Maryland star mulling a reunion with Kevin Willard after messy exit from College Park

Kevin Willard led the Maryland Terrapins to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2016 but by the time the Terrapins were ousted by Florida in the West Regional Semifinal, Willard was already persona non grata in College Park. Willard quickly and expectedly left to take the head coaching job at Villanova and it wasn’t just the fanbase that had soured on him. 

Derik Queen, who entered the NBA Draft at season’s end, expressed his displeasure with seeing his now-former head coach in Philadelphia. Queen, a Maryland native and five-star recruit, stayed home and cemented his legacy as a Terrapin great in just one season. 

While Queen wasn’t thrilled with Willard’s departure, one of his teammates apparently didn’t take it quite as hard. After beginning his career at Virginia Tech before transferring to Maryland, sophomore guard Rodney Rice is back in the portal searching for a place to use his final two years of eligibility, and he’s open to a Willard reunion on the Main Line. 

Rodney Rice includes Villanova as transfer portal finalist

A member of the “Crab Five” starting lineup last season, Rice averaged 13.8 points a game while shooting 37 percent from three on nearly six attempts per game. His workload grew from his freshman season in Blacksburg, and yet he was a more efficient scorer despite the additional minutes and increased responsibilities on the offensive end of the floor. 

With such a messy departure that included an open airing of grievances against the athletic department, Willard has yet to have any of his players follow him to the Big East. Queen is off to the NBA, Julian Reese is out of eligibility, and Ja’Kobi Gillespie transferred to Tennessee. Now, Rice including Villanova as a finalist does not guarantee that Willard will land his former guard as a much-needed first incoming transfer to his new program, but it does imply that not all the bridges were burned. 

There are national championship expectations at Villanova and Willard’s predecessor Kyle Neptune failed to lead the Wildcats to the NCAA Tournament, so fans are hungry for success. The quickest way for Willard to turn it around would be with familiar veterans on his roster, so landing Rice should be a major priority.