2009 December

Maryland loses to William and Mary. Also, AHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

On December 31, 2009, In Maryland sports, By Scott

Scene: A nondescript dive in downtown Washington, D.C. Two guys sit at the bar, sipping glasses of beer.

Scott: What day is it? Friday?
Friend: Wednesday.
Scott: Huh. I really think it’s Friday.
Friend: Nope. Hey, how’s your blog going?
Scott: Kind of in a dead zone right now, but it’ll pick up again after the holidays when Ian and I are back from our vacations.
Friend: But doesn’t Maryland have a game tonight?
Scott: Nah, that’s not for another, like, three days.
Friend: (Pulls out iPhone) Nope. No, they played William and Mary tonight.
Scott: Oh, crap. That’s a serious trap game for us. They beat Wake Forest, you know.
Friend: Uh oh…wait. Hold on a sec.
Scott: What?
Friend: Uhhhh….
Scott: What is it? WHAT?!?! For baby Jesus’ sake, tell me!
Friend: (Shows iPhone screen. William and Mary 83, Maryland 77. Scott looks for the little “F” near the score, hoping not to find it. He finds it.)
Scott: no
Friend:   My condolences, man.
Scott:   So it begins. (Hand begins to shake.)
Friend: Come again?
Scott:   The cycle…it begins anew. (Beer glass shatters in Scott’s hand.) NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Friend: Dude, you should really have that vein on your forehead looked at. Seriously. That’s gonna rupture.
Scott:  SMMMMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASSSHHHHH!!!!!!!!
(Rips clothes, goes on rampage.)

Now that I’m back to normal size, let me congratulate Maryland on this terrific, almost exquisite loss. Maryland swore it saw the trap game potential here. They lost anyway.

On the court, the Tribe followed the model that Cincinnati, Wisconsin, and others have previously executed with success. Continuing a major theme, in the first half the Tribe easily solved Maryland’s press, possibly because the press is easily solved. On the other side, W&M packed the lane and dared the Terps to shoot. The Terps obliged. Unfortunately, top shooters and senior leaders Vasquez and Eric Hayes each went 2-9 from three. Here’s what Coach Williams said after the game:

“We didn’t have the patience or the toughness to go inside with the basketball, so it turned into a shooting contest and they won.”

Doesn’t this kind of situation call for, what’s the word I’m looking for, coaching? Aw, shucks, looks like the guys aren’t up for pounding it inside tonight against freaking William and Mary. So let’s just start chucking instead. That game plan was kinda optional anyway.

This is where the Gary/Vasquez relationship is so vexing. It’s not all their fault – Jordan Williams, Dino Gregory, Adrian Bowie, Cliff Tucker, and Hayes were all non-factors. But those two are the clear leaders. They love each other — they have made that painfully, almost awkwardly clear. But Gary seems to treat Greivis like an overindulgent father whose kid runs wild through the neighborhood. Obviously, none of the players are comfortable asking Vasquez to stop going one on five. So they just watch or join in, letting bad decisions lead to more desperation to more bad decisions ad infinitum. The post-game player comments reflected that, being of the usual, Eeyoresque “I dunno what happened, we shoulda had more energy, mumble mumble mumble” variety. Fantastic.

I’m a long way from the Fire Gary camp. But where was all that great in-game coaching? Why do we need to be in mid-February with our backs against the wall before he becomes able to lead his team? Why do we keep having these letdowns? Why do we seem incapable of learning from our mistakes? What the fuck is wrong with this fucking team? SMAAAAAASSSSSSHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!

Okay, okay. I’m calm. But the sad fact is, this season looks like the same old tired story. They’re gonna start slow in the ACC. Florida State will be an ass-whoopin — mark that down. We’ll be left for dead. Then we’ll pull out just enough upsets to get on the bubble, with the ACC tournament deciding our final fate. We’ll probably make it and lose again in the second round. Can we just fast-forward to next season? I’ve seen this movie before.

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A Maryland-Florida Atlantic Recap in Five Easily Digestible Bullet Points

On December 28, 2009, In Maryland sports, By Scott

Another cupcake game, another closer-than-it-should-have-been victory for the Terps. For truly, Danger is their middle name. To the points:

I didn’t watch the game.
Vasquez went 12-20 and finished with 26 points, 8 boards, and five assists. Great stat line and a great sign.
Not to be a Debbie Downer, but this win plus Winston-Salem State doesn’t exactly put Vasquez back on my All-America ballot. I guess I’m a small, miserable person for wanting him to produce in a few games that are actually meaningful.
They outrebounded us by 4. That is not positive. If we keep dogging it on the boards, Florida State is going to eat our lunch. Their frontcourt is no joke.
Sean Mosely was out with a minor ankle sprain, and in his place Cliff Tucker got 11 points and five boards. Jordan Williams also started over Dino Gregory. Both these things are positive.

Bonus: I’m going back to my ~~bender~~ vacation now. Have a good one out there.

Tagged with: Basketball • Cliff Tucker • Dino Gregory • Florida Atlantic University • Jordan Williams • Vasquez

Old Maryland Bugaboo Returns to College Park

On December 27, 2009, In Maryland sports, By Scott

The game is today at 2 p.m., although not on TV unfortunately (you can catch it on the radio or through Terps TV). The Post’s preview notes that Dino Gregory is an important piece of the Terps front-court. I’m not sure how that constitutes a game preview, per se, but whatevs. In any case, it gives me the awesome chance to note that I was wrong about Dino coming off the bench after his suspension. Although I still think that’s the best move. But hey, I’m not a basketball coach. Go on with your bad self, Gary.

Florida Atlantic may not have a lot of marquee players — they are loaded with and led by freshmen — but there will be at least one familiar face for Terps fans on their sideline: head coach Mike Jarvis. You may remember Jarvis from such series as “George Washington upsets Maryland in the BB&T Classic.” (Jarvis upset Maryland once during his time there, but set the table for a successful GW run that included a 3-2 record vs. the Terps over the next decade.) This, of course, was before Jarvis went to St. John’s and was fired due to underperformance and shady off-court incidents.

In any case, it’s pretty safe to say that Jarvis knows the Terps, and knows how to coach against Gary Williams. Is he going to pull off another upset tonight? Nope. No, sir. But it’ll make things just that much more interesting.

Prediction: FAU 69, Maryland 81

(Photo credit: Washington Times)

Tagged with: Basketball • Dino Gregory • Gary Williams • Mike Jarvis

A Terptastic Holiday Season

On December 24, 2009, In Maryland sports, By Scott

We’re taking a couple of days off…see you back here on the 27th, or earlier if big news breaks. In the meantime…to you and yours…a merry Christmas…or….a merry Chinese restaurant and gentleman’s club visitation.

A Maryland-Winston-Salem State Basketball Recap in Five Easily Digestible Bullet Points

On December 23, 2009, In Maryland sports, By Scott

Even more impotant than Maryland doing its job in a 98-55 threshing last night was the fact that Winston-Salem State did its job. Way to earn your money, Rams. To the abbreviated points:

I was less impressed with Vasquez’s near-triple-double than I was with his 4-4 mark from three. A sign not only of accuracy, but of judiciousness. Sweet, sweet judiciousness.
Direct quote from Dino Gregory: “Oil can! Oiiiil!!! Caaaann!!!!”
Cliff Tucker and Adrian Bowie emerged from the doghouse and the Bermuda Triangle, respectively, to combine for a 22, 5, and 5. Not stellar, but hopefully the start of a turnaround for these guys, who currently lead a pretty moribund bench.
We eviscerated them in every single phase except rebounding…a classic Achilles heel for the can-we-start-a-fast-break-now Terps. How are you only going to outrebound them by three? I know they had some frisky bigs (esp. Paul Davis), but still.
If this win can really be considered a momentum builder, let’s hope it keeps up vs. Florida Atlantic on the 27th. Only three more cupcakes and then — hopefully — we can all breathe a big sigh of relief. That’s our Terps!

(Photo credit: www.yesbutnobutyes.com)

Tagged with: Adrian Bowie • Basketball • Cliff Tucker • Dino Gregory • Winston-Salem State

A Maryland-Winston-Salem State Basketball Preview from Michael Wilbon

On December 22, 2009, In Maryland sports, By Scott

Happy holidays, you knuckleheads! Ready for your present? I’m gonna write a preview about your boys the Terps playing Winston-Salem State. TONY! Who ya GOT???

No Tony? Well, I can do this by myself. As I may have mentioned, I’m from the South Side of Chicago. Where the people and the fans are real. Not like you Maryland fans. Bunch of sorry, no-account whiners. YOU CALL YOURSELF AN AUDIENCE?!?!?! Bah. You think you know whining? Go down to the South Side of Chicago some time, big boy. We can discuss what’s wrong with my Cubbies. Seriously, what’s wrong with them? And Jay Cutler, who’s just so…I don’t know. (Wrings hands.)

And bloggers! Don’t even get me started. Why did you even ask me about them? No objectivity! No journalistic values! (Sips from Bears mug.) Bunch of sorry, no-account losers living in their parents basements. Just like all the other Internet users. See all that whining? That’s how you do it, Maryland! That’s how you do it.

So here’s what’s happening with your Terps, boys and girls. First of all, they’re coached by Gary Williams. Okay? Everyone just needs to take a deep breath and remember that. I know Gary Williams pretty well. We play a lot of golf together. So obviously that makes him a good coach. But not just a good coach. A great coach. Gary Williams is a great coach. Who’s a great coach in the ACC? You’ve got Roy Williams. You’ve got Mike Shichefsky. And you’ve got Gary Williams. THAT’S IT! THAT’S THE LIST! Anyone else who says anything different is stupid. Got that? Stupid. They should be fired from whatever line of work they’re in.

Yes, he’s lost some games against inferior opponents. Yes, they seem, at times, to give what I call an inconsistent level of performance. In all my years covering basketball, I know inconsistent when I see it. But you know what? I know Gary Williams. I’ve played golf with this man. Just the other day, it was yours truly, Gary (I usually just address him by his first name), Chuck Barkley, and Steve Nash out on the links in Scottsdale. Gary hit a five-iron approach shot into the water. I’ve never seen a golf club get abused like that. I’ve also never seen Steve Nash jump so high. So yes, Gary Williams is a great coach. Great coach? He’s a great coach.

So let’s run through some stats really fast. (Puts on glasses, looks down at paper on desk.) Winston-Salem State is 2-6. They shoot 35 percent from the field. Their best players are guard Brian Fisher and forward Shelton Carter, who is second on the team in rebounding and first in three-point shooting. So he could be an interesting matchup. But still, as my good friend Chad Ochocinco would say, “child please.” These guys are just the guys who couldn’t get a look from Wake. Heck, from UNC Asheville. This could be Maryland’s easiest game of the season.

Now having said that, would it surprise me if Winston-Salem State won? Not really. I expect Maryland to win, but I wouldn’t be shocked if Winston-Salem State pulled the upset. See how I do that? This way, no matter what happens, I can plausibly claim that I saw it coming. That’s what smart people do in order to seem smart. Got it? Good. See you around, knuckleheads! PTI re-airs at 6:30 on ESPN2. Good night, Canada.

Prediction: Winston-Salem State 52, Maryland 101

(Photo credit: The Screening Jock)

Tagged with: Basketball • Gary Williams • I call the one on the left • Michael Wilbon • Special guest bloggers • The Media • Winston-Salem State

titus till is coming to town

On December 21, 2009, In Maryland sports, By Ian

Ye Gods, what did you say to upset Titus?

What is that object flying down the beltway? Is it Santa? No, kids, it’s even better. Titus Till is coming to town.

Here are some vitals on the highly touted safety that has committed to come to Maryland next year:

6′3″, 200lbs – he’s big
4.62sec 40-yard dash – he’s big and fast
215lb bench press – he’s big, fast, and strong
Ranked #11 in the nation among safety recruits – he’s big, fast, strong, and talented

Best of all, Titus is local. James Franklin has picked-up this star recruit from Wise H.S. in Upper Marlboro, MD. That’s Terrapin Country. Also, did I mention his name is Titus? He should drop his last name and just go with Titus on the back of his jersey. It would be so much more badass. I’m going to go ahead and prempt all of you by nicknaming him “The Emperor”. Done and done.

According to this ESPN article, Till plays in the school jazz band and is active in his church. Here’s what Titus’s high school coach, DaLawn Parrish, has to say about this young man, “If you had a son you’d be proud he was your son.”

So, in addition to being big, fast, strong, and talented, Titus is a leader. I can’t wait to see The Emperor in action.

Tagged with: Football • Maryland football recruiting • recruits • Titus Till

Bruce Campbell, Maryland’s Only Good O-Lineman, Entering NFL Draft

On December 18, 2009, In Maryland sports, By Scott

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Maryland left tackle and general monster of a man Bruce Campbell is entering the NFL draft a year early. You heard it here first. Or second. Whatever.

When his toes weren’t twinkling out there at left tackle, the 6′7″, 310 pound Campbell missed several games with knee and toe injuries. Otherwise, he was the anchor of an offensive line that struggled to remain upright in the ACC, which itself was the worst BCS conference by two tire flips. It’s no reflection on Bruce, though. Don’t hit me, Bruce. Either way, there’s a good chance he’ll go in the first round. You can’t put a price on toes that twinkly. Unless that price is six years, about $45 mill. Sound about right, Washington Redskins?

Sorry, wrong Bruce Campbell. Evil Dead's a good movie, though.

So good move by Bruce. Bad news for the Terps. This isn’t going to make the line any better. Plus, did you notice we don’t really have a quarterback for next year? The Maryland football program is rapidly devolving into a Cormac McCarthy novel. It won’t be much longer before we see Ralph Friedgen roasting James Franklin on a spit. Medifast bars don’t cut it when the civility gets stripped way, do they, coach?

Tagged with: Bruce Campbell • Football • Terps in the pros

Debbie Yow: Satan?

On December 18, 2009, In Maryland sports, By Scott

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So much for the holiday news cycle slowdown. As the world watches, health reform and Copenhagen are coming apart at the seams. In the sports world, Chris Henry falls out of a truck and dies, the Redskins fire and hire a GM (we’ll see if it makes any difference), and cocktail waitresses at VIP lounges nationwide gird their loins as Mrs. Tiger plans her exit strategy from Windermere.

And now, the Terps corner of the world gets rocked as well. The Washington Times’ Patrick Stevens, who may now officially be THE must-read Maryland beat writer, has discovered that Maryland is pretty low on the assistant coach pay scale. They’re last among the ACC’s public schools, lower than George Mason, and lower than their own freaking women’s team. How does that happen, by the way? How? How does that happen? “Arithmetic error” is the only thing that comes to mind.

Springing into damage control mode (which I understand they practice for two hours each day), the athletic department noted that the salaries were low because of a university-wide salary freeze, and that, oh yeah, right when Patrick called they were just about to unveil this super-generous new bonus structure that they had totally been working on for, like, months.

As may be expected, some people are making a pretty big deal out of this. The athletic department is incompetent, the athletic department is run by a bunch of ex-KGB agents, this university runs a third-class operation, the Terps will never be competitive again, and so on. For many fans, the only holiday songs that will be music to their ears this holiday are Debbie Yow’s hoarse and desperate screams as a demonic Hellbird pecks apart her ocular globes.

Now I admit that Yow and the AD don’t exactly live in the bright light of day when it comes to their decision-making, and perhaps Debbie baby needs to loosen up. I really have no idea, though, how that differs from other athletic departments. Also, the athletic department’s body of work by and large is pretty good. They made the right decision by keeping Ralph Friedgen (and, by and large, hiring him in the first place). They managed recent budget shortfalls without eliminating sports or making momentous cuts. Maryland has perennially elite programs in field hockey, men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s lacrosse, women’s (and arguably men’s) basketball, and wrestling. As of December 17, Maryland sits fifth among D-1 schools in the Sears Director’s Cup, which ranks schools based on the performance of all their teams combined.

So yeah, they did a bad job here, but I’m not gonna say the athletic department isn’t running a tight ship or doing a good job. They could stand to be a bit more accountable (to themselves, really), and could stand to cut out what seems to be a decent bit of internal backbiting and length-of-urination competition, particularly in relation to the men’s basketball team, but overall, I think we’re in decent hands. Good reporting by a good journalist will in this case lead to a real problem receiving a good fix. In my book, nothing more to it than that.

(Photo credit: Washington Post…or is it HELL?!?!)

Tagged with: Basketball • Debbie Yow • the University of Maryland

Terrence Ross: Stop Freaking Me Out!

On December 17, 2009, In Maryland sports, By Scott

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As you may be aware, the Shell Games doesn’t often delve into the recruiting world. Reason being is that 7,639 other sites already have that waterfront smothered like it’s the Atlantic City strip. We try to focus on issues that unfold between the lines, like Eric Hayes’s hair styles. That’s what the casual fan really cares about. And if we here at Shell Games are not casual, then I don’t know what we, ah, screw it, I’m not finishing this sentence.

Having said that, I want to introduce all you slacker Terp fans out there to Terrence Ross, a shooting guard from Rockville who has verbally committed to the Terps for next season. To use a technical term I picked up on the discussion boards, he is reedonkurous. He has deep range, he can get to the rim, he can create for himself and his teammates, and he seems like a solid character guy. He plays for Montrose Christian (the Vasquez alma mater, among others) and is a good friend of Terrell Stoglin, who is locked in for Maryland next year. Unfortunately, there’s a little problem. Terrence seems to be getting cold feet, having not yet signed his formal letter. In a worst-case scenario, there’s a rumor — just a rumor — that he might flee to Kentucky. I for one am shocked — SHOCKED — by the implication that John Calipari would be involved in a shady recruiting move. Then again, he has plenty of shade to spare. In fact, why are we even having these Copenhagen negotiations? Just fire Calipari into the atmosphere and let’s solve this issue once and for all. Done and done.

There doesn’t seem to be any major cause for alarm at the moment…but his coyness on the subject means the Terrence Ross Watch won’t be over until it’s over, and he signs on that dotted line. Until then, please enjoy some Terrence Ross highlight reels. Again, the word you’re looking for is…reedonkurous.

Tagged with: Basketball • Maryland basketball recruiting • recruits • Terrell Stoglin • Terrence Ross