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.
Its hard to argue against Vasquez since he’s scored 20 or more in four straight games now. Rather, let’s recognize who we are. No, they’re not the Chicago Bears. With Gary at the helm, MD will play up and down all year until the season is painfully over. But, hey 2010 may be different!
It’s actually not that hard to argue, since the team he is leading is now 8-4 and just lost to William and Mary.
Yes, he gets his points, but he does it so inefficiently…he was 2-9 from three! What is that? He needs to learn to play within himself, rather than trying to win every game on his own.
This is a bad loss. Maryland has left itself no margin for error coming into ACC play. Before last night, you could have made the argument that they were underrated, especially with Wisconsin and Cincinatti playing pretty well. Now, it looks like they are on the outside of the bubble looking in.
haha, me and my iPhone made your blog. sweet. also, i just got a call from the saloon: “There will be no blogging on the premises. If you want to blog, or have a conversation that may end up in a blog, please go elsewhere. This is not that kind of bar.”
“If you want to blog, go find a wi-fi Starbucks, you latte-sipping yuppy scum.”
“WE ARE GOING TO ASSUME ALL OUR CUSTOMERS ARE D-BAGS UNLESS THEY PROVE OTHERWISE BY FOLLOWING OUR RULES!”
“WE HATE OUR CUSTOMERS SO MUCH!!! AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!”
Update: As many of you know, top prospect Terrence Ross has now rescinded his verbal commitment to Maryland for next year. This is bad news. Suddenly, the “wait til next year” strategy has a lot less luster to it.