The Big Ten race is far from over and this is a scary stretch of games for Michigan State, despite a stunning road win Friday night over the Michigan Wolverines. Maryland and Wisconsin will be as good as any two teams the Spartans have faced this year, and then they face Iowa on the road. Despite the Hawkeyes struggling with injuries, any road game in the Big Ten is tough.

After those three games, they will have a tough rematch in East Lansing with what should be a motivated Michigan squad. The Spartans must continue to focus on one game at a time. Sometimes, an emotional victory (or even a loss) can linger, and the Spartans need to put the Michigan victory behind them and move forward with the business at hand.

1. MSU 13-3

@Maryland, Wisconsin, @Iowa, Michigan

1. Michigan 13-3

Rutgers, Illinois, Maryland, @Michigan State

3. Wisconsin 11-5

Washington, @Michigan State, @Minnesota, Penn State

3. Maryland 11-5

Michigan State, @Penn State, @Michigan, Northwestern

5. UCLA 11-6

@Purdue, @Northwestern, USC

5. Purdue 11-6

UCLA, Rutgers, @Illinois

Kevin Willard enters his third season leading the Terps in 2024-25. Willard was named the new head coach of the Maryland men's basketball on March 21, 2022 and has produced eight All-Big Ten selections, the most for back-to-back years in nearly a decade.

He had a 225–161 (.583) record at Seton Hall and a 58–36 (.617) record at Maryland.

Willard started his career at Iona and has a 325–245 (.570) overall record as a college head coach. Originally from Huntington, New York, he played point guard at Pittsburgh as a player. His father, Ralph Willard, was Louisville's associate head coach and a former head men's basketball coach at Holy Cross, Pittsburgh, and Western Kentucky. Kevin Willard started his coaching career in the NBA with Rick Pitino and the Celtics.

Derik Queen is a 6'10", 246-pound freshman center from Baltimore, Maryland, who played at the famed Montverde Academy. Nationally, he was ranked No. 10 overall by ESPN and No. 15 by Rivals. He was a five-star recruit and co-MVP of the McDonald's All-American game. He was named to the Naismith Trophy Men's College Player of the Year Midseason Team.

This year for Maryland, he averages 15.9 points (54.9 FG %) and 9.1 rebounds. He shoots 76.5% from the free throw line with a 57 assists to 64 turnovers ratio, and he has 28 steals and 26 blocks for the year.

STRENGTHS: Active in the post with a good shooting percentage and active rebounder on both ends of the court.

WEAKNESSES: Not a shooting threat from 3-point land.

Ja'Kobi Gillespie is a 6'1", 186-pound junior transfer guard from Belmont, originally from Greenville, Tennessee. He was the 2022 Tennessee 3A Mr. Basketball, two-time 5StarPreps.com Tennessee Player of the Year, and two-time Tennessee Sports Writers Association All-State.

At Belmont last year, Gillespie was on the MVC All-Conference Second Team and made the MVC All-Defensive Team. This year for Maryland, he averages 14.9 points (47.5 FG%) and 2.7 rebounds. He shoots 82.5% from the free throw line and 42.5 % from three-point land on 160 attempts. He has a 129 assists to 52 turnovers ratio and 49 steals on the year.

STRENGTHS: Excellent playmaker who is dangerous from 3-point land and gets steals on the defensive end.

WEAKNESSES: Not many for what he is asked to do.

Julian Reese is a 6'9". 252-pound senior forward from Baltimore, Maryland. In high school, he attended Saint Francis Academy, was a consensus four-star recruit across all national recruiting outlets, and was the No.1 player in Maryland and ranked the 49th overall player and 15th at his position via ESPN. He is the son of Angel Reese, and his sister, also named Angel, currently plays in the WNBA.

For Maryland this year, he averages 14.3 points (59.2 FG%) and 9.3 rebounds for the season. He shoots 73.8% from the free-throw line with a 36 assists to 43 turnovers ratio with 23 steals and 41 boards.

STRENGTHS: Excellent scorer around the rim and rebounds on both ends.

WEAKNESSES: Not a three-point threat.

Rodney Rice is a 6'4", 198-pound sophomore transfer guard from Virginia Tech. Originally from Clinton, Maryland, he played at DeMatha Catholic and was an All-Met First Team selection in 2021-22 and averaged 18.5 points per game across a three-year career.

For Maryland this year, he is averaging 13.7 points (45.7 FG%) and 2.3 rebounds. He shoots 36.8% from the three-point land and 81.8% from the free-throw line. Rice has a 53 assists to 27 turnovers ratio with 19 steals on the year.

STRENGTHS: Dangerous three-point shooter.

WEAKNESSES: Overall shooting FG percentage could be higher.

Selton Miguel is a 6'4", 217-pound fifth-year senior transfer who played at Kansas State and South Florida. Selton is originally from Luanda, Angola, and played in high school at West Oaks Academy in Orlando, Florida. A consensus Top 150 prospect by several recruiting services, including No. 83 overall by Rivals.com, and also rated among the Top 30 small forwards in the country, including No. 23 by Rivals.com.

As a senior at USF in 2023-24, he was selected as the AAC Sixth Man of the Year and the AAC Most Improved Player and to the All-AAC Second Team. In 33 games, he averaged 14.7 points per game, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game. For Maryland this year, he averages 11.9 points (44.2 FG%) and 1.9 rebounds. He shoots 73.2% from the free-throw line and 43.6% from the three-point line (133 attempts), and he has 55 assists and 26 turnovers ratios, with 22 steals for the year.

STRENGTHS: Another dangerous three-point shooter.

WEAKNESSES: Not many for what they ask him to do.

Tafara Gapara is a 6'9", 215-pound transfer junior forward who previously played at Georgia Tech and UMass. Originally from New Zealand, he played at the South Kent (Conn.) school and was ranked as the No. 1 player in Connecticut and rated as a four-star recruit by Rivals. As a sophomore at Georgia Tech, he played in 29 games and averaged 5.1 points and 3.7 rebounds with a team-high 20 blocked shots in conference games.

For Maryland this year, he averages 4.2 points (50% FG%) and 2.3 rebounds. He shoots 37.5% from 3-point land (32 attempts) and 63% from the free throw line, has six assists to 19 turnovers ratio, and adds 10 steals and 21 blocks for the year.

STRENGTHS: Capable three-point shooter who will block some shots.

WEAKNESSES: Not a good free throw shooter and will turn the ball over.

Deshawn Harris-Smith is a 6'5", 208-pound sophomore guard from Woodbridge, Virginia. He played at Paul VI Catholic High School and was a four-star recruit ranked No. 26 nationally. He averaged 17.8 points, 8.0 rebounds, 7.0 assists, and 2.6 steals per game. He was selected as one of 35 players nationally to participate in the USA Basketball Under-19 Men's National Team Training Camp and played in the Iverson All-American Game.

As a freshman for Maryland, he was a 2023-24 Big Ten All-Freshman Team Selection, starting 32 games, averaging 7.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game. This year for Maryland, he averages 2.8 points (39.4 FG%) and 2.5 rebounds. He shoots 55.6% from the free throw line and 19.2% from three-point land, with a 33 assists and 20 turnovers ratio, and has 13 steals for the year.

STRENGTHS: He is a decent playmaker.

WEAKNESSES: Below average shooter from the field and free throw line.

Jay Young is a 6'2", 180-pound graduate student transfer guard from Dallas, Texas. He started at Baton Rouge CC, then UCF, and then Memphis before arriving at Maryland. For Memphis, last year he played in 27 of Memphis' 32 games and averaged 2.2 points, 1.3 rebounds, 0.9 assists and 0.8 steals per game.

For Maryland this year, he averages 2.3 points (38.9 FG%) and 1.3 rebounds. He shoots 40% from three-point land (30 attempts) and 75% from the free-throw line. He has a 24 assists to 12 turnovers ratio with 18 steals for the year.

STRENGTHS: Decent playmaker and shooter from 3-point land.

WEAKNESSES: Overall, FG% could be better.

Malachi Palmer is a 6'6", 212-pound freshman guard from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, who played at Mt. Zion Prep in high school. He was the No. 2 ranked recruit from Maryland and the No. 119 overall recruit in the nation. Palmer was elected to play in both the 2024 Capital Classic and the 2024 Iverson Classic Showcase in high school.

For Maryland this year, he averages 2.1 points (34.2 FG%) and 1.8 rebounds. Palmer shoots 80% from the free-throw line and 27.3% from the three-point line. He has a six assists to two-turnovers ratio with three steals for the year.

STRENGTHS: Decent free throw shooter and playmaker.

WEAKNESSES: Not a perimeter threat.

Jordan Geronimo is a 6'6", 225 fifth-year transfer forward originally from Newark, N.J.; he played his High School ball at St. Paul's School in New Hampshire, where he was ranked No. 90 by Rivals.com and No. 96 by ESPN.com and averaged 18.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 2.0 steals, and 2.0 blocks and was known for his 7-foot wingspan. He transferred in from Indiana and played at Maryland last year, averaging 5.4 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 0.7 steals per game. He also added 29 steals and 34 blocks. Before Maryland, he played at Indiana and averaged 4.2 points and 2.4 rebounds per game.

For Maryland this year he averages 2.3 points (53.7 FG%) and 2.1 rebounds. He has made one three-pointer (25%) and 50% of his free throw attempts. He has a four-assists to eight-turnovers ratio and adds 13 steals and 15 blocks for the year.

STRENGTHS: Ability to block shots or get steals and a decent shooter.

WEAKNESSES: Not a three-point treat.