According to Lambert, the Terps started recruiting Bays during her sophomore year. Bays is “real loyal,” Lambert said. Being there from the beginning paid off for the Terps in the end. UM's on-court success didn't hurt either.

“She’s interested in winning,” Lambert said. “She wanted to go to a school that has a chance to win the national championship. They had a real good recruiting class, and when she went down [to College Park] and visited, she hit it off with all the girls. She had nice things to say when she got back. The coaching was really personable and that helped sell her on the program. That’s a real hard-working staff.”

Bays’ father, Gery Strickland, was a standout at Marshall in the late 1980s. The 6-foot-6 forward undoubtedly passed on his basketball-playing genes to his daughter, Lambert said. Like her father, Bays is an excellent rebounder and versatile scorer.

“For a big girl, she can handle the ball pretty well,” Lambert said. “She can help against the pressure and she has sure hands. She’s got a fairly decent outside shot. She needs to work on her 3-point shot. Up until this year, I played her more inside. She’s got really good moves down on the blocks when she gets the ball. It’s pretty hard to stop her in the post area. But she’s a real competitor. She just hates to lose.”

Bays tore her ACL in July, forcing her to miss the majority of the AAU season. Rehab is going well, Lambert said, and it’s just a matter of time before Bays is back in action with an eye on starting her Maryland career next fall.

“She’s going to be a tremendous collegiate player,” Lambert said. “People down there will love watching her play.”