Maryland men’s basketball had the chance to come out Friday night against Georgetown and give its home fans a promising first look at the newly constructed roster. But the evening did not unfold pleasantly for the Terps, as they struggled mightily from the field and fell to the Hoyas, 70-60.
Now 1-1 on the season, Maryland has a prime opportunity to regain some confidence against incoming Alcorn State.
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The Braves haven’t emerged victorious yet this season, though they have played two power conference opponents in Minnesota and Florida State. In both of those games, they lost by a combined 77 points. Last season, Alcorn State did not win a single nonconference matchup, starting the season a paltry 0-12.
Alcorn State Braves (0-3, 0-0 SAC)
2024-25 record: 11-20, 11-7 SAC
Head coach Jake Morton is currently in his first season at the helm after being hired in April. He was previously on Florida State’s coaching staff — the Braves were defeated 108-76 by the Seminoles to kick off the year. Morton also spent time as an assistant coach with both East Carolina and Jacksonville State. At Jacksonville State, Morton helped lead the Gamecocks to a 2021-22 NCAA Tournament appearance.
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Morton’s other stops at his over-20-year coaching career include the likes of Miami, James Madison, and local Maryland schools in Coppin State and Bowie State. As a player, Morton scored over 900 points during a four-year stint with Miami.
Players to watch
Shane Lancaster, junior guard, 6-foot-4, No. 0 — A native of Bowie, Maryland, Lancaster currently leads the team with 15 points per game over three contests. Against South Alabama, he showed his shooting prowess, going 7-of-13 from downtown. Lancaster has also shot the most free throws on the team thus far, and has gone 12-of-14 from the line. He’s also spent time at Niagara, and has the potential to be a microwave scorer Tuesday.
Nick Woodard, senior forward, 6-foot-7, No. 7 — Woodard has snagged the most rebounds for the Braves so far this season, with 16. He’s also averaging 10 points per game on 52.4% shooting. Though Woodard went scoreless against Minnesota, he dropped 16 points on 7-of-10 shooting against Florida State.
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Tycen McDaniels, junior forward, 6-foot-8, No. 8 — Averaging 10 points per game, McDaniels joins Woodard and Lancaster as the only players on the team averaging at least 10 points. He also performed well against Florida State, scoring 14 points on 5-of-9 shooting, and also pulling down six rebounds. He’s already totaled the same amount of shot attempts (20) as he had all of his sophomore season, signaling a clear jump in development and trust.
Strength
Blocks. Through three games, the Braves have logged more blocks than their opponents (15-9). With five players 6-foot-7 or above in stature, Alcorn State could make things a little tough for Pharrel Payne and company in the paint.
Weakness
Turnovers. Alcorn State has had problems with giveaways so far this season — it has turned the ball over a whopping 18.3 times per game through three contests. For a Maryland team that had success in transition and off turnovers against Coppin State, it will be interesting if the Terps can force the Braves into mistakes early and often.
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Three things to watch
1. Improved shooting. Head coach Buzz Williams mentioned postgame after the Georgetown contest that the Terps will need to shoot a lot of free throws as part of their offense this season. However, it’s also extremely important that Maryland develops a flow to its offense and can consistently hit jumpers from numerous spots on the floor. It will be interesting to see how Maryland’s shot diet shapes up Tuesday — the Terps could try to play a strong inside game or continue searching for triples.
2. Starting lineup. It’s extremely unlikely at this point that Guillermo Del Pino will see the floor after his early gaffes Friday. As a result, it will be interesting to see if Williams opts to substitute a singular player in his place — Diggy Coit or Myles Rice — or if he will look to try a new combination of players altogether. Either way, with it being early in the season, a new combination could unlock more of the offense, which should be interesting to see.
3. Isaiah Watts’ slump. The Washington State transfer went 0-of-5 from the field Friday, also racking up four fouls in the process. He’s got the potential to be a solid piece for Williams, but if he’s not hitting shots, his value on the court goes down significantly. It will be interesting to see if he comes out aggressive Tuesday and starts to find his 3-point stroke.
