Maryland Basketball: 2018-19 season preview for the Terrapins

By Brian Rauf | Sep 17, 2018

ORLANDO, FL - MARCH 16: Maryland Terrapins cheerleaders perform during the game between the Xavier Musketeers and the Maryland Terrapins in the first round of the 2017 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Amway Center on March 16, 2017 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) /

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EAST LANSING, MI – JANUARY 4: Head coach Mark Turgeon of the Maryland Terrapins reacts to a slam dunk during the game against the Michigan State at Breslin Center on January 4, 2018 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images) /

Maryland Basketball missed the NCAA Tournament for the first time in four seasons, putting Mark Turgeon on the hot seat. Will they make it back to the Big Dance?

The Maryland Terrapins enter the 2018-19 season with high expectations once again despite missing out on the NCAA Tournament last year.

That has turned up the heat on head coach Mark Turgeon, who enters the new year on the hot seat. It appears to be NCAA Tournament-or-bust for Turgeon. He has helped stabilize the program following Gary Williams’ retirement but has fallen short of expectations each of the past few years, and fans have become heavily critical of his coaching.

However, Turgeon enters 2018-19 with one of his most talented teams. Even though they lost guard Kevin Huerter to the NBA, stars Anthony Cowan Jr. and Bruno Fernando opted to return.

Maryland is also welcoming in the nation’s No. 7 recruiting class, headlined by five-star forward Jalen Smith and top-100 prospects Aaron Wiggins and Eric Ayala. All are expected to major roles right away.

With that much talent and a good mix of both experience and youth, the Terrapins are expected to make it back to the NCAA Tournament. Will they be able to do it? Here’s a look at their projected lineup, a breakdown of their non-conference schedule, and what we can expect from the Terps this season.

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