The Terps open the season on the road.
November has arrived and so has college basketball. Maryland basketball fans will be treated to both their men’s and women’s team’s season openers on Monday night.
Brenda Frese and her squadd will be on the road just 45 minutes away to take on UMBC. The game will tip-off at 7 p.m. and broadcast on ESPN+.
UMBC Retrievers (0-0, 0-0 America East)
2023-24 Record: 10-19, 6-10 America East
After a disappointing 2023-24 season, UMBC decided to make a change at the top of its program. Former-head coach Johnetta Hayes’ contract wasn’t renewed and current head coach Candice Hill, a former assistant and recruiting coordinator for St. John’s, was hired.
Monday’s game will be Hill’s first leading the program and she will look to start strong with a massive upset.
Players to watch
Jaliena Sanchez, graduate guard, 5-foot-5, No. 3 — Sanchez is the highest-scoring returner this season. She was UMBC’s starting point guard for most of last season and averaged eight points per game and 1.3 steals per game.
Jordon Lewis, graduate forward, 5-foot-10, No. 5 — Lewis started her career at La Salle before joining the Retrievers last year. She quickly made an impact, averaging seven points and three rebounds per game. Lewis should step into an even larger role this season as one of the team’s veterans.
Laura Lacambra, junior center, 6-foot-2, No. 33 — If the Terps let this game come down to the wire, they better watch out for Lacambra. She hit two game-winners last year, both against Bryant in America East play. She is the biggest woman on the Retrievers roster and will likely be starting down low.
Strength
Veteran Leadership. The Retrievers have six graduate students on their roster that should provide them with a core of leaders that have Division I experience under their belt. On the other side of the spectrum, they have three incoming freshmen who have a chance to learn under the group’s guidance.
Weakness
Lack of a primary option. Anna Blount, the Retriever’s top option and leading scorer last season, graduated last spring. It is not readily apparent who is prepared to step up and fill that gap. UMBC brought in three transfers, with the most intriguing being Yasmin Ott, who joins from a major program in Georgetown, but she did not see many minutes there.
Three things to watch
1. Maryland’s rotations. This game, particularly in the first half, will be the first real indicator to see which players Frese is favoring in 2024. With three returners who are guaranteed to see significant minutes, which transfers will be important members of the rotation? Will any of the freshmen be important pieces? Fans will get answers Monday.
2. Sellers in a new role. Shyanne Sellers is at the center of basically everything Maryland does with the team’s offense running through her. Frese said the addition of Sarah Te-Biasu will allow Sellers to play a more traditional forward role this year. How that will suit Sellers and the team will be a storyline to track.
3. The Terps on the road. The Terps struggled immensely in true road games last season, managing a 3-8 record. This should be an opportunity to get an early road win under their belt and build some confidence, but it will still be interesting to see how they fare away from home.