The good and the bad for Terps
It's the yin and the yang, folks.
Gary Williams can be proud that his Terps were strong-willed enough to come back from a 10-point, second-half deficit against Georgia Tech on Saturday. The Yellow Jackets have an imposing set of frontcourt players in Alade Aminu and Gani Lawal. Those two combined for 27 rebounds, which was 12 fewer than Maryland's entire team.
But no matter how gritty they are -- in the classic Gary Williams mold -- the Terps will need to play better to stay competitive down the road. That's the sobering piece of this win for Terps fans.
What Maryland has going for it is quickness and defense. The three-point shooting may not always be there, the crisp execution may not be there, but there's always the press. Defensive pressure keyed a 15-2 run on Saturday with Maryland down 50-40. When all else fails, it's Maryland’s relief pitcher.
But fans know that when you have a three-guard offense, you have to shoot better from outside. The press won't be enough against good teams. From the beginning of the Morgan State game until the final minute of Saturday's first half, the Terps missed 26 of 27 three-point shots.
Gary Williams says Maryland may have lost some confidence in its shooting against Morgan State, and he's probably right. He said Saturday's outside shooting was a "hangover" from the previous game.
The weird part is that the Terps executed pretty well in the first half on Saturday, moving the ball to players behind the arc for open shots. They just couldn't make them.
Comments
same stuff, different year. lose to a team that has no business even hanging with you, go 8-8 in the ACC, and teeter on the bubble. the only thing changing this year is GV's haircut from game to game.
Posted by: mclean | January 12, 2009 9:06 AM
One key was Maryland only had 13 TOs. If we keep working the ball the way we have most of the time and dont get impatient by anyone trying to do too much or something that isnt their normal responsibility, the shooting touch will hopefully return. Remember with a reliance on outside shooting the overall shooting percentage will be lower than what we would expect with more inside opportunities. The lack of a strong inside game will be something that will hurt all year long but its where we are right now so complaining about it is worthless. One game at a time, Terps - keep working hard - and dont give in to the haters!!
Posted by: Terps06 | January 12, 2009 9:50 AM
If coach Williams does not sit on Vasques,he will lose this team again
Posted by: jim wilson | January 12, 2009 12:30 PM
If Vasquez continues this "me, me, me" act and continues to mouth to the fans to "shut the F - - - up" he'll have no support on the road or at home. His antics and act are getting real old, real fast!
Posted by: Mel | January 12, 2009 1:43 PM
Since Williams believes Vasquez emulates his own personality, it will be interesting to see if he does "sit on" Vasquez. Vasquez needs to show some humility on the court. If he continues to bang his chest when making a play he needs to understand the fans will continue to be hard on him. I watch him at times when he does not have the ball and he gets visibly frustrated when his teammates do not get him the ball. Vasquez operates in a world that revolves around "him".
Posted by: Kyle Lorton | January 12, 2009 9:41 PM
Gary needs to reign in this Vasques kid, although i am a Terps fan, i can not stand this kids antics, its poor sportsmanship
Posted by: Ron | January 13, 2009 12:03 AM
People that hate on Vasquez are just stupid. He's the best player we have and its the fans that are in the wrong here... you should never, ever boo your BEST PLAYER about anything. Ever. Period.
Posted by: Dan | January 14, 2009 3:38 PM