Maryland Terrapins

Record: 27-9 (14-6 Big Ten)
How they were eliminated: Lost 87-71 to Florida in the Sweet 16

Expected player departures: Derik Queen has cemented his position as a projected lottery pick in the 2025 NBA draft. The talented freshman will be difficult to replace. His frontcourt mate Julian Reese and a third starter, Selton Miguel, are also done. But coach Kevin Willard moving to Villanova would be the biggest departure.

Top incoming recruit: Chris Jeffrey. A 6-3 point guard from New York City, the four-star recruit averaged more than 24 points at Mt. Zion Prep in Lanham, Maryland. He would give the Terps a young player to develop.

Portal priorities: Not to harp on the Willard reports, but so much of this depends on what happens next for him. If Willard stays, he'll need to immediately hit the portal for top big men to replace Queen and Reese, a duo that led the program to its second Sweet 16 since 2003. If Willard's starting backcourt — Ja'Kobi Gillespie and Rodney Rice — returns, then he will have the building blocks for his team and just need to add key veterans. If Willard leaves, however, the Terps might have to start from scratch with their new head coach.

What happens if Kevin Willard leaves? The vibes around Maryland men's basketball right now are weird. Willard spent a portion of his news conferences this week criticizing the resources given to his program, and also refusing to directly address reports of him taking the Villanova coaching job. Maryland is a good job that can attract a quality coach should Willard leave. But with his departure the Terps could lose the bulk, if not all, of their roster, and his replacement could enter the revenue-sharing era of college basketball without any continuity. If, however, Maryland's investment in men's basketball is as real an issue as Willard has been making it out to be, the program might struggle to lure a top coaching target. — Myron Medcalf