Vasquez

Greivis Vasquez = A-Rod of the ACC?

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

Everyone who knows me and has had a conversation of longer than five seconds with me about Maryland basketball (so yeah, everyone who knows me) is aware that I am ever so slightly, eh, strenuous, when it comes to my evalulations of one Mr. Greivis Vasquez. Yes. I am a Vasquez Hater. Kind of. Let me explain.

My concerns do not lie with his talent (which is considerable), his heart (which is plentiful), or even his constant mugging (which I could do without, but isn’t a deal breaker). No, my quibble is with the inability he shows to do what is known as close the deal. To get the team he leads over that magical hump. He can lead them tothe hump. But the getting over part…well, it just doesn’t happen.

That’s why he’s the Alex Rodriguez of the ACC. As every sports fan knows, A-Rod just got us all off his backs on this, but until recently he was hip-hop shorthand for “fills the stat sheet when the team is up big in a day game in Arlington, but strikes out looking five times in a Sunday night game with the wild card lead on the line.” For both, it’s not a lack of heart. It’s the opposite; they want it too much. Until the Yankees protected him with Mark Texiera, A-Rod would grind the bat to sawdust in the box. As for Vasquez, his signature move in big games is the Brickjob Three, or The Dribbles It Off Your Foot In Traffic. They both seem to get just a tad overwhelmed, and overwound.

Let’s drill down to Vasquez now. It’s not that he doesn’t play well in any game of consequence. Take the momentum-changing UNC game on Feb. 21, in which Vasquez’s borderline-mythological 35-11-10 lifted them back to Bubble Land. Or the Wake Forest game in March, when Greivis’ 22 points and 9 assists essentially led to a tournament berth. But it can be argued that those kinds of wins are different. Smeagol Vasquez is subsumed by Gollum Vasquez in the face of a little thing called expectations. It happens when the Terps are, for even a fleeting moment, placed in control of their own destiny, and the national buzz just baaarely reaches audible levels. Under the Vasquez administration, which began with his junior campaign in 08-09, the Terps have not done well in those circumstances. Sure, they’ve made the tourney, and that’s great. But they missed once and barely crept in the second time. You’re not making any history with that kind of slog in the mud.

So am I just ranting here, or do I have some evidence? Oh, there’s evidence baby. Last February, Maryland had just one more game to win — against MEAC bottom feeder Morgan State — before they could sweep into ACC play on an eight-game winning streak. Coach Williams spent much of the pregame wondering what it would take for his team to get some respect. Bada bing: expectations. Pressure. Vasquez got 19 points, but it took him 21 shots to get there, including 1-9 from three. Later that season, the Terps won four of six to bring their record to 18-10, meaning if they could win their next two — at home against a great Wake Forest team and lowly Virginia on the road — they’d be locked and loaded for the tourney. So of course, they lost both games. Against Wake, Vasquez got 16 points on 29 percent shooting (including 2-8 from three), five boards, seven assists, four turnovers. Of course, that made things even more pressure-packed for Virginia…the one they were “supposed to” win. The Vasquez line from Charlottesville: 21 points, 8-20 shooting (1-6 from three), 5 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 turnovers. Enough to get you to the hump…just not over it. Of course, after the Viriginia game, the momentum was dead and everyone walked away. Cue the miraculous Vasquez-fueled run to the tournament, which included an improbable upset of Cal, followed by a momentary re-establishing of expectations, after which Vasquez told Memphis they couldn’t hang in the ACC and his team got waxed by 19.

That brings us back to modern times. As I noted earlier, this Clemson game had some barometric implications for the season. If Maryland could pull this off, they could be ranked. They would be solidly ensconced at the top of the ACC rankings. They were, deservedly, starting to get some attention. With Clemson’s second-best player wearing a golf shirt and cargo shorts to the game, the expectations increased. The final Vasquez line in that Maryland loss: 10 points on 3-11 shooting, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 fouls, 9 turnovers.

Before I close here, just a few soothing words to the legions of Vasquez lovers who may now be ready to feed me to Debbie Yow: Greivis Vasquez is a great player for Maryland. He is the leader of this team. He will play at the next level. His combination of gifts is hard to find. Here’s hoping Vasquez proves me wrong and finds a way to put on his Superman cape for the many big games on the Terps’ horizon (starting tomorrow at Florida State). No one will be happier to eat some crow than me. So don’t hate the hater…we’re all in the same gang. I’m in the reasonable-people-can-disagree-camp. It’s a nice camp. You should come over. We have marshmallows.

In the meantime, though, I really do believe there is a ceiling on how far this team can go with Greivis Vasquez as its floor leader. And it’s going to take a lot more than faux hawks and shimmying to get me over to the bandwagon.

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Tagged with: Basketball • Vasquez

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

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

Basketball Game Preview: N.C. State at Maryland

On January 22, 2010, In Maryland sports, By Scott

I’ve always felt a strange kinship with N.C. State. Against the ACC’s many basketball monoliths, these two teams come off like the shrieking apes. They’re usually in the middle of the pack. They’re both known as giant killers. They always find new and exotic ways to under- and overacheive (but never just “achieve”). And they always have chips on their shoulders for having to sit at the kids’ table. But at the same time, both teams have histories laden with truly glorious moments (not to mention championships). And lest we forget, these two teams played a game in 1974 that is, even in this age where every good game is an INSTANT CLASSIC, still regarded as one of the greatest of all time.

The similarities are especially pronounced so far this season. Both teams lost some tough ones early, with the Pack losing to Florida on a buzzer-beater from the three-point line — no, the other three-point line. But lately, the two teams — Maryland now at 12-5 and N.C. State at 13-6 — have made runs, with N.C. State again notching the most notable game after Wednesday’s defeat of Duke (which I totally saw coming).

So I feel a bond with the N.C. State. Whenever we collide, it feels like a fight between two mongeese. And in the end, no matter the outcome, somewhere out there, a cobra is smiling.

And that’s why it pains me to tell you this, N.C. State: We’re gonna kick your butts tomorrow.

Whenever I’ve watched the Pack this year, I’m left with the feeling that middle school custodians are playing pick-up hoops after the kids are done with the court. I wouldn’t exactly label top players Tracy Smith and Dennis Horner natural-born athletes; both appear to know their way around a dollar menu. And Sidney Lowe’s not helping anything over there; he looks like the guy taking their order.

Sorry, Tracy. It's true.

So why are they winning? Well, they’re decent at just about everything, even if they are truly excellent in just about nothing. Just to see if I can fit another strange analogy in here, they are not unlike the Island of Misfit Toys. For example, Horner’s tall at 6′9″, but he’s more of a shooter than a banger. Smith can bang, and he can score, but for a guy that big, he can’t rebound. And for such a highly touted player, I’ve never really seen him take over a game. Point guard Javier Gonzalez is frisky but undersized. Scott Wood gets the Jin Soo Choi Award for being a shooter who doesn’t always like to shoot.

Personnel-wise, this is a good matchup for Maryland. We can use our athleticism to get around the lumbering big men and through their smaller guards, which include two sophomores. Sean Mosely and Cliff Tucker, in particular, should be able to handle whomever N.C. State puts on them. Add in the fact that N.C. State will be coasting on fumes after the Duke win, and I think we’ve got a romp on our hands. Saturday, 6 p.m., ESPN2.

Prediction: N.C. State 62, Maryland 75

Tagged with: Basketball • Cliff Tucker • Dennis Horner • N.C. State • Sean Mosely • Tracy Smith • 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-Boston College Recap in Five Easily Digestible Bullet Points

On January 17, 2010, In Maryland sports, By Scott

Do you recall any time in recent memory when the Terps dominated a legit opponent the way they dominated Boston College 73-57 yesterday? I don’t. I only need five points for this one.

I’m of the opinion that Maryland is currently playing its best ball of the Greivis Vasquez era. And that includes the man himself (17 and nine). This is even sweeter after 2009’s BC loss that served as the nadir of the season.
Maryland: 50 percent shooting, 58 percent from three. BC: 37 percent shooting, 35 from three. Maryland: 12 steals, 20 transition points. Boston: 18 turnovers, 4 transition points. The Terps controlled this thing on both ends, wire to wire. The only bad spot: BC outrebounded us 40 to 28. That’ll always be a demon for Maryland.
To be fair and balanced, BC is in a horrible funk right now. Normally a solid defensive group, this team can’t guard a cow pasture in broad daylight…they’re ninth in the ACC in scoring defense, 11th in blocks and turnover margin, and dead last in FG percentage defense, scoring margin, and steals. Oy. Co-captain B.J. Parish is the deadest dead weight that ever died. I almost — ALMOST — feel bad for them.
Finally, a great night for the Terps bench! Pop the champagne. Tucker and Bowie combined for 29 points on 11-19 shooting, two steals, one assist and one turnover.
A little breather this Tuesday against Longwood before resuming ACC play with N.C. State and Miami. If Maryland keeps it up, we’ll be 15-5 heading into a big game at Clemson on Jan. 31. Here’s hoping they keep it up. This is starting to look like maybe it could possibly have the potential to be a fun stretch run. Maybe.

(Photo credit: Mary Schwalm/Associated Press via the Washington Post)

Tagged with: Adrian Bowie • B.J. Parish • Basketball • Big Wins • Cliff Tucker • Vasquez

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

As the Maryland Recruiting Trail Turns

On January 4, 2010, In Maryland sports, By Scott

You know, news really shouldn’t break over the holidays. Is that too much to ask? What about our needs? Gah! We’ve got babies at home, and families to placate. Why can’t there be some kind of “offseason”? That’s my question.

I had some kind of point here. Wait, now I remember. Over the holidays, highly touted recruit Terrence Ross welched on his verbal commitment to Maryland, and is now considering Duke (among others). Ross was going to be the cornerstone of next year’s incoming class, which also includes combo guard Terrell Stoglin and forwards Mychal Parker and Ashton “I Swear I’m Not a Porn Star” Pankey. To me, this has Worldwide Wes written all over it. WW and those of his ilk are uber-connected guys who work behind the scenes to steer top recruits toward schools that have contracts with a given shoe company. (Read the linked article, it’s seriously fascinating.) I suspect The Worldwide got hold of Ross, whispered a few things in his ear about introducing him to Jay-Z and Lebron, and poo-poohed Under Armour as some kind of rinky-dink operation. It’s really easy to imagine that. Is it a coincidence that Duke and all the other schools now in the Ross sweepstakes are Nike schools? Not a coincidence. A CONSPIRACY. Of course, I have no evidence to back this up. But if I did, it wouldn’t be a conspiracy theory anymore, would it, smart guy?

A few days after all this, news comes that combo guard Pe’Shon Howard verbally committed to the Terps. Maryland alpha blog Testudo Times has been all over this, so I won’t go into major details, but suffice it to say he is yet another promising guard with issues between the ears. Plus, like Terrell Stoglin, he’s not a pure point guard. That could mean more versatility, or it could mean they’ll have two shooting guards trying to run the point.

And now for my rant…oh boy. I wish Maryland wasn’t so quick to roll the dice on guys with mental issues. I’m thinking Vasquez, John Gilchrist, Lance Stephenson, even guys like Nik Caner-Medley and Ekene Ibekwe. It’s not that Maryland recruits thugs or fools, or that they don’t have talent…it’s just many of their targets seem more interested in mugging for the cameras than blocking out on rebounds. I realize Maryland isn’t patient zero for this particular disease, but it sure does flourish here. Because of this, we keep winding up with sloppy teams that lose their composure in big moments. I think Coach Williams sees himself in guys like that, or thinks he can tame them, or something. But the team clearly functions better when the lead roster spot is occupied by a steadying presence that counterweights Gary’s volatility (see Juan Dixon, Steve Blake, Keith Booth, etc.). I don’t want to be too flip here — Pe’Shon seems like a solid player who could be a great piece for Maryland. But there’s a feeling that with Howard we recouped a loss of steak by seeking to replace the sizzle. As a fan, I’m tired of watching guys try to acquire maturity on the court and in front of the microphones. I’ve seen this movie before. Many times. I’m ready for a new movie, one that is far less dramatic — and predictable.

Secondly, there is clearly some thinking out there that Maryland is not a proper destination for elite players. It could be because Gary Williams seems to prefer coaching “projects,” and can be reluctant to give younger players major playing time. It could be that Maryland is not a Nike or Adidas school…we’ve cast our lot with Under Armour, for better or for worse. It could be that Maryland, despite its successes nearly a decade ago, simply hasn’t demonstrated the consistency of a great program. It could be that Gary yells at his players too much. It could be that Gary doesn’t press the AAU flesh to the extent that others do. It could be that he still has enemies there. It could be that he won’t, shall we say, speak off the record with potential players regarding special arrangements.

I don’t know what’s true and what isn’t. But the fact is that Maryland, despite its supposedly newfound commitment to recruiting in a 21st-century landscape, simply cannot seem to close the deal with an elite prospect, or consistently attract strong classes. Look at Lance Stephenson. Look at Tobias Harris. Look at Kevin Freaking Durant. The list is long. And now we can add Terrence Ross. I know I’m not breaking any news here, but until a problem gets solved, it’s still gonna be a problem.

Tagged with: Basketball • Gary Williams • Maryland basketball recruiting • Mychal Parker • Pe'Shon Howard • Terrell Stoglin • Terrence Ross • 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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