Turmoil in Maryland Basketball

[gw67]

On the Front Page, DBR provided a link to Post article on Gilchrist transferring from Maryland. Gilchrist backed off his LOI to Virginia Tech last year and enrolled at Maryland this past spring. I am not familiar with the NCAA and ACC transfer rules but he would not have been able to play until this December and would have only 2-1/2 years of eligibility. His “handler” was quoted as saying that he wanted to find a place where he could have a 4-year career but the cynic in me suspects that they want to display his abilities as soon as possible and, hopefully, impress the pro scouts.

As DBR notes, this deprives the Terps of their best inside player for the coming season. To make matters worse, the rest of the frontcourt is woeful. Dupree and Burney have the size but have not shown much to date and it is not clear that the other two frontcourt players, Neal and Gregory, are ACC-quality players. They do have some decent talent on the perimeter and I suspect that most coaches would adjust the team playing style to their personnel and play a bunch of 4-1 offense and, perhaps, some zone. However, the words “adjust” and “change” are not in Williams’s vocabulary and I suspect that he will stick with his flex offense and man-to-man defense.

I foresee a long and difficult year for the Terps. I don’t know who they play in the ACC-Big Ten matchup but it would be appropriate if they played another team with a short roster, Indiana. If Williams was a dynamic recruiter, this would provide Maryland with the opportunity to bring in several players during the next two seasons. But that is one of the reasons, they are in this mess.

On a good note, the article on Gist stated that he got his degree. I believe that Osby got his as well and the word I hear is that the next two classes are on schedule to get their degrees.

I go on a spring golf outing with seven of my friends starting Friday of this week. Two of the eight are Maryland grads and boosters. It will be interesting to hear what they have to say about the current state of their sports programs.

gw67

[SMO]

I eagerly await Dana O'Neil or Pat Forde's articles on the demise of Maryland basketball...

[brevity]

I eagerly await Dana O'Neil or Pat Forde's articles on the demise of Maryland basketball...

I realize you're probably kidding, but even sarcastic comments that try to equate Maryland basketball to Duke basketball suggest that there is some kind of rivalry. When it comes to the Terps, I am not familiar with this manufactured R word.

[Ignatius07]

I realize you're probably kidding, but even sarcastic comments that try to equate Maryland basketball to Duke basketball suggest that there is some kind of rivalry. When it comes to the Terps, I am not familiar with this manufactured R word.

That's because you're (presumably) not from the DC-metropolitan area. Trust me, even if you wouldn't consider them a rival in the truest sense of the word, you would most certainly dislike them with passion.

Actually, for somebody my age growing up a Duke fan in this area, my dislike for Maryland strongly outweighed my dislike for UNC up until about two years ago, and even then sometimes it's difficult not to "prefer" UMD as a rival (or whatever you want to call it). The news media just has an enormous influence here that is hard to describe to outsiders. If anybody was at the Verizon Center for the NCAA Tournament this year, they know what it's like.

[roywhite]

Will Greivis Vasquez go for a Pistol Pete type role this year? Meaning major possession of the basketball, an array of flashy moves, high individual scoring games, and a mediocre team record. He is quite a talent but there just ain't much help for him.

[HaveFunExpectToWin]

That's because you're (presumably) not from the DC-metropolitan area. Trust me, even if you wouldn't consider them a rival in the truest sense of the word, you would most certainly dislike them with passion.

Actually, for somebody my age growing up a Duke fan in this area, my dislike for Maryland strongly outweighed my dislike for UNC up until about two years ago, and even then sometimes it's difficult not to "prefer" UMD as a rival (or whatever you want to call it). The news media just has an enormous influence here that is hard to describe to outsiders. If anybody was at the Verizon Center for the NCAA Tournament this year, they know what it's like.

The presence of Terp fans is one of the bigger drawbacks to living in this area, I agree.

[MChambers]

The presence of Terp fans is one of the bigger drawbacks to living in this area, I agree.

You just have to have the right attitude. Wear your Duke shirt everywhere, especially in College Park!

[ugadevil]

I'll be surprised if Gary lasts long enough to get good recruits in there to fix the problem.

[mddukefan]

There has been a lot of problems for Maryland's program in terms of holding onto players over the last few months. Not only did they lose Tyree Evans and Gilchrist in a matter of weeks, they also lost Shane Walker. Walker played sparingly throughout the season but would have played a decent role this year IMO. Gilchrist is the bigger loss according to a lot of the things i've heard, but losing both causes real depth issues.

Another player people may not realize that they lost is Terrence Jennings 6'10" recuit who is supposed to be a nice talent. Jennings commited to the Terps before the season but later opted out and is now headed to Louisville.

That is 4 players in a matter of months. With the way the Terps finished the season last year there is no doubt Gary is on the hot seat. Even losing Gist and Osby to graduation i thought they would have some trouble in the upcoming season. Those 2 seemed to be the big reason they won some big games, and IMO they were going to have a hard time replacing them even with Gilchrist. Just a lot of negative aspects for there program in the news lately does not look good.

Honestly being a Duke fan in Terp Country feels great right now!!!!! GO DUKE!!!!

[Huh?]

That's because you're (presumably) not from the DC-metropolitan area. Trust me, even if you wouldn't consider them a rival in the truest sense of the word, you would most certainly dislike them with passion.

Actually, for somebody my age growing up a Duke fan in this area, my dislike for Maryland strongly outweighed my dislike for UNC up until about two years ago, and even then sometimes it's difficult not to "prefer" UMD as a rival (or whatever you want to call it). The news media just has an enormous influence here that is hard to describe to outsiders. If anybody was at the Verizon Center for the NCAA Tournament this year, they know what it's like.


If anyone grows up a Duke fan in NC or any other part of the world other than DC, they could give a ship about Maryland. It's like the whole NC State/UNC thing. Maryland/ State fans hype this so called "rivalry" up while Duke and UNC worry about one another.

[Ignatius07]

If anyone grows up a Duke fan in NC or any other part of the world other than DC, they could give a ship about Maryland. It's like the whole NC State/UNC thing. Maryland/ State fans hype this so called "rivalry" up while Duke and UNC worry about one another.

I would certainly agree with this, though in the late 90s and early 2000s the Duke-Maryland match-ups were more consistently entertaining and high-profile than Duke-UNC.

[SMO]

I realize you're probably kidding, but even sarcastic comments that try to equate Maryland basketball to Duke basketball suggest that there is some kind of rivalry. When it comes to the Terps, I am not familiar with this manufactured R word.

Oh no, definitely not equating Maryland hoops to Duke. Just enjoying a sarcastic shot at Maryland's national championship program and some of ESPN's finest at the same time.

[gw67]

I personally could care less whether Duke fans consider Maryland a rival or vice versa. It's silly in my opinion. What cannot be denied is that the ACC designates UNC and Maryland as Duke's primary partners in basketball and that ESPN and the networks have considered the Maryland-Duke games to be attractive matchups for several years.

gw67

[SMO]

I personally could care less whether Duke fans consider Maryland a rival or vice versa. It's silly in my opinion. What cannot be denied is that the ACC designates UNC and Maryland as Duke's primary partners in basketball and that ESPN and the networks have considered the Maryland-Duke games to be attractive matchups for several years.

gw67

You bring up an interesting point. How far in advance does ESPN schedule? Could we see fewer Maryland/Duke matchups on TV as soon as 2009?

[Ignatius07]

You bring up an interesting point. How far in advance does ESPN schedule? Could we see fewer Maryland/Duke matchups on TV as soon as 2009?

I *think* individual games are bought each year by the networks.

[blazindw]

You just have to have the right attitude. Wear your Duke shirt everywhere, especially in College Park!

Agreed. I wore my Duke tie to the Obama rally in the Comcast Center. And, I love how mad Maryland fans get when they hurl insults at me about Duke and I just look at them with this "Who is Maryland" look on my face. :)

[PumpkinFunk]

That's because you're (presumably) not from the DC-metropolitan area. Trust me, even if you wouldn't consider them a rival in the truest sense of the word, you would most certainly dislike them with passion.

Actually, for somebody my age growing up a Duke fan in this area, my dislike for Maryland strongly outweighed my dislike for UNC up until about two years ago, and even then sometimes it's difficult not to "prefer" UMD as a rival (or whatever you want to call it). The news media just has an enormous influence here that is hard to describe to outsiders. If anybody was at the Verizon Center for the NCAA Tournament this year, they know what it's like.

I grew up in the DC area, and I still hate Maryland more than Carolina. Hell, I don't hate Carolina - I dislike them. Just their athletics. Maryland is a total hatred and disgust for anyone who lives in this area and is a Duke fan... or even some other ACC fans. They are disgusting fans with a bad coach and some of the most sketchy college basketball players. Even their national championship winning team was full of the same breed of players they have these days.

[roywhite]

I personally could care less whether Duke fans consider Maryland a rival or vice versa. It's silly in my opinion. What cannot be denied is that the ACC designates UNC and Maryland as Duke's primary partners in basketball and that ESPN and the networks have considered the Maryland-Duke games to be attractive matchups for several years.


gw..or other posters from Maryland/DC area,

Is Gary's job actually in jeopardy?

[just_wondering]

First of all recruiting isn't finished. Maryland is still waiting to hear if Sean Mosley qualified. Things could get worse or they could better.
Gary is not in trouble. Maryland has had a lot of turnover in assistant coaches. Chuck Driesell and Keith Booth are very good and will be there to turn things around. Maryland hired a new conditioning coach. Last year their conditioning was so much worse than Maryland teams of the past. They played themselves slow. While there is a lot of noise about both Gary and the A.D. it's just noise.

They have enough talent to win 8-10 ACC games if everything breaks right.

[sagegrouse]

First of all recruiting isn't finished. Maryland is still waiting to hear if Sean Mosley qualified. Things could get worse or they could better.
Gary is not in trouble. Maryland has had a lot of turnover in assistant coaches. Chuck Driesell and Keith Booth are very good and will be there to turn things around. Maryland hired a new conditioning coach. Last year their conditioning was so much worse than Maryland teams of the past. They played themselves slow. While there is a lot of noise about both Gary and the A.D. it's just noise.

They have enough talent to win 8-10 ACC games if everything breaks right.

Just Wondering:

Seven months of silence. Where have you been?

sagegrouse

[PumpkinFunk]

gw..or other posters from Maryland/DC area,

Is Gary's job actually in jeopardy?

Yes. Word from some Maryland fans that I know is that if Tyree Evans, if he's even allowed to go to school and play, screws up, Gary's job goes down. It doesn't matter so much if Evans goes and doesn't make an impact, but if he goes and screws up and gives the school a bad reputation, he could be done.

[roywhite]

Yes. Word from some Maryland fans that I know is that if Tyree Evans, if he's even allowed to go to school and play, screws up, Gary's job goes down. It doesn't matter so much if Evans goes and doesn't make an impact, but if he goes and screws up and gives the school a bad reputation, he could be done.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/23/AR2008052302745.html

Did you miss this story 10 days or so ago?

[PumpkinFunk]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/23/AR2008052302745.html

Did you miss this story 10 days or so ago?

Yeah, I suppose so. Now that he's out, I guess Gary might be more lucky. I don't pay much attention to Maryland basketball :P

[mgtr]

If Gary goes, which I doubt, maybe Maryland could bring in the Herricks. They ought to be good for a few suspensions from the NCAA!

[just_wondering]

Just Wondering:

Seven months of silence. Where have you been?

sagegrouse

I had a weight problem that snacked up on me. I've been in the gym.

Two of the players I followed closely, Jerome Burney and Kat Lyons, had very up and down seasons particularly concerning playing time. As part of my rehab I stopped yammering incessantly about the Terps from the time Greivis Vasquez became the target of the disenchanted fans ire until now

[gw67]

jw - It's good hearing from you. I like your optimism concerning the Terps next year but Burney, Dupree and Gregory will really have to man up on the boards and defensive end for the Terps to be competitive next year, IMO.

I understand that Williams and Yow aren't exactly bosom buddies but I would be surprised if he was forced out in the next year or so. If that happens, two friends of mine who are alums and boosters don't trust her to make a good decision on his successor. Have you heard of any names of possible successors thrown around? Barnes, Pelphrey?

gw67

[ugadevil]

If Gary goes, which I doubt, maybe Maryland could bring in the Herricks. They ought to be good for a few suspensions from the NCAA!

That'd be like wanting to interview Rick Neuheisel! Oh wait...

[just_wondering]

jw - It's good hearing from you. I like your optimism concerning the Terps next year but Burney, Dupree and Gregory will really have to man up on the boards and defensive end for the Terps to be competitive next year, IMO.

I understand that Williams and Yow aren't exactly bosom buddies but I would be surprised if he was forced out in the next year or so. If that happens, two friends of mine who are alums and boosters don't trust her to make a good decision on his successor. Have you heard of any names of possible successors thrown around? Barnes, Pelphrey?

gw67

1) Graduation rates are much better
2) Fans are calling for the head of the football coach and the A.D. too.
3) Chuck Driesell is a great recruiter with a proven track record.
4) Gary has been successful Mario Lucas at center and with Calvin McCall at small forward. Dave Neal is as good as Calvin McCall. Jerome Burney is as good as Mario Lucas. The talent is adequate.
5) I think that season ticket sales are okay this year. Ticket sales are on a 3 year cycle and it appears that the interest is still high for the next 3 year cycle.

[Olympic Fan]

4) Gary has been successful Mario Lucas at center and with Calvin McCall at small forward. Dave Neal is as good as Calvin McCall. Jerome Burney is as good as Mario Lucas. The talent is adequate.


Saying Gary was successful with Mario Lucas and Calvin McCall is like saying that K was successul with Kenny Blakeney and Nick Horvath. Hey, Duke won national titles with Kenny Blakeney and Horvath on the roster!

Lucas played four years and started eight games -- in his career. Yeah, Maryland was successful with Lucas, because he was a backup to guys like Joe Smith and later Obinna Ekezie. Lucas was essentially buried on the bench for three years. As a senior in 1996, he was a decent backup big man, averaging 22 minutes and 10.6 points a game for a mediocre team that was 17-13 and 8-8 in the ACC.

McCall played on the greatest teams in Maryland history. Well, actually he sat on the bench for those teams. He averaged 4.6 minutes and 1.3 points a game for his three year career (he quit before his senior year). He averaged less than 2 points a game for Maryland's FF teams in 2001 and 2002. He never started a game -- not one.

I agree that Dave Neal is better than Calvin McCall. So what -- Jamal Boykin was better than Calvin McCall.

I don't know about the rest of your points, but suggesting that because Gary won with Lucas and McCall -- two non-starters who never played together -- that he can win with Neal and Burney is a very bad analogy.

[just_wondering]

Saying Gary was successful with Mario Lucas and Calvin McCall is like saying that K was successul with Kenny Blakeney and Nick Horvath. Hey, Duke won national titles with Kenny Blakeney and Horvath on the roster!

Lucas played four years and started eight games -- in his career. Yeah, Maryland was successful with Lucas, because he was a backup to guys like Joe Smith and later Obinna Ekezie. Lucas was essentially buried on the bench for three years. As a senior in 1996, he was a decent backup big man, averaging 22 minutes and 10.6 points a game for a mediocre team that was 17-13 and 8-8 in the ACC.

McCall played on the greatest teams in Maryland history. Well, actually he sat on the bench for those teams. He averaged 4.6 minutes and 1.3 points a game for his three year career (he quit before his senior year). He averaged less than 2 points a game for Maryland's FF teams in 2001 and 2002. He never started a game -- not one.

I agree that Dave Neal is better than Calvin McCall. So what -- Jamal Boykin was better than Calvin McCall.

I don't know about the rest of your points, but suggesting that because Gary won with Lucas and McCall -- two non-starters who never played together -- that he can win with Neal and Burney is a very bad analogy.


Calvin McCall started 14 games in 2002-2003 and averaged 17.6 minutes.
Mario Lucas averaged 10.5 points per game in 1995-1996


http://www.terrapinstats.com/index.html

[pfrduke]

Calvin McCall started 14 games in 2002-2003 and averaged 17.6 minutes.
Mario Lucas averaged 10.5 points per game in 1995-1996


http://www.terrapinstats.com/index.html

The 2002-2003 team had 6 players better than McCall - Blake, Nicholas, Holden, Randle, Gilchrist, and McCray. I'd consider including Caner-Medley on that list too, although he was just a freshman.

The 1995-1996 team had at least 6 better than Lucas - Ekezie, Booth, Hipp, Rhodes, Simpkins, and Profit. I'd consider Stokes and Jasikevicius as well.

The problem next year's Terp team has is that there aren't nearly as many players better than Neal and Burney - I see three: Vazquez, Milbourne, and Hayes. Both the 2002-03 team and the 1995-96 team were a) relatively bad for recent Maryland teams and b) better than the 2008-09 team will be.

[just_wondering]

The 2002-2003 team had 6 players better than McCall - Blake, Nicholas, Holden, Randle, Gilchrist, and McCray. I'd consider including Caner-Medley on that list too, although he was just a freshman.

The 1995-1996 team had at least 6 better than Lucas - Ekezie, Booth, Hipp, Rhodes, Simpkins, and Profit. I'd consider Stokes and Jasikevicius as well.

The problem next year's Terp team has is that there aren't nearly as many players better than Neal and Burney - I see three: Vazquez, Milbourne, and Hayes. Both the 2002-03 team and the 1995-96 team were a) relatively bad for recent Maryland teams and b) better than the 2008-09 team will be.

Great analysis. I think (wishful thinking?) that Bowie and Tucker are better too. The point is going into the season Maryland's front line looks very weak. But if they can getting scoring from Neal and rebounds/defense from Burney then they can get by. They got by with McCall's toughness and defense. They got by with Lucas' scoring. The challenge is to get by at two positions that appear to be weak. Like Lucas and McCall both Neal and Burney have high basketball IQ's so I don't that this season will be as bad as some people imagine.

Maryland was 8-8 last year. They probably lost 2 to 3 conference games because of poor conditioning (Va Tech twice). If they can improve their conditioning then they can make up for some of their shortcomings.

[Carlos]

The thing about Gary and Maryland though is that with his offense he really gets the most out of his big men. Guys like Ryan Randle, Taj Holden, and Jamar Smith were able to step in and perform solidly. But what would concern me the most if I were a Maryland fan (aside from having a closet full of polyester) would be that the Terps have really relied on having two bigs in that flex offense and had another big guy to bring in off the bench. Next year they're looking at Dupree and Burney who may be solid enough to get the job done but I don't see Neal as an ACC level contributor so one bit of foul trouble and Maryland's really reaching in the frontcourt.

[just_wondering]

The thing about Gary and Maryland though is that with his offense he really gets the most out of his big men. Guys like Ryan Randle, Taj Holden, and Jamar Smith were able to step in and perform solidly. But what would concern me the most if I were a Maryland fan (aside from having a closet full of polyester) would be that the Terps have really relied on having two bigs in that flex offense and had another big guy to bring in off the bench. Next year they're looking at Dupree and Burney who may be solid enough to get the job done but I don't see Neal as an ACC level contributor so one bit of foul trouble and Maryland's really reaching in the frontcourt.

If Dupree can't control his weight
If Neal reinjures shoulder
If Sean Mosley doesn't qualify
If Hayes continues to have problems with his ankle
If the fans turn really ugly
If Gary and Debbie can't see eye to eye
Then I would really have to move to Alaska

But
Gary could land a sleeper big man
Cliff Tucker could really step up
A healthy Dave Neal could be elected captain and could be really productive doing all the dirty work [He is the strongest basketball Terp]
Burney could find his groove
Landon Milborne could average 15 points

It isn't a foregone conclusion that the team is going to suck. Maybe all the whiners jump off the bandwagon. Maybe the new fans will embrace the little engine that could and the ComCastle will be less like Dante's Inferno and more like Cole. But even if the worst happens Gary is safe

[RPS]

I wore my Duke tie to the Obama rally in the Comcast Center. And, I love how mad Maryland fans get when they hurl insults at me about Duke and I just look at them with this "Who is Maryland" look on my face.I'll be in College Park September 13 for the football game and will be sure to add some Duke gear to my Cal ensemble as a kind of "daily double." The reactions should be fun....

[merry]

just_wondering is being optimistic? What a surprise!


You just have to have the right attitude. Wear your Duke shirt everywhere, especially in College Park!

A few years ago I was staying in a hotel in Greenbelt. I was walking down the hall in a Maryland shirt and Duke shorts and a total stranger interrupted her own cell phone call to shriek "Duke shorts and a Maryland shirt…that's just so WRONG!" She turned out to be a Duke fan.

I've found it's entertaining to have the ability and willingness to rile and sometimes confuse both sides in this non-rivalry-what-ever-it-is.

[BCGroup]

"Shane Walker, a reserve forward as a freshman for the Terps, has transferred to Loyola (Md.). Walker joins recruits Gus Gilchrist, a forward, and Tyree Evans, shooting guard, to leave the program this offseason."



http://blogs.newsobserver.com/accnow/index.php?title=another_exit_for_maryland_hoops&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1

[Uncle Drew]

That's because you're (presumably) not from the DC-metropolitan area. Trust me, even if you wouldn't consider them a rival in the truest sense of the word, you would most certainly dislike them with passion.

Actually, for somebody my age growing up a Duke fan in this area, my dislike for Maryland strongly outweighed my dislike for UNC up until about two years ago, and even then sometimes it's difficult not to "prefer" UMD as a rival (or whatever you want to call it). The news media just has an enormous influence here that is hard to describe to outsiders. If anybody was at the Verizon Center for the NCAA Tournament this year, they know what it's like.

Up until a month or two ago my brother was living in the Northern VA area and Duke haters have an epicenter in College Park. I wore a Duke sweat shirt to a local mall and litterally heard the words, "Duke sucks" and "F$#% Duke" by two people I passed by. As I have often said, you can talk about me, you can say things about my mom, but don't say anything bad about Duke. So when confronted I was told I had a lot of guts for being seen wearing anything saying Duke there. Even putting a Duke sticker on your car is an invitation to have it broken into.

The insane thing about Maryland fans and their inferiority complex is it goes back way before Coach K. But the average Terp fan wants to put all the blame on Duke. They don't realize NCSU and UNC were keeping them from reaching the promised land long before Duke set in on them. And granted last minute comebacks and Final Four losses can make you bitter. But these idiots honestly think Duke is getting all the calls, stealing recuits (like they even recruit the same class of player) and keeping them from their birthright.

The irony is, the person most to blame for the state of Maryland basketball right now is their former coach Bob Wade. Since the school let him go he has steered any decent player from Baltimore and DC to go anywhere other than Maryland. Think how different the Terps might have been with C-Mello or Rudy Gay. (And that's just two examples.) It honestly isn't fair in some ways to Gary Williams because he is handcuffed in recruiting in his own state. But gee, well umm, hasn't it been that way for the most part the last 40 or 50 years for Duke? Granted the caliber of players in NC isn't usually as high as MD / DC and as stated you can take out 15 of the top 20 players each year for Duke due to academics. But Maryland and Terp fans REALLY need some therapy with the ACC commissioner sitting in as Maryland's mom. The jealousy against Duke is futile and misplaced for a team a few miles to the west.