Maryland football and basketball both enjoyed the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat at times throughout the past year. There were certainly peaks and valleys for both programs in the last 12 months, but to highlight some of the best storylines of the year, TSR takes a look at the top Terps’ moments of 2019.
Men’s Basketball
Terps upset then-No. 12 Purdue in College Park — February 12
After losing to Purdue in West Lafayette in December 2018, the Terps got their revenge in College Park in early 2019. The marquee victory in a season that many believe fell short of expectations, Maryland welcomed the No.12-ranked Boilermakers to Xfinity Center and defeated them decisively, 70-56. The win was part of a stretch in which the Terps won four of five Big Ten games. Carsen Edwards was the only one to do any damage for Purdue, scoring 24 points in 37 minutes. But it took Edwards 27 shots to get there as Maryland dominated defensively and used a balanced offensive attack led by a Bruno Fernando double-double (12 points, 12 rebounds). Terps’ freshmen Jalen ‘Stix’ Smith, Eric Ayala, and Aaron Wiggins also finished with 16, 15, and 11 points, respectively, in the 14-point victory, while Anthony Cowan Jr. posted a 12-point, six-assists, and four-rebound line.
Maryland beats Belmont in First Round of NCAA Tournament — March 21
The reason many believe the 2018-19 season was a bit of a disappoint for Maryland basketball is because the Terps only won one NCAA Tournament game with an All-Big Ten point guard and center (Cowan and Fernando), as well as a freshman former McDonald’s All-American (Smith). However, the lone tournament victory was an exciting one for Maryland, who staved off a tough mid-major in Belmont. The Terps’ didn’t make it easy, as they allowed Belmont’s eventual first-round pick Dylan Windler to go for a game-high 35 points, but Maryland was able to come away with a thrilling 79-77 victory thanks to double-digit scoring efforts from four of its five starters. The Terps’ bigs dominated the Bruins, as Smith (19 points, 12 rebounds) and Fernando (14 points, 13 rebounds) each recorded double-doubles in the win. The Terps trailed by six at halftime, but Darryl Morsell helped take over the game in the second half for Maryland and finished with 18 points.
Bruno Fernando drafted 34th overall by Sixers, traded to Hawks — June 20
Fernando was truly a special player in his two seasons at Maryland. The Angola native showed tons of upside as a freshman starter for the Terps, but Fernando’s breakout sophomore campaign made him one of the first picks in the second round of the NBA draft, making him the first Angolan ever drafted to the NBA. It was the Philadelphia 76ers that selected Fernando with the 34th overall pick, but he was subsequently traded to the Atlanta Hawks on draft night. He was signed by the Hawks on July 7. Fernando’s numbers while he was at Maryland speak for themselves. He left College Park second in career field goal percentage (.595), single-season double-doubles (22, 2018-19); fourth in single-season rebounds (362, 2018-19); sixth in single-season field goal percentage (.607, 2018-19); eighth in career blocked shots average (1.6/game); ninth in career double-doubles (25); and 10th in career rebounding average (8.7). Keep in mind, this was all in just two seasons. Not only did Fernando make an impact on the Terps’ record books, but he also made a real connection with the Maryland fan base as a player who always played with high energy and passion.
Terps ranked No. 7 in preseason AP Poll — October 21
Losing Fernando was a bit of a gutshot for Maryland basketball, but the Terps reloaded heavily with a five-man recruiting class that included four four-stars and Philadelphia’s player of the year as well as the return of their senior point guard (Cowan), who tested the water of the NBA Draft before deciding to give it one more year in College Park. The strong offseason matched with a sophomore class that has grown immensely and has a ton of talent, and that’s how Maryland found itself as a preseason Top-10 team in every prominent national poll. The Terps were the Associated Press AP Poll’s No. 7 to start the season and have so far climbed as high as No. 3 this year. The Terps’ will enter 2020 ranked, assuming they can take care of business Dec. 29 against Bryant, but they have currently fallen to No. 13 in the AP Poll with back-to-back losses after a 10-0 start.
Maryland wins the Orlando Invitational — November 28 - December 1
Part of what helped Maryland climb all the way to No. 3 in the AP Poll was the Terps’ three wins in four days to take the Orlando Invitational title. Maryland started by edging one out against Temple on Thanksgiving, handled Harvard the next day, and then played one of their best games of the Turgeon era in the finals against Marquette with an 84-63 win on Sunday to take home the holiday tournament championship. Maryland has been 2-2 since winning the Orlando Invitational, but the Terps’ early-season tournament record on a neutral floor remains impressive (13-1 in their last 14).
Football
Nick Cross signs with Terps — February 12
It’s always a good thing with the top-ranked player in the state of Maryland signs with the Terps. And that’s exactly what happened when Hyattsville (Md.) DeMatha Catholic four-star safety Nick Cross decided to join Maryland’s 2019 class on National Signing Day in February 2019. In head coach Mike Locksley’s inaugural class, it was the first time Maryland signed the state’s top-ranked player since Damian Prince in 2014. Cross was a Rivals100 prospect and a First-Team Washington Post All-Metro selection. He finished his senior season with 94 tackles and four interceptions while being coached at DeMatha by current Maryland running backs coach Elijah Brooks and former Terp defensive back Josh Wilson. Cross earned First-Team WCAC honors twice and had an excellent freshman season for the Terps, finishing with 45 tackles, five passes defended and two interceptions.
Darnell Savage Jr. drafted in First Round by Packers — April 25
Cross was brought in by the Terps to replace a standout talent in Savage, who was drafted in the first round by the Green Bay Packers after starting all 12 games for Maryland in back-to-back seasons and being named Second Team All-Big Ten as a senior. Savage proved to be a ballhawk for the Terps with seven interceptions combined between his junior and senior seasons, and he appears to have brought that with him to the pros, already recording two interceptions and two forced fumbles to go along with the 52 tackles so far as a rookie. The Newark, Delaware, native made a name for himself in College Park as a tough player who would play through various injuries and lay a hard hit or come up with a big play when Mayland’s defense needed it most. He and Terps fans alike are hoping for the same type of success throughout a long NFL career.
Terps upset then-No. 21 Syracuse 63-20 in College Park — September 7
It was a pretty dismal 2019 season for the 3-9 Terps, but the highlight of the year was certainly a 43-point home win over a Syracuse squad that fell short of expectations when it was all said and done but came to College Park as a ranked team with high expectations. It was a filed day for the Maryland offense, as the Terps racked up 650 total yards and finished 11-for-15 on third down. Six of Maryland’s nine touchdowns were on the ground, led by Javon Leake’s seven-carry, 107-yard and two-score performance, and the Terps added three more through the air thanks to a stellar performance by quarterback Josh Jackson. Running back Anthony McFarland also had a standout performance against the Orange, scoring two rushing touchdowns and one receiving touchdown. The party was shortlived for the Terps, who went 1-9 from that point forward.
Rakim Jarrett flips from LSU to Maryland on signing day — December 18
Maryland fans who had to sit through a disappointing 2019 season at least got a big gift prior to the holidays. That gift came on Dec. 18 during the National Signing Day early period when Washington (D.C.) St. John’s College High five-star wide receiver Rakim Jarrett flipped his commitment from LSU and signed with the Terps. The local five-star was the No. 1-ranked recruit out of D.C. and ranked No. 2 in the country at his position. A top-25 prospect nationally, Jarrett was Maryland’s first five-star signee since Prince in 2014 and highest-rated prospect to sign with the Terps since Stefon Diggs in 2012. Jarrett is currently the crown jewel of a top-30 recruiting class that will be finalized in the first week of February.
Ruben Hyppolite stays true to his word, signs with Terps — December 18
If Jarrett hadn’t flipped to Maryland, Hyppolite would have been far and away the highlight of the Terps’ 2020 class. The Hollywood (Fla.) McArthur four-star linebacker committed to Maryland in April, and despite picking up offers from SEC powerhouses Alabama and Florida after that and taking several visits to local favorite Miami, he stayed true to his word and signed with the Terps early in the morning on signing day. Hyppolite shot up recruiting rankings and earned some impressive offers after his Maryland verbal, but he remained steadfast in his commitment, telling TSR after he signed that he never wavered in his decision and is excited to be a building block for the Terps moving forward.
