Julian ‘Juju’ Reese has been playing with something to prove all season. From the moment his sister, Angel Reese, said he’d have a big year, the Maryland forward has backed it up. Now, he’s leading the Terps on a deep tournament run, proving he belongs among college basketball’s best.
Maryland’s road to the Sweet 16 hasn’t been easy. They finished the regular season 26-8 and made a strong push in the Big Ten tournament before falling to Michigan in the final. As the No. 4 seed in the West Regional, they had to grind for every win. First up? A tough battle against the No. 13 Grand Canyon. Julian set the tone with 18 points and nine rebounds in a hard-fought win. But the next game was the real test.
Things started rocky for Maryland. They trailed by 12 in the first half and were down seven at halftime. But then came the comeback, fueled by their height advantage and sheer refusal to go home early. With six seconds left, Colorado State’s Jalen Lake unleashed a rainbow three-pointer, giving the Rams a 71-70 lead. Terps fans were sweating. But freshman big man, Derik Queen, wasn’t about to let a Cinderella story happen on his watch. The 6-foot-10 center calmly drilled a fadeaway jumper off the glass as the buzzer sounded, sending the Terps to the Sweet 16 for the 15th time in program history.
The crowd went wild. And Angel? She was right there celebrating. She hopped on X and fired off a four-word message: “Sweet 16. Let’s Dance! GO TERPS!”—a rallying cry that was more than just sibling pride. It was sure to spark motivation in the entire camp, as they now prepare to face No. 1 seed Florida in the West Region semifinals.
Coming to Julian, he wasn’t just padding the stats sheet- he was making history. He entered the game with a deficit of five rebounds to hit the 1,000 mark. And if you know Julian, you know he wastes no time! Snatching the milestone with 5:32 left in the first half, he entered a very exclusive club. Let’s put it this way—before tonight, the entire membership list read: Len Elmore. Now? It’s Len Elmore and Julian Reese. The Terps made sure to celebrate accordingly: “Len Elmore. Julian Reese. The only Terps with 1,000 career rebounds. Congrats, Juju!”
Never stopping and with 22 seconds left, the 6-foot-9 junior forward muscled his way to a crucial offensive rebound, then coolly drained two free throws to give Maryland a 70-68 lead. “Big rebounds in big games are becoming a Reese family tradition,” wrote the Associated Press. Pretty spot on!
Rebounding does run in the family. Angel Restarted her college career at Maryland before becoming a star at LSU. As a sophomore with the Terrapins women’s team in 2022, she led Maryland to the Sweet 16, averaging 17.5 points and 10.7 rebounds per game. Her standout performance came against No. 1 seed Stanford, where she posted 25 points, 9 rebounds, 3 steals, and 3 blocks in a 72-66 loss. “A healthy Maryland is a scary Maryland,” she said ahead of that game, something that still resonates. Though she transferred to LSU—a move she described as needing “to see something different”—her ties to the program and her Baltimore roots remain unbreakable.
Julian plays with that same fire. He dominated against Colorado State with 15 points and 11 rebounds, shooting 5-for-7 from the field and hitting all five free throws, battling the likes of Colorado State’s Rashaan Mbemba with an edge honed from his Baltimore youth.
“I played with the boys and my brother,” Angel once said of those days, “I used to win all the time. And I used to trash talk. They hated it.” That competitive fire, now present in Julian too, was forged on their driveway hoop under the watchful eye of their mother, Angel Reese Sr., who also used to play. “My mom had to take [the hoop] down because me and him used to literally go at it and kill each other,” Angel recalled in an ESPN feature. After the game, Julian too reflected on the intensity that fuels both him and Angel. “I know she’s probably going crazy,” he said. “We just play with so much intensity and wear our feelings on our sleeves. I just didn’t want that to be our last game.”
Now, Julian is leading Maryland’s March Madness run while Angel dominates in the WNBA and Unrivaled’s 3×3 league. The Reese siblings keep pushing each other. But the job’s not done. Next up? No. 1 seed Florida.
Angel Reese’s brother and team ready for the Florida showdown
Maryland is now heading to the Sweet 16. And they’ve got their biggest test yet—No. 1 seed Florida. A spot in the Elite Eight is on the line. The Terps will need every ounce of Julian’s fire to keep dancing.
Reese has been the heart of this Maryland squad. He’s not just a dominant big man; he’s a leader. But it’s not just Juju. Freshman Derik Queen proved he’s built for the moment, sinking the buzzer-beater that kept the Terps alive. Jahmir Young has been Maryland’s go-to scorer all season. The backcourt duo of DeShawn Harris-Smith and Ian Martinez has stepped up in big moments. This team is clicking at the right time.
But moving forward, they will have to remember that the Gators don’t just win—they dominate. Of their 32 wins, 25 have been by double digits. They’ve handled top-tier teams like Tennessee, Alabama, and Virginia with ease. Their balanced attack, led by Walter Clayton Jr., makes them a nightmare to defend. Clayton, a former Iona standout, has been a force, averaging 17.7 points per game while shooting nearly 40% from three. Against UConn, he showed his clutch gene, scoring eight of his 23 points in the final minutes.
