The 2020-2021 season has certainly been one like no other thanks to COVID. One of the biggest reasons for that being the fact that fans have been unable to attend games. But ahead of their final home game Sunday versus Penn State, seniors Darryl Morsell and Reese Mona got some good news.

“We’re lucky [Sunday], parents get to come,” said Maryland head coach Mark Turgeon. “So all the parents will be here, that’ll be great for the guys. They can’t come on the floor with us, but we’ll do the video, we’ll announce them, it’s really all about the game.”

For Morsell and Mona, their parents have been regulars inside Xfinity Center throughout their careers, not missing a home game until this season.

“I was excited, my parents were excited, we were all excited,” said Mona. “It’s special that they are able to come to any game this year, especially senior night. Obviously they haven’t been to any home games this year. And I don’t think they have missed a home game in my four years that they have been allowed to go to.”

“It’s great,” added Morsell. “With all of the stuff that is going on, I’m just fortunate and blessed that they are able to come here and be a part of my senior night. And you know, how they came to all my games all the other years, so for them to get in the one this year and it being the last one, it’s big.”

With only parents in the stands Sunday, it shouldn’t be a problem for players to make eye contact or communicate, even though their families won’t be allowed on the floor.

“I usually know the spot and am always looking for them but this year it should be pretty easy to spot them,” Mona said.

Prior to this season, the Terps had gone 23-5 at home in Big Ten play over the previous three seasons and Morsell played a big part in that as a four-year starter. As a senior, he has also played a large part in the Terps’ current four-game home winning streak with his leadership and better understanding of the game.

"He's improved a lot,” Turgeon said of Morsell. “You know, he wasn't a great decision maker when he got here and right at the end of his sophomore year, he flipped it and he's just gotten better and better with his decision making and his passing. And you know, he got stronger, so he scores around the basket, he's gotten a lot better just his understanding. His screening, his moving, keep talking about his leadership but he's really really improved.

“Unfortunately for him this year, he's had a couple injuries that I think has really kind of taken away from where he was going. When he came back this summer, I was like, ‘woah,’ he was really at a high level. Then he had a shoulder injury early, then broke the bone in his face and then the shoulder again, it's kind of limited him. But he's been great, you know. He was great at Northwestern, I thought, hit a big three for us, I think he had 13 points and he's been good and he's worked at it. He's been patient with it and the thing I love about it is, very rarely now does he take a bad shot. He's always trying to do what's best for the team and sometimes seniors don't do that. They try to do a little bit more than they're supposed to do. And he's hung in there and done exactly what he needs to do to help us be successful."

The Terps and Nittany Lions are set to tip-off in College Park at 7 p.m. ET. The game will be televised on BTN and broadcast on the Maryland Sports Radio Network.