Major College Basketball Coach Clowns The Media Ahead Of Sweet 16 Game: WATCH
Maryland basketball coach Kevin Willard has no interest in discussing his job status with the Terrapins.
Maryland plays Florida in the Sweet 16 Thursday night, and it's an opportunity for the program to extend its incredible run.
However, the focus hasn't really recently been on what the team is doing on the court. The focus has been on speculation Willard is going to leave for the Villanova job, and the fact he's openly complaining about how the program handles things has fans very worried.
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Will Kevin Willard leave the Maryland Terrapins? (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)
Maryland coach Kevin Willard clowns the media amid speculation about Villanova job.
He definitely didn't soothe any of those fears during a Wednesday press conference. In fact, he completely ignored any attempt to discuss his complaints and future plans.
Willard was asked about why he chose to vent publicly about the situation amid speculation he's as good as gone. Instead of addressing the very reasonable question, he decided to completely ignore it while talking about the matchup with Florida.
"I'll be honest, I think our biggest thing is we’ve got to stop [Walter Clayton Jr.]. He’s really good. He shoots the basketball going left 48 percent. He shoots it right going at, like, 38 percent. So really, the last couple of days, trying to come up with a game plan to stop Clayton because I think he’s one of the best guards in the country that we’ve seen. And then, really obviously, trying to fix our rebounding woes have been at the top of my mind, too. It’s a big problem," Willard said in response to the question that had nothing to do with playing Florida.
The bizarre press conference didn't end there. Willard was hit with another follow-up that he chose to completely disregard.
"You went on the radio last night or yesterday and talked about working with somebody in the athletic department. Were there any updates you had for us about it," a reporter asked the Terrapins coach.
"Yeah, we’re playing Florida. We’re playing Florida. It’s a big matchup for us. This is all about the Sweet 16 and these guys enjoying it as much as possible. I’ve enjoyed it tremendously. I do love this town. It’s a great town. Great food. Got to have dinner with P.J. Carlesimo last night, which is always a lot of fun, the stories we get to tell about Seton Hall. And Chris Mullin and coach Van Gundy joined us. We had a great time last night," Willard said in response, according to The Athletic.
Maryland coach Kevin Willard deflected when asked about his complaints about the program. There is speculation he's taking the Villanova job. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
Yeah, I think it's safe to say these comments won't do anything to calm the fears of Maryland fans that Willard is likely out the door.
The craziest thing is that the Terrapins are currently enjoying their best season in a long time. It's the program's first Sweet 16 appearance since 2016 (Barack Obama was President the last time it happened), and the team is 27-8.
Yet, none of the success on the court has done anything to slow the chatter that Willard is going to leave. Judging from his comments and the fact he completely ignored the basic questions, I think it's safe to say the worrying from fans is 100% justified.
Maryland plays Florida in the Sweet 16. There are fears head coach Kevin Willard is leaving. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
There could be immediate clarity on the situation if the Terrapins lose Thursday night. If Willard leaves, it's going to happen fast. We'll wait to see how it all unfolds. Hit me with your thoughts at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.