13. Maryland Terrapins
“Buzz Ball” is off to the Big Ten, and by the looks of it, this team will boast a similar stylistical mold to previous Buzz Williams-led teams.
“Buzz Ball,” at its simplest form, may not be pretty, but it gets the job done. That’s why Williams has led three different programs to the NCAA Tournament. It’s a physical, defensive-focused brand of basketball that pains opponents on the glass.
And that’s precisely where Texas A&M transfers Pharrel Payne and Solomon Washington come into play. Payne took major strides forward in the second half of the season, and Washington may be Maryland's most athletic shot-blocker on the entire roster. Payne boasted terrific 40-minute splits last season and expects to be Maryland’s most impactful player entering the 2025-26 season.
Transfers Myles Rice (Indiana) and Isaiah Watts (Washington State) will reunite in the backcourt, joined by incoming five-star combo-guard Darius Adams.
It’s a (literal) clean sheet for Buzz Williams. While the upside is evident, it’s an entirely new roster. I expect a few growing pains in the Big Ten, especially offensively. But if there’s one thing that’s certain, this group will compete.