup for a third straight game, Maryland dominated the interior on both ends in a way it hasn’t all of 2026.
The Terps shot 17-of-24 inside the arc and 13-of-16 at the rim. Mills, Adams, Diggy Coit and Solomon Washington all found consistent success finishing on drives to the paint, something Maryland’s had frustrating struggles with at times.
Solomon Washington’s length was instrumental at the boards on both ends — eight rebounds doesn’t do his impact justice. With his bounce and length, his hands were often highest on the court — if he didn’t grab the offensive rebound himself, he’d swat it to a teammate.
Metcalf and Elijah Saunders both finished with eight rebounds — a season high for Metcalf.
In a high-effort contest with bodies sprawling for loose balls and rebounds through all 40 minutes, the Terps came out on top, 34-25, in the rebound battle. It’s their third-best rebounding margin in Big Ten play.
Buzz Williams deserves his flowers
Much has been said about the decision to hire Buzz Williams, and the catastrophic lows of his first season at the helm. A program like Maryland picking up its first Quad 1 win in February should not happen.
But a month like the Terps’ January would break most teams. And not only did it not break them, they’ve rebounded admirably.
When the buzzer sounded to seal the upset win, the first person most of Maryland’s roster ran to was Williams. It’s clear they rally around him.
Maryland’s roster without Payne is one of the worst in the conference. But Williams’ squad has now gutted out two straight close, back-and-forth games against teams that should be better, but didn’t look like it.
Four of the Terps’ next five opponents are bottom-six in Big Ten standings. There’s a good chance that 2025-26 doesn’t end up — on paper — being an abject failure. A 12-to-14-win season in a transition year given the situation they left 2024-25 in could be a lot worse. And Williams deserves credit for righting the ship.
