After a turbulent offseason that left Maryland basketball searching for direction, the Terrapins have quickly put together one of college basketball’s premier recruiting classes. Under first-year head coach Buzz Williams, the Terps boast a recruiting class ranked among the best in the nation by 247Sports.
The program has landed multiple four-star freshmen and key transfer portal additions, marking a major turnaround for the team.
Just one year ago, the mood around Maryland basketball was deeply uncertain. Former head coach Kevin Willard left for the Villanova Wildcats after a heartbreaking Sweet Sixteen loss to Florida, which would later win the National Championship.
With that departure came major recruiting losses, as Maryland missed out on several high-profile local prospects. Maryland’s Mr. Basketball, Cam Ward, and Virginia’s Jordan Scott both headed to Michigan State, while Washington, D.C.’s Acaden Lewis and Brooklyn standout Chris Jeffery followed Coach Willard to Villanova.
Instead of collapsing, Maryland responded aggressively. Following a tough 12-21 season, Williams and his staff have completely reshaped the Terps’ roster through recruiting. They now possess one of the strongest incoming classes in the nation.
The Turnaround with the Freshman Class
For the first time in program history, Maryland has landed a five-star recruit alongside three four-stars in their freshman class. Highly touted five-star recruit Baba Oladotun leads this class as the 9th-best player according to ESPN’s Top 100.
Oladotun was once the No. 1 player in the class of 2027 before reclassifying to graduate early. The 18-year-old is a hometown hero from James Hubert Blake High School, located in Cloverly, Maryland.
After suffering an early-season ankle injury, Oladotun suited up for the first time in his senior year to help beat Meade High School in the Maryland 4A State Semifinals. After advancing to the state championship, Oladotun helped Blake secure the title while playing limited minutes.
His commitment to the Terps makes him the sixth five-star to ever sign with the Terrapins, following the most recent alumnus and current NBA rookie Derik Queen in 2024.
One of Oladotun’s incoming classmates is AZ Compass Prep star combo guard Kaden House. House is a top-60 caliber prospect, and the son of former NBA guard Eddie House. House chose Maryland over several major programs, including Michigan and Howard, and immediately became one of the centerpieces of Buzz Williams’ first full recruiting cycle. 247Sports scouting reports praise House for his attacking style, speed, and scoring ability.
“House is a high-volume scoring guard who plays in almost constant attack mode. He has speed, quickness, and is a constant threat to get a piece of the paint. He has a lay-up package and can rise up for some big finishes when he has momentum behind him, but also a lot of mid-range tools with a good pull-up game and deep range on his floater.” — Adam Finkelstein.
The Terps also secured commitments from four-star forward Austin Brown and highly regarded forward Adama Tambedou, giving Maryland size, athleticism, and versatility across the roster.
Incoming Transfers Give Maryland Needed Experience to Win
What makes the turnaround even more impressive is that Williams did not rely solely on high school recruiting but heavily targeted veteran college players. Maryland attacked the transfer portal with urgency, hauling in experienced talent to immediately raise the team’s floor.
Analysts around the Big Ten are already praising the Terrapins as one of the conference’s biggest portal winners this offseason.
Former five-star and 2023 McDonald’s All-American MVP DJ Wagner joins Maryland for the upcoming season. Wagner is an incoming senior who previously played under John Calipari at both Kentucky and Arkansas.
Wagner’s best season came during his sophomore year, when he averaged 11.2 points per game on 40% shooting, along with 3.6 assists and 1.0 steals. He is no stranger to the big stage, having played in the NCAA tournament every year of his career, and is coming off an SEC title with the Arkansas Razorbacks.
Another highly anticipated transfer is incoming senior guard Michael McNair. He is coming off a stellar season at Boston University, where he averaged 16.9 points per game while shooting 47.9% from the field and 44.4% from three. McNair’s performance earned him a spot on the Patriot League All-First Team.
Other top transfers include Tomislav Buljan, Bishop Boswell, and Maban Jabriel. All three add veteran depth and much-needed experience to the Terps’ roster for the upcoming season.
This combination of elite freshmen and proven transfers has given Maryland major momentum—something sorely missed during the chaotic coaching transition. After assembling one of the strongest recruiting classes the program has seen in decades, the Terrapins suddenly look positioned for a much brighter future.
