Maryland
Maryland Basketball, Kevin Willard face pressure ahead of No. 17 Illinois
The Maryland Terrapins return to the hardwood tonight for a massive conference matchup against No. 17 Illinois. And while the good news is that Maryland is still very much in the tournament picture with 12 games to go in the regular season, the bad news is that tonight’s matchup takes place in Champaign.
Road wins have certainly been hard to come by for Willard and the Terrapins. In fact, Maryland is just 6-21 on the road since Willard took over in 2022. The Terps are winless in true road games this season and haven’t experienced a win on the road since Feb. 25, 2024. Those struggles on the road have become the main talking point when it comes to Willard and this Maryland Basketball program, so much so that some are starting to wonder if it might be time for a coaching change.
Following a three point win against Nebraska at home last Sunday, Big Ten analyst John Beilein indicated he believes the Terps have the right staff and the right players. But ultimately, Beilein acknowledged that the road issues are impossible to ignore.
“Maryland’s just… they’re up and they’re down, Beilein said. “They’re up and they’re down, and they’re trying to find themselves somewhere along the line. They have the talent, they have the coaching expertise to be really good in this league, but together they’ve got to figure it out. Because, and we talked about this last week, you’ve got to go .500 on this road if you’re going to be at that top and be safely in that good seed in the NCAA [tournament]. They’re not going .500 on the road. Illinois will probably go .500 on the road, Michigan might be even better than that. But Maryland’s not doing that until they solve some of these issues.”
Willard has also acknowledged the road issues for his basketball program, while also saying that the schedule hasn’t helped matters.
“I’ve said this for as long as I’ve been a coach, sometimes your schedule will dictate how you play. And you cannot let your schedule affect how you get better and what your goal is overall. And we’ve definitely had a tough go. Nebraska’s had a tough go. Northwestern played Sunday at noon against Michigan State, we played Monday night at 9 and had to travel. And people say that’s not that big of a deal, what’s the difference? That gives a team a whole… one team is coming off a bye week and has a whole day of rest and preparation.”
Willard may have a point when it comes to scheduling, but the reality is that every team in the conference has to deal with a challenging schedule. That comes with the territory in being part of the Big Ten.
When the Terrapins take the court in Champaign tonight at 9 pm ET, they’ll have another opportunity to change a growing narrative about their program. But a loss will only reinforce what many critics already believe to be true about Willard and the Terps.
Big contest tonight for the Terps. Make sure you’re tuned in
🆚 #17 Illinois — Maryland Men’s Basketball (@TerrapinHoops) January 23, 2025
🗓️ 1/23
🕘 9:00 PM ET
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Calling all outdoorsmen and women — Maryland’s Lower Shore is home to some of the best hiking, walking and running trails on the East Coast.
Here’s a closer look at four picturesque parks and preserves with nature trails in the Berlin, Salisbury and Ocean City area.
Assateague Island
Assateague Island offers a wide variety of paved and unpaved trails open for hiking and 37 miles of flat beach terrain for wandering and beachcombing. Assateague Island’s Maryland District features a Life of the Dunes trail, Life of the Forest trail, Life of the Marsh trail.
Furnace Town
Furnace Town is nestled between the Pocomoke State Forest and Nature Conservancy’s Nassawango Creek Preserve. The popular historical site offers three Nature Conservancy Trails, three Maryland Forest service Trails, and a 26-acre outdoor museum and recreation area.
Pemberton Historical Park
Pemberton Historical Park, a 262-acre area featuring a trail system, outdoor amphitheater and more, was created in the 1980s. The park offers 4.5 miles of nature trails for walking and hiking only, allowing visitors to explore wetlands, forests and more of the natural world.
Nassawango Creek Preserve
Nassawango Creek Preserve’s primeval forest has an abundance of bald cypress and black gum trees. Visitors are invited to indulge in its four trails, the Nassawango Joe, Prothonotary Warbler, Ron Wilson Memorial Trail and Leifer Trail, as well as self-guided audio tours.
Olivia Minzola covers communities on the Lower Shore. Contact her with tips and story ideas at ominzola@delmarvanow.com.
The 21-year-old second baseman and 11th overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft has deep ties to the D.C. region.
(Courtesy Washington Nationals)
Courtesy Washington Nationals
(Courtesy Washington Nationals)
Courtesy Washington Nationals
(Courtesy Washington Nationals)
Courtesy Washington Nationals
(Courtesy Washington Nationals)
Courtesy Washington Nationals
(Courtesy Washington Nationals)
Courtesy Washington Nationals
(Courtesy Washington Nationals)
Courtesy Washington Nationals
Washington Nationals’ first-round draft pick Chris Hacopian inked his first professional contract Wednesday, a moment made sweeter by the fact it was just a 30-minute drive from home to get to Nationals Park and put pen to paper.
The 21-year-old second baseman and 11th overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft has deep ties to the D.C. region. He’s from Potomac, Maryland, and played his high school ball at Winston Churchill, where he was named the 2022 Maryland Gatorade Player of the Year and a 2022 Washington Post All-Met selection.
According to MLB.com, Hacopian grew up a Nationals fan, admiring the likes of Ian Desmond, Danny Espinosa and others. He also played his first two collegiate seasons at the University of Maryland, where his father Derek played before him, before transferring to Texas A&M for his junior season.
With the Aggies, Hacopian hit .319 with 11 home runs and 41 RBI across 42 games en route to being named First-Team All-Southeastern Conference and a Third-Team All-American by Baseball America, the Nationals said in a news release.
After inking his contract Wednesday, Hacopian donned his new jersey and ball cap and stepped onto D.C.’s beloved diamond as a part of the Nationals organization for the first time.
“That was so cool, oh my gosh. I’ve been in the stands like, 100 times, but being on the field is so different,” he said.
Hacopian was ranked 14th among MLB Draft prospects by MLB.com. The 6-foot-1-inch, 210-pound second baseman boasted one of the best bats in college baseball, according to MLB.com, with excellent control over the strike zone and feel for the barrel, along with solid pop.
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The state said the five recently traveled together to “a location in the U.S. experiencing an active measles outbreak.”
Maryland health officials confirmed five more measles cases, all in Carroll County.
“These individuals recently traveled together to a location in the U.S. experiencing an active measles outbreak,” the state Department of Health said in a release.
The agency said others may have been exposed on the afternoon of July 13 in the emergency department waiting room at Carroll Hospital Center in Westminster.
Another measles case recently prompted warnings from health officials in Maryland, Virginia and the District. On June 17, a Maryland resident traveled through Dulles International Airport and visited a D.C. urgent care clinic.
Measles is highly contagious. It can spread through the air through coughs, breathing, and sneezes. Early symptoms can include fevers of over 101 degrees, coughs, runny noses, watery eyes and face or body rashes.
It can take up to 21 days after exposure for the first symptoms to appear, and those who are not fully vaccinated or otherwise immune to measles are especially vulnerable.
The five new measles cases in Maryland bring the state’s year-to-date total to nine. The state health department confirmed three cases in 2025, and one in each of the previous two years.
“All Marylanders should review potential exposure times, watch for symptoms, and confirm they are up to date on their measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccinations,” the health department said.
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© 2026 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
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