“Buzz Williams has more than enough”: Analyst backs Maryland’s NCAA tournament chances with retooled 2026 roster

New Maryland Terrapins coach Buzz Williams abruptly left his previous assignment in charge of the Texas A&M Aggies in April to take the Big Ten coaching job. Williams had led the Aggies to the second round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament and a 23-11 record last season.

He hit the ground running in Maryland, recruiting extensively from the transfer portal. During this week's segment of the CBS College Basketball Show, analyst Jon Rothstein backed the Terrapins to make next season's NCAA Tournament under Williams.

"Going with Maryland," Rothstein said (24:09). "I'm not just going with Maryland and Buzz Williams because Buzz Williams was on this show last week. Williams has shown regardless of where he's been that he is going to put a really competitive product on the floor.

"Did it at Marquette, did it at Virginia Tech, took Virginia Tech to the Sweet 16, took Texas A&M to multiple NCAA tournaments where the Aggies won a game in back-to-back years. And looking now at the makeup of that roster – Miles Rice, Elijah Saunders, Solomon Washington, Felel Payne – there is more than enough for Buzz Williams to get Maryland in the bubble picture in 2026."

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Buzz Williams reveals how good Maryland is

The Maryland Terrapins lost their entire team that reached the Sweet 16 of the 2025 NCAA Tournament, where they fell to the Michigan Wolverines in the second round, forcing their new coach into a total rebuild. Williams recruited nine players from the transfer portal, including four from the Texas A&M Aggies.

On the CBS College Basketball Show, Williams was asked how good his Maryland team is by host Jon Rothstein and he had an illuminating answer.

"I kind of go back and forth, you know? I think some of it, I don't know if we're great," Williams said. "Because we played six teams in the Big Ten last year at Texas A&M, so I have some familiarity.

"But in truth, that's the depth of knowledge that I'm comfortable with competitively speaking, and I haven't studied enough since I've been here on Big Ten because we've been trying to put together our roster. Do I think we're great? I don't know. I would say I don't think we're bad, but I don't know if that means that we're great."

To launch his first season in charge of the Terrapins, Williams recruited the No. 17-ranked portal class in the country, according to 247Sports. He will also welcome five-star guard Darrius Adams, who's the No. 4-ranked guard in the class of 2025, according to 247Sports.