How can the Terps win when it's 8 on 5?

[DU82]

Gee, I think the 2002 team had five good, not great players. It's not like Blake, Dixon, Wilcox, Mouton, or Baxter has set the world on fire since college. And I think that team had good teamwork.
Not that I'm a Maryland fan, mind you.

Based on what we've seen Gary do since 2002 with some pretty good talent, I think that Steve Blake and especially Juan Dixon don't get enough credit for propelling Maryland to that National Championship.

[bjornolf]

A lot of people have asked where exactly the alleged "cheap shot" that Vasquez put on Singler is in the game, so I'm posting this to help people find it. It's at EXACTLY the 16:39 mark in the second half. GP misses a layup over Osby, the rebound pops around a little and GP knocks it away from Osby, and then GP knocks it off Vasquez's foot out of bounds. The clock stops at 16:39. Vasquez walks into the lane across the back of Singler and pops him a little one. It's a little harder than I originally thought it was, but it is RIGHT in the center of his back, NOT near the kidneys, and I really do think it is more of a tap than a cheap shot, but I'll let you be the judge. My TiVo says it's 1:30 into the game, but I'm sure everyone's TiVo is a little different on start and stop times. Hope this helps.

[uncwdevil]

A lot of people have asked where exactly the alleged "cheap shot" that Vasquez put on Singler is in the game, so I'm posting this to help people find it. It's at EXACTLY the 16:39 mark in the second half. GP misses a layup over Osby, the rebound pops around a little and GP knocks it away from Osby, and then GP knocks it off Vasquez's foot out of bounds. The clock stops at 16:39. Vasquez walks into the lane across the back of Singler and pops him a little one. It's a little harder than I originally thought it was, but it is RIGHT in the center of his back, NOT near the kidneys, and I really do think it is more of a tap than a cheap shot, but I'll let you be the judge. My TiVo says it's 1:30 into the game, but I'm sure everyone's TiVo is a little different on start and stop times. Hope this helps.

i saw it live, it was not hard enough to be malicious, and Singler didn't seem to get mad about it; i don't really think Vasquez is a dirty player, but at the same time it didn't look like a typical "atta boy" type thing

it was just weird

[CDu]

A lot of people have asked where exactly the alleged "cheap shot" that Vasquez put on Singler is in the game, so I'm posting this to help people find it. It's at EXACTLY the 16:39 mark in the second half. GP misses a layup over Osby, the rebound pops around a little and GP knocks it away from Osby, and then GP knocks it off Vasquez's foot out of bounds. The clock stops at 16:39. Vasquez walks into the lane across the back of Singler and pops him a little one. It's a little harder than I originally thought it was, but it is RIGHT in the center of his back, NOT near the kidneys, and I really do think it is more of a tap than a cheap shot, but I'll let you be the judge. My TiVo says it's 1:30 into the game, but I'm sure everyone's TiVo is a little different on start and stop times. Hope this helps.

I definitely didn't see it as a cheap shot. I saw it more as a playful tap. It didn't look to be a very hard tap, and as you said it was in the middle of his back. He's also not really looking, so it's clear he's not intending any damage. And Singler has no physical reaction whatsoever, indicating it didn't phase him at all. Given that, it doesn't seem like there's any way there was malice intended. If people are reading it as a cheap shot, I think they're being overly sensitive to the idea that everyone is out to get Duke players.

[BD80]

I remember seeing it and thinking it was a bit chippy, and maybe something the refs should consider keeping a lid on before it escalated, but nothing that was dirty or cheap. Basketball is a sport of physical domination, GV was just asserting his author-i-ti, marking his turf so to speak.

Compared to Laetner's "stomp" this was no big deal. I think it is good we are being tested like this during the season, good lessons for Kyle and the whole team.

[heavy g]

I'm a Marylander and a Terp fan whenever they aren't playing Duke. I've also played hoops all my life.

I can assure you there is no other set of sports fans anywhere, in any sport, that whine about the refs as much as Terp hoop fans do. It is absurd. They have a true disconnect from reality, and they think every borderline call should go their way. And it is of epidemic proportions. Idiots who know next to nothing about basketball or the rules are ADAMANT that the calls were dead wrong and consistently going against them. They never recognize or remember the bad calls they get.

It's really rather sad and pathetic.

I believe some of it comes from a general chip on the shoulder that our region has, particularly Baltimore. We always think we're getting the short end of the stick. We like to play the underdog.

[bjornolf]

I can assure you there is no other set of sports fans anywhere, in any sport, that whine about the refs as much as Terp hoop fans do. It is absurd. They have a true disconnect from reality, and they think every borderline call should go their way. And it is of epidemic proportions. Idiots who know next to nothing about basketball or the rules are ADAMANT that the calls were dead wrong and consistently going against them. They never recognize or remember the bad calls they get.

I have only three words for you: Philadelphia...Eagles...fans. Well, all Philly sports fans really, but the Eagles fans are the best/worst for that kind of thing.

I have lived in No. VA for a good portion of my life, and I've taken classes at UM. I have also followed the Terps a long time. Most of my friends are Terps or at least Terp fans. I really think it is more of a raging inferiority complex than anything else.

Which also explains the Philly fans. As a friend of mine once said, "Philly is the 60 watt bulb stuck between the 100 watt bulbs of DC and NYC." You could say the same about Maryland.

[mddukefan]

Being a Duke fan in Baltimore i can agree with Heavy G on the fact that it is constantly insults on referees for the terp fans. I've never once heard them say we have legitimately beat them.

I understand i am going to take some ridicule for not being a hometown fan, but as a college basketball fan in general i do try and give the terps credit when it is due. I try ot have conversations with terp fans, but i guess the ones I seem to talk to never feel like doing the same for Duke (give them any credit), which is annoying at times.

[dukestheheat]

I haven't been around the board long enough to know if this has been debated ad nauseum, but in reading some of those posts in this topic, how can we honestly say that Maryland isn't one of our major rivals? I graduated from Trinity in 1994 and was not a big Duke fan growing up so my frame of reference is really 1986 - present, but within that window, there are only 4 teams that I truly despise in the following order; UNC, UConn, Maryland and Michigan. Kentucky is close. After a great run with Michigan through the mid 1990s, that rivalry has waned (should heat back up). We only get to play UConn on the biggest of stages so we can't count on those games. That leaves UNC and Maryland. I circle all 4 games on the calendar every year. The ACC saw fit to make sure we are in the same schedule "pod" se we play 2x year. Last night's game had my heart pounding, I was throwing/kicking things more then usual, etc. I know we may not want to give the Maryland fans the satisfaction of being acknowledged rivals, but, come on, they clearly are.

Billy Dat,

For the last couple years, I think Maryland has been Duke's best game, but not our rival. Carolina has been and probably always will be our rival.

dth.

[dukestheheat]

I'm a Marylander and a Terp fan whenever they aren't playing Duke. I've also played hoops all my life.

I can assure you there is no other set of sports fans anywhere, in any sport, that whine about the refs as much as Terp hoop fans do. It is absurd. They have a true disconnect from reality, and they think every borderline call should go their way. And it is of epidemic proportions. Idiots who know next to nothing about basketball or the rules are ADAMANT that the calls were dead wrong and consistently going against them. They never recognize or remember the bad calls they get.

It's really rather sad and pathetic.

I believe some of it comes from a general chip on the shoulder that our region has, particularly Baltimore. We always think we're getting the short end of the stick. We like to play the underdog.

This reminds me of an incident that occurred several years ago at Maryland, and I'm trying to remember that it was Duke/Duke's administration/fans that helped to alter the seating policy at Maryland. Players and player's families had been pelted with coins and water bottles, and I'm trying to remember that one family member had a concussion? and had to be treated!

That is amazing.

Was it the Duke community that helped change the policy on seating?

thanks,

dth.

[diesel]

The mother of Carlos Boozer was hit by a water bottle and as I recall concussed. And the Boozer parents had attended UMD!

I recall Shane Battier saying he was hit by coins and other matter at games at MD.

To crown it off, I was informed that visiting teams in the stadium that preceded Comcast were told not to bring the parents of players or those on the bench.

There is a history of boorish and dangerous behavior here among the rivals of American U.