Jordan Williams

maryland beats florida state in a game of four-on-four

On February 5, 2010, In Maryland sports, By Ian

The Terps survived a horrendous first half by coming out hot after intermission, and won 71-67 in Tallahassee yesterday. If yesterday’s win at Florida State proved anything, it proved that Maryland can win ugly. In the first half Maryland seemed stuck in the same fog they were in at Clemson earlier in the week. How did they snap out of it? Let’s go to the Porsche Keys to the Win:

Vasquez (23), Milbourne (18), Williams (14), and Hayes (12) had 67 of the Terps 71 points. The rest of the team was 0-10 from the field for 4 PTS. This was the second game in a row where the bench was nonexistent. Luckily, Florida State performed a similar disappearing act. The Noles got 58 points out of four players and nine out of the rest. On Thursday night, Maryland’s best four outperformed Florida State’s best four.
At the start of the game Florida State was able to dictate the pace, turning the game into a helter skelter track meet and trapping the Terps into turnovers. Maryland managed just 25 points by half time, but they were still only down four points. At halftime, Gary Williams made the adjustments necessary to get the Terps into their set offense, and the team rattled off seven unanswered points right away to take a four point lead. As is often the case, Gary Williams out-coached his opponent.
From there, the Terps were able to maintain a lead for most of the second half, until the very end of the game when Jordan Williams had to start sitting due to foul trouble. The Seminoles tied the game with three minutes left, and suddenly, the crowd was back in it. Who was going to step up? Dino Gregory,that’s who! That’s right, Dino freaking Gregory comes out of nowhere, takes a charge, and Vasquez sinks a couple of FT’s to preserve the lead. Dino was an unlikely hero after he was largely absent for most of the game, but that key play enabled the Terps to win the game. Overall, the game was that close. It could have gone either way. Kudos to Dino for shaking off the rust and making a big stop.
I love me some Greivis. Just when the haters started screaming at their TV’s and secretly hoping Greivis would blow it, Vasquez turns it on with a running jumper and forces a couple of fouls to keep the scoring going. His final line – 23 PTS /7 RB/7 AST – was pretty close to a triple-double. You may howl over his five turnovers but most of them came off of some tight traps, and he was better than a 1/1 AST/TO ratio on the night, so that’s a good line. I love how he incited the crowd from the opening tip. He thrives on the hate, so keep hating bitches. GREAT JOB GREIVIS! M-V-P! M-V-P!
It was a nice night for Milbourne. He was, once again, Steady Eddie when the rest of the team started crapping themselves. 18 PTS and 6 RB (including 4 huge ORB) doesn’t tell the story of how he continually stepped up on both sides of the ball. He’s the yin to Grevis’s yang. Landon is such a tweener that I didn’t think that he had a lot of pro upside coming into this season, but the more of these clutch ACC games he has, the more looks he’s going to get from teams that have a need at the small forward position. That is how well Milbourne is playing right now.
I’ve said before that Jordan Williams is the missing piece to the Terps puzzle for success, and this game just proved the point. With Williams (14 PTS, 7/11 FG, 6 RB, 2 blocks) in the game, Maryland looked confident in their sets, and they were able to work the ball inside out against a couple of big dudes from Florida State. Without him, the front court looked small and disorganized. How high is Williams’s upside? I the Terps will be his show by next season. Reports are that he is a humble hard worker that likes to learn. If he can continue to learn and hit the gym to chisel that big frame, I can see Williams becoming a first round NBA draft pick in a few years.

It wasn’t pretty, but a win is a win is a win is a win. The team turned it around in the second half and started shooting the ball very well. That should bode well for this Sunday’s game against UNC.

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A Maryland-Clemson Basketball Recap in Ten Easily Digestible Bullet Points

On February 1, 2010, In Maryland sports, By Scott

Ugggh. Must. Purge. Game. From. Body. Please pass the ipecac, leeches, portable sauna, and electroshock nodes. After Maryland lost to Clemson 62-53 in one of the sloppiest games in recent memory, I need a reset. To the points:

Maryland played excellent team defense on Trevor Booker (10 points on 2-16 shooting). Too bad, though, that the focus on Booker meant Jerai Grant was wide open and free to score a career-high 18 points, many of which came on dunks.
By and large, Maryland’s strategy of collapsing in the middle and making a Demontez Stitt-less Clemson team beat them from the perimeter was effective. After all, they did hold the Tigers to 62 points, including 22 percent shooting beyond the arc. It’s just unfortunate that Maryland only managed 53 points and 20 percent shooting from three. Kind of a slight problem there.
This was the sloppiest game of Maryland’s season. Twenty-six turnovers, 22 fouls. What’s the holdup on the ipecac?!?!
Clemson repeatedly — repeatedly — shredded Maryland’s press, which I suppose coach Williams decided to use because Stitt was out. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: I do not like the press.
I have a question. What good is a “veteran presence” and “senior leadership” if it goes away in big spots? Landon Milbourne (3 points, 5 rebounds) gets something of a pass because he’s not really a natural post player and struggles against physical bigs like Booker and Grant. Eric Hayes (11 pts on 4-7 shooting, 2 assts, 5 turnovers, 4 fouls) and Mr. Greivis Vasquez (10 pts on 3-11 shooting, 2 assts, 3 rebs, 4 fouls, NINE turnovers) have no such excuse.
The That-Sums-It-All-Up Play of the game came at about the 14-minute mark in the second half. With Tanner Smith in his shorts (and credit where it’s due: Smith did a great job on Vasquez all evening), Vasquez tries a completely unnecessary behind-the-back dribble, which skitters off his foot and rolls toward the out-of-bounds line. Smith, who was hustling, dives toward the ball. Vasquez decides that simply falling on Smith is the best way to make something happen. Third personal foul.
Which brings me to today’s rant. There’s a good Vasquez and a bad Vasquez. A Gollum and a Smeagol, if you will. And last night we had a big-time Gollum sighting. Vasquez has had a great season, no question. And sure, a guy who gets 15 points, 5 boards, and 6 assists per game is valuable. But again, how valuable is it really if it evaporates when the pressure is on? When he wasn’t sitting on the bench with foul trouble, how many times last night did Vasquez drive into the lane, leap into the air, and lob a wrap-around pass out of bounds? How many times did he (and Hayes) dribble directly into the teeth of the Clemson press? Where was the Vasquez Shimmy last night? This all clearly had a trickle-down effect for his teammates; Adrian Bowie and Dino Gregory, in particular, were basket cases out there. Don’t you think they could have benefited from some of that Vasquez fearlessness? Or does that fearlessness only exist against the Miamis and Boston Colleges of the world? Bottom line: Vasquez has some decidedly A-Roddian tendencies. If Maryland is up 15, he’s raining threes and shimmying around like he’s in a Rihanna video. And don’t talk to me about North Carolina last year…great game, but they were the underdogs. Thus, no pressure. If Maryland is going to fulfill its potential, which is considerable, Vasquez needs to put the cape on and deliver when his team needs him the most. Isn’t that what being a senior leader and All-ACC candidate is all about?
Obviously, every game is important, and blah blah blah, but this one was a particularly good barometer for how this Maryland team will perform against legit opponents. Because of their tendency to get overwound in big games like this one, I believe there’s a ceiling on what this group can do.
Enough bad stuff. Hey, what about Jordan Williams? A career game for the ever-improving freshman. In addition to some outstanding defense on Booker, he got 13 points and 13 rebounds, including some authoritative finishes at the rim.
We’ll see if Maryland can get back on the horse this Thursday in Tallahassee against a Florida State team that would love to even the season series with the Terps.

Tagged with: Bad Losses • Basketball • Clemson • Eric Hayes • Jerai Grant • Jordan Williams • Landon Milbourne • Trevor Booker • Vasquez

maryland at clemson preview: the moment of truth

On January 29, 2010, In Maryland sports, By Ian

They say it’s lonely at the top in whatever you do
You always gotta watch motherfuckers around you
Nobody’s invincible, no plan is foolproof
We all must meet our moment of truth

- Guru, Gang Starr, “Moment of Truth”

Gang Starr "Moment of Truth" was the hottest spit ever dribbled. Disagree at your own demise.

Here it is. It’s the moment we’ve all been waiting for. After a shaky start, the Terps have taken care of business. Problems have been addressed. The team got the message from Gary, and is following the lead of Greivis. After a 9-4 start, Maryland has gone 5-1 with their only loss to a tough Wake Forest team on the road. They’re blowing opponents out, averaging a 28PT margin of victory over their four game winning streak. The team is firing on all cylinders, maximizing its potential, and playing its best ball.

Through nineteen games, Maryland sits alone atop the ACC. Now the real work begins.

Maryland travels to Clemson to face the #21 ranked Tigers on Sunday. After beating up on the likes of BC, Longwood College, NC State, and Miami, Maryland heads south to play a ranked opponent in a tough venue. Clemson comes into the game on a slide, losing three straight, but don’t let their recent losses fool you. Two of those three losses came against ranked opponents. The other was a letdown, but it was on the road at BC.

Jordan Williams passed a big test this week when he shut down DaWayne Collins of Miami. He’s going to get a bigger test this Sunday when he goes up against Trevor Booker. Booker is listed at 6′7″, 240 LBS, and every inch of the man child is chiseled stone. NBADraft.net has Booker going late in the first round of the 2010 draft. He’s legit.

Now, I love Williams, but he does have a bit of baby fat on him. He is going to have his hands full with Booker, who comes into the game 16 PTS and 8 RB per game. I believe this low post match-up is a major key to the game. Williams has to contain Booker. He can’t let him get too many second chance points. Williams isn’t going to get as many calls on the road as he did at home against Miami, so he’s going to have to show some maturity and toughness when he’s getting pushed around in Littlejohn Coliseum. If he can, the Terps should be in good shape.

Like Miami, Clemson seems to be struggling in defining roles at the guard spot. Four guards – Demontez Stitt, Tanner Smith, Andre Young, and recently Noel Johnson – have been rotating on the perimeter. Stitt had a huge 20PT game against UNC a couple weeks ago, but has since cooled off and DNP against BC with an ankle injury. While Smith and Young have faded during the Tiger’s losing streak, Johnson has been playing more, although his contributions have been irratic at best. Maryland should be able to exploit these guards and force turnovers, although it will be a bit tougher to do so on the road than it was against Miami in College Park.

Speaking of guards, my man Greivis got a mention in the Weekly Watch by ESPN’s Andy Katz. Katz cited his work against NC State, but the mention is more likely attributable to Greivis’s generally high level of play over the last few weeks. In Maryland’s five ACC games, Greivis is averaging a gaudy 21PTS/7AST/3RB per game, and he has shot 45% FG against ACC opponents. Vasquez will have opportunities to exploit Clemson this Sunday. I believe he will take them.

The overall match-up seems to favor the Terps, especially if you consider momentum. But make no mistake, beating Clemson in SC will be a major hurdle for Maryland. Littlejohn Coliseum will be rocking. Clemson is already playing for their postseason lives. Trevor Booker is a specimen. The Tigers will be a tough out.

How will the Terps fare in this Moment of Truth? This will be the tightest contest they’ve had since the Wake Forest game. I think they’ll pull it out, but the margin of victory will be in single digits.

Final Score: Maryland 78 - Clemson 74.

Addendum: In case you had any doubts as to how tough a game this will be for the Terps, the line in Vegas is opening with Clemson as a 5.5PT favorite.

Tagged with: Basketball • Greivis Vasquez • Jordan Williams • Previews • Trevor Booker

maryland whups miami 81-59

On January 27, 2010, In Maryland sports, By Ian

The Terps made easy work of the lowly Miami Hurricanes last night in College Park. Before last night’s game I felt that Maryland would win, but I didn’t think it would be that easy. Maryland is coming into its own at just the right time this year. Here’s what I learned from the beat down of the McClintonless Canes:

Landon Milbourne is a stud. He was 7/10 from the field and finished with 16PTS and 5RB against a tough, physical Miami front court. The Brothers Barry were talking him up like he was NBA material toward the end of the game.
Speaking of the Brothers Barry, is it really appropriate to have them both announcing the same game? Their banter sounded like dinner conversation at some lame family gathering. ”Interesting point John, would you please pass the dinner rolls?” They actually went so far as to trot out family pictures. At one point, Drew Barry compared Greivis to Larry Bird. I love Greivis and all, but come on, couldn’t ESPNU get a couple of pros to do this game?
This game was the best game of Jordan Williams’s short career. 8PTS and 6RB might not sound like a sexy stat line, but he did it against Dawayne Collins, one of the bigger power forwards in the ACC. Williams also succeeded in keeping Collins off the offensive glass, which was no small feat, and took him off his game to the point where he was in foul trouble and sat for 16 minutes. Williams is starting to look like the missing piece that completes Maryland’s puzzle as a legitimate contender.
Dawayne Collins is a big dude but he’s slow. He needs to learn how to get his body under control, and he needs to learn that you can’t jump over the back of another player to get a rebound. That’s an “over-the-back foul”. It’s in the rulebook. Look it up.
To say that Miami is poorly coached is like saying that Baltimore has nasty strip clubs. It’s blatantly obvious, but nobody knows what to do to improve it. Miami spent the first half turning the ball over 14 times and leaving Maryland shooters wide open, and then they proceeded to do more of the same in the second half with no adjustments. Frank Haith was seriously outclassed last night.
Interesting point from the AP: “Combined with an 88-64 win over North Carolina State on Saturday, Maryland has recorded successive 20-point victories in the conference for the first time since February 2003.” After last night’s game I was thinking that I couldn’t remember a time when we had back-to-back ACC blowouts like this. Maybe that’s because my long term memory only goes back eight days.
Maryland is suddenly an outside shooting threat. Don’t tell anyone, but since the W&M game the Terps have been taking what the defense gives them. Last night they were 7/15 (46%) from beyond the arc. Keep playing zone, ACC opponents, please stay in that zone.
The press seemed to work last night against an inferior opponent. I don’t know if that’s a result of good coaching on Maryland’s part or bad coaching on Miami’s part, but it did work. Don’t count on it against Clemson.
It was a quiet 16 PTS and 9 AST for Greivis last night. He did what he needed to do to win the game. We only saw one Greivis Shimmy. Only one behind the back pass. I guess he’s saving his mojo for Sunday night.

Maryland has taken care of some crucial must win games before heading into the maelstrom that is the rest of the ACC schedule. I feel great about where the team is right now. The true test comes this Sunday at Littlejohn Coliseum.

Tagged with: Basketball • Dawayne Collins • Greivis Vasquez • Jordan Williams • Landon Milbourne

N.C. State-Maryland Basketball Recap in Ten Easily Digestible Bullet Points

On January 23, 2010, In Maryland sports, By Scott

What…what just happened? Wait…did I…did I actually call this game perfectly? Is that what happened? Did my predicted Maryland butt-kicking of N.C. State just come to fruition? Whatever happened, it’s sweet, baby, as the Terps smeared N.C. State Wolfpack 88-64. I only wish my score prediction hadn’t been so conservative. To the points:

What else did I predict? Can you refresh my memory? I believe I said Sean Mosely would go off. Well, he ended up with 13 points (and it would have been more if not for a somewhat off shooting night), 7 boards and 4 assists. Scott Wood, welcome to the ACC.
I believe I also predicted a big night from one Cliff Tucker. And I believe you can add another check to the “things Scott was right about” column. Eleven points and one steal in 17 crisp minutes. Bravo, sir. And Cliff, nice job, too. Okay, I’ve had my moment.
Maryland did a great job around the rim defensively. They limited the Pack’s second chances and always seemed to be drawing fouls, rather than committing them (21 State fouls to 16 for the Terps), which means they were a little quicker to the ball.
Maryland did not do a great job around the rim offensively. I saw Jordan Williams, Eric Hayes, Dino Gregory, and Mosely all miss some easy ones. It’s an odd recurring theme with no quick (or at least apparent) solution.
Speaking of Dino, though, and getting back to defense, Dino did an outstanding job on Tracy Smith. He used great footwork to stay between Smith and the basket and keep him out of the lane. Tracy still netted an 18 and 10, but he sure had to work for it.
One more point on the defense: N.C. State averages 72 points per game on 46 percent shooting. Tonight, they got 64 points on 36 percent shooting. Only eight points below average, but again, we made them work. And they didn’t seem to enjoy it. Maybe that’s why an eight-point halftime lead went to 17 by the 10-minute mark, and ended up at 22.
A nice 9-9 for Jordan Williams, but more aggression at the rim would be a positive.
In addition to his great offensive game, Mosely also led the way in shutting down Dennis Horner, the team’s second leading scorer (and 18th in the ACC). Horner got four points on 1-5 shooting, well below his average of 13.
Vasquez had 19 to lead all scorers, but for the second consecutive game, just about all of it came in the second half. Who is he now, Kobe Bryant? He is The Closer. The Vasquez Shimmy is like the Red Auerbach Cigar, only minus the ten championships and hundreds of victories and so forth.
And last but most certainly not least: CONGRATULATIONS TO GARY WILLIAMS ON HIS 1000TH GAME!!! I love you, man.

(Photo credit: UMTerps.com)

Tagged with: Basketball • Big Wins • Cliff Tucker • Dino Gregory • Gary Williams • Jordan Williams • N.C. State • Sean Mosely • Vasquez

Terps Can’t Get Caught in Complacency Trap

On January 20, 2010, In Maryland sports, By Scott

There’s no denying the Terps are playing good ball right now. I don’t deny that. No denying it. Since ACC play began, they’ve won three of four, including over no. 18 Florida State and a dominating win at BC. As you know, Maryland’s only loss in this stretch was a gutsy and gut-wrenching overtime affair at Wake Forest that could have gone either way.

Following last night’s win over the Longwood Windshield Bugs — which set a new record for margin of victory at the Comcast Center — they face N.C. State and Miami before a big Jan. 31 test at Clemson. The Wolfpack, who will likely be 12-7 after facing Duke tonight, just upset FSU themselves and lost a squeaker to no. 24 Clemson (sound familiar?). At 15-4, Miami has a good record and some surprisingly good players (especially freshman Reggie Johnson), but hasn’t played a ranked opponent yet (they did beat Wake, however).

On paper, these games — both at home – are quite winnable, especially with Greivis Vasquez looking like the best player in the ACC (don’t bring that Jon Scheyer gobbledygook in here) and Eric Hayes (second in the ACC in three-point percentage), Landon Milbourne (just pencil him in for a 19 and 10) and Jordan Williams chipping in.

But here’s the inevitable rub. The Terps have a notorious tendency to contract a nasty little affliction known as Throw-Your-Jersey-on-the-Floor syndrome. Symptoms include obsessions with press clipping, loss of reasoning skills during games, and delusions of grandeur based on the premise that, because you have won three of your last four games, you are just a few commas and zeroes short of the Lakers.

Don’t believe me? Let’s take a stroll down Statistics Lane, shall we? It’s right here at the corner of Cold and Reality. Last season, following a seven-game win streak, the Terps infamously threw up on themselves versus Morgan State (another symptom of Jersey-on-the-Floor syndrome). This ignited a self-destructive bacchanalia that included Gary Williams’ worst loss ever. I’m no Jay Bilas, but I don’t believe that’s what you want to see. In 2008, they won seven of nine in ACC play before spitting the bit against Va. Tech (at home) and Miami, which touched off a stumble that ultimately netted them 13 shiny tickets to the NIT. Back in 2005, they beat Duke twice, but lost to 16-16 Clemson three times, 16-14 Virginia Tech once, and 16-13 Miami once. NIT again. The Terps aren’t the only team to play up and down, but it’s pretty safe to say they’ve perfected the art of looking past certain opponents. They’re like the Picassos of underestimation.

Perhaps it won’t happen this time. N.C. State and Miami, while not juggernauts, may be dangerous enough to keep Maryland’s attention. All I know is, they won’t get caught in a trap game if they just watch where they’re going. Wow, that was deep.

Tagged with: Basketball • Eric Hayes • Jordan Williams • Landon Milbourne • Vasquez

A Maryland-Wake Forest Basketball Recap in Ten Easily Digestible Bullet Points

On January 12, 2010, In Maryland sports, By Scott

If a thrilling overtime game ends in a loss, is it still thrilling? NO, DAMMIT! IT’S NOT! WE LOST!! Just couldn’t salvage the 85-83 squeaker. Here’s some points:

Seriously, it was a great game. Wake tried to pull away in the second half but we wouldn’t let them. Maryland had shots to win…they just didn’t go in. The Terps lost, but didn’t lose their heads. How does the selection committee weight stuff like that?
Al-Farouq Aminu is a multi-talented guy. Strong post player, big-time shot blocker, runs the floor, handles the ball, and he was great in The Blind Side. Got a bright future, this kid.
After all of Gary’s hand-wringing about playing on short rest, the team didn’t gas. Let this end any lingering questions about team conditioning and/or yoga habits.
Vasquez: 30 points, 7 assists, 3 rebounds, 6 turnovers. The Maryland bench: 14 points, 1 assist, 8 rebounds, 2 turnovers.
While I’m on the bench, exactly one day after I said Cliff Tucker was on a roll and Adrian Bowie was the odd man out, Huxtable throws up a 2-0-0 and Bowie pours in a 10-1-4. I give up. Can’t we just meld these two into one player already?
From the land of baseless second-guessing, I think Coach Williams may have kept Freshman Williams out a little too long at the end of the first half. That’s when the momentum first swung to Wake, due mainly to the unabated dunking. We missed Steve Goins in this one. Get well soon, Steve!
C.J. Harris…who knew?
We outrebounded them (43-41), got more assists (18-12), and committed one fewer turnover (15-16). How did we lose this game? Oh, right, they made more shots.
In a chillingly recurrent theme, Maryland had a hard time finishing around the rim. Wake had no such problem…I counted about 11 dunks, none of which came from Chas “Harlan Williams” McFarland
Dear Raycom Sports play-by-play announcer Steve Martin: Anthony Bowie played for Oklahoma in the 80s. Shane Mosely is a boxer. To my knowledge, neither was involved in tonight’s game. But good try, you was close.

(Photo credit: The Baltimore Sun)

Tagged with: Adrian Bowie • Al-Farouq Aminu • Basketball • Cliff Tucker • Gary Williams • Jordan Williams • The Media • Wake Forest

A Maryland-FSU Basketball Recap in 10 Easily Digestible Bullet Points

On January 10, 2010, In Maryland sports, By Scott

Woo! Awesome team victory tonight, as the Terps upset #18 Florida State 77-68. FSU remains oh for the Comcast Center after its sixth game there. To the points:

Game MVP: one Greivis Vasquez. Twenty-two points on 8-18 shooting, including some clutch shots down the stretch to quell an FSU rally. He also played brilliant defense, including some great helping D in the post. What a motor. This is the kind of game they tend to lose…a big lead evaporates and the team loses its composure. Vasquez didn’t let that happen tonight. I’m not exactly Vasquez Superfan 21 over here, but credit where it’s due: he was numero uno out there tonight.
The bigs did a solid job on FSU’s formidable front court. Jordan Williams and Landon Milbourne seemed quicker and more nimble than Solomon Alabi et al, and were able to get Alabi in early foul trouble. They do need to box out more consistently, though.
Clunky is not even the word for FSU’s offense. Seriously, do they have to start it up with a hand crank before every game? Is it powered by hamsters? If one of the bigs couldn’t get a layup, they kicked it out for three. If that didn’t work, they simply tossed the ball to the referee. By the end of the season, they’re gonna lead the nation in not dribbling. And that exhausts my cache of FSU’s-offense-stinks-related zingers.
Fiesty crowd at Comcast tonight. Terp fans seem to understand that (a) this team needs a home-court advantage, and (b) they need it every game — not just Duke and Carolina.
FSU commits a ton of turnovers (11th in ACC), and Maryland exploited that, forcing 12 turnovers and 17 fouls. And it actually seemed like a lot more than that.
Props to Cliff Tucker, who provided the Terps with a serious booster shot in 16 minutes off the bench. He’s out of Gary’s doghouse for now. Has Adrian Bowie (no points in 11 minutes) taken his place in there, or did Gary simply view Bowie’s slash-it-up style as a bad fit against the Noles’ Redwood forest of a frontcourt? As always, only TIME…will tell.
The three starting guards (36 pts and 11 assists all together) did great jobs getting shots for themselves and others. FSU repeatedly fell for their pump fakes and step-backs, and they seemed committed to making the extra pass without getting gaudy abut it.
Speaking of passing, Maryland was excellent in moving the ball around the zone, although it occasionally crossed into hot-potato territory. They backslid into freelancing at times, but by and large they showed real patience and poise — very encouraging.
Gary shows again that he’s just better in underdog situations. (I also noticed he used the press pretty sparingly, which is good.) Dear AP voters: please do not vote for Maryland.
Tucker and Sean Mosely put the clamps on 6′9″ Chris Singleton, who wasn’t a major factor while the outcome was still in question. I’m no Singleton expert, but “passionate” isn’t a word I’d use to describe his personality on the court.

The Terps now travel to Wake for a Tuesday night game. Will be interesting to see what their focus is like after this win and on short rest. They don’t have the luxury of letting up.

(Photo credit: Alan P. Santos/DC Sports Box)

Tagged with: Adrian Bowie • Basketball • Big Wins • Chris Singleton • Cliff Tucker • Comcast Center • Eric Hayes • Gary Williams • Jordan Williams • Landon Milbourne • Sean Mosely • Solomon Alabi • Vasquez

A Maryland-Florida State Basketball Preview from Washington Wizards Point Guard Gilbert Arenas

On January 8, 2010, In Maryland sports, By Scott

Bang! Ha ha! Gotcha! Nah, nah. I’m just playin with you, man. Just playin with you. People been takin everything so serious lately. Come on. It was just a few guns! Did people get all up on you like this the last time YOU played a practical joke with some guns? See what I’m saying?

I can’t believe how fast people are turning on Agent Zero. How they gonna do me like that? Think back to my contributions recently. I played in 47 games over the past three seasons. FORTY SEVEN. How many did you play in? Uh-huh. The prosecution rests. That rock don’t chuck itself, homeboy. You’re treating me like all those games didn’t mean nothing to you. But go ahead…get rid of me. If you can find another eccentric shoot-first point guard with bad knees who’s willing to play for $111 million, you got my blessing, man. Hey! Why are you dancing? You don’t gotta dance on me, man.

You know, this all reminds me of a story I once heard. It’s one of those fake stories…fake stories? Fairy tale, like…FABLE! It’s like one of those fables. But it’s about a man who fell in love with a blind woman, okay. The man loved her so much, he gave her his eyes so she could see. And when she could see, he asked her to marry him, but she was all like, “I don’t wanna marry no blind man.” You see? That blind man was me. I GAVE YOU MY EYES, DC! WHAT ELSE YOU WANT!?!?! Oh, you want your money back? Sorry, can’t do that. Artificial atmospheres don’t pay for themselves, do they now.

So as you might have guessed, I got me a little extra down time these days. It’s just temporary…until these clown-ass cops realize they’re stupid and they got no case. Except for those guns. You know. But F that, man. They’ll learn it’s the media’s fault and then I’ll sue the media and then I’ll write stories about how stupid THEY are! I’ll be talking about how they get it on with dogs and stuff like that. It’s just like what they’re doing with me. Except my shit is true, that’s all. Your day of reckoning is coming, media. Believe that.

All my extra free time means I can watch a lot more ball on the TV. I do it while I’m counting my umbrella collection. Did you know I collect umbrellas? Yeah, man, I got like four thousand of them bitches. It’s just a little habit I picked up on the streets. When I’m not giving money to schools, you know, I’m buying umbrellas.

One of the ball games I’m gonna watch is Maryland-Florida State. For the 12-2, 18th-ranked Seminoles, it begins and ends with their front court, Solomon Alabi and Chris Singelton. And don’t be sleepin on Ryan Reid, either. That dude does some serious dirty work. In fact, they all do serious dirty work. This is a dirty work team. They are NASTY on the blocks, yo. NASTY on the boards. Serious swag down there, son. They’re tops in the ACC in scoring defense, FG percentage defense (opponents only shoot 33 percent…DAMN!), and blocked shots. Second in steals. Third in defensive rebounding. So let me repeat: they. are. nasty.

That’s why this one might be hard for Maryland. When was the last time you saw them mix it up with anybody? If I was the other coach, I would be like, “Maryland’s good, but you hit em in the mouth one time and they fold.” Hitting dudes in the mouth is this team’s specialty. Jordan Williams and Dino Gregory better be on notice. They’re gonna log some rugged minutes, man. Not to mention Vasquez and Bowie and anyone else that wants to slash their way in there. Something tells me Bowie’s gonna have a quiet game.

On offense, though, things flip around. It’s clear the Noles miss Toney Douglas. And why wouldn’t they? He played there for like 12 years. But now, they got no big-time scoring threat. They dump it inside and hope for the best. They’re methodical, which is a nice way of saying they got no clear options. But you know what? Maryland does. So if it’s Vasquez and Mosely time, and if Hayes gets hot, now we got something.

But assuming FSU’s superior defense and Maryland’s superior offense are equal and opposite, it’s gonna come down to the intangibles. Will, baby. Hustle. Who can impose their game on the other one? I’m saying Florida State gets this one. They’re hungry right now. Maybe Maryland wins the rematch in Tallahassee on Feb. 4, but the Noles are gonna get this one. I’ll bet you on it. I’ll bet you my umbrellas. Well, some of my umbrellas. Actually, I’ll go you one better. I got four guns here that says FSU gets the W. Actually, you don’t even gotta bet me. Just take em, OK? Take those gloves off and hold ‘em in your hand. My gift to you, son! Go ahead, get on outta here.

Prediction: Florida State 79, Maryland 66

Tagged with: Adrian Bowie • Basketball • Chris Singleton • Dino Gregory • Eric Hayes • Gilbert Arenas • Jordan Williams • Solomon Alabi • Special guest bloggers • Vasquez

A Maryland-UNC Greensboro Recap in Five Easily Digestible Bullet Points

On January 3, 2010, In Maryland sports, By Scott

Respecto, por favor, por El Faux Hawk.

Maryland ate UNC Greensboro’s lunch, 97-63, to take a 9-4 record into ACC play. They play again Jan. 10 when Florida State comes to Comcast. To the abbreviated points:

Maryland’s starters: 6′4″ senior point guard, 6′6″ senior shooting guard, 6′4″ sophomore small forward, 6′7″ senior power forward, 6′10″ freshman center. UNC Greensboro starters: 6′2″ junior point guard, 6′2″ freshman shooting guard, 6′5″ senior small forward, 6′8″ sophomore power forward, 6′8″ freshman center. And this is to say nothing of the reserves. Yep. This was a mismatch.
Maryland was extremely strong in all phases: offense, defense, rebounding, transition, post play (Williams and Milbourne combined for 28 and 18). UNCG either gassed or gave up with about 15 minutes left.
Adrian Bowie had maybe his best game of the season (11 points in 27 minutes), but oddly it also threw a stark light on the ceiling of his game. If the junior is a one-dimensional slasher against UNCG, that’s all we can ever realistically expect.
Great to see the Terps bounce back, but UNCG was so inferior that it’s hard to project any part of this onto a meaningful game. Luckily, the wait for meaningfulness is not long.
Good to hear former Orioles play-by-play man Michael Reghi on the local airwaves again.

(Photo credit: The Baltimore Sun)

Tagged with: Basketball • Game recaps • Jordan Williams • Landon Milbourne • Michael Reghi • The Media • UNC Greensboro • Vasquez

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