James Gist played 40 minutes for the first time in his career Wednesday night in Maryland's 85-75 win over Virginia, finishing with 17 points and nine rebounds. Bambale Osby, despite early foul trouble that limited his first-half minutes and a suspect third foul that put him on the bench early in the second half, made some key free throws and a couple of big blocks down the stretch to help preserve the Terps' lead and secure the victory.

Not to put a damper on a win, but what was needed from Maryland's only two senior starters shows a decided lack of depth in the frontcourt and raises some concerns about next season -- at least the first half of the season before Gus Gilchrist becomes eligible.

Freshman Shane Walker has gone from being a project to the first big man off the bench because three players projected ahead of him at the start of the season have either not panned out or just simply regressed.

Braxton Dupree has gone from playing double-digit minutes in 12 of the first 16 games -- and twice scoring in double figures, including 10 against Illinois -- to playing a total of 21 minutes in the last five games. His lack of conditioning and basic fundamentals -- like boxing out -- has resulted in a lack of playing time for the beefy freshman center from Baltimore. Another Baltimore freshman, forward Dino Gregory, hasn't played in the last four games. And redshirt freshman Jerome Burney hasn't played in the past seven games after barely getting off the bench the previous six.

If not for Dave Neal, Gary Williams wouldn't have anybody to replace either Gist or Osby in the event of foul trouble.

Though it hasn't been that big an issue during the team's recent stretch of seven wins in nine games, it could start becoming one as the minutes pile up for Gist and Osby. Both are playing at a very high level, the best basketball of their respective careers, and other coaches would ride their horses for as long as Williams is riding these two. Williams had the same issue with the backcourt earlier this season, until Eric Hayes' ankle injury forced him to look elsewhere, and he found out that freshman Adrian Bowie was more than capable of filling in.

But somewhere down the road, Maryland's going to have to find some frontcourt depth. If you're a Maryland fan, don't even think about next year when Gist and Osby are gone. I'm sure Gary is trying hard not to put that thought in his head.

Posted by Don Markus at 7:29 AM in Terps basketball | Permalink | Comments (22)
        

Just looked at the latest RPI from the NCAA, and it doesn't bode well for Maryland.

Most of you figured the Terps would keep climbing in that confounding stat chart known as the RPI (Ratings Percentage Index) because they kept playing ACC teams, including North Carolina and Duke in the past two games.

You figured wrong.

While Maryland moved to No. 80 after beating the Tar Heels in Chapel Hill a week ago Saturday, the Terps slipped to 82 after losing to the Blue Devils in College Park Sunday night. Does that mean more slippage is in store, regardless of the outcome, after playing Virginia tomorrow night at Comcast Center and Georgia Tech in Atlanta on Saturday?

Not to add to Gary Williams' already formidable us-against-the-world complex, but Clemson jumped from 33 to 27 despite losing Sunday at Miami, and the Hurricanes jumped 11 spots to 32. Are they that much better than Maryland, or Boston College for that matter?

The Eagles fell 22 spots to 84. Given that most consider BC the third-best team in the ACC behind Duke and North Carolina, it means that no team aside from the top two is a lock for the NCAA tournament. That's good news for Maryland, which needs to hold serve at home and win a couple on the road to sneak into the field of 65.

But if you can't move up after playing Duke, it doesn't look too good.

Posted by Don Markus at 11:56 AM in Terps basketball | Permalink | Comments (12)
        

Considering the attention the last two games received, and the effort Maryland put into playing No. 1 North Carolina and No. 4 Duke, you wonder how the Terps will come out Wednesday night at home against Virginia.

It certainly helps Gary Williams in terms of making sure the Terps will be ready that the Cavaliers swept Maryland last year. But you always wonder how a team, especially one that is fairly young and not overly talented, will react.

One thing in Maryland's favor is that the Cavaliers are reeling, and losing at home to Georgia Tech in overtime Sunday left Virginia 1-4 in the ACC. If the Terps continue to pound the ball inside to James Gist and Bambale Osby, they should be fine.

Osby's 20-point, 15-rebound performance against Duke -- both career highs -- shows that if Grievis Vasquez is willing to sacrifice stats for the sake of the team, Maryland has a strong enough inside game to compete with any team in the ACC.

Given the problems the Cavaliers have had defending in the paint recently, Osby and Gist could be in for the same kind of production that they've had the past two games. Unless there's a letdown.

Posted by Don Markus at 12:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Maryland stuck to the same gameplan that toppled North Carolina eight days ago: get the ball inside.

Instead of just James Gist, Bambale Osby got into the act. He destroyed the Blue Devils around the basket in the first half, putting up 12 points and nine rebounds without missing a shot. Gist added 14 points and nine boards.

Maryland's defense also did a great job limiting Kyle Singler's touches, and the freshman scored just four points. It all added up to a 51-42 lead for Maryland -- Duke's biggest deficit at any point this season -- and included a technical foul on Mike Krzyzewski, always something my kids love to see.

The second half just started with the Blue Devils quieting the crowd with a quick six points and forcing Gary Williams to call timeout.

Posted by Don Markus at 7:52 PM in Terps basketball | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Haven't been back here for a Duke-Maryland game in a few years, which is equivalent to sitting somewhere up in the heavens with my kids. It definitely has a different feel than others, and that has everything to do with the hated team in black and blue.

Having covered the Blue Devils for years in the NCAA tournament, it's hard for me to have the same kind of passion my kids have. They call Mike Krzyzewski "The Devil" and other things that would get me fired if I put them in this blog.

But I certainly understand it.

Among those at courtside for tonight's game are Gene Shue and Tom McMillen, two of the greatest Terps from their generations. Also saw Stu Vetter, the coach at Montrose Christian, who has a couple of players Gary Williams wants very badly. Anyway, it's almost time for tipoff...

Posted by Don Markus at 6:25 PM in Terps basketball | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Thanks for your comments. Maryland fans proved once against that they have better memories than former (and now current) beat writers, especially one who was away from the beat for all those years.

How could the win over Georgetown not be included? Joe Smith had outplayed a bunch of older players in the preseason, but in outplaying Othella Harrington and the Hoyas, he suddenly got attention on a national level. It led one ACC assistant to comment, "After that game, all of us were asked by our bosses, 'Did we look at that guy?'"

As for the wins over Duke, I'd agree with the one in the ACC tournament. Even though it was played on a "neutral" court, it was still in Greensboro and the Terps still had to win to get an NCAA tournament bid. Coming the day after that comeback over North Carolina State, it was pretty remarkable.

Also, for Terps92, here's the list of Gary Williams' wins at Maryland over No. 1-ranked teams:

Feb. 7, 1995: Maryland 86, North Carolina 73 (College Park)
Jan. 14, 1998: Maryland 89, North Carolina 83 (College Park)
Feb. 17, 2002: Maryland 87, Duke 73 (College Park)
Jan. 18, 2003: Maryland 87, Duke 72 (College Park)
Dec. 10, 2003: Maryland 69, Florida 68 (Gainesville)
Jan. 19, 2008: Maryland 82, North Carolina (Chapel Hill)

Posted by Don Markus at 2:28 PM in Terps basketball | Permalink | Comments (18)
        

As many of you know, I covered the Terps from 1985-1997, and have been witness to many of Gary Williams' biggest wins, including that little game against Indiana in Atlanta in 2002.

What I saw in Chapel Hill on Saturday was not only the biggest upset of any Williams-coached team at Maryland, but among the top five upsets in any sporting event I've covered in 22 years at The Sun.

It might rank up there -- in terms of David-and-Goliath scenarios -- with Georgetown-Villanova in the 1985 NCAA championship game or Larry Mize chipping in from 130 feet to beat Greg Norman at the 1987 Masters.

Here's my list of the other four biggest upsets for the Terps under Williams:

Jan. 26 1991: Already under NCAA probation for sins committed under former coach Bob Wade, Maryland beats a North Carolina State team led by Chris Corchiani, Rodney Monroe and Tom Gugliotta, 104-100, at Cole Field House. This was a Maryland team that was without leading scorer Walt Williams, who was out with a broken leg. Vince Broadnax, a former walk-on, torched the Wolfpack, leading Williams to comment, "Vince couldn't score 30 if he was playing in a pickup game in the auxiliary gym."

March 19, 1994: After defeating Saint Louis University in the opening round of the NCAA Midwest Regional, the Terps beat a UMass team they had lost to earlier in the season by 14 points at the Baltimore Arena. I had written a story early in the season stating that I'd eat my words if the Terps made the Sweet 16. As time ticked down in a 95-87 win over the eighth-ranked Minutemen that featured Marcus Camby and Donta Bright, Keith Booth's cousin, Exree Hipp looked over at press row in Wichita and told me to start eating. I crumpled up a piece of paper and complied.

March 24, 2001: A little back story on this one. When my son Russell was about nine, he asked me if I could take him to the Final Four if Maryland ever got there. I readily agreed, never thinking I would have to follow through knowing the program (and Williams) had never reached college basketball's promised land. I was in Philadelphia covering Duke in the East Regional and was just getting to the arena when the 11th-ranked Terps were putting the finishing touches on an 87-73 win over second-ranked Stanford in Anaheim, Calif. Russell and I went to Minneapolis, which is where his hatred of Duke was born.

January 26, 2005: For Maryland fans, winning at Cameron Indoor Stadium is better than winning at the Dean Dome. It has something to do with shutting up the students and making the K in Coach K stand for Kry (as you can tell, I didn't go to Duke...or Maryland). The 75-66 win there over the No. 2 Blue Devils wasn't a fluke; three weeks later, the Terps, still unranked, beat No. 7 Duke, 99-92 in overtime, in College Park. Of course, the NCAA selection committee didn't think the two wins were that big a deal when they snubbed the Terps from tournament selection.

Editor's note: Tom Gugliotta and Donta Bright's names were misstated when this post was first published. Information about the Terps' win over Saint Louis in 1994 was also incorrect.

Posted by Don Markus at 8:31 PM in Terps basketball | Permalink | Comments (13)
        

It's great for Gary Williams that Maryland is playing this well today against North Carolina, but where has this team been all season?

Greivis Vasquez doesn't take a shot for the first six minutes?

James Gist outplaying Tyler Hansbrough?

For those who aren't watching, it's 41-35 Maryland, with Gist scoring 13 points and pulling down nine rebounds, outscoring Hansbrough by nine. Vasquez has seven assists but also five turnovers.

It's only halftime, and maybe the Terps should consider going right to the bus for the airport, but where was this team the first two months of the season? It's certainly a matter of the freshmen getting comfortable, but it's more a matter of Vasquez playing under control and Gist being a dominant player inside.

How long it will last depends on whether the Terps come out of their locker room with the same focus and intensity, and when the Tar Heels realize they had better start playing before they get upset.

No matter what happens, Maryland can build off this half, and depending on how the second half plays out, the rest of the season.

Posted by Don Markus at 4:27 PM in Terps basketball | Permalink | Comments (13)
        

What's worse for a young team, losing by one after seemingly having the game secured or getting blown out by 39?

That's what Maryland and Wake Forest experienced Saturday in their respective road defeats, the Terps at Virginia Tech and the Demon Deacons at Boston College. It will be interesting to see how each responds when they meet Tuesday night at Comcast Center.

"[In] our play in the ACC, we've been good enough to lose two pretty close games,'' Maryland coach Gary Williams said on today's ACC coaches' teleconference. "We're looking to try and get better. I don't think we're that far away from being more competitive. That's what we're looking to do right now and hopefully we can channel that into our games this week.''

The pressure will clearly be on the Terps, given that they are 0-2 in the ACC and play North Carolina and Duke back to back (with eight days in between) after Wake Forest, which won its ACC opener before getting clobbered by Boston College.

Williams tried to deflect some of that pressure when asked on the teleconference if Tuesday's game is a must-win given what follows.

"We're not worried about Duke and Carolina, we're worried about Wake Forest,' Williams said. "That's what you learn. We're not hanging our heads. We've played two good teams, two teams that played hard. We know we have to get better, that's the point. You don't worry about who you're going to play down the road, you worry about your next game and getting the team ready to really go after it and play hard, and that's what you try to do.''

The 112-73 loss to BC was the first major blip for new Wake Forest coach Dino Gaudio, who took over after Skip Prosser died of a heart attack last summer. The Demon Deacons, who start two freshmen (including possible ACC rookie of the year James Johnson) and three sophomores, were coming off a 17-point home win over Brigham Young.

"I think when you have a young group like we have, you can talk about what it's like on the road in the ACC, the intensity level of the games, the competition, you can talk to them and talk to them and there's some lessons you can only learn yourselves. They learned a valuable lesson I hope on Saturday afternoon,'' Gaudio said today.

The Demon Deacons went straight from Boston to College Park since classes don't resume in Winston-Salem, N.C., until Wednesday morning.

As for the Terps, they are hoping to have sophomore guard Eric Hayes back after missing two games with a sprained ankle. But given the quickness of Wake Forest's backcourt, it seems more likely that the Terps will allow Hayes to fully recover for Saturday's game in Chapel Hill and go with a combination of freshmen Adrian Bowie and Cliff Tucker against the Demon Deacons.

Bowie took a big step Saturday against Virginia Tech, scoring 12 points and doing a nice job running the offense (and making a couple of good defensive plays) in 28 minutes.

Posted by Don Markus at 1:01 PM in Terps basketball | Permalink | Comments (4)
        

Things didn't look too promising for Maryland in the first 6 1/2 minutes at Cassell Coliseum today. Virginia Tech led, 15-5, and Greivis Vasquez hadn't hit a shot. Worse, the Terps looked confused and on the verge of getting blown out.

That's when the inexperience of the Hokies helped Maryland get back in the game.

A more veteran team would have blown out the Terps early, but the young Hokies, even younger than Maryland, allowed the Terps to get their legs, their confidence and eventually a lead.

The biggest boost for the Terps came from freshman point guard Adrian Bowie off the bench. Bowie looked as if he were back at Montrose Christian, running the point, getting to the basket, stepping in the passing lanes on defense.

With Bowie leading the way, Maryland went on a 13-0 run midway through the half and led at halftime, 33-27.

What was promising for the Terps was that Vasquez, who has been hitting everything of late, hit nothing but four free throws in the first half. Vasquez was 0-for-5, and nothing was close. James Gist had eight points and five rebounds and came close to making an ESPN alley-oop dunk on a three-quarter court pass from Vasquez.

If the Terps can keep under control in the second half, and make some free throws (11-for-15 in the first half) they have a chance to get their first ACC win this season.

Posted by Don Markus at 3:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

Maryland guard Eric Hayes won’t be available for today’s game against Virginia Tech.

Hayes, a sophomore, sprained his left ankle last Sunday in practice and missed Tuesday’s win over Holy Cross.

Freshman Cliff Tucker was expected to start at shooting guard, with Greivis Vasquez taking over most of the point guard responsibilities.

Posted by Don Markus at 1:46 PM in Terps basketball | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Maryland coach Gary Williams said today before practice that the status of Eric Hayes for tomorrow's game at Virginia Tech would hinge on whether the sophomore guard could practice today in College Park.

Since practice was closed to the media, it is not known whether Hayes was able to fully participate.

Hayes sprained his left ankle in practice Sunday after stepping on the foot of teammate James Gist. He missed Tuesday's win over Holy Cross, the fourth straight for the Terps. Freshman Cliff Tucker started in his place and scored a career-high 10 points.

It is assumed that Tucker would get the start in Blacksburg if Hayes can't play, or if Williams wants to use Hayes only when necessary. Another freshman, Adrian Bowie, would also figure into the rotation at the point if Hayes couldn't go.

This is a crucial game for Maryland in trying to reverse its early season struggles. The Hokies could be the youngest team in the league, maybe in the country, in terms of freshmen who play, including starting Malcolm Delaney (Towson Catholic) at point guard the past four games.

Posted by Don Markus at 4:00 PM in Terps basketball | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

For those of you starting to figure out your 65 teams for this year's NCAA tournament -- hey, you can never start early enough -- here are some of the latest RPI numbers from the NCAA's Web site.

Maryland was up to 151 before its win Tuesday night over Holy Cross, and should move up a few digits if it wins Saturday against Virginia Tech (75) in Blacksburg. In truth, just the fact that the Terps are only going to play ACC teams from here out will help their RPI. But the hole that Maryland dug for itself, at least in terms of the RPI, doesn't bode well for March.

According to the NCAA's most recent RPI, Maryland is a distant 12th in the ACC, the highest-rated conference. North Carolina (2) is the only conference team in the top 10, while Duke (23) and Clemson (26) are the only other teams in the top 30. After that, you have Florida State (52), Miami (56), Virginia (61), North Carolina State (63), the Hokies (75), Boston College (81), Georgia Tech (92) and Wake Forest (96).

As for the in-state teams, the Terps are still a distant second to UMBC (86). After Maryland, there's Coppin State (172), Morgan State (182), Mount St. Mary's (209), Loyola (234), Towson (240), Navy (309) and UMES (326).

Not exactly a basketball hotbed, is it?

March Sadness awaits.

Posted by Don Markus at 7:02 AM in Terps basketball | Permalink | Comments (5)
        

I don't know if Maryland did it in honor of their new back-to-the future beat writer from The Sun, but those yellow uniforms the Terps broke out tonight certainly brought back memories. The last time Maryland wore yellow jerseys was the 1987-88 season, Bob Wade was coaching and the starting lineup was made up of Baltimore's Rudy Archer at point guard, Steve Hood at shooting guard, freshman Brian Williams at center, with Derrick Lewis and Tony Massenburg at the forwards.

It was by far the best of the three teams Wade coached in College Park, as the Terps advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament before losing to Kentucky in Cincinnati. But things quickly fell apart, as Hood and Williams -- the ACC rookie of the year -- transferred, Archer was declared academically ineligible and Lewis graduated. Things deteriorated after that and Wade was gone a year later.

So here's the question: If those yellow unis were last worn when the program went through some down years, why would Gary Williams bring them back? (Nike must have had something to do with it.)

Stay tuned for his answer after the game.

Posted by Don Markus at 8:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
        

Maryland guard Eric Hayes is unavailable for Tuesday night’s game against Holy Cross because of a sprained ankle. According to a statement released by the school, his ankle will be reevaluated later this week.

The sophomore from Woodbridge, Va., had started the first 15 games this season, and is averaging 11 points and 5.4 assists. His 2.61 assist to turnover ratio is second in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Hayes was injured during a practice Sunday.

--Don Markus

Posted by baltimoresun.com at 7:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

Don’t expect the Maryland Terrapins to take their opponent lightly tonight at Comcast Center.

But don’t expect the Terps to have an easy time with Holy Cross. The Crusaders already beat Ohio this season and have been a dominant team in the Patriot League in recent years, the same league in which American plays. Those two morsels of minutia have been reinforced the past couple of days to the Terps by coach Gary Williams.

“It’s a little easier to drill it into them after American U and Ohio U,’’ Williams said, referring to his team’s two disastrous home losses last month.

Holy Cross also has beaten St. Joseph’s in Philadelphia this season and plays the kind of style that will test Maryland’s, and ultimately, Williams’ patience. Think Princeton with better athletes.

“Holy Cross does a great job with how they play,’’ Williams said Monday. “They have a style of play and they stick with it. And they’re very difficult to play against."

The Crusaders have the size to contend inside with Maryland and a more versatile player than either James Gist or Bambale Osby. Tim Clifford, a 6-foot-11, 260-pound senior, also has the ability to step outside (7-for-17 on threes) in a high-post offense.

“The best thing he does is get angles to receive the basketball, and they do a very good job of feeding the post,’’ Williams said. “When you’re that big, and you can position, you don’t have to dunk everything.’’

The key for the Terps, aside from staying with their offense and not settling for quick jump shots, will be to hit the defensive boards hard in order to do what should be their biggest advantage – beat the Crusaders down the court.

Getting ready for Charlotte last week was easier than practicing for Holy Cross, because the 49ers are the same kind of pressing, running team as the Terps.

“Our second team can duplicate what Charlotte does a lot easier than what Holy Cross does,’’ Williams said. “During the year you can hit anything once conference play starts. This will be a good game to see where we are playing this style of play.’’

Or it could turn into the last of a trying trilogy that began last month.

Posted by Don Markus at 9:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

Five former Maryland football players will participate in postseason all-star games during the next month.

Tight end Joey Haynos and running back Keon Lattimore will play in Saturday’s Hula Bowl in Honolulu. The game is scheduled to kick off at 6 p.m. EST.

Offensive guard Andrew Crummey will participate in the East-West Shrine Game on Saturday, Jan. 19 at Robertson Stadium in Houston. The game kicks off at 7 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN2.

Defensive tackle Dre Moore will take part in the Under Armour Senior Bowl on Saturday, Jan. 26, which will take place at 4 p.m. and be shown on the NFL Network. The game takes place in Mobile, Ala.

And finally, defensive back J.J. Justice will play in the Texas vs. the Nation game on Saturday, Feb. 2 in El Paso, Texas. The game will kick off at 5 p.m. and be broadcast on CSTV.

Posted by baltimoresun.com at 4:44 PM in Terps football | Permalink | Comments (3)
        

Posted by Jack Gibbons at 3:54 PM in Terps basketball | Permalink | Comments (3)