Maryland, Georgetown close to resuming rivalry in 2024

COLLEGE PARK — One of the area’s most missed college basketball matchups appears to be coming back — and soon.

Maryland and Georgetown are close to renewing their men’s basketball rivalry beginning in 2024, Terrapins coach Kevin Willard said Tuesday.

The momentum to reboot the series comes as former Providence coach Ed Cooley takes over the Hoyas’ reins and Willard begins his second year in College Park. The two are close friends dating to their days as Big East foes when Willard coached at Seton Hall.

“I understand for the fan bases how important that game is for this area. I get it. He gets it,” Willard said at Maryland’s season-opening media day Tuesday. “We were going to start it this year. We were — it was like, done, and it was a date thing. It was it was our date. I couldn’t find a date. So next year, I’m pretty confident that we’ll start.”

While not willing to guarantee or put a percentage on how close the deal is to being done — “I know Ed’s going to get mad at me” — Willard emphasized that it’s a near formality. 

“Well, he bought dinner the other night, so that was a good start,” Willard said. “We’re close, he’s a really good friend.” 

The series between the schools dates to 1911, but the two haven’t played since 2016 — a one-point Maryland victory in the District, 76-75. The Terrapins lead the all-time series with the Hoyas, 38-27.

“Percentage-wise, you know, maybe another dinner on it,” Willard said. “He’s got a new contract. So that’s how close we are. Probably just one more night [out] in D.C.”

Willard also said Maryland will compete in the Empire Classic at Madison Square Garden next season. That tournament will mark the second time the Long Island native will compete in his home state of New York as Terrapins coach after last year’s Basketball Hall of Fame Classic in Brooklyn.

The scheduling moves are meant to establish consistency in Maryland’s nonconference schedule, Willard said. He noted the Terrapins’ early-season tournament this year in Asheville, North Carolina, Nov. 10-12, left Maryland with a gap in the schedule over Thanksgiving break, which isn’t common.

“The Asheville tournament … really limited our nonconference games because our now-free date is Thanksgiving, but most tournaments are going on during Thanksgiving. Ours is the 10th and the 11th, which is usually when you play your second home nonconference game,” Willard said. “So this year’s schedule is still a little bit hampered just for the fact that our nonconference tournament is so early.”

Willard also touched on the future of what the Big Ten basketball will look like next season when the league adds four West Coast schools to its roster. He believes that the conference will expand from its current 20-game schedule to 22.

“I think we’ll add more league games,” Willard said. “So I think if we go to 22 league games, you’re probably gonna see less nonconference games. You’ll still play in a tournament, but that’ll probably be your only nonconference games you’ll play if you go to 22 league games.”

Willard, though, didn’t express the trepidation that other Big Ten basketball coaches have about the soon-to-be 18-team conference but did caution about balancing the physical demands on players with an expanded league slate.

“I’m excited about the expansion. I think it’s great,” Willard said. “If we add two more games on this schedule, you’re gonna have to really prepare and really take care of your players because you can’t put them through a gauntlet. It’s what happened to us last year.”