SAN FRANCISCO — On the eve of the most consequential Maryland basketball game in nearly a decade, coach Kevin Willard spent part of it side stepping questions about the widespread rumors regarding his candidacy for the vacant coaching position at Villanova.
The last two weeks have been a whirlwind for the Maryland athletic department. SMU poached Maryland athletic director Damon Evans away from the school to serve in the same role. Willard went on a postgame rant following his team’s 81-49 first-round win over Grand Canyon about his frustration with the administration over NIL funds.
When asked about the state of Maryland’s athletic department, believed to be one of the key factors on why he would lave for Villanova, Willard’s answer was about stopping Florida All-American guard Walter Clayton Jr. and previewing Thursday’s Sweet 16 matchup against the Gators, the No. 1 seed in the West Region. Those comments came just over 24 hours after he said in a radio appearance with “The Team 980” that he’s staying at Maryland “as of now.”
Willard’s demeanor comes amid the chaos that comes with being two wins away from the Final Four, but that pressure didn’t appear to phase his players. The scene inside Maryland’s locker room down the hall from the Golden State Warriors practice facility was full of joy, laughter and players smiling ear-to-ear — a stark contrast to Willard’s mood at his press conference.
Maryland star Derik Queen cracked jokes about how fellow frontcourt teammate Julian Reese always takes “his rebounds” and was open about his close relationship with Willard and the situation unfolding in front of his teammates.
“First, he wants to win,” Queen told CBS Sports when asked about the rumors. “Whatever happens after the season, happens. … Maryland had some difficulties within the last three or four years that coach (Willard) has changed. Now I feel like everybody is going to want to come here. After this year, we are going to be back on our feet and winning and stuff.”
Queen, the second-highest-rated signee in program history in the modern recruiting era by 247Sports, is days removed from hitting a shot that will go down in NCAA Tournament history. Queen’s fadeaway bucket at the buzzer in a 72-71 victory vs. Colorado State put Maryland in the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2016.
Queen and Reese are the only duo in Division l basketball averaging at least nine rebounds per game. They’re the first duo of Big Ten teammates with at least 400 points and 300 rebounds each since Dick and Tom Van Arsdale accomplished the feat at Indiana in the early 1960s.
Reese, the brother of WNBA star Angel Reese, has been the team’s unquestioned leader throughout the season. Reese has been around for the entirety of the Willard era as a three-year starter. That includes a second-round appearance in the NCAA Tournament in 2023, a 16-17 record season last year and 27 wins in counting during the 2024-25 campaign.
Reese was recruited out of high school by former Maryland coach Mark Turgeon in 2021 but stayed loyal to the program when Willard arrived. Instead of entering the transfer portal after missing the NCAA Tournament in 2024, Reese returned and helped lead Maryland to its best season in nearly a decade.
“He’s a real guy,” Reese said when asked why people might gravitate toward Willard. “He’s not going to really lie to you. Great coach. (He) let’s players play freely and doesn’t really put a lot of pressure on players. Great at player development.”
Reese could’ve left the program when things got difficult but stayed. Queen had options on where to play his first and likely only college season before declaring for the NBA Draft this summer.
He chose Willard and Maryland.
“Love coach Willard,” Queen said. “That’s my guy. Glad I came here.”
The question now becomes, will Willard choose to return to Maryland? And the only person who knows the answer to that question wasn’t talking about that subject Thursday.
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