The 2008-09 basketball schedule is still months away from being announced, but here's something for Maryland fans to debate: Whose idea was it to sign the Terps up for the Old Spice Classic, and did they see the rest of the field before doing so?

Along with the Terps, the Thanksgiving week tournament (Nov. 27-29 and Dec. 1) in Orlando includes Gonzaga, Memphis, Michigan State, Oklahoma State, Siena, Tennessee, and Wichita State. Last I looked, that's five teams that made this year's NCAA tournament, including three in the Sweet 16.

A number of these teams will be rebuilding, which may be the only reason the Maryland coaches think the Terps will be competitive. Memphis loses Baltimore's Joey Dorsey and probably super freshman Derrick Rose. Tennessee says goodbye to Chris Lofton and JaJuan Smith. And the other teams will be losing some key personnel.

I won't mind eating turkey at Disney's World of Sports, but will turtle be on the menu as well?

Posted by Don Markus at 10:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (63)
Categories: Terps basketball
        

There's been lots of confusion about Gus Gilchrist's status and after having it explained to me a number of times -- I'm a little slow, as some of you have often reminded me -- I will try to clear it up.

Gilchrist initially committed to Virginia Tech out of high school, but for a number of reasons, changed his mind. Publicly, he said it was because of the tragic shootings in Blacksburg last spring. Privately, those with ties to the Hokies will say otherwise.

In any case, he wound up in College Park last December. Because ACC athletic directors are sensitive to players going from one member school to another, they decided to treat him as if he were a regular recruit. That means he has to sit out one full school year.

In Gilchrist's case, that means he will be eligible after the fall term in 2008-2009, meaning that he will likely play around mid-December. That's how I understand it, until I'm told (again) that I got it wrong.

Posted by Don Markus at 11:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (19)
        

Neil Blumberg, Baltimore: We all knew this would be a rebuilding season for the Terps. Do you think they exceeded expectations or did not meet expectations?

Don Markus: A little of both. Given the way the season began, finishing with 19 wins and getting to the NIT was an accomplishment. But given the way the team played in January and early February, the Terps were disappointing.

Eric Cramer: Don, last year Gary coached his fourth best team at Maryland based on winning percentage. This year's team would rank 17th out of his 19 teams. I am having a hard time trying to figure if this team just underachieved at 19-15 and missed opportunities to finish with about 6 more wins of these 9 losses (VCU, BC twice, Va.Tech, Ohio, American, Missouri, UVa, Clemson). This team could have finished as well as last year's team if they played to their potential. Do you think this is the case or was this team just average and take it for it was?

Don Markus: As I stated previously, I think the expectations changed with the mid-season winning streak. But based on the whole season, I think it was an average team with average to below average talent. How many players will you be seeing in the NBA? Maybe Vasquez and Gist, and neither of them are locks to make it.

Big Bob: Donny, Will Gist or Osby be drafted in the NBA?

Don Markus: Gist might have a chance if he performs well at the pre-draft camps, but his stock went down toward the end of the season because of his inconsistent play. I think Gist has the ability to play in the NBA, but he needs to get stronger and learn to put the ball on the floor better than he does now. Osby is too small to play with his back to the basket in the NBA and doesn't have any kind of perimeter game. As hard as he works, and as good a guy as he is, Osby could have a long and productive career in Europe if he chooses to take that route. And by the way, did you grow up in Brooklyn? Only my friends from the old neighborhood call me Donny.

Andrew: My question is related to recruiting. It seems like five-to-ten years ago, whoever was evaluating talent for the Terps was finding diamonds in the rough like Joe Smith, Juan Dixon and Lonny Baxter on a consistent basis. Recently, that hasn't been so. Is Gary the main evaluator of talent or did the previous assistant coaches like Hahn and Patsos serve as the primary evaluators? Seems like the Terps have erred in their evaluations of who they should give scholarships the past few years. Thanks!

Don Markus: I think Billy Hahn and also Art Perry, who was the assistant responsible for finding and signing Joe Smith, had a lot more experience in finding the kind of players who fit Williams' system. Jimmy Patsos and Dave Dickerson evolved into pretty good recruiters as well. Williams was hoping that Rob Moxley was going to fill the void, but he went back to Charlotte after one year with the promise of becoming its next head coach after Bobby Lutz retired. Now the bulk of the recruiting has fallen on Chuck Driesell and Keith Booth, as well as Joe Harrington. Harrington was a great recruiter when he was an assistant and later a head coach, so it might pick up the next couple of years as Driesell and Booth get experience. Booth had his first big get with Sean Mosley, and the former Terps star could be the key guy getting talent out of Baltimore. In other words, Williams leaves a lot of responsibility to his assistants for recruiting, and that might have to change in the future,

Don: Who will be replacing Gist on the interior for Maryland next year? Do we have any "big men" who are decent players filling the inside roles?

Don Markus: Eventually, it will be Gus Gilchrist, who from all accounts was the best player in practice during the past couple of months. The other addition could be Ken Bowman, a 6-foot-9 banger who is playing with Bobby Maze at Hutchinson Community College in Kansas.

Michael Stefanek: Very disappointing year...any projections for the starting five next year, and the idea of going more with a three-guard offense, which would include newcomer Mosley?

Don Markus: I think Gary is going to go with a lot of three-guard lineups, especially at the start of next season, to get enough offense on the floor. If Mosley is as good as advertised, I can see him playing a lot of minutes at the 2 or the 3. I also think Vasquez is going to see more time at the 2 if either Adrian Bowie or Bobby Maze can play significant minutes at the point. I think the odd-man out will be Eric Hayes, who is rumored to be thinking about going elsewhere. As for the starting lineup, the early season lineup (before Gus Gilchrist is eligible) could be PG: Vasquez SG: Mosley SF: Milbourne PF: Braxton Dupree or Ken Bowman (JC recruit) C: Jerome Burney, or have one of the other guards instead of one of the bigs. After Gilchrist is eligible, it could be PG: Bowie or Maze SG: Vasquez SF: Mosley or Milbourne PF: Bowman or Dupree C: Gilchrist.

beas: With the additions of Augustus Gilchrist, Bobby Maze, and Sean Mosley, do you think the team will be better or worse next year? Also, do you see Gary going to a three or maybe even four-guard offense with Gist and Osby leaving?

Don Markus: I think the team should be a lot better, especially after Gilchrist becomes eligible. He is supposedly the closest thing Gary Williams has had to a one-and-done type player, and he will probably be there no more than 1 1/2 seasons. Maze started at Oklahoma as a freshman until he had a run-in with Jeff Capel. Mosley is one of the most prolific high school scorers Maryland has ever signed. The question is whether Vasquez is going to accept sharing the ball more with these guys than he did with this year's team. I think he will because I think he'll feel this new group will be able to score. I can see a three-guard lineup, but unless the Terps plan to move to the Patriot League (they were 2-1 against the PL this year), I doubt Gary will go to four guards.

Posted by Don Markus at 3:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (16)
Categories: Terps basketball
        

After hearing stories the past few years about how Gary Williams had no shot at one-and-done players out of Maryland such as Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Durant and Michael Beasley, this little nugget was in the Syracuse Post-Standard Friday after the Terps lost to the Orange Thursday night at the Carrier Dome.

Syracuse freshman and former Towson Catholic star Donte Greene wanted to go to Maryland.

"Maryland recruited me when I was sophomore; before anybody was recruiting me,'' Greene told Post-Standard beat writer Mike Waters. "I was waiting for them to call and they called. (Maryland assistant) Keith Booth came up to me and was talking to me and I was on my way to Maryland.’’

That is, until Greene went to see Williams.

Greene took an unofficial visit to see the Maryland campus, but when he arrived in the basketball office, Maryland coach Gary Williams was with Julian Vaughn, a recruit from Vienna, Va., who is now at Florida State.

"Coach Williams had him in his office, talking for a while, for like 45 to an hour,’’ Greene told the Post-Standard . "Then he brought me in there and only said a couple words. I felt like I was disrespected and Gary Williams didn’t really want to recruit me.’’

Posted by Don Markus at 1:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (22)
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Two weeks ago, Maryland seemed on the verge of locking up an NCAA tournament bid. The Terps had a 20-point lead in the second half against Clemson at Comcast Center. The rest is misery.

Talk about free-fall, did anyone pull the cord on this parachute?

Sunday's announcement that the Terps would be a fifth seed -- in the NIT, yikes - means that the NIT selection committee thought there were at least 16 better teams for its field of 32.

Going to Minneapolis to play Minnesota Tuesday night won't exactly be the highlight of Gary Williams' career.

In fact, it's a reminder of how far the program has dropped: the last time Williams took a team to the Twin Cities, it was to play in the 2001 Final Four.

This won't quite be the same.

Posted by Don Markus at 6:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (15)
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Steven: Why didn't Gary switch to a zone defense like a 2/3 or box-in-1 to contain [Tyrese] Rice? Duke completely shut BC and Rice down with one.

Don Markus: I think that Williams figured Greivis Vasquez did a great job on Rice in Maryland's win at Boston College, as well as in the first half Thursday night. The Terps had played zone with some success in a couple of games earlier this season, so that might have worked. One more thing: Duke has better defensive players than Maryland, and making those kind of adjustments on the fly are usually easier for the Blue Devils.

Andy: Why have the Terps struggled with ball security and control the past few years? Why can't a former point guard in Gary Williams get the team to take care of the ball better? Will Bobby Maze be able to fix it next year?

Don Markus: Except for Steve Blake, Duane Simpkins and Terrell Stokes, the Terps have not had a true point guard running the offense. It started with Walt Williams, who Gary Williams played at point to showcase his talents for the NBA in return for staying at Maryland when others left because of the sanctions. Gary took a lot of flak for not letting Steve Francis play point, but Stevie Franchise has proved his former coach correct. In recent years it's been D.J. Strawberry and now Greivis Vasquez. Maze is supposedly more in the mold of Allen Iverson, both in terms of playing style and personality, so I'm not sure how that is going to work with this group. It obviously didn't work at Oklahoma.

Doug: Adrian Bowie seems to be playing with more confidence, while Eric Hayes continues to struggle at this level of competition. With Sean Mosley and Bobby Maze set to join the Terps next season, do you think Eric has a future with the Terps or is he better off transferring to a smaller school?

Don Markus: As I wrote earlier in the week, the backcourt seems to be a bit crowded and there have been whispers that Hayes decided to transfer the moment that Maze committed. I'm sure we will find out within the next few weeks what Hayes plans to do, but his performance at the end of the season doesn't bode well, particularly in light of how Bowie came on the past couple of months.

Russ Thompson: Can Maryland deny an NIT bid? Or would the NIT see how they finished, and not invite them. I appreciate everything Gist and Osby have done for this program, but for them to keep playing and losing the way they do, I think would be a disgrace to themselves and to the program.

Don Markus: Maryland has already agreed to host the first couple of rounds, so I think that part is a done deal. I certainly don't think Gist and Osby would disgrace themselves and the program by playing in the NIT, but it's obviously not the way they wanted their careers to end.

Moke Wolfe: I know that Gary's tenure is long and he's an alumnus who played there and he delivered a national championship. But considering the performance of his teams since 2002-03 and more importantly the abysmal graduation and academic progress rates, is there any reason to think that Debbie Yow may be considering a change in the next couple of years if one or both trends are not reversed?

Don Markus: I don't think any changes are being seriously contemplated with the basketball program. Debbie Yow might want to voice her concerns about recruiting, but she and her basketball coach are not exactly going out for coffee to discuss those matters. From what I know, university president Dan Mote knows how important Gary Williams is to fundraising and some of the school's most influential boosters are big supporters of Williams. As I have written and said recently, I think there are bigger issues with the future of the football team than there are with basketball.

Peter: What do you see in the future for Maryland's freshmen (Jerome Burney, Dino Gregory, Braxton Dupree, Cliff Tucker, Adrian Bowie, Shane Walker)?

Don Markus: Tucker was the most consistent of an inconsistent group this season, and I think he could be a pretty good Division I player if he refines his offensive game. Bowie had several big games, but needs to become a little more confident with his ballhandling and his willingness to take open jump shots. Burney came on at the end of the season after disappearing for nearly two months. Dupree went the other way and needs to lose weight and get in better shape before next season. He definitely has some skills. Walker might be a bigger project than anticipated. I never saw Gregory play any meaningful minutes so it's hard to make a comment, but I heard he will likely transfer to a smaller program along the lines of Loyola or Towson.

Posted by Don Markus at 8:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (17)
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Maryland athletic director Debbie Yow said on Wednesday that all the paperwork was in order to host an NIT game (or two) if the Terps were relegated to playing in college basketball's consolation tournament.

Now that Maryland is headed in that direction after Thursday's opening-round loss to Boston College in the ACC tournament in Charlotte, N.C., the question needs to be asked: will it do the Terps any good?

The risk is certainly not as great as it was for the 6-6 football team taking its chances on having a losing record when it accepted a bid to the Emerald Bowl last season, then went out to San Francisco and lost to Oregon State in a forgettable night at AT&T Park.

Is winning the NIT a reward after an 18-14 season or just a prolonged reminder of what went wrong?

The feeling I got in the Maryland dressing room after the team's 71-68 loss to BC was that the Terps will have to talk themselves into getting excited about playing in the NIT. The feeling I have from Maryland fans is many of them might be watching another elimination contest -- "American Idol" -- on Tuesday and Wednesday, when the NIT first-round games would be held at Comcast Center.

Posted by Don Markus at 11:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (26)
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There has been a lot of discussion among Maryland fans this week about whether Gary Williams should change his lineup going into tonight's ACC tournament opener against Boston College at Charlotte Bobcats Arena. Much of it has focused on the shooting guard spot, where sophomore Eric Hayes has struggled recently while freshman Adrian Bowie has come on strong.

It would be a bold move at this stage of the season, but one I doubt Williams is going to make. It goes back to Williams' own playing career, when he was benched in an ACC tournament game against South Carolina as a senior. That's not to say Williams isn't considering reconfiguring his backcourt for next season.

Williams admitted after practice Wednesday that Greivis Vasquez could be as effective at shooting guard if either Hayes, Bowie or junior college transfer Bobby Maze can be a reliable point guard next season. Bowie and Hayes have played out of position most of the time this season and while Bowie has seemingly adjusted, Hayes hasn't.

Given the lack of depth in the frontcourt next season, especially before Gus Gilchrist becomes eligible, I can also see Williams using a lot of three-guard sets with two big guards, Vasquez and freshman Sean Mosley, and either Bowie, Hayes or Maze running the point. Seems a bit crowded, especially at the point.

There have been whispers in College Park that Hayes is considering leaving Maryland, but Hayes denied that on Wednesday. Hayes attributed his play in last Sunday's loss at Virginia -- three points and one assist in 22 minutes -- to a case of the flu. It's a situation worth watching; he wouldn't be the first college player to say he wasn't leaving, then ask for his release the minute the season ends.

Only 12 hours until tipoff ...

Posted by Don Markus at 9:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (19)
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Bob, Baltimore: What do the Terps need to do in the ACC tournament to reach the NCAA tournament? If they reach the conference tournament championship game, do you think they need a win over Duke in the semifinals or does three wins get them in, regardless of the opponents?

Don Markus: As Gary Williams said after the Virginia game, winning the ACC tournament would settle it. Short of that, I do think that getting to the ACC finals, by beating Clemson in the quarters and Duke in the semis, would certainly put the Terps back in the discussion. But not all the favorites have or will win the smaller conference tournaments, so the pool of potential at-large spots is shrinking by the day.

Bill, Pottstown, Pa.: Do you think Williams is in trouble at all? Barring a run in this year’s ACC tournament, three trips to the NIT in the last four years cannot sit well with athletic director Debbie Yow.

Don Markus: You're not the first, or the last, to ask this question. I will say what I have said all along -- if Williams is in jeopardy of losing his job, Ralph Friedgen should be too, considering that the football program has had three losing records in the last four seasons. The graduation rate, however skewed as it might be by transfers, early departures, etc. doesn't make the situation with the basketball program look too rosy, but the school loses more money with a mediocre football program going to the Emerald Bowl than it does with the basketball team that's going to the NIT.

Ken: Williams’ teams usually get better as the season progresses. What do you think went wrong this season and what could Williams have done to right the ship?

Don Markus: I think there were too many freshmen who figured into the plans at the beginning of the season, and not enough of them were ready. For awhile, it was only Braxton Dupree and Cliff Tucker. Then, after Dupree went into the doghouse, it was only Tucker. I think if Williams had been able to develop confidence in Adrian Bowie sooner, and Bowie gained confidence in himself, you might have seen what you saw against Virginia and Clemson on a more consistent basis. The same is true for Jerome Burney. But as has been said as long as freshmen have played college basketball, the best thing about them is that they become sophomores.

Ed, Washington, D.C.: Looking ahead, what do you see as the Terps’ starting lineup next year? What other players will get significant minutes?

Don Markus: I think that's difficult to answer, based on how this season has unraveled. I assume Greivis Vasquez, but that's as far I will go. A lot depends on if Vasquez remains at point or is moved to shooting guard. I can also see Bowie challenging Eric Hayes for playing time, and Cliff Tucker challenging Landon Milbourne at small forward. Inside, the Terps will have to replace Bambale Osby and James Gist. I can see Burney taking over Osby's spot and Gus Gilchrist, when he becomes eligible in December, taking over for Gist. The Terps also have Sean Mosley coming in at shooting guard and junior college transfer Bobby Maze at point guard, as well as the possibility of Maze's teammate, Ken Bowman, up front.

Jeff: Do you think there will be any Maryland players transferring to other schools after the season?

Don Markus: Whenever a team has a disappointing season, that's always a possibility. Given the amount of court time a number of the younger players received, there's a chance some might see their futures elsewhere. Others who did get an adequate amount of playing time might be dissatisfied with the way Williams is using them and could opt to go to another school. As for any specific situations, stay tuned. You never know whose AAU coach or parent is whispering in their ear that they could be a star if they left Maryland.

Posted by baltimoresun.com at 8:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (16)
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For all those Maryland fans who assumed the Terps were going to beat Virginia Sunday and lock up a bid to the NCAA tournament, that was quite an assumption. For those who thought that the Terps needed to win three straight (beat Virginia and win two ACC tournament games), if not make it to the conference tournament final, to lock up a bid, don't gloat too much. (I'm not, I promise).

On the drive down to Charlottesville Sunday, I began thinking that I had made too much of Maryland's RPI, its lack of resume wins, the fact that it had slumped recently. Then I watched the Terps implode in the last 10 minutes again in a 91-76 loss to the Cavaliers, and I realized that they did not look like an NCAA tournament team and haven't for quite awhile.

Maryland's RPI was 64 going into Virginia and should take another hit today.

That one resume win -- at North Carolina -- was nearly two months ago.

The Terps are 6-6 in their last 12 games, but are 2-5 in their last seven and 1-4 in the last five.

Forget winning one or two in the ACC tournament. The Terps have to get to the ACC finals and might have to win the whole thing.

See you in Charlotte.

Posted by Don Markus at 9:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)
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There's been a lot of debate since the Clemson debacle about how many games Maryland needs to win to get an NCAA tournament bid. I have been roundly criticized for suggesting the Terps have to win their next three games, starting with Virginia Sunday night in Charlottesville, and may have to get to the ACC tournament final.

Let me explain my logic: even if Maryland beats the Cavaliers, it's not going to help its RPI dramatically. Nor will a first-round win in the ACC tournament over one of the league's bottom-feeders. That will put the Terps in the quarterfinals. Say they play Virginia Tech, which still doesn't have a win over a top 50 team. It might give Maryland a measure of revenge for blowing two games to the Hokies this season, but is it really going to impress the selection committee?

One more thing to consider -- when was the last time the Terps won three straight? (It's been a few weeks.)

Let me know what you think. And I know I don't have to encourage any of you to tell me that I don't know what I'm talking about.

Posted by Don Markus at 7:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (48)
        

Mark: How much of the blame for the Clemson loss should rest on Gary Williams' shoulders?

Don Markus: I think Williams put a lot on his shoulders after the game, as well as on his players. As I've stated many times before, Williams is loyal to his veterans, almost to a fault. In the case of Sunday night's game, I thought he could have given two freshmen, Adrian Bowie and Jerome Burney, another shot toward the end of the game when Eric Hayes and Bambale Osby were struggling. They certainly couldn't have played any worse.

Doug, Rockville: Do you have the stats for turnovers for the Terps vs. turnovers for their opponents this season? They seem to always lose this most crucial category -- I think it is the most important stat in the game!

Don Markus: For the season, Maryland is averaging nearly 17 turnovers a game, about 2 1/2 more than their opponents. But you have to go back nearly a month, to the BC game on Feb. 6, when the Terps had fewer turnovers than their opponent (Maryland had 10; BC had 12). Maryland is keeping opponents in games instead of blowing them about because of turnovers (see Sunday night), and the Terps are not forcing enough turnovers to help their offense get easy baskets.

Steve, Amarillo, Texas: Just curious if you have a sense of how Williams' post-game talk with the team went. Was it a scream-fest or did he let the disaster speak for itself?

Don Markus: Not being anywhere near the dressing room, I have no idea. But the feeling I got from a few of the players was that everyone was still in such a state of shock, including Williams, that there were no tirades.

Burt, Essex: Don, how do you explain a complete and utter collapse in the second half on a number of occasions this year for Maryland?

Don Markus: I think it comes down to the fact that their two most talented players, senior forward James Gist and sophomore guard Greivis Vasquez, still have holes in their games. Gist can be a dominant player, but the fact that he didn't go to the foul line against Clemson speaks volumes about what is still missing. Vasquez, as we have seen throughout the season, makes as many bonehead plays as he does brilliant ones.

Jerry: Why does Maryland have so much trouble against teams that press? What do you think about Hayes playing point guard for the final eight minutes of each game? That seems to be when Vasquez makes most of his turnovers.

Don Markus: I've heard about switching Hayes and Vasquez ever since I started covering the team, but there's one big problem -- Vasquez is way more creative than Hayes, both for himself and others, while Hayes' strength is his shooting and he's not strong with the ball, especially under pressure.

Josh: In the past, Williams has exclusively run the flex offense, but with this team's personnel, do you think he needs to adjust his offensive philosophy?

Don Markus: I think he has adjusted to some degree, evidenced by the number of threes the Terps took against Wake Forest. But you can't always teach an old dog new tricks and Williams, who turns 63 on Tuesday, has won more than 600 games and a national championship running the flex. The flex is working at other places such as Gonzaga and Tennessee, which as recently as last week was the No. 1 team in the country.

Posted by baltimoresun.com at 8:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (13)
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As I walked out of a nearly empty Comcast Center last night, a longtime university employee held the door open.

"I don't think I ever remember us losing a 20-point lead at home,'' he said.

Neither do I.

While the final-minute meltdown against Duke in 2001 has always gone down as Maryland's biggest choke job, with the second-half in the NCAA semifinals later that season against the Blue Devils running neck-in-neck among painful moments in the program's history, what happened last night against Clemson was right up there. Or down there. Considering that it might have cost the Terrapins a shot at the NCAA tournament, the ramifications are huge.

Gary Williams said after the game that he'll remember the 73-70 loss to the Tigers for a long time, just as he'll remember the big wins.

I've only been around the program since 1985, so my sense of history isn't as broad as many who follow the team.

Is this the worst home loss ever?

Posted by Don Markus at 7:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (35)
Categories: Terps basketball