Jahmir Young was also a preseason all-league first-team selection.
Maryland men’s basketball was picked third to finish third in the annual Big Ten official/unofficial Big Ten preseason media poll, jointly conducted by The Athletic and The Columbus Dispatch. The Big Ten no longer conducts an official preseason media poll for men’s basketball.
Purdue was a runaway favorite to win the league, earning 24 of 28 possible first-place votes. Michigan State was the only other team to receive a first-place vote, getting four. Maryland, Illinois and Wisconsin round out the poll’s top five.
Terps guard Jahmir Young was also named to the all-conference preseason first team alongside Purdue’s Zach Edey — the preseason player of the year — Terrence Shannon Jr. (Illinois), Tyson Walker (Michigan State) and Boo Buie (Northwestern). Young and Shannon Jr. received the second-most votes behind only Edey, the sole unanimous selection.
The all-league second team includes Clifford Omoruyi (Rutgers), A.J. Hoggard (Michigan State), Ace Baldwin Jr. (Penn State), Keisei Tominaga (Nebraska) and Coleman Hawkins (Illinois). Baldwin Jr. was tabbed as the league’s preseason transfer of the year.
Maryland forward Julian Reese received the second-most votes among players on neither of the all-conference teams. Reese was included with Young on the All-Big Ten preseason team when the league announced preseason awards last Friday.
Maryland guard DeShawn Harris-Smith finished second in freshman of the year voting behind Indiana’s Mackenzie Mgbako, who garnered 19 votes. Harris-Smith received five.
Last season, the Terps finished with an overall record of 22-13 and a conference mark of 11-9, good for fifth in the league. In Kevin Willard’s first year as head coach, Maryland also advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament, one of five Big Ten teams to do so.
Maryland begins its season in under a month when it hosts Mount St. Mary’s on Nov. 7. Its conference opener will come on Dec. 1 at Indiana.