Notes from the Bucknell Blowout

In case you missed it, the Maryland men found success in their first game of the season. They shot down the Bucknell Bison convincingly, winning 81-52.

It highlighted some of the ideas I talked about in the preview, but solidified some other issues I wondered about before everyone was healthy and on the floor. I'm going to approach this with the mindset that there is no "bad" stuff, just "not-so-good" stuff.

THE GOOD STUFF

- Landon Milbourne and Cliff Tucker had great games. Milbourne led the team with 16 points on 5 of 9 shooting. He made all of his free throws and didn't turn the ball over once. Tucker had 14 points and 5 rebounds, plus he dazzled with 2 picked pockets that just created a whole lot of excitement. Adrian Bowie deserves at least an honorable mention for a 12 point game with 3 dishes and 2 steals when Eric Hayes got in some foul trouble.

- Only 11 turnovers in this game. That's the kind of basketball the Terps will need to play to win the nailbiters.

- Bucknell was held to 31.7 percent shooting and only 18.8 percent from long range. They shot less than 50 percent on free throws, which might happily be attributable to the crowd. Overall, they put up brick after brick. Maryland had good defensive rebounding, particularly from some unexpected characters: Braxton Dupree, Dino Gregory and Dave Neal each had 6 boards.

- You had to be there because it doesn't show up in the stats: Sean Mosley looked very solid. He only made one of his 5 shots, but he dished out 4 assists, grabbed 4 rebounds and only had one turnover. Furthermore, he looked pretty passable on defense for a debut game, and he seemed to have the maturity of an older player. Mosley carries himself diffently than other rookies, and he moves and passes with confidence. Definitely look for him to earn some minutes in conference play.

THE NOT-SO GOOD STUFF

- Overall, Greivis Vasquez had a great game. I want to make that clear: 13 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists to go with a single turnover is friggin' great for any point guard. However, he's a leader, so he's held to a higher standard. His shooting was absolutely abysmal - 5 for 16 is just not good. It's frustrating to watch a talented player try to do it all. Greivis will drive into the lane, but instead of passing out, he'll try a hook shot 5 feet away from the hoop against two bigger guys. Those shots NEVER drop. I think his biggest problem is he goes for the big play rather than the easy play, and that's not a quality you want a point guard to have. He's the best player, but one thing he needs to learn how to do is simplify. If you don't have a good shot, don't frickin' shoot.

- The fact that our rebounding came from bench players is a little alarming, because that won't be the case in more competitive games when opponents are more physically imposing and will dominate Neal and Gregory. Neal really was the surprise of the night, but he's not going to go up against 6'8 non-athletic centers in the ACC who don't have post moves. The ACC frontcourt will be far more physically dominant than Bucknell, and the rebounding margin in this game was only three total. Where's Jerome Burney? Asleep? He managed only two rebounds and one block with no points in 10 minutes. He's sinking on the depth chart even though he could be the most athletic big we have. Gregory could be on the rise with some of his gutsy play the other night.

- People who weren't bad but didn't do all that much or not enough to leave an impression: Hayes, Jin Soo Kim, and Steve Goins (who hardly played at all).

We'll see what happens tonight to further test these observations.

Go Terps!

EXTRA: Forward James Padgett has officially signed with the Terps for next year. Welcome to the family!

The Essential Maryland Terrapins Preview

Here we are, folks - on the edge of another basketball season.

We all love the pigskin, we really do. But basketball is where it's at. There's no feeling like gathering together inside the Comcast Center, screaming your lungs out while watching the fast break across court end with a hellacious dunk. Admit it, Terp fans. When the Fridge gets a ring, maybe we'll think about switching religions.

So how is basketball stacking up this year? Prepare to find out tonight when the Terps take on Bucknell in the first matchup of the season. Meanwhile, let's take a look a little further into the season:
THE 2008-09 TERP MEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM PREVIEW

THE LOWDOWN: This year, we're going to find out how quickly the youth can grow up. While junior backcourt mates Eric Hayes and Greivis "Gravy" Vasquez have logged enough minutes in the last two seasons to be considered veterans, the key to Maryland's success will rest in the hands of guys like Cliff Tucker, Braxton Dupree, Adrian Bowie and Jerome Burney. And you know even Sean Mosley and Jin Soo Kim, two brand-spankin-new guys will get their shots (literally). Greivis is undoubtedly the leader, but he can't try too hard to win by himself - it was his downfall last year. Lots of scoring from different players and trying to limit turnovers will be how this team wins games. Interior offense and defense could be huge concerns.

THE STARS: No matter how much he's hated by his own fans, Greivis Vasquez can single-handedly compel his team to win or fail miserably. Therefore he's the leader. He had some amazing statistics last year: 17 ppg, 6.8 apg, 5.7 rpg and even posted a respectable assist-to-turnover ratio (1.55) despite perception that he couldn't hold onto the ball for beans. True, he gives away turnovers, but he's probably the best point guard in the conference, not to mention among the best in the country. Appreciate him. However, Vasquez's greatest problem has been trying to do it all. His shooting percentages aren't that great, and he could fluxuate wildly with his shooting and how he controlled tempo of the game. He sometimes sees opportunities that aren't there when he gets anxious, so he'll have to learn how to control his impulses.

Eric Hayes is probably a starter at shooting guard or point guard (it's really up to whatever Gary wants to do) and hopefully will actually provide his much-ballyhooed outside shooting. His defense is relatively weak around the perimeter and he has trouble creating his own shot. With the rise of sophomore Adrian Bowie, Hayes will have to really perform better than he did last year. Hayes' fan base should pray his foot injury has healed since last year. However, even off the bench, he can still provide this team with pinpoint passing and consistent shooting, especially if he can weasel his way to the foul line more often.

Junior Landon Milbourne was a solid contributor (8.2 ppg, 3.5 rpg) last year if an unspectacular one. This year will be different because he'll actually get starter minutes, possibly as many as 30 per game. Add that idea to the fact his shooting and strength have improved, we're looking at a core player for this team who will hopefully gain consistency that caught on toward the end of last season. There's talk he'll start at the 4-spot in place of a bigger guy to make up for the lack of skill at that position and clear some of the crowded backcourt. If Gary chooses to do this, Milbourne will probably end up with about 13-14 ppg and 6-7 rpg. He's not as vocal as GV, but he can lead the team with improved play.

ON THE RISE: Adrian Bowie has got to be mentioned first. He captured the imagination of Terp fans last year when he showed his ability to steal and drive against bigger guards. This year, it appears Bowie's shooting is better from three and he's as quick as ever. Although Gary is loyal to a fault to his upperclassmen, I can't see a scenario with things going as they currently are where Bowie doesn't eventually eclipse Hayes in the starting lineup (unless the lineup is Bowie, Hayes, Vasquez at 1, 2, and 3).

Sophomore Cliff Tucker similarly has more confidence and is moving better with the ball. His size and speed combo will make him a great wing threat this year. Depending on Milbourne's starting position, he might make the starting roster at the 3-spot. The question is can he guard and improve his rebounding? That's going to be the weak spots of this team, and if he can do those things, he'll fill an area of great need and carve himself an integral place in this squad.

QUESTION MARKS: Let's go with every big man on the Maryland roster. Sophomore Braxton Dupree looks like he might win the starting center job by virtue of being the best offensive player in the crowd and hustling harder this year. However, he still lacks the athleticism you want to see in a scoring big man and his defense is a liability. Redshirt sophomore Jerome Burney could establish himself as heir to the Rejection Throne that James Gist left behind at graduation. However, he doesn't rebound consistently enough for a man with his size and sheer athleticism, and you would definitely love to see him score more than two points (on free throws) against friggin' Northwood University. Dino Gregory and Dave Neal don't really look like they're going to do much, and frosh giant Steve Goins is too far away from being court-ready.

Please consider this: James Gist and Bambale Osby averaged a combined 27.4 ppg, 14.4 rpg, and were the second- and third-best blockers in the ACC. Do you believe for a second this group of FIVE post players can replicate or replace those numbers this year? Milbourne might still give this group some juice, but as things are, it's not overly impressive. Can they step it up enough to at least win?

FABULOUS FRESHMEN: Sean Mosley and Jin Soo Kim, despite high school highlights or anything anyone might have seen in any sort of exhibition game, remain mostly unknown quantities. As much as fans have speculated Mosley could be a starter this year, I'd say it's doubtful given Gary's history of playing upperclassmen who have been in the system. As excited as I am personally about Kim's sensational debut, he still has a lot left to prove, not the least of which he won't injured against 230-240 lb. guys his height. They are special, and I would guess that at the very least they'll see about eight minutes each, but there are a lot of people Gary needs to give time to in the backcourt, and time can stretch thin. Also, these guys are surefire scorers, but how well can they defend? The best defenders will get the most minutes this year - everyone back there can score.

THE STRENGTHS: Guards and small forwards... offensively. We have quick athletes who can actually shoot better this year. Many of the young'uns from last year have improved confidence and will be able to take on greater responsibility. I can see about 50-60 ppg coming from this group as the year goes on, and Maryland could be one of the top scoring teams in the ACC this year if they can come up with a good mix of slashing and shooting. Between the hard drives and the threes (not to mention free throw shooting which was outstanding last game), there's a scoring machine lying in wait.

THE WEAKNESSES: Interior scoring and general defense. Let's face it. We're missing Gist and Boom like the Dickens. Gilchrist's transfer (and arguably Shane Walker's) really hurt us. There is no one who will fill the center/power forward roles who can definitely score with a variety of post moves. Dupree and Neal have limitations, and everyone else is fairly raw. Kim might see some minutes here, and he can score, but he might not, either. Plus, who's going to be the main blocker? Burney? He can do it... but he needs to actually DO it.

Also last year, the perimeter was like a sinkhole for quick guards and forwards. We were torched by Eric Maynor, Sean Singletary, Jonny Flynn and DeMarcus Nelson. Hell, we were torched by crappy fast guards too, like American's Derrick Mercer. Hayes and Vasquez are still presumed starters, so it's up to them to shore up the outside. There is absolutely no (NONE) chance of success if the back three are opening up the gates too often for drives to the hoop. The only way we can hope to win is make opposing offenses one dimensional and force them to work harder to get inside where the really weak spots are. A porous perimeter that leads into a toothless inside D won't get us anywhere, even if we average 80 ppg.

OUTLOOK: To put it briefly, we'll be lucky to make it to the NCAA Tournament.

But you never know for sure. There could still be some surprises. We'll start finding out tonight.

Go Terps!

Photos courtesy of baltimoresun.com.

Bubble Just Got Popped

I was working at an event today, watching some middle-aged guys schmooze around before things got going. All they were talking about was the Clemson Clobbering, as some are now calling it. They talked about all the things I routinely discuss in these columns - turnovers, the freshmen in the rotation, Vasquez, missed shots and even Jerome Burney.

I didn't say a single thing.

It was simple: I didn't have the heart to say anything because I was at that game. I still don't understand exactly what happened last night, and I probably never will. This is what I felt like last night:



Today? I just don't know. It actually humiliating to thing we choked with a 20-point lead in hand. We got the lead at 11:21 in the 2nd half. We scored exactly one point all the way until 6:44, when Clemson had shrunk the lead down to 7 points. Also, from 4:48 left to 1:30, Maryland didn't score once. By then Clemson was down only by four, which became two, which became a tie, which became a 3-point lead with 2.3 seconds to spare.

By the way, most effective full-court press I've ever seen. We could not break it at the end of the game. Instead, our strategy was to play kind of badly, or at least that was the strategy we executed.

It stinks to get all the negative press just after we got on the radar. We were being talked about as an "in team." Now, what are we? Uhh ... well in this projection, but for how long? Do we really want to be among the last four in? ESPN pundits yesterday were saying Maryland is the team that is saying, "Please, take us out of the tournament!" Kinda sorta, we speak with our play.

I know Gary calls out the fans every once in awhile, and I'm for trying to have positive outlooks, but the truth is that sometimes the fans deserve better. When I was looking around, it looked like there wasn't an empty seat in the house. The crowd came out, and they did their job, and they cheered when they were supposed to. Some people on the court did not do their job, and I think the players would likely agree with that sentiment.

It's a harsh reality to face, but let's face it:

- One win against ranked teams
- A mediocre 18-12 record (we'll have to reach for 20 wins)
- A mediocre 8-7 conference record in a muddled conference
- Weak final opponent before ACC tournment (UVA)
- Probably a weak first ACC tourney game, followed by a hard one

That's not NCAA material. Bottom line. Period. Finito. I can't put anymore emphasis on that.

If we want a partner at the dance, I would advise the team to start winning. We can do this by:

- Making more than 2 three-pointers
- Limiting our opponent's offensive rebounds (The Tigers had 17)
- Not turning the ball over 21 times

But I'm not sure that we can do those things. I'm going to be honest: the thought that the Tigers could actually win didn't even enter my mind until they cut the lead to 4. Even the last shot, I didn't think would go in (and it was a fantastic shot, to Oglesby's credit, plus he was fouled). But the letdown after ... something I have trouble describing.

JEROME BURNEY WATCH: Burney played a solid 16 minutes and ended up with 6 points, 3 rebounds and a stunning 4 blocks. Good overall effort, but I thought that he could've rebounded better and that his blocks typically led to a Clemson offensive rebound. Still, he played just as well as Boom, who had a bad night for his standards.

Extra notes:

I know everyone is down now (except other ACC team fans), but I thought maybe some things would brighten up your day.

Some of you are aware that Hank Steinbrenner recently denied the existence of a national Red Sox fanbase. ESPN got his take on some other franchises as well.

Also, an interesting story and a cautionary tale about why you should never let your players take too many liberties with their bios.

That's it. Let's regroup and crush UVA.

Photo Credit: Baltimore Sun

Jerome's Taking Over

Some of you may have noticed that I didn't really write any response to the Miami game. This is in part because I had conflicting feelings about what happened in that game.

On one hand, Maryland lost to a team they could've beaten, their stars struggled, and they lost a step in the race for the last bids of the NCAA tournament. It was a really disappointing thing to watch. I was fairly upset - I would start typing, look at the words and not really want to keep going.

On the other hand, Gary Williams FINALLY played my boy, Jerome Burney.

If you're a frequent reader, y'all know that I've been advocating for playing time for Burney for over two months since the freshman review. The guy is straight up physically imposing and seems like the logical replacement for James Gist at power forward after this season. I noticed that when I talked about Burney's dunking exhibition a few weeks ago before the Duke game, it picked up some interest on UMD message boards. And I think all of my close friends have now heard at least five times that Burney averaged a triple double in high school in points, rebounds, and BLOCKS.

And so finally, Gary played the guy after Gist struggled once again. And you know what? Four points and five boards in 12 minutes isn't so bad, especially considering how much our bench has been contributing. Actually, if you want to hear something really painful, consider that Burney was responsible for ALL of the bench points against Miami.

Yeah, it's that bad.

But Burney isn't bad at all. In fact, he's prominently featured in the Diamondback today. The article is about how he could receive more minutes in the coming games, which should be a relief to all of us. It's actually a relief to Boom Osby, who according to the article had been requesting Burney's minutes to be increased "for quite some time."

If you look at the big man reserves, you have Dave "The People's Champ" Neal, who hustles but is often rendered ineffective by the vastly more athletic big men in the ACC. You have Braxton Dupree, who has presumably hit a wall this season and played himself out of the starting lineup. You have Shane Walker, who has made some progress, but has still only scored a whopping 12 points in 117 minutes this season (Burney has 16 in 69 minutes, which isn't spectacular but still better). Dino Gregory is smaller and has hardly played much, so we can't say much about him.

Until Gus Gilchrist finally steps on court (and word is he's going to be as good as advertised), isn't Burney, the 6-9, 222-pound athlete, the only decent heir to the power forward throne? I think so, and I'm glad Gary is coming around to that thinking. At the very least, we now know he's doing well in practice, and as long as he continues to do so, he should get game time. Game time is going to be so valuable to Burney's development and should help him when he competes for a starting role next year (not to mention give us quality reserve minutes this year). Everyone loves to see Neal, but he shouldn't be the first guy off the bench - he's not a starter in any imaginable scenario next year.

Also, I'd like to present this snippet from Baltimore Sun beat reporter Don Markus' Q&A on Sunday about Burney:

Bill: How many minutes do you think Jerome Burney should be getting, and what should his role be?

Don Markus: Before Saturday, which is the first I saw him play any extended time, I would say that he was probably getting as many minutes as he deserved -- none. But after seeing some of the things he did on Saturday against Miami in terms of his athleticism and physicality, the question I have is: why hasn't this guy received this opportunity before? Williams said after the game that Burney has played well in practice the past two weeks. If that's the case, why didn't he get in against Virginia Tech when James Gist and Bambale Osby got into foul trouble? If Burney continues to play as he did in Miami, I think he should be the first big forward in the game ahead of Braxton Dupree and Dave Neal, and possibly the first big man ahead of Shane Walker. And I take back the line I had in the paper about Burney resembling Joe Smith in jersey number only.

Another believer joins the flock.

Go Terps!

Photo Credit: Diamondback (Adam Fried), Baltimore Sun

A Handful of Maryland Links

Today, I don't have much to talk about, but I think it's a good time to break out some UMD-related articles I've seen online.

- An article by Don Markus in the Baltimore Sun today highlighted Boom Osby's recent development on the offensive end particularly. It's keeping in theme with the column I posted yesterday.

- The Balt-Wash blog Scott Van Pelt Style theorizes that Maryland relies too much on athleticism rather than discipline and quality shooting.

- I know every non-Terps fan will accuse me of living in the past, but here's a nice little reminder from the UNC game: James Gist dunking on Tyler Hansbrough.

- Maryland target Kenny Tate will be choosing where he's going to school on Thursday at 5 on Comcast SportsNet. Read about his recruitment in this ESPN article by Heather Dinich. By the way, Penn State is officially out of the running, so it's between UMD and Illinois (Thanks to Recruiting Report for the tip).

This isn't a link, it's a story. Before the game, the Terps had just finished their first shootaround, and started to have some fun. Gist put down a few nasty dunks (no surprise there). Boom surprised me by Rockin the Cradle and finishing with a reverse, which was very awesome. But Jerome Burney ... oh boy. His first dunk was a bounce pass to himself, caught in midair and finished with a frightening one-handed windmill. His second dunk was an arm through the hoop. The guy is simply monstrous, and a lot of people witnessed it and were asking, "Who is that guy?"

I'm about one game away from starting a Facebook group entitled, "Please play Jerome Burney." Since Gary doesn't seem to be in favor with Braxton Dupree lately, and Dave Neal is now the primary backup at forward, what can you possibly lose? Please just try it!

And for the grand finale, yes, fine, I'm still bitter. But I'd like to present to you: "Scheyerfaced."

Freshman Review Updates

Tonight, I watched a blowout against Savannah State and I had a few things to add/revise to my earlier post since every Terp on the roster got to play. Plus, a few more observations. Here's the stats and away we go:
CLIFF TUCKER - I really mean it; this kid will be a star in this class. He's athletic and quick - witness 4 steals in the game, and he had other opportunities that he almost converted.

BRAXTON DUPREE - His minutes continue to shrink. He has moves but his inability to play above the basket hurts: On one play, he was blocked on layups twice in a row before throwing up a third try that clanked.

ADRIAN BOWIE - Actually one of the better backups tonight, going 3-for-4 and getting 3 steals. I was nervous when he was running the point. Also has some hops: Among his highlights were a fast-break dunk and a silky smooth reverse layup. He's 6'2, in case you're wondering ... and that might be a generous assessment.

SHANE WALKER - Reprised in his role as Gist's main backup, but only managed a personal foul and one made free throw. We'll see how he goes.
DINO GREGORY - I think he has more potential than I suggested the other day, but his size will probably be a factor in his minutes in the future. But still a great hustler and player. After Dave Neal graduates, he'll probably take the mantle of People's Champ.

JEROME BURNEY - I really question the logic of putting in one of your most impressive physical specimens in last, even after the walk-ons. I was with two friends for the game, and when Burney came in, one said, "Whoa, who is that dude? He's huge!" That's what I always think. But he only got two minutes tonight, the least of anyone. And yet he seems like the best candidate to fill in at power forward next season. We aren't even going to give him garbage minutes over Jason McAlpin?

Along those lines, Maryland recruiting classes are so congested right now, I heard it suggested here and there that someone might transfer from the team. I hope Gary is mindful of the talent we could lose if we don't play them enough over our walk-ons. I'm sure some players are mindful that we have a 4-star guard and a 4-star forward/center coming next year, and playing very limited minutes might discourage them. As a disclaimer, I offer no evidence that anyone is transferring, but don't be surprised if it happens. Only four guys "graduate"(the quotes indicate that I hope they graduate) in the next two years - that means the talent will be stockpiled in such a way that not everyone will get to play. Everyone wants to play.

P.S. - Burney just posted a Facebook status report (tacky, I know) that any rumors of him leaving are false. The guy does seem to like Maryland - I see him around and about all the time.

Other observations:

- Only 2-of-9 from 3-point land will not get the job done for the season. It's been a problem all year.

- This is one game that I wasn't actually totally satisfied with the performance of Greivis Vasquez. 13 pts, 6 reb and 6 dimes aren't bad, but his 4 turnovers were - most were just the result of poor concentration, which actually seemed to be a problem for the whole team in the second half, believe it or not. I mean, you can't be upset about how a team plays when they blow someone out, but a better team will take advantage of you if you let down as much as we did in the second half.

- Similarly, we shouldn't only have a 7-rebound edge against a team as small as Savannah State. They had four players on their roster taller than 6'7, and two of those guys were at the end of the bench. Some of those balls come down to hustle and concentration.

- A lot of good execution in the first half, however. Crisp passing to the post was a key and a lot of people did a good job finding the open man instead of jumping on bad opportunities to score themselves. Vasquez and Hayes had 6 dishes each.

I think overall, the performances are improving. But the Terps will have a trial by fire against a Holy Cross team that went to the NCAA tournament last year and is currently 8-3, including a win over Ohio University, a team we had trouble with already this season. Bill Simmons will be tuning in to watch his alma mater - it's the least we can do to disappoint him.

Go Terps!

Photo Credits: The Baltimore Sun