Terps swept at the Garden, but all was not lost

The Maryland Terps lost back to back games in the Coaches vs. Cancer Tournament at Madison Square Garden. On Thursday, then fell to #4 Pittsburgh 79-70, and on Friday, they were defeated by #16 Illinois 80-76.

Thursday, Maryland played with the #4 team in the country for 60 minutes. Had the Terps not had a horrendous day at the free throw line (they were 14 for 30, with many of those misses the front ends of 1 and 1′s) they likely would have taken down Pittsburgh.

Friday, again, Maryland hung with the Illini for the entire game, and simply missed some key shots, while Bruce Weber’s bunch converted some important shots, and ultimately fell short.

At first glance, my first two reactions from these two games are mixed. Immediately, I see that these young Terps, with so many freshman getting key minutes and seniors that were role players in years past playing big minutes, hung with two legit Final Four contenders in Pitt and Illinois. Many felt it would take this team months, perhaps even until next season, to be competitive in games like these.

The fact that Gary has this team playing better in November than last year’s team at the same time really illustrates that this version of the Terps may be much better, much quicker than many people anticipated.

On the negative side of the coin, with the Terps being so young and inexperienced, they are likely to be very inconsistent throughout the season. They will win their fair share of games, but they are also likely to lose some games that perhaps last year’s team would not have lost.

As a result, the Terrapins very well could find themselves on the bubble come Selection Sunday, and they just lost two of their most important chances at out of conference wins.

That makes their out of conference games at Penn State, vs Temple, and in Philly vs Villanova much more critical. Personally, I feel that this team will do enough in the ACC to be guaranteed a spot in the tournament. This team is much more seasoned at this point than I anticipated, and their athleticism and depth will carry them through conference season.

That being said, the difference between 11-5 and 9-7 in the ACC is bubble-watching come March, and if that were the case, Maryland did hurt themselves by not leaving New York with a signature win.

Time will tell if these two games will hurt the Terps. There are positives and negatives that Gary and his team will learn from their time at Madison Square Garden.

Considering the much lower expectations and the view by many that this Terps’ team would be NIT bound, as a Maryland fan, I’ll focus more on the bright sports from this tournament.

Sun article on new MD Basketball assistant Bino Ranson

Jeff Barker of the Baltimore Sun has an article out detailing some of the positives that newly hired Bino Ranson could bring to Maryland.

Here are some highlights of the article…

“Maryland’s recruiting in the city hasn’t been what it should be,” Oliver said. “Bringing in [assistant coach] Keith Booth helped a lot. With Bino in there, you’ll get a lot of elite players at Maryland. It might be the best move they’ve made in a long time.”

More…

Among Maryland’s targets is City shooting guard Nick Faust. Like many Maryland recruits, Faust has deep AAU roots. “We’re like family,” AAU coach Carlton “Bub” Carrington said of Faust. Carrington is Faust’s Nike Baltimore Elite coach and is close to Ranson.

“The work other coaches might have to do for relationships, Bino already has the groundwork. They call him Uncle Bino,” Carrington said. “If Bino was at Maryland, then Donte Greene and Malcolm Delaney [Towson Catholic, Virginia Tech] would have been at Maryland. Easy.”

The initial reaction by some diehard Maryland fans was that this was a good hiring, but I have to say bringing “Uncle Bino” on board is looking better and better by the day.

All Terps’ fans, even those who refuse to type Gary Williams’ name without HOF (Hall of Fame) in front of it, will acknowledge that Maryland has not performed up to their potential on the recruiting trail. It is fair to say that they have not brought in the amount of elite talent that they could have over the last several years, considering much of that talent was local and had interest in going to MD.

It is a very good sign that the university, and specifically Gary, was able to recognize how much of a help a guy like Bino Ranson could be; a guy who has strong AAU ties and who seems to play the recruiting game, which has become more and more important in recent years. This is a guy who is on friendly terms with some of the highest profile recruits, as evidenced by this line from the same article..

But he is fond of recalling his roots. On the wall in Ranson’s new office is a photo of him with Carmelo Anthony (Towson Catholic) of the Denver Nuggets. A draft-day photo taken at a bowling alley features Ranson with Donte Greene (Towson Catholic), who played for Syracuse and is now with the Sacramento Kings.

Clearly, this move is looking very good. Rob Ehsan is looked at as an up and coming coach for the Terps. Keith Booth is the local guy who was brought in to help keep these backyard recruits in the area, and now Bino Ranson looks like the guy who will be able to finish the deal.

With the addition of Ranson, and the departure of Debbie Yow, things are looking very much up for the Terps’ recruiting chances over the next several years.

Thoughts on MD to Big 10 Rumors

There are increasing rumors that Maryland may be heading to an expanded Big 10. In fact, I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that something could happen here within the next few hours.

I will not pretend to be as in-tune with this situation as others, but I have been reading the rumors, and the potential scenarios, and I’m aware that things are progressing.

In fact, according to the Bleacher Report, an Indianapolis (Big 10 headquarters) radio station reportedly was announcing the move as a done deal.

I’m not sure that is entirely accurate, but there is a lot of smoke here. Normally, where there is this much smoke, there’s fire.

Currently, there are 11 teams in the Big 10. There has been talk of them expanding to either 14 or 16.

Nebraska is likely to go, and that will be the first domino.

Other candidates to move to the Big 10 are ND, Rutgers, Texas, Texas A&M, Maryland, and Syracuse, among a few others.

Now, most Maryland fans, including myself, are going to have a hard time getting past the ACC tradition.

I understand that, and I feel the same way. The ACC had deep roots and tradition.

There are 2 main reasons for Maryland to consider making this move.

1) Money. The Big 10 as a conference brings in much more revenue than the ACC, thanks in large part to the Big 10 TV deals with ESPN, as well as the Big Network.

2) Other teams potentially leaving the ACC. With the talk of college sports turning into 4 super-conferences, there is the possibility that the ACC could get raided by the Pac 10, Big 10, and SEC. The ACC would then be made up of a few of their current teams, plus some left overs from other conferences, such as South Florida or UCF.

I can see the argument that if 2) was not a factor, that Maryland should ignore the money and keep the tradition.

But with the increased cash flow that the university would get from a move to the Big 10, along with the possibility that the ACC as we know it will not be there in a few years, it is going to be hard for Maryland to turn down a potential offer to move to the Big 10.

As a fan, and fans think as fans first, not about the economic circumstances, I can see the apprehension.

I have it myself.

I think of longer road-trips into the “boring” part of the country.

I think of going into Penn State, the Horseshoe, and the Big House, and getting clobbered in football.

I have visions of playing 52-50 basketball games every night.

I can not imagine playing a basketball schedule without games against UNC, Virginia, and Duke.

Having said that, new rivalries will be formed. Gary vs Izzo (if he does not bolt for the NBA) Maryland vs Penn State every year.

More money means better stadiums and better facilities. More money means the ability to pay assistant coaches more money. That will lead to better recruiting.

There is so much that goes into these talks.

The bottom line is that the landscape of college sports could be changing here within the next few years. Maryland has to be proactive, and they have to look out for the good of the university.

We are getting to the point where if Maryland is going to do just that, they are going to have to accept an offer to join the Big 10, if it is in fact offered to them.

MD a #5 seed in Lunardi’s 2010-2011 Bracketology

ESPN’s Joe Lunardi has his Bracketology out for next season.

Lunardi has Maryland as a #5 seed.

Obviously, Lunardi is good at picking teams during the season, but he is not the most knowledgable analyst out there. I would encourage anyone to take these predictions with a grain of salt.

That being said, I think that with Hayes, Milbourne, and Vasquez all having to be replaced, Terps’ fans would be quite happy with a #5 seed in next year’s NCAA Tournament.

I do think that fans are under-estimating next year’s team. Admittedly, I and many other fans are still down after losing on the last second shot to MSU, and because those 3 guys will not put on a Terps jersey again in a game.

However, one thing to understand is that while postseason expectations haven’t always been met under Gary Williams in recent years, he never lets the team hit rock bottom.

Even in the “down” NIT years this past decade, the team still won 19 games, and was in the postseason hunt up until the last game.

Until the bottom falls out on a Gary Williams’ coached team, I will expect the Terps’ to be competitive, and for Gary to find a way to break in the freshmen, and to get the team to improve throughout the year.

Of course, I would take a #5 seed going into next season. Would you?

Why it hurts for Terps’ fans, continued

I just wrote a piece that detailed a few reasons why the most recent loss to Michigan State hurts much worse than pretty much any loss in recent memory.

(http://charmcitysportstalk.com/2010/03/27/why-it-hurts-for-terps-fans/)

Here is the first part of that piece..

1) The path to the Final Four. On the Saturday before Maryland lost to MSU, Northern Iowa defeated Kansas. Coming into the NCAA’s, Terps fans were confident that this team could make a deep run, but it was disheartening that they would have to go through Kansas in the Sweet 16. Northern Iowa opened up a huge doorway, and the Terps ultimately could not take advantage of that.

Looking back, the road to the Final Four for Maryland, would have been Houston, Michigan State, Northern Iowa, and Tennessee. Maryland would have been favorites in each of those 4 games.

Since I wrote that, Butler has defeated Kansas State, and will be going home to Indy to take part in this year’s Final Four.

That means that the Terrapins, had they hung on against Michigan State, would have been favorites in all 5 games on their road to the National Championship Game. Not just the Elite 8; not just the Final Four…The National Championship Game.

Houston, Michigan State, Northern Iowa, Tennessee, and Butler.

They would have had to face a 13 seed, 5 seed, 8 seed, 6 seed, and 5 seed, on their road to the National Championship Game.

Yeah, it hurts.

Why it hurts for Terps’ fans

It is obvious, whether it is from listening to the radio, frequenting Terrapins message boards, or talking to Maryland fans across the area, that this loss hurts worse than perhaps any other in recent memory.

Clearly, the loss is going to hurt, and there is going to be disappointment. The Terps lost on a 3 point shot with less than a second left, with a chance to go to the Sweet 16 on the line.

However, it is more than that. There are a few reasons why this loss hurts so much more than most.

1) The path to the Final Four. On the Saturday before Maryland lost to MSU, Northern Iowa defeated Kansas. Coming into the NCAA’s, Terps fans were confident that this team could make a deep run, but it was disheartening that they would have to go through Kansas in the Sweet 16. Northern Iowa opened up a huge doorway, and the Terps ultimately could not take advantage of that.

Looking back, the road to the Final Four for Maryland, would have been Houston, Michigan State, Northern Iowa, and Tennessee. Maryland would have been favorites in each of those 4 games.

Maryland only had to take care of business in 4 games in which they were the favorite, in order to get back to the Final Four. A Final Four is a huge feat; many coaches and programs seek out to reach a Final Four for years after years, and never reach it.

With all due respect to the teams Maryland would have had to face to get to Indianapolis, while acknowledging and totally understanding what March Madness is, and the craziness that fans and teams experience in March….A trip to Indianapolis, relative to the path of most teams, was handed to the Terps on a silver platter. Knowing what their eventual path would have been, is a tough pill to swallow as a Terps fan.

2) Greivis Vasquez, and this senior class. Anyone that says Greivis Vasquez is not a Top 5-7 Terp of all time, as Gary Williams has said, does not understand basketball very much.

As has been well documented, Vasquez reported to Maryland as a freshman, saluted Coach Williams, and informed him that he was reporting for duty.

This is the guy who defended Gary Williams and the Maryland program, when Washington Post writer Eric Prisbell wrote a series of articles attempting to paint the program in a negative light. He did that, by telling Prisbell “don’t even look at me” when he saw him at a game.

This is the guy who was not afraid to tell his own fans that they were out of line for booing the team in a game during his junior season. It’s the guy who came out in the Miami game in 2009 when Coach Williams was under scrutiny, and refused to let his team lose.

Greivis Vasquez came to Maryland during a bit of tough times, relative to the success they experienced earlier this decade.

Vasquez was the face of the program, and he brought a passion and swagger that Maryland will struggle to ever get back from another individual player.

Vasquez was an extension of his coach, and the enthusiasm that he portrayed on a daily basis rubbed off on his teammates and on all Maryland fans.

Greivis Vasquez has said repeatedly that he doesn’t want to be a star; he just wants to win, and do anything possible to help his team win. Vasquez, and the rest of this senior class, deserved to have their weekend in the spotlight on the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament. They deserved to have the national recognition that the Sweet 16, and very possible further run in the NCAA’s would have brought.

If these seniors were coming back, it would hurt, but it would not be as bad. When Maryland lost to Duke in the 2001 Final Four, it certainly sucked; but fans knew that the team would be coming back in 2002, as one of the favorites to win it all.

Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for this situation. Vasquez, Hayes, and Milbourne are done. The Terps’ have promising freshmen coming in, but clearly, there is going to be an adjustment period.

I can’t help but feel as though things were just getting stared for this team, and for this senior class. I can’t help but feel as though it ended too early.

I cannot help but think that the shot by Lucious, just WASN’T meant to go in.

But it did.

And it caused the Terps to miss out on an enormous opportunity. A gate the size of Mt Rushmore was opened for them in this tournament, and they did not walk through it.

They did not walk through the gate that was opened. The gate through which was perhaps Gary William’s best chance to get back to the Final Four before he calls it a career, has closed. The door has closed on this season, and on the career of these seniors, most notably one of the best Terps to put on a uniform, Greivis Vasquez.

The shimmy is gone. The memories of Vasquez’ steal vs Illinois his freshman year, of his dunk and floor mopping vs Clemson of his triple double vs UNC his junior year, and of his two shots that he hit on senior night vs Duke, are only memories; they can never be expanded on, never be seen again on the court at the Comcast Center.

And it hurts.

For Terps’ fans, it is the memories that need to be remembered, and held onto. Fans need to remember the excitement that Vasquez and the rest of this team brought to Maryland for 4 years.

The Korie Lucious shot ended this season, and the career of Greivis Vasquez, but the memories need to, and will, live on forever.

It hurts for all of us, including Gary.

Thoughts on final game as Terps’ season ends

As fans are obviously aware of by now, Maryland lost in the 2nd round of the NCAA Tourney to Michigan State, 85-83.

Clearly, this is one of the most heartbreaking losses in Maryland basketball history.

At first glance, it appears that since Maryland was trailing for most of the game right from the start, that they played badly, or below average.

That is not the case at all. Maryland played a great game. In fact, if they play that same game 10 times against MSU, it is likely that they win at least 7 of the games.

Unfortunately for Maryland, Michigan State played their best game of the season. Michigan State is a slowed down, physical, Big 10 style team, yet they shot lights out, shooting 55.6% from 3 point land, including 6 of 8 from Durrell Summers, who was a 29% 3 point shooter coming into the game.

To further understand the amount of luck and above the norm performance that Mich St experienced in this game, here are some stats courtesy of Vatech1994, member at Orioles Hangout.

Before today’s game,

1. Mich St had averaged 72 pts/game, had scored 85 or more points in a game 6 times all year, and hadn’t scored more than 79 in a game for 19 straight games. Today they scored 85.
2. Mich St had shot over 50% from 3Pt twice in 33 games. They shot 56% today
3. Mich St had hit 10 or more 3Pt in a game twice in 33 games. They hit 10 today.
4. Durrell Summers had averaged 10 pts/game with two games over 20 pts. He had 26 today including the game winning three.
5. Durrell Summers had never hit more than 2 3pt in a game this year. He hit 6 today.
6. Durrell Summers had shot 29.5% from 3pt for the season. He hit 6 of 8 today.
7. Korie Lucious had shot 30.7% from 3pt for the season. He 3 of 6 today.

It is just very disheartening that Maryland ran into this kind of buzz-saw. As a coach and as players, there is not much you can do to stop that kind of shooting.

Gary Williams coached a great game, managing the foul trouble of his 2 best players, Greivis Vasquez and Jordan Williams.

Greivis Vasquez did everything in his power to bring the Terps back. He scored 10 points in the final 1:53 of the game, and was keeping his team up and fighting when they were down 9 with 2 minutes to go. Without Vasquez, the Terps are no where near the lead in the final seconds.

These coaches and players did everything possible to win a game, and extend these seniors’ careers. Doing everything in their power to overcome an exceptional game by MSU, and still coming up short, is a very demoralizing and disheartening feeling.

I cannot help but think that Bowie should have pressured Draymond Green bringing the ball up the floor. Looking back at the final shot, the confusion for Maryland started when Green brought the ball up the court.

It is Bowie’s role to pressure the player bringing the ball up the court, which is usually the PG. However, it was Green, and Bowie stayed on him, but did not pressure him and cause him to go off track. When Green passed the ball to Lucious, Bowie stayed on Green, when he likely should have switched a bit towards Lucious. Milbourne was a step slow after the pump fake, as he was picked.

It was just a perfect storm situation for Michigan State to get a shot off in that situation. Give credit to Lucious; it was a great shot. Give credit to Tom Izzo; it was a great move not calling a timeout, which would have given Gary Williams a chance to set his defense and defend the in bounds pass.

It was an epic game between two powerhouse programs, and two Hall of Fame coaches. It was an epic comeback that no Terrapin fan that witnessed the game will ever forget. Unfortunately for Maryland fans, the Terps came up a half second short.

Even with that half second, it cannot be stressed enough the impact that this senior class had on the Maryland program.

Coming off a few seasons of disappointments with high-profile recruits with some attitude issues, Eric Hayes, Greivis Vasquez, and Landon Milbourne were first class people, students, and players.

These seniors made the NCAA Tournament 3 times. They won 3 games in the tournament, and shared the ACC regular season championship this year.

I have said all year that this team had the chance to be special. Unfortunately, the shot by Korie Lucious, and the loss to GT in the ACC Tournament, took away the chance for this team to reach all of the goals that they set out to reach.

However, there is no doubt that this senior class was special. In the coming years, it would not be surprising to look back on this senior class as the class that brought Maryland back on their march towards the top. They brought the program back into the national spotlight, and more importantly, they gave Gary Williams perhaps a second coaching wind. These guys were reliable, and coachable. They will always be remembered as a successful and special class, and Gary Williams would 100% echo that statement.

These seniors will be remembered for giving everything they had in every second of every game. They will be remembered for having Gary’s back, when ill-informed fans and writers were trying to bring him down.

It is all about expectations. Coming into the year, I felt this team was Sweet 16 caliber. Clearly, they were.

This won a share of the Regular Season Championship, and came less than a second away from the Sweet 16, and very likely more.

One shot does not define a season. In March Madness, clearly to anyone who has been paying attention the past 2 weeks, anything can happen.

One shot does not define a season, nor should it define the legacies of this team, and these seniors.

Talking Terps, NCAA grad rates

Recently there has been a discussion on Orioles Hangout regarding Gary Williams, and his low graduation rate. (http://forum.orioleshangout.com/forums/showthread.php?t=94173)

ESPN has been showing a statistic that shows an 8% graduation rate for the Terps. Now, this stat goes back a few years, and is not accurate as far as the present is concerned. Still, with regards to how that number is calculated, that number was accurate at one point in recent years, and some Terps’ fans take issue with that low number.

Some points to consider:

- If a player leaves early to go to the NBA, that player does not graduate; therefore, it is counted against the school.

- If a player leaves early to go overseas to play, that counts against the grad-rate.

- If a player transfers and graduates at another school, it counts against the grad-rate.

- If a player leaves school, but comes back years later to finish, that counts against the grad-rate.

- If a player takes longer to graduate, IE graduates in 6 years as opposed to 4, that counts against the grad rate.

Now, this is just meant to be an insight into the numbers. These points do not  ”excuse” Maryland, as all programs and all coaches have to deal with the same set of rules with regards to coming up with the grad rate #.

My fairly strong opinion on these numbers, is who cares?

I will start off by saying that it appears much worse on the surface. The points that I laid out above, support that notion in my opinion.

Also, one has to consider where these players that do not graduate, are going in the next chapter of their lives.

For example, there were rumors last season that Greivis Vasquez was thinking about leaving early, and if he wasn’t drafted by an NBA team, he was going to go overseas and play.

Overseas, Vasquez would probably make 500K or so for playing the game that he loves.

The goal if going to college, from what I have gathered, is to prepare yourself for your job, and to put yourself in a good position to get that said job.

If after 3 years of going to MD, Greivis Vasquez gets to play basketball for a living, bring in half a million dollars a year or more, I would say that MD set him up fairly well; “more well,” than I would guess 95% of students who graduated from Maryland.

Not to mention, that in 10-15 years when Greivis was done playing basketball, he could always go back to College Park, take a few credits, and get his degree.

Now, if that hypothetical scenario would have played out, it would have been counted against MD, and against Gary Williams, that Vasquez did not graduate in 4 years.

In addition to not being as bad as it sounds, the bottom line then becomes, what is the goal of these students, and what is the goal of the university?

Maryland is a very major basketball program. It is one of, if not, the highest revenue source of the university.

Gary needs to bring in players who are going to keep MD basketball relevant. These players are coming to Maryland, to play basketball, and to help Gary achieve that goal.

Where does academics come into play?

Should Gary be held accountable for Dino Gregory cheating on his exam? Should Gary be held accountable for Chris McCray being academically ineligible, and as a result, single-handedly keeping the Terps from making the NCAA Tournament that year?

Would Debbie Yow, and the MD fan base that criticizes Gary for his low grad rate, be OK with Gary, if he had a 100% grad rate, and won the NIT ever year? I have a funny feeling that the answer to that, is a resounding no.

Hearing about these grad figures really gets to me. In my opinion, it is a way for people who dislike Gary or any other coach at any other university, to simply pile up on him, without getting too deep into the information, and what it actually means.

It is also very ironic, that the same people who complain about grad rates, also likely complain about recruiting. However, the more top recruits that Gary brings in, the more likely it is that those said recruits leave early for the NBA, which (irresponsibly and illogically) would count against the grad rate, which would make it appear even worse than it is.

But, in that scenario, would it be “OK” since MD would be winning more with better recruits?

If the answer to that is yes, and it’s all about winning, then why bring up grad rates at all? Bringing up grad rates, indicates that it is not all about winning.

There was also talk recently about an idea floated around by Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. That idea entails teams with less a less than 40% grad rate should be kept out of tournaments.

Ahh, the logic. Arne wants to punish current student athletes and coaches, for the failures of past athletes, who are only at school to play basketball in 90% of the cases, and stop them from getting into a tournament that is held across the country, for 3 consecutive weeks, during the Spring Semester, and mid-term exams?

I hope the rest of the administration that runs this country shows more common sense and logic than Arne Duncan showed with this idea.

I do not want MD to be a thug program; they aren’t. I don’t want them to be a bunch of uneducated criminals; they aren’t.

But grad rates? Come on…this is a major sports university.

To get on Gary Williams for poor graduation rates, indicates poor knowledge of the entire landscape of college basketball, and shows that one just wants to attack a school or a university, as opposed to making a logical argument.

Epic Opportunity for Terps

As a Terps basketball fan, I was not very happy on Selection Sunday, considering that Maryland’s road to the Final Four was going to go through Kansas in the Sweet 16.

Today, Kansas lost to Northern Iowa. This Kansas loss, along with Georgetown losing on Thursday, gives the Terps a prime opportunity to make this a season to remember.

On Friday night, the Terps’ defeated Houston without much problem. The score was close at times until the second half, but really, there was not much doubt in the outcome, for me anyway, at any point in the game.

The Terps started off slow, held off the run by Aubrey Coleman and Houston, and just exploded in the 2nd half. Really, the score was closer than the game really was.

Gary Williams made adjustments, Houston really did not. Gary continues to show that he is a top coach in America.

Now, onto tomorrow.

The Terps face a Michigan State team who was a bit lucky to get by #12 seed New Mexico State last night. Michigan State is coached by Tom Izzo, who is an excellent overall coach, and tournament coach.

I do not expect the Terps to win easily tomorrow. I expect it to be a tough game that either team will be capable of winning.

That being said, some of the respect that this version of Michigan State is getting, has more to do with the man on the sidelines in Izzo, and the white and green jerseys, as opposed to achievements and talent level.

I am not saying that the Spartans do not have good players and talent, because they do.

But I feel that some Terrapins fans are looking at Michigan State as a force in the NCAA Tournament that will be hard to take down, and that is a notion that I do not agree with.

If both teams play equally as well, the Terps should win the game. If the Terps dictate the tempo, they should win the game.

If Michigan State slows the game down, Big 10 style, Maryland will have some problems, although they have shown more and more ability to adjust to that type of play, with the emergence of Jordan Williams.

Maryland is a 1 point favorite to win tomorrow. On the surface, that does not say much…we have two fairly equal teams going at it in the 2nd round of the NCAA’s.

However, now with Kansas having lost to N. Iowa, if Maryland were to win tomorrow, they would face Northern Iowa in the Sweet 16.

Obviously, Northern Iowa is a very good team. A bad or average team does not take down the overall #1 seed.

On the other hand, N. Iowa is not going to surprise Maryland in the Sweet Sixteen like they did a bit to Kansas today. Furthermore, Gary Williams’ famous press can be nothing but effective against a N. Iowa team that turned the ball over 4 times in the last 5 minutes against Kansas’ full court trap/press.

Maryland has 2 games in front of them in which they will be the higher seed, and the favorites. Win those 2 games, and this years’ Terps will get back to the Elite 8 for the first time since 2002.

In the Elite 8, Maryland would play 1 of GT, Tennessee, or Ohio State. Clearly, all of those teams are very beatable, much more so than Kansas, and even Georgetown, with regards to how well the Terps’ match up with them.

The bottom line is the Terps dodged a bullet with Kansas having been eliminated.

Potentially, Maryland has a tougher game tomorrow vs Mich St, then they MAY have until the Final Four, depending on who they would face in the Elite 8.

That has to be exciting for Terrapins fans.

Kansas was like a giant elephant blocking the Terps’ journey. Now, that path is wide open. The road to Indianapolis is wide open.

There would be no shame in losing to Tom Izzo and Michigan State, but it would be disappointing for this Terps’ team to not take advantage of the opportunity that is ahead of them.

Tomorrow is the biggest game for Gary Williams and his Terps’ in quite some time.

Their goals are right in front of them. It is up to Gary and his team to reach out and grab them.

The season to remember is getting closer.

Next up, a battle of 2 Hall of Fame coaches in Tom Izzo and Gary Williams.

Terps vs. Sparty

Terps square off against Houston tonight

The Terps take on the Houston Cougars tonight in the 1st round of the NCAA Tournament.

Thus far, this has been one of the most exciting tournaments in recent memory. There has already been a #3 seed eliminated in Georgetown, a #4 in Vanderbilt, and a #2 seed taken to the brink, in Villanova.

That being said, I am not worried about tonight’s game as a Maryland fan.

The Cougars and Coach Tom Penders like to run a fast-paced style offense. This plays right into the Terps’ hands.

Basically, Houston plays the same style as the Terps, but the Terps have much better athletes and players.

It is all about match-ups in the NCAA Tournament, and Houston is about as good of a draw that MD could have hoped for as a #4 seed.

Maryland will have to control Aubrey Coleman, the nation’s leading scorer for the Cougars, but Coleman does not have the supporting cast around him to realistically take down the Terps.

It is all about surviving, and advancing in the NCAA Tournament.

I am looking for a good, solid game tonight, with key players Vasquez, Milbourne, and Mosley having good games, setting themselves up for Sunday’s likely matchup with Michigan State and Tom Izzo.

The Terps’ have played all season, in order to put themselves in position to have a special season.

They have 6 games in front of them; 6 games between now, and a NCAA Championship.

First step is tonight vs Houston. Gary Williams would not like me saying this, but I expect this to be a fairly easy win.