Lance Stephenson to Delay Announcement

Tonight is the McDonald's All-American game, which shows off the best high school talent in the country. One player that will be participating is 6'5 shooting guard Lance Stephenson (read about him here) of Lincoln High School in Brooklyn, NY. Tonight is also the night when Stephenson was supposed to announce which college he will attend next year. He has decided to postpone that, however. Although neither Memphis nor Kentucky seemed to be a likely suitor, ESPN reports that Calipari's uncertain future with the Tigers could play a role. 

Right now, Stephenson has made it known that there are still three schools in the running - national powerhouse Kansas, local St. John's out of the Big East, and the somewhere in between University of Maryland. 

In early February, especially after his visit to campus to watch the Terps take down the Miami Hurricanes at home, Maryland was considered by many to be the favorite to land Stephenson. He was supposed to be the recruit that would "save Gary Williams' job," back when it seemed that Gary Williams' job needed saving. Players have openly talked about him; Greivis Vasquez got press (surprise) when he announced that if Stephenson came to Maryland, then Vasquez would be back for his senior season.

Since then, though, it appears that Kansas has overtaken Maryland as Stephenson's college of choice. As warm of a reception as Stephenson got at Maryland, he got a better one at Kansas. Stephenson has also said that the primary factor in his choice of school was his desire to win a national championship. Undoubtedly, Kansas is closer to that goal then Maryland at this point. St. John's is basically out of the running.

Right now, between message boards all over and small hints from Stephenson himself, I would put the percentages at: Kansas, 75%; Maryland, 20%; St. Johns, 5%. So no, I don't think that when Stephenson announces his choice, Maryland fans will be celebrating. I do stil think there's a shot, though. His mother has gone public and said that her choice for her son was Maryland. He fits into Gary Williams' style of play perfectly. He would be "that guy" at Maryland, whereas he would be just another great player at Kansas. He would be closer to home at Maryland. His high school teammate, James Padgett, has already committed to Maryland and wants Stephenson to join him. 

If Stephenson does become a Terp for next season, it will immediately make Maryland a top 25 team. A potential starting lineup of Greivis Vasquez, Lance Stephenson, Sean Mosley, Landon Milbourne, and Jordan Williams would be fast, strong, and very solid defensively. Stephenson and Vasquez could both average around 20 ppg for the season. It would be Maryland's highest rated recruit of the past ten years, with the possible exception of bust Mike Jones.

That being said, if Kansas is the choice, Maryland fans should not despair. It was a good sign that Maryland even got this far in the recruiting process, and shows that Gary still has pull when he really feels like it. This is not to mention Stephenson's alleged attitude problems, and the fact he is certainly a "one and done" player, and Williams likes recruiting four year players. This would also open up the team to recruit Baltimore product Terrell Vinson, a 6'7 foward who is a St. Frances product, the same high school Sean Mosley attended. Vinson still apparently has around 10 suitors, and Maryland is one of them. Without Stephenson, they will have the roster spot. 

I'll be following it, and you guys will know first thing where Stephenson ends up. If it happens, it will be great for the school. Don't get your hopes up too high, though. 

(Photo Credit: lance-stephenson.com ... yes, he has his own website)

Terp Basketball Offseason 1: The Returning Players

I was going to do a 2009-10 season outlook, but I realized there are way too many question marks still out there about the personnel that will be playing next year. So, I decided to do a two-part post about the possible personnel for next season. The first post will be a discussion on those players definitely returning to contribute to the team next year, and the second post will be about the question marks.

DEFINITE PLAYERS ON THE ROSTER NEXT SEASON

1. Landon Milbourne (SR): Milbourne followed a terrible freshman campaign (1.0 ppg, 0.8 rpg) with a so-so sophomore season (8.2 ppg, 3.5 rpg), and just followed that with a good junior season (11.4 ppg, 5.2 rpg). Terp fans can only hope he continues to progress and have a great senior year. Although his level of play diminished in ACC season because he was continually overmatched being a 6'7 power forward, Landon showed great toughness and the rare ability to consistently make a mid-range jumper.

WAY TOO EARLY PROGNOSIS: Milbourne is a definite starter next season. It could be at either forward position, but he will be in the starting lineup from the first to the last game, barring injury.

2. Sean Mosley (SO): Mosley was a fan favorite last season because of his incredible grittiness and determination. In only one season, he established himself as the Terps' best defender. Throughout the course of the season, he was matched up man-to-man with team's leading scorers, whether they were a guard or forward. He played much larger than his size (6'4), and often forced jump balls. Offensively, Mosley needs plenty of work. He showed flashes of terrific spin moves and ability to get into the lane, but rarely finished down low. His jump shot always looks good coming out of his hand, but his 37% FG% and 24% FG% (3-PT) need to improve. It would also be good to see his FT% (70.7%) jump up about five percentage points.

WAY TOO EARLY PROGNOSIS: Mosley started 16 of 35 games this year, including the last 15 games of the season. His role largely depends upon other personnel, but Mosley will probably (75%) start at either the shooting guard or third guard position next season.

3. Eric Hayes (SR): Hayes is almost as big of a "love him or hate him" type player as Greivis Vasquez was for the team this year, largely because it seemed that if you loved GV, you hated Hayes, and if you hated GV, you loved Hayes. Either way, nobody can argue with the seeming revitalization of Hayes, starting in the ACC tournament. After being one of the key factors in the loss to UVA to end the season (he missed his first six three-point attempts), Hayes singlehandedly led the team to victory against Wake Forest, and kept the team fighting against Duke. To Hayes's credit, after losing his starting job to Sean Mosley following the BC loss, Hayes never complained, and embraced his role as sixth man for the Terps. As the team's second best returning three point shooter and one of three seniors, Hayes will have a big role for the team next year.

WAY TOO EARLY PROGNOSIS: This is going to be one of the more interesting cases next year. Hayes will likely start if Vasquez leaves, but likely will come off the bench if Vasquez does indeed leave, so I'll call it 50%. Either way, he will get his minutes.

4. Adrian Bowie (JR): Bowie was arguably the most inconsistent player on an inconsistent team this season. He saw his points and assists greatly improve from his freshman to sophomore season (3.7ppg and 0.9 apg to 9.0 ppg and 3.0 apg) but also saw his FG% decrease from 58% to 45%. Bowie will almost always be the fastest player on the court when he plays, but teams (Memphis especially) were able to game-plan for him by sagging off him in the half-court and forcing him to take jump shots, which he could not consistently convert. His size often was a liability on defense, as he had to fight extra hard to get through screens on the perimeter, but his speed in the transition game was invaluable.

WAY TOO EARLY PROGNOSIS: Bowie started 28 of 35 games as a sophomore, but will likely be squeezed out of a starting spot as a junior because of the team's ability to field a serviceable front-court. Since the Terps will most likely play almost exclusively man-to-man defense next year, Bowie's minutes will largely depend on the opposing team's speed.

5. Cliff Tucker (JR): Tucker returns as the team's best three point shooter, and when he gets in, he is a key part of the team's offense. He didn't see much time during the year, though - a mere 12.2 mpg - because of his lackluster defense and apparent poor practice habits. Coach Williams is known to give minutes to those who do both of those things well, and has hinted that Tucker has disappointed him in both regards. Because of what he gives the team offensively, though, there will be minutes for Tucker if he can step up on the defensive end. As they say, he just needs to pretend he's playing against UNC every game (whom he averaged 20 points against).

WAY TOO EARLY PROGNOSIS: There is likely going to be minutes for either Bowie or Tucker next year, but not both. Because of that, depending on the game, it is very likely that Bowie and Tucker's minutes will come inversely proportional to one another. I have a hard time imagining many scenarios where both are on the court at the same time next year.

6. Dino Gregory (JR): Gregory was bested only by Dave Neal as the team's biggest surprise this season. At 6'7 with not much weight on him, Gregory was undersized every time he stepped on the court, especially because he was forced to play center for a lot of his minutes. He made up for it defensively, though, because of his supreme leaping ability. He also probably took more charges than anyone else on the team. Offensively, he was not able to get much more than about one put-back on an offensive rebound per game, but he showed flashes of an ability shoot a short jumper. He should get with Keith Booth and focus on acquiring some low post moves this summer.

WAY TOO EARLY PROGNOSIS: Dino's going to play next year, and he may play a lot. Ideally, he and the two freshman will play in a three-man rotation at the two big positions, but Gary might be reluctant to constantly fill two positions on the court with three players who have a combined one year playing experience (Gregory only got in 16 games as a freshman). He probably won't start, but he will be one of the first two "bigs" off the bench.

7. Jordan Williams (FR): I have never seen Williams play, so all I can tell you is what I have seen on this page. Instantly, what has to jump out at you is his size: at 6'10, 240, Williams is going to be a big body for the Terps down low. Other than that, we will have to wait and see.

WAY TOO EARLY PROGNOSIS: I see Williams starting next year from day one. Don't get fooled into believing that what Dave Neal did this year (be a serviceable starting center in the ACC at 6'7) can be relied upon to be replicated. Williams is going to be the only player on the Terps with real size, and will be thrown into the fire early and often.

8. James Padgett (FR): Same deal with Williams. I've never seen him in person, so you can know what I know by reading this. At 6'8 with a little weight on him, he has good build for apower forward. I like the comments about him, especially about his toughness. This is the guy that scored 50 in a game this year. I don't care if that means he played against bad competition; I want a guy that can score 50 in a game on my team.

WAY TOO EARLY PROGNOSIS: Padgett has about a 25% chance of starting. He will start if either of the following happens: he outplays Williams in practice, or the Terps want to play a traditional lineup, but don't sign Terrell Vinson. If he doesn't get the starting nod, he will be a contributor for the team off the bench.

I'll be posting soon (likely tomorrow) about the players whose roles on the team are uncertain at this point.

(Photo Credits: umterps.com)

A Round of Applause for Gary Williams

Gary Williams' 20th season at Maryland was certainly one to remember. Sure, he didn't win the ACC Championship. Nor did he win the NCAA Tournament. But what he managed to do this past season was nothing short of amazing.

Sure, his team lost games they should have won - most notably against Boston College, Miami, Virginia, and Morgan State - and was left for dead after finishing 7-9 in the ACC regular season. All they had to do was beat Virginia, and they would probably be in the tournament. They lost, and many, including Tony and I, believed the team would not show up for the ACC Tournament after choking away their season in Virginia.

Both Gary and the team proved us wrong, and they beat N.C. State and upset Wake Forest before losing to Duke for the third time this season (though the team looked much better in the last two meetings than in the first). It looked as though the Terps had saved their season. They were seeded 10th in the West Region when the NCAA Tournament brackets were announced and would play 7th-seeded California.

Maryland then went out and beat the Golden Bears before falling to 2-seed Memphis, in a game in which every shot the Tigers took went in, especially from 3-point land. The talent difference was obvious, but you have to applaud the Terps for all they accomplished this year, and I believe Gary deserves most, if not all, of the credit.

He took a team that had 6'7" Dave Neal - who probably wouldn't crack the roster on most of the top teams in the nation - as its starting center to the 2nd round of the NCAA Tournament. He had no front court, one established scorer, a freshman who played great defense but couldn't make a layup to save his life, inconsistent backup guards (Bowie, Tucker, Hayes), and disappointing seasons from big men Braxton Dupree and Jerome Burney. Williams had to rely on Neal, Landon Milbourne (who is generally a small #4), and Dino Gregory to handle other teams' centers and fowards, who almost always were bigger, stronger, and better.

Still, Williams got his team to fight every game. He got them to fight for him while questions about his future at the school circulated. He controlled his explosive superstar as much as he could, and helped him develop into a great all-around guard. Next year's outlook is suddenly much more optimistic for Terps fans than it was 2 weeks ago. Williams already has two top recruits coming in, both of which while contribute to the team's front court as freshmen. Oh, and he could end up getting Lance "Born Ready" Stephenson to commit to Maryland as well (who will announce April 1st). Even if Stephenson doesn't come to Maryland, next year looks promising - though Vasquez's senior year is up in the air at this point.

The more I think about it, the more amazed I am at what the Terps did this year. Tony and I thought they had a chance at the tournament because of a soft non-conference schedule. We knew it was a little optimistic to predict a tournament appearance, but they surpassed that and actually won a game. The only thing I can do is tip my hat to Gary and his staff; he really is one of the best in the country at maximizing talent and getting players to fit his system.

(Photo: Washington Post)

Bubble? What Bubble?

Editor's Note: I originally wrote that Maryland played California in Anaheim. They actually play in Missouri. 

The brackets are out, and, I won't lie, when CBS announced that Arizona had made it in the field as a number 12 seed, my heart sank a little bit. "They took our spot." Lo and behold, though, only a few minutes later Maryland was announced as a number 10 seed in the West. It's a better seed than any Maryland fan could have ever hoped for. Sure, you can nitpick, and there's room to. Maryland's playing their first round game against California, and then if they win that they get the opportunity to play the best defensive team in the country, Memphis. To look at it like that, though, is wrong. One game at a time. California is a true 7 seed, and will be a good test. 

I'm going to be posting about March Madness this entire week, so I will keep this initial post short.  Gary Williams is, without a doubt, one of the best pure coaches in college basketball. In no way am I retracting any of the anger I felt earlier this year about the team and their lack of talent, because that is still all on him. What is amazing, though, is that Gary took a team that last year went to the NIT and turned them into a tournament team. He did that while losing two senior big men, including one who was third team All-ACC, and replacing them essentially with a freshman who played tough D but couldn't be counted on to make a layup. He somehow turned Dave Neal, the laughingstock of every announcer who ever covered the Terps, into a functional center in the Atlantic Coast Conference. He calmed down the most hyperactive player in the history of college basketball and somehow got him to be one of the leaders in the conference in assist to turnover ratio. This is all not to mention the fact the team really only went eight men deep the entire year, and all the drama surrounding him and his team midseason. 

He needs to recruit better, so this offseason I give myself permission to say whatever I like. In season, though, I'll keep my mouth shut. 

All Signs Point to the Terps Dancing

After tonight's 75-64 win for the Maryland Terrapins over #9 Wake Forest, it looks like under-sized, under-talented, under-recruited, under-coached, under-performing Maryland Terrapins will be headed to the big dance.

The wins puts Maryland at 20-12 overall as the team finally reaches that elusive twentieth win - a mark that I feel the selection committee cannot ignore. 20 wins overall, three of which came against top ten teams? Sounds like an at-large to me.

In Maryland does indeed make it, Gary Williams will have proved to both Maryland fans and the nation that he does NOT need top talent to succeed. He does NOT need to use third-party recruiters and utilize some shady recruiting methods many teams use. He simply needs players who work for him. Tonight, that was especially on display as Sean Mosley not only made a layup for the first time in weeks, but hit crucial shots down the stretch, and Dino Gregory came up with some huge rebounds and buckets early on in the game.

Tony and I figured this team was done after their lost to UVA. "How would they get up for NC State after not showing up against the Cavs?" We said. "Even if they beat the Wolfpack, how can they beat a good Wake Forest team?"

Well, Gary, Greivis, Sean, Eric, everyone just proved us wrong. And I'm loving every second of it.

(Photo credit: ESPN)

Vasquez Lashes Out at Student Section

The Terps - despite their complete inability to knock down a jump shot for the majority of the game - played good enough defense and hit some clutch free throws to start the ACC season off on the right foot, beating Georgia Tech 68-61 at the Comcast Center. At the game, it was very evident that guard Greivis Vasquez, who struggled for much of the game, was visibly upset with a part of the student section. He came on in the last 10 minutes of the game, and every time he made an assist or knocked down a shot, he would look toward one section of the crowd, and the big screen at the arena caught a visible "shut the f--- up" come from his mouth. Courtesy of the Baltimore Sun, here's what Vasquez (pictured, right) had to say after the game. 

"I don't know if they were booing me or booing the other team. It doesn't bother me. My mind is strong. We're 12 and 3. We were 9 and 5 last year about this time. What the hell are they thinking? If they don't want to believe in us, get the hell out. We don't need them here. We need the people who are going to support us and be with us. I want to say thank you to the people who were supporting us and believing in us. If you don't want to support us, get out."

Strong words, particularly to your own student section. You know what, though? Vasquez is absolutely right, and here's why. 

I am by no means saying that, as a fan, you shouldn't be allowed to criticize your team. I did it just the other day, writing that post about Gary Williams. When I'm at a game, though, do I boo Gary Williams as he does his traditional locker room-to-court march? No, because I'm not moronic. There's a thing in sports that is a proven factor, and it's called home field advantage. By booing your own team, you take away all home field advantage, and even reverse it so that the other team has the edge psychologically. What makes you think that by booing Greivis, he is going to play better?

One more thing about Vasquez. He is easily one of the most frustrating people to root for in sport history. He is cocky, he throws up bad shots, he plays out of control, and he plays without thinking a lot of the time. Here's another thing about Vasquez. He is by far Maryland's best player, and without him they probably would not score 60 points a game. He is the only player on offense that defenses need to account for. It was good to see Hayes step up against GT, but really, just guard him on the three point line. It was apparent in the first half what happens when he drives. Put a quick guy on Bowie, eliminate his drives, and you're golden. Milbourne can't score in the post as a power forward, and the Dave Neal dream was shot down rather easily once we got into conference play. Vasquez, though, will post up smaller players, drive by larger players, and can kick the ball out for an open three better than any Terp I've seen since Steve Blake. 

So, say what you want about Vasquez on your own time (even though I feel like if you think the team doesn't need him, you have problems), and I'll say my things about Gary on my own time. If you're at the game, though, use common sense. Root for your team. 

I've Had Enough

Note before I start on what promises to be a spiteful rant: These views do not necessarily reflect those of my co-host. They may. I don't know. This is all from my (Tony's) heart. However, since Maryland's loss to Morgan State tonight, my feelings about the matter are boiling over. 

Gary Williams needs to leave the University of Maryland. The only reason he's still coaching after last year's debacle is because Steve Bisciotti (the university's biggest booster) is one of his best friends. University of Maryland just so happens to be exclusively about money, so God knows they wouldn't get rid of their primary source of donations.

When does pride become a factor, though?

When does the fact that Maryland is now on pace for 4 NIT berths in 5 seasons start telling the university that they need to get their of their highest paid employee?

When does the fact that the team loses at least one game every year that they have no business losing start getting under boosters' skins enough so that all the other donations stop flowing?

How long will it take him to recruit any of the best players in Maryland? Yea, he got Sean Mosley, but something about the fact that nobody outside of the Maryland knows a single thing about him tells me he's not Kevin Durant. 

When will someone finally realize that not having a big man on the roster that can play adequately is completely unacceptable? Let's remember that James Gist and Bambale Osby were, after all, seniors. Everyone knew they were leaving.

When will Gary learn how to use timeouts? In a close game the entire way, Gary used his last timeout with 4:00 left in the second half. Ridiculous. This isn't the first example that comes to mind either. 

I don't know the answer to any of those questions. The University of Maryland will more than likely continue to let Gary do his thing for as long as Gary wants, because money talks.

I have my answer, though. I've had enough. Gary has had great contributions to this university, but hasn't done anything positive, really, since the national championship. He's never been grateful to the fans (anyone else remember when he called the fans out in the season opener against Bucknell for not being supportive enough?). It's time for him to go. I've had enough. 

Weekend Recap: VIP Style

This weekend, as some of you know, I was fortunate enough to be able to attend the Ravens-Miami game in Miami as a "Ravens VIP." It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I tried posting pictures with this, but I guess it would be too long, so I'm just going to asterisk things that have a picture to go with them and do a post immediately after this with the pictures I wanted. 

First, there was the so-called "VIP" treatment, which usually involves getting like a bagel and cream cheese on the flight (we did get that, by the way). The Ravens don't mess around with VIP, though. VIP means walking down stairs from the plane on to one of three coach buses. 

VIP also means police escorts. Meaning six police cars in a constant rotation around the three buses, blocking intersections*. 

And, of course, happenstance, not the Ravens, guaranteed this one, but being in Miami in January was nice, too. 

VIP also meant - and we didn't know this at the time - that we were staying in the same hotel as the Ravens. They checked in through the basement, so we didn't see them then. However, my sister and I stalked the hotel lobby from 4 to 6 and saw practically every player on his way out with other guys or a date out to dinner. 

A couple notes about the players, now. The nicest were Suggs (who actually stopped while he was in a hurry somewhere to take a picture*), Mason (who thanked us for coming down to support the team), and McGahee (the only Raven besides Flacco to smile). The rudest? Corey Ivy. As if he wasn't terrible enough on the field - and he's too small, slow, and weak to play in the NFL - the guy cussed out a little kid asking for his autograph. 

Side note here: Also in the group were some of the players' wives and, presumably because of his good friendship with Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti, Maryland basketball Coach Gary Williams. Williams couldn't have been ruder. We were in line at the Ft. Lauderdale airport waiting to go through security, and somehow Williams ended up in line between me and my father. The line wasn't moving anywhere, Gary didn't have anything to do or anyone to talk to, and we weren't rude. We tried talking to him like he was anyone else that was in line with us. We just introduced ourselves, and I told him I was a Maryland student and a big fan. No "How's school? How's classes? You like it? Go Terps?" anything. Just an "Okay." I congratulated him on the Charlotte victory. Got a noncommittal head nod. Told him I was excited to attend the GT game this Saturday afternoon, and how it was fortunate the Ravens game wasn't until 4:30 so I could do both. Got a grunt about how GT plays them tough. What? I'm a student at your school and wasn't bothering you. But anyway.

Another note about the players, and this is the biggest cliche I'll give you tonight. They're huge. You knew that, I know. You don't know how big, though, until you get next to them in street clothes. Terrell Suggs could very well be the most jacked human being on this planet. And I kid you not when I tell you that one of Haloti Ngata's legs is about the width of both of mine put together. 

The rest of the weekend went as I expected it would. We went to the game. Miami, for their credit, was rocking that stadium at the beginning of the game. It was louder than it is in M&T Bank Stadium most Sundays, although a few extra thousand people couldn't have hurt that. They also did a nice pre-game ceremony, with Darius Rucker singing the national anthem and a field-sized flag stretched out*. 

I will say, though, Dolphin fans - probably because they don't go to their regular season games - are some of the least intelligent in the NFL. I had one guy to my left trying to convince me the Ravens got lucky when they beat the Dolphins by two touchdowns earlier in the year. After Derrick Mason's catch with about a minute left in the first half, a guy diagonal from me was screaming his head off about "throwing the flag" and couldn't comprehend when I told him that they couldn't do that. After Chad Pennington threw the incompletion on 3rd and 26 towards the end of the game, nobody around me knew that the force-out rule wasn't even in the NFL anymore, so it was a rightful incompletion. Also, Miami fans can secure season tickets next year by only paying a $100 dollar deposit. In Baltimore, you have to wait on a list for about 15 years, and that's not even near the longest in the NFL. One final note about their fans: they don't know when to cheer. They were louder while the team was on offense than on defense, and after the team got down, they stopped cheering for pretty much the rest of the game, save the Ronnie Brown touchdown grab. That being said, it didn't matter, because, by the end of the game, it was all Ravens fans anyway*. 

My actual game analysis will be in my next post, either today or tomorrow. Hope you enjoy the pictures. 

Terps take on Youngstown State

Tommorow night, the Terps play their 2nd game of the season against Youngstown State. It should be a pretty easy game for the team, but it's never good to overlook anyone. The game is at Comcast Center and can be caught on WMUCsports.com at 8 PM. Kenny Gartner and I are studio hosting the game, and the pre-game starts around 7:40.

Hopefully Gary plays the starters a considerable amount, even if it's a blowout early. I doubt it will be, considering how the Terps usually start off. Regardless, I'm hoping to see the starters play together; if they can gel early in the season they will be firing on all cylinders come ACC tournament play.

I will be updating this as much as I can during the game, and will offer some post-game thoughts as well.


Postgame thoughts:

What a game for Greivis Vasquez. He tied his career-high with 28 points. He was all over the court tonight and the Terps offense ran through him.

And despite a poor offensive game from forward Braxton Dupree, his defense was superb. He held the Penguins' frontcount to a terrible offensive game. The perimeter defense was outstanding as well, holding the Penguins to an abysmal 0-13 from 3-point land.

Landon Milbourne fouled out and was pretty cold tonight. A mere 6 points and only 2-4 shooting. Hopefully it was just a bad night.

Overall a good game for the Terps. Their defense played great and Vasquez was in midseason form.

Kim Ruled Eligible

Jin Soo Kim (pictured), the 6-foot-8 freshman forward for the Terps, was ruled eligible yesterday by the NCAA Clearinghouse. 

Gary Williams has described Kim as the best shooter on the team, so his addition will mean the team has another legitimate 3 point threat besides Eric Hayes.

Though Kim is very thin (he is listed at only 195 pounds), he is another body the Terps can put in the inside, especially if Braxton Dupree and Jerome Burney get in early foul trouble (which is likely to happen more than once.)

Photo Credit: umterps.com

Maryland Basketball: Better Than You Think

A week from now is the commencement of the Maryland basketball season as they host Northwood on the afternoon of Nov. 8. The Terps are coming off a disappointing season - again - as they were again chosen to play in the NIT instead of the NCAA tournament. Early season losses to Ohio and American (they play American again, by the way) really hurt the Terps at the end of the year, as did losing both games to fellow bubble team VT. Perhaps most important of all was the collapse at home to Clemson - blowing a 20+ point lead with less than 10 minutes left in the game.

It wasn't all bad, though, and that should be duly noted. The Terps beat UNC at UNC. Despite all of the above, the Terps were perhaps a win away from the NCAA tournament. Positive notes from last year include the elevation of play from Greivis Vasquez, who, as a sophomore, was Second Team All-ACC and had numbers to be on the first team. Landon Milbourne took a big step forward last year, too. As a freshman, he only averaged 1.0 ppg and 0.8 rpg, but last year upped his totals to 8.2 ppg and 3.5 rpg. Of course, when you think of Landon Milboune, you tend to think of this. 

However, because of last year's finish, coupled with the loss of starting power forward James Gist and center Bambale Osby, the Terps are officially projected to be 7th in the ACC (see where all the conference teams stack up here), and lower in other publications. In ESPN's Dick Vitale's preseason top 40, the Terps do not make an appearance. 

Questions abound about the program. Sportline.com's college basketball writer Gary Parrish has Gary Williams on his list of top 10 coaches to be fired. Many people are beginning to grow tired of upper-echelon recruits from Maryland leaving to go to other schools (Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Durant, Rudy Gay, and Ty Lawson are only a few examples). Many people are beginning to grow tired of the NIT appearances (3 of the past 4 years) after the team's 2002 national championship. Many people are beginning to grow tired of the top recruits that Maryland gets (Mike Jones, for example) not panning out. Many are considering this to be a make or break year for the longtime coach.  

However, after extensive thought and watching the team's intrasquad scrimmage, I've decided that Maryland turns it around this year. Here's why. 

Backcourt: One of the best in the ACC

- Eric Hayes has played the best out of every member of the team this offseason. He could always shoot, but some questioned his ability to get open and his ball control, especially during big games. The big games part we won't know about until it happens, but I can tell you that this will be a Eric Hayes we haven't seen before. He has perfected the one-hand floater and can still bomb from deep. In addition, he can take defender off the dribble, something he hasn't been able to do before. I saw him do it multiple times against Adrian Bowie, one of the Terps' fastest players and bester defenders. 

- If Hayes can successfully run the point like he has done during practice, Greivis Vasquez will be allowed to play his more natural position: shooting guard. This will take the ball out of his hands less, meaning less turnovers. However, this will also mean that his assists (he was tops in the ACC last year) might also decrease. Nonetheless, this is the better position for Vasquez because of how well he slashes to the basket. He is not a terrific shooter, but when he gets hot, he can knock 'em down. 

- The bench is what makes this backcourt so great, though. Besides Hayes, the best player in the scrimmages has been Cliff Tucker. He has not been solid defensively, which irks - to say the least - Gary Williams. He has shown quickness and athleticism I didn't know he had, though, and has been knocking down his jumpers from everywhere.

- Adrian Bowie is still afraid to shoot the ball, and doesn't run the offense that well. However, his quickness allows him to be lethal in transition, and one of the Terps' better defenders.

- Sean Mosley is the real question mark. He hasn't done too much in the scrimmages, but will certainly get better throughout the season. Right now, he is one thing that the Terps really lack: a solid, reliable player. He won't have many turnovers, he'll stick to his guy defensively, and he'll knock down a jumper. He needs to get more involved in the offense.

Frontcourt: They won't score, but you may have a tough time scoring against them.

- Of course, this group took a huge hit with the losses of Osby, Gist, and top recruit/transfer Gus Gilchrist. Those losses hurt less than you think, though, when you look closely at the numbers. 

- Jerome Burney this year will play the role of Bambale Osby. Osby had 11.5 ppg and 6.5 rpg, as well as 69 blocks. Jerome Burney will match those numbers. He has looked like a monster on the defensive end, blocking 6 shots in the latest scrimmage. His height (6'9) and athleticism will allow him to be near double digit rebounds every game. 

- Landon Milbourne and Braxton Dupree will play the role of James Gist. Gist put up big stats last year: 16 ppg, 8 rpg, 77 blocks. Gist, and this went largely unnoticed, largely disappeared when it mattered, though. Consider his 8 points against Ohio. Consider his 3 points and 4 rebounds against American. I will give him credit for his strong performances against UNC and the first time against Duke, but where was he at the end of the year? 7 points vs. VT, 10 points at Miami, a 31 point explosion against Wake, and then shooting less than 50% for 15 against Clemson. 

Meanwhile, Milbourne has impressed me. He's 6'7, but plays taller because of how tall he can jump. He can also knock down the outside jumper much better than Gist. If they put Milbourne as a power forward, he will also be much quicker than those he's matched up against and should be able to drive past them from the perimeter. 

He'll hold his own defensively, but that is where Braxton Dupree steps in. Nobody will make bigger strides this season than Braxton. He was making progress towards the end of the first semester last year, but then dropped off after showing up well overweight after Christmas. He's in shape, now, however, and Gary Williams has made sure of it. In the previous scrimmage, the team played four 10-minute segments of the black team having 7 players and the red team having 5. Gary kept switching the teams so some players could get rest. The only player who he kept on the red team all four times? Braxton Dupree. He'll be a force defensively, and if he develops some moves offensively, it will just be a bonus.

- Newcomer Steve Goins has size, but is unpolished and probably won't get much playing time.

- Dave Neal will be Dave Neal. Don't make fun; he will play a key role on this team. 

Intangibles: All of them

- Gary Williams is feeling the heat.

- This isn't the first, and won't be the last, time that Gary will overachieve with his talent.

- This is an embarrassed team. They came to play for Maryland, not Florida State. They know they need to be better. 

- Comcast Center will rock it this year. Everyone knows how important of a season this is. 

Bottom Line: You heard it here first, the Terps get back in the dance. 

- There is little lost from last year's team that won't be adequately replaced this year.

- A very young team last year is a whole year more experienced.

- Vasquez won't have to play point, and will be the leader that Gist should have been. 

- Projected starting lineup: 

PG: Hayes, backed up by Bowie

SG: Vasquez: backed up by Mosley

SF: Milbourne, backed up by Cliff Tucker

PF: Dupree, backed up Neal

C: Burney, backed up by a rotation

- Other lineups I see involve three guards with Vasquez at the 3; a three guard lineup with Milbourne at the 4 and Dupree at the 5; 4 guard lineup with Burney at center. Not lying. 

- The keys will be if Hayes can play a solid point guard for the entire year, and whether Milbourne can defend against power forwards in the ACC. I think they will.

Prediction: 21-9 (9-7)

(Photo Credits: AP and The Washington Post)