This is the first time since Gary has been head coach that I have been embarassed to be a Terp fan. This Senior class was, without a doubt, the most overrated, selfish, apathetic bunch ever to put on the red and white. I've never seen a bigger bunch of crybabies who never did anything and expected everything. I won't let one year diminish my love of the Terps, but man, this year stunk on ice. Gary, go back to recruiting hard-working overachievers. Any so-called blue chippers that aren't going to Duke or NC obviously isn't going there for a reason...they stink! There's plenty of hometown ballers still playing in the tournament...too bad they aren't playing for UMD.

Bottom Line: Coach knew EXACTLY what he was doing when his instinct was to end the season, after failing to reach to NCAA's for the second consecutive year. No slam on either the NCAA selection committee or the NIT. Methinks there might be a tad of tension between AD Yow and Coach? That was a rhetorical question, I think.

Crappy ending for a team that played crappy all year. I think some scolarships need to be pulled and given to someone who can play on a team! They got what they deserved.

Despite all the talk of belonging inthe NCAA tournament, the Terps proved that they did not belong there with their pitiful performance today. The only thing that could have made their complaints even mildly legitimate was a strong showing in the NIT, which they were not even capable of producing. The players should be completely embarrassed, but they are too busy whining about the NCAA's to realize how they have embarrassed themselves, their coaches, their school, and their fans. Another season to forget for Gary Williams; he deserves better.

Can't disagree with you more about D.J. Strawberry and whether or not he should be a captain next year. I guess this will be a moot point because Strawberry is a favorite of Gary's, but I think he's a big reason that Maryland underachieved this year. I agree that he looks like a player with heart, but that's mainly a remnant of his freshman year when he overcame his lack of pub with scrappy defense. Actually, I would argue that he more than anyone this year epitomized why Maryland fell short as a team. It was obvious from the start of the season that D.J. was more concerned with padding his stats and changing his reputation as an inept offensive player than with helping the team win, and I am fairly certain that this trend will only escalate next year. The nightmare scenario for Maryland fans is that he will take it a step further and it will be a lot like the senior year of the Rhodes-Hipp-Simpkins team that under-achieved because of the seniors being too worried about their stats and futures as pros. I was sickened by the number of times I had to watch this season as Strawberry brought the ball upcourt, with difficulty often, then simply ignored an open Caner-Medley, or especially Mike Jones, and drove into the lane to either throw up a prayer or pass the ball into the stands. He would also often forget he was playing the point and look for his shot rather than pass to open and more offensively talented teammates. Despite this, everyone would rave about what a good defensive player he is, but the truth is that he expended less energy on defense this year than he ever has, and he often yelled at teammates when he got beaten. If Maryland is to return to prominence next year, Strawberry has to rededicate himself to being the top defender and a "glue" guy like Byron Mouton, rather than trying to be a star. Also, he has to get over his obvious jealousy of Mike Jones. If next year's Terps focus on Jones and Ibekwe as their main offensive threats, with Gist and Strawberry as defensive and secondary offensive complements, and Brown as the floor leader, the team has a chance to do well next year. Unfortunately, I'm pretty sure that it's just not in Strawberry to sublimate himself for the team (he yearns for the spotlight too much), and I predict another disappointing year. Blake actually was kind of that way his senior year, and probably cost the Terps a few wins then as a result (most notably in the Sweet Sixteen game against Michigan State, when Blake decided he had had enough of seeing Drew Nicholas get the spotlight for his first round heroics and simply ignored him for most of the game). The difference is that that year's team had enough winning experience and talent to overcome those chemistry issues. This year's edition of the Terps was a study in why that can't happen next year.

Bryant's post demonstrates these forums provide exposure for anyone's opinion. Unfortunately, my opinion is that Bryant knows very little about that which he is speaking.

First, I do not believe anyone who watched, carefully or otherwise, Maryland this season would accuse DJ Strawberry of being an "attitude" problem. He was simply forced to play a position in which he had ZERO experience. And, of course, the position is only the single most important one on the court. It was predetermined that playing him there in the ACC this season, even an alleged "watered down" version of same, would expose him (and Justin Gray at WF) as a deficient alternative. (You may fill in your own punch-line for either Ledbetter or Brown.) You can pile up all of the statistics you want versus Old Dominion, Delaware State, Texas A&M-CC, etc., but when you face quality competition, the game invariably speeds up and will force an ill-equipped player into significant and multiple mistakes. This is simply what happened to DJ--he was just too mechanical in his approach because the position does not come to him naturally. DJ could care less about padding his stats; he's about winning which is why Gary likes him so much. Accordingly, I will not even dignify your "jealously with Mike Jones" comment.

As far as his freshman performance, don't you think he had something to prove this year in returning from a severe ACL tear? Look, I was as frustrated about the team's performance, and DJ's point guard play (although expected), as anyone all season. Would I have liked him to make smarter plays, protect the ball and shoot from the outside better? Sure, I would have preferred that as I am certain he would have too. However, DJ's play, which I felt included an improved outside shot than in his first 2 years, had substantially much more to do with what Gary asked him to do in manning the point guard position than anything associated to his desire. If his defense suffered, which it may well have dropped off a bit, it was not due to effort but more likely because of the additional pressures and energy expended running the point. I personally believe the more troubling question for DJ (and Gary) is how DJ, even if named a captain for next year's team and returned to his more natural position as an off-guard or small forward, will be able to command the necessary respect to motivate this team if he (and/or Gary) could not do it, albeit not as a captain, this year.

Second, Brown is NOT, and I will repeat, NOT the answer at point guard. He will be little more than, hopefully, a capable back-up next season who will provied quality minutes spelling Eric Hayes, Maryland's incoming freshman point guard. Don't even disillusion yourself into believing that Hayes, absent a monumental event, will not start at point next season. And, if you are not yet familiar with him, probably somewhat to your chagrin, he's a prototypical "Steve Blake" play (and look) alike. He's a 6'3", 170 lbs, long armed, coach's son who has played point guard all of his life and has a pass first mentality. Of course, I believe he'll have a more difficult time next year than Blake had as a freshman as he will not have nearly the offensive options to whom to pass as did Blake.

I am also baffled at your Blake allegation, i.e., jealousy of Drew Nicholas' game winning shot against UNCW and/or team chemistry problems. I attended that Sweet 16 game in San Antonio. Michigan State flat out denied the ball to Nicholas on that play forcing Blake to take the shot. As well, Nicholas was "off" shooting the ball throughout the game, missing a number of wide open 3's that, had he even made a few of them, may have negated the need for Maryland's furiously staged comeback and/or the need to take a last second shot. Also, if you recall, Maryland had the lead on back-to-back possessions at the end of the game and failed to score, while allowing MSU's Davis to twice score in the paint. Blake took a wide open, although deep, 3 pointer that was on-line, just a fraction short. If he made that basket and the team returned to at least the Elite 8 (not suggesting the Sweet 16 is a bad year), I wonder if you would be suggesting the team or Blake had chemistry problems. The simple matter limiting that year's team was Wilcox's early departure for the NBA. Had he remained at Maryland, it would have been hard to envision them not returning to the FInal 4 for a third straight year.

Unfortunately, I agree the Terps will likely be faced with Jones and Ibekwe as primary offensive options next season. Although I hope to be wrong, I don't think we can rely upon an unproven freshman (Milbourne) to contribute too heavily to this mix. With that said, the team's success will largely depend upon Gist's quantum level jump in improvement. I was quite surprised at his "leveling off" this season. I viewed him as cut from the cloth (i.e., an "energy/effort guy") of prior Maryland players that Gary developed over the course of their careers. However, Gist frequently disappeared throughout the majority of the conference season. He finished fairly strong, but without his dramatic improvement including consistency next season, we can probably expect much of the same (in terms of results) as the past two seasons. Of course, part of his stagnation may be attributable to being asked, out of necessity, to sometimes play out of position--like Garrison and Ibekwe, none of them are post players.

On the latter point, Bowers will also have to improve and produce more, at least to the level of MIke Mardisich before him. While people lamented over McCray's midseason loss, very little was ever stated about the team's virtual lack of depth at center. I think this season reflected the immensity of Fofana's loss (assuming his anticipated progression). This loss, IMO, was no less devastating than either McCray's January loss or Collins' transfer last year (combined with Gilchrist's departure, this left Gary with no other poinjt guards on the roster and forced him to the Ledbetter and Brown signings).

Gary, like all coaches, puts his teams together with players targeted to fill certain roles. Too much disruption with those intended roles, combined with a definite team-wide attitude/effort issue (perhaps stemming, in part, from the players' frustration with their own individual poor performances due to their changed roles?), back-to-back underachieving nationally rated recruiting classes, a bereft 2005 recruiting class (loss of only potential impact player, Shane Clark) and a rigid/inflexible offensive system (Gary's fault) that requires a definitive post presence, all served to derail them over the past two years. It is likely these problems will negatively impact this program until the 2008 season.

Just my $.02. I now have until next Fall in which to forget about this season and before renewing my rant (hopefully restricted to officiating, etc.) at next year's Terps.

If Ibekwe is a primary option next season, we are in deep trouble. Ibekwe is a very talented player, but he has serious problems that, if not corrected, will prevent him from taking his game to the next level. He doesn't have an outside jump shot of any sort, so the defense doesn't have to respect that. His only strengths on offense are tip ins on offensive rebounds (and even that isn't too great, because Ibekwe, and Gist, both seem to have monumental problems putting the ball in the basket, even from close range.) and driving to the hoop. However, even when he gets fouled, he doesn't really make the defense pay for it, because he can't hit free throws.

Ibekwe is just the prime example of Maryland's problems. The recruiting classes of 2002-2004 (particularly '03), which the exception of McCray, were filled with players who have tons of athletic talent but little basketball skill. The only way the Terps have won in the post-Blake years is by literally running people over and off the court. (The Minnesota game was a perfect example of this). This is in sharp contrast to Duke in the post-Jay Williams years, which gets players who may not have as much athletic talent as other schools, but have tremendous basketball skill, and that's why the win games.