Herman Veal Chops

Mike Jones and Sarunas: Peas and Carrots

2005-01-05T08:48:00.000-05:00

This is a message for all of you agnostics and atheists out there.
Clearly, there is a G-d because my prayers have been answered. DJ
Strawberry started last night in place of the much-maligned (by me)
Nik Caner Medley. Now it wasn't exactly what I had prayed for. If
you'll recall, I wanted Mike Jones to start in his place. At this
point, who I am to complain?

Of course there may be some other factors afoot that prompted this
dramatic change in Gary's lineup. Last week, my buddy Geoff and I
each penned an email into the "Ask Gary" feature on www.umterps.com.
The text of my email went as follows.

"Dear Gary,

I'm curious as to why you do not play the three guard set more often.
Duke used that lineup quite effectively last year and is doing so this
year. It would give the Terps an extra shooter from the outside and
it would eliminate a defensive liability in Nik Caner-Medley. Your
thoughts?

Regards,

Jeremy"

Now is it a coincidence that Gary removed NCM from the lineup the very
next game to try out the three-guard set? Of course it is. I can
dream though can't I? If Gary can hear my message on getting rid of
NCM, maybe he will listen to my telepathic signals to give Mike Jones
more than eight friggin minutes against the likes of Mt. St. Mary's!!
Gary what does this guy have to get some playing time? Is he that bad
in practice? I mean, he sure looks fluid to me on the court.

The way that Gary has handled MJ is reminiscent of another former Terp
who was misused during his stint in College Park. When I first saw
Sarunas Jasikevicius step on to the court at the Cole Field House aka
"Basketball Heaven", I new I had just seen a special talent. Gary
never knew how to use Sarunas' unique talents. Sarunas' creative
passing skills were curtailed while he was a Terp, and he was always
accused of playing bad defense.

Let's see what Sarunas has done since leaving Maryland. For those
unaware (if you are reading this article, I would be shocked if you
are), Sarunas nearly single-handedly defeated the "Dream Team" in the
2000 Olympics and then led his team to victory in the 2004 Olympics
against Team USA. In both games, Jasikevicius was the best player on
the court.

Recently eurobasket.com, the clearing house for all things European
Basketball, named Jasikevicius the 2004 Player of the Year in Europe
AND named him to the starting five of the All European Team. His
teammates on that team? None other than:
• Predrag Stojakovic (207-F-77), Sacramento Kings (NBA), Serbia/M.
• Dirk Nowitzki (211-F-78), Dallas Mavericks (NBA), Germany
• Pau Gasol (214-F-80), Memphis Grizzlies (NBA), Spain
• Tony Parker (183-G-80), San Antonio Spurs (NBA), France
That is some company he keeps, eh? Just for a little clarity, Andre
Kirilenko is NOT on this team and Sarunas is. The only thing keeping
Sarunas from a stellar career in the NBA is Sarunas. He has been
offered contracts by several teams, but has always balked. Maybe he
doesn't like the coaching style in the US. Maybe he was scarred by
the way Gary misused him. I'm not saying that's the reason, I'm just
saying it's possible.

OK, so what is my point? Sarunas and MJ are like peas and carrots
(your welcome, Dan). They have been misused by Gary. I am scared
that one day we will see Mike Jones wearing another college uniform
hoisting up rainbow threes and scoring 20 points per game. If it
happened once, it could happen again. If you aren't Gary's kind of
guy, it doesn't mean you aren't a great player, it just means you're
not Gary's kind of guy.

Look for another post this week previewing the matchup between
Maryland and UNC this weekend.

Maryland 90, Florida State 88 OT

2004-12-20T01:01:00.000-05:00

“Mike Jones saved our ass tonight” That was an email I received from my buddy Goodman. He’s right. Maryland won in overtime against a team that lost to the University of Texas Corpus Christi earlier this season. That is NOTHING to be proud of. As it stands now, Maryland stinks. We have two cupcake games for Gary to make some wholesale changes so we can prepare for some unbelievably difficult road tests against UNC and Wake. It’s a good thing we won tonight because I think an 0-3 start would be disastrous.

I was at the game tonight thanks to my buddy Pert. I’m grateful for those tix but Maryland’s “play” made me nauseous.

The night started off poorly. Thanks to everyone who was on the Beltway at around 5:30 tonight. No one in this fucking state knows how to drive. I don’t care if there are flurries. You can drive more than 30 mph on the beltway. I made it to the “Gigantic Advertisement for high speed Internet Center” right after the first TV timeout. The next 41 minutes of play were agonizing hell.

The fans have completely given up on Nik Caner-Medley. I probably need a day or two before I can speak rationally on the subject. But I will try nonetheless. NCM was so bad tonight; that there were times that Gary would have been better off pulling a Gene Hackman and rolling out four players. NCM had several airballs. Some of his shots were so bad that I seriously think he might need glasses. Things on the other side of the ball were just as bad. I have not seen a Terp get so consistently beaten on defense since Chris Kerwin (anyone remember that guy from our probation days?). Gary should be ashamed of his small forward.

I don’t know how many more times this can be said. Gary needs to bench NCM, move Chris McCray to small forward and start Mike Jones. For some inexplicable reason, Mike Jones remains a fixture on the bench. Why? Why? Why? Why? No Seriously? Why?

Finally after watching a team that had no one for Gilchrist to pass to for the entire second half; Gary inserted Mike Jones into the lineup for NCM in overtime. Mike Jones promptly hit a three (the first three that wasn’t from Gilchrist since 15 minutes left in the first half) to put the Terps up two with 1:30 left. What other evidence does Gary need to play this man?

I can’t stress this enough. If Gary doesn’t wise up and start playing Mike Jones, this team is going nowhere. He is the only Terp besides Gilchrist who can consistently hit from the outside.

The Terps have become so predictable on offense, it is sickening. Gilchrist is the only guy out there doing anything. Gist has potential, but at this early stage in his career he is one-dimensional.

The problem with Maryland is that we have guys who don’t complement each other. DJ Strawberry and Chris McCray have the same game. Ibekwe and Gist have the same game. Bowers has no game. Garrison (McDonald’s All-American) has disappeared (more on that later), and Mike Jones (McDonald’s All-American) doesn’t play. I don’t know another coach in America that would sit two McD’s AA’s and keep trotting out some slow white guy from Maine. . Gary, these guys were your top recruits for Chrissake.

Some more takeaways from the game:

• Hot girl always trumps cute baby in the “fan of the game” contest.
• The cheerleader coach for the Terps is a 20-something guy. I can’t describe the unintentional comedy of watching him tell the cheerleaders what to do and when. In the list of jobs that most likely make you gay, “cheerleader coach” has to be number 1, or at least number 2 behind starring in the movie “The Last Samurai”.
• The crowd was dead tonight. I blame the players on the court. They gave us no reason to cheer.
• James Gist has serious ups. He got hurt when he went up for a full court pass and he must have been 50 inches off the ground. I don’t know if I have ever seen a human being get that high off the ground.
• Gary needs to run some plays for Travis Garrison. He has a good medium range jumper. Run him off some baseline screens to get him open. It will free up the middle for Gilchrist’s drives. I have stressed this all-season and I’m getting tired of saying it. Between Garrison and Jones, the Terps should be getting 25-30 points a game. We are going nowhere unless these guys get involved. Get your head in the game, Gary. You have good players, use them!
• With Fofana now gone, the Terps are dangerously weak down low. We have no natural center aside from the artist formerly known as Mike Mardesich (Will Bowers). A strong breeze can push Ibekwe out of the lane. Garrison is our big banger and that’s it.
• Toyota needs to grow a pair. It’s hard enough for these students to win a car in the halftime shootout by hitting a lay-up, free throw, three pointer and half court shot in 25 seconds. Do you need to throw a fat girl up there? I mean this girl was airballing free throws. How was she going to hit a half court shot? Make it interesting, you corporate wusses.
• The Marylad State Police are mobilized and prepared for directing traffic out of the Comcast Center. I felt like I was in a Presidential motorcade as they blocked off traffic for cars leaving my garage. Why can’t they do anything else right?

A note from last week’s column about Maryland’s lack of famous alumni: A reader pointed out that Larry David, creator of Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm has surpassed Connie Chung as our most famous living alumni. Frankly, I’d be honored to have sit courtside and reenact the Curb episode where he trips Shaq during a game and puts him on the DL with a knee injury. Only instead of Shaq, it would be NCM. Now that is making a contribution to your alma mater.

More on Mike Jones from the Baltimore Sun 12/13

2004-12-14T21:00:00.000-05:00

…….Jones, a former McDonald’s All-American, played less than a minute against George Washington the previous Sunday. Speculation that he is unhappy and could possibly transfer has been prevalent on Terps chat rooms in the past couple of weeks, but Jones disputed it.

“It’s not really frustrating,” he said. “I just have to understand that at critical situations, Coach does what he has to do. His job [is] to do what he has to do to win games. … I don’t pay attention to outside sources. I just listen to what Coach tells me, the team and my family. There is no other option for me. I am with the team.”

Chat Rooms? There are no real Terp chat rooms. I’ve been to the Terrible Terrapin Times site, and I know that no one is talking there. Where could they be getting this from? Is it possible that the Baltimore Sun has started reading Herman Veal Chops?!? I believe I mentioned this possibility at the beginning of the season in my backcourt preview.

I guess it wouldn’t be the first time that a blogger has created a story out of thin air. Please no emails about how there is no chance they read that on the Chops. I know that. Let me have my fantasy.

Mr. Jones and Me

2004-12-14T20:59:00.000-05:00

Some readers have asked about my “obsession” with Mike Jones. and why I complain about his lack of playing time. Since the Terps are on a mini-hiatus “studying” for finals, I figure it is worth an explanation. Essentially, there are four main factors that contribute to my support of the guy.

1. The Precedent: The kid is a McDonald’s All-American and he never gets off the bench. It’s not as if Gary has so many All-American recruits pining away to be Terps. Maryland has always lost these guys to Duke and UNC and I don’t like it when we don’t play the ones we have. By not playing Mike Jones, Gary is sending a terrible message to any future McDonald’s All-Americans thinking of coming to College Park. He’s saying, “If you have some bad habits or don’t play my style of ball then I’m not playing you regardless of whether or not you can help us win”.

2. His Game: It’s not like when he gets in there, he’s lost. Quite the contrary. He has the most consistent jumper on the team, and frankly one of the best I have seen in a Terps uniform. Obviously, no one is better than Juan (especially in the clutch), but Mike Jones had some huge buckets for us in ACC Tournament last year. In fact, he was wide open during the last play against Syracuse in last year’s second round loss. If DJ had only passed the ball to him, well let’s just say would have been playing Alabama for a trip to the school’s third ever Elite Eight (%#@&). I’m not bitter or anything.

How can you not love a guy with a natural shooter’s stroke and the ability to go to the hole? The problem with his game as I see it; is that he is afraid to make a mistake or two. Much of that stems from the fact that if he commits a turnover or takes a “questionable” shot, Gary yanks him from the game. How do you develop a level of comfort when you are gone after one turnover. Which leads me to…..

3. His confidence: Any basketball player who refers to himself as MJ, and is not Michael Jordan, is obviously supremely confident. Gary is slowly eroding that away. There are very few athletes in any sport who thrive on pressure and crunch time. Last year, Mike Jones played his best basketball in those situations. Kids like that don’t grow on trees.

4. Lack of Improvement of the starters: Nik Caner-Medley is overrated, and it must be killing Mike Jones to see this bozo starting over him. Like I mentioned in an earlier column, NCM can only hit a three when he catches the ball on the baseline, in shooting motion, with the wind blowing outside at 5 mph and it’s 73 degrees. Otherwise, he misses. Jones is deadly from anywhere on the court. Chris McCray has a great all around game except for one thing. He is unbelievably inconsistent from three point range.

There is one simple fact about big time college basketball. You cannot win without a two guard who can hit the open three. Period. End of story. That neutralizes opponents. That is why teams like Valpo and Butler win in the NCAA Tournament every year. Look at all the marksman that Duke has had over the years. JJ Redick, Mike Dunleavy (alright he’s a three), Trajan Langdon. The list goes on.

I am suggesting moving McCray to the three spot and let Jones takeover at the two. DJ can back up either position and let NCM transfer and commit charges/travelling violations while simultaneously getting burned on defense somewhere else. Seriously, what is NCM bringing to the table? He gets like 5 rebounds a game, and commits about as many turnovers. He can’t defend to save his life. Someone explain this phenomenon to me.

Observations

2004-12-09T21:12:00.000-05:00

At this point, I think I would rather watch Mischa Barton try to act on The O.C. than watch Maryland play UNC Asheville this weekend. The game is completely useless. A 30-point win will do nothing for all of the problems that were exposed last weekend. Gary and the boyz are in a holding pattern until the FSU game next week at the Comcast Center.

At least the game won’t be held at the Leon County Civic Center. I mean is there a worse name for a college arena than that? It sounds like the 4-H club comes in after the game and sets up for the big County Fair. Can’t they name it after famous alumni Burt Reynolds or something? It could be called the Deliverance Center…"where FSU makes all of their opponents squeal like a pig, weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee". Come to think of it, that is what they should rename whatever the arena is called at the University of Arkansas.

Since I’m getting some things off my chest, why doesn’t Maryland have any famous alumni? How much would our program be helped if we had an Ashley Judd type leading the cheers? I mean, Bob Novak is probably our most famous alumnus at this point and he is most notable for revealing an undercover CIA agent in his Washington Post column. Thanks, Bob we are so proud of you. Who else do we have besides athletes? Connie Chung? That dude who defrauded the NY Times? Am I forgetting someone? There has to be some famous alumni somewhere that I’m missing.

The bigger Terps story this weekend is the Maryland Soccer team. For those who don’t know, they are in College Cup this weekend at the Home Depot Center in Carson, CA. The College Cup is the Final Four of college soccer and this Maryland’s third straight and possibly, last crack at it.

Any self respecting Terps fan located in Southern California (read: Hartz and Waxman!!) should find their way to the game this weekend. Actually, I’m kidding. There is really never a need to ever go to Carson, CA unless you are landing a blimp.

BB&T (Bad, Bad and Terrible)

2004-12-05T19:48:00.000-05:00

Misery at the MCI Center

Sorry for the week long hiatus. I was without an Internet connection for the last week while I moved the Herman Veal Empire to DC. I shall not leave my readers (both of you) wanting again.

After an exhausting week, where I started a new job and moved cities, I decided to celebrate a difficult week with a relaxing doubleheader of basketball at the MCI Center. Relaxing it wasn’t.

Maryland’s dismal performance culminated in what may be the worst sports day I have had since the Jeffrey Maier incident in ’96 American League Divisional Playoffs. Not only did the Terps give up 101 points to George Washington (????), the Ravens ended their season by crapping the bed against the Cinncinnati Bengals (the Bengals!?!). To cap matters, my fantasy team lost a heartbreaker to end my season.

What have I done to deserve this? Whenever fortune frowns on my sports teams, I convince myself that these losses will only make it sweeter when my teams win it all. Unfortunately, my teams do not appear to possess the necessary personnel to make a championship dream possible for the next several years.

Since this is a Terps Basketball column, I won’t bore you with how I feel about the fact that Ravens will have Kyle Boller for the indefinite future, while two rivals (Bengals, Steelers) have QBs that are as young, but much better. It could be an ugly few years as Ray Lewis gets old and the defense declines. Well at least the Ravens gave me a Super Bowl. I really have no right to complain.

The same can be said of the Terps. The National Championship of 2002 is something that I will always cherish. I believe in the five-year rule. Any team that wins it all (in any league) should get a five-year pass from its fans. That does not mean that I should sit by as this team plays with their collective heads up their asses, and attempts to pass it off as team basketball.

The final of the BB&T Classic on Sunday was a manifestation of all that is wrong with this year’s Maryland squad. Here are a couple indisputable facts:
• Gary Williams made two huge recruiting errors by offering scholarships to Hassan Fofana and Will Bowers. Both guys couldn’t be any stiffer if they had rigormortis. As a result, the Terps have no big man to play post defense. Ibekwe is a power forward who gets pushed around down low.
• Gilchrist is a mess. He scored 23 points against GW and he had a horrrrible game. So far Gilchrist has played five terrible games and one good game (Memphis). As I stated in an earlier column, he didn’t play well in Italy this summer, or in preseason, and now it is carrying over to the regular season. This team is going nowhere unless Gilchrist gets his ass in gear.
• You can’t blame Gilchrist for everything, it’s not all his fault. There is no one to pass to. Who on the team can hit an open shot? There is only one guy who gets any playing time that can hit a three-pointer: Nik Caner-Medley. The only problem is that NCM will only hit the three if he gets the ball on the baseline and he catches it in perfect shooting position, and it is 73.4 degrees in the arena, and the sun is shining. Otherwise he misses it. Too bad Maryland doesn’t have any McDonald’s All-Americans riding the pine who happen to have a gorgeous shooting touch. They don’t because Gary would play a guy like that, right? I’m sure Mike Jones is thrilled with his decision to come to Maryland. Every time he sees DJ and McCray clank one, Jones probably wants to stab himself through the ear with a pencil. Who wouldn’t?
• Maryland has no transition defense. It’s really quite embarrassing watching GW consistently break our press for easy buckets. Gary Williams’ teams NEVER play poor transition defense, so I don’t know what is happening here. I know that it needs to improve quickly.
• No one on the team can hit free throws. Period. It has already cost the Terps two games this year.
• Maryland cannot win unless they get Travis Garrison involved in the offense. The best way to do this is to run him off a baseline screen, so he can take that 15-foot shot. It is the key to his offense and it will free up the interior for Gilchrist to drive to the hoop and dish. We need to start running some plays to get Garrison open so he can take it. I can’t stress this enough. When Maryland played well last year, it was because Travis Garrison was involved in the offense.

So where does this leave the Maryland Terrapins? Like last year, this team will have tremendous problems maintaining consistency. This will cause me to throw things at my television all season. I am stocking up on nerf balls because I don’t want to put my shoe through it. The bottom line is that the ACC is way too tough for Maryland to still be working on the same problems from last year. If this season turns out like last year, minus the ACC Championship, Gary is going to have to get off his high horse and actually start visiting recruits. Maybe if Gary had actually gone to see Rudy Gay play in person last year, instead of sending Dave Dickerson, Rudy would be a Terp instead of a UConn Husky.

The time is ticking on Gary’s five-year pass and I’m starting to wonder. Gary Williams got out-coached on Sunday and it’s not the first time that has happened. I know that Juan Dixon was the most special player Gary ever had and he is the reason why that banner hangs from the rafters of the Comcast Center. Now that Gary does not have the right mix of talent on this squad, let’s see if he can mold them into winners. My TV is praying that he does, lest I perform an Elvis on it.

Wow!!

2004-11-27T17:05:00.000-05:00

Note: This column also appears at Turtle Soup on the Most Valuable Network

Maryland 84, Memphis 61

I still can’t believe that score. Memphis is a good team who played terrible last night. Most of that was due to the most impressive defensive performance I have ever seen from a Gary Williams’ team.

Throughout the second half, Memphis found it nearly impossible to get into its half court offense. The guard play for Maryland forced so many turnovers, and when they didn’t, the frontcourt was there to clean the glass.

This is how basketball is supposed to be played. The Terps didn’t hit a three-pointer until Gar-baaage time, but it didn’t matter. Who needs to take threes when you are dunking the ball every time down the court? Maryland was so dominant in this game, that they made Memphis look like Jackson State.

Don’t misunderstand, Memphis is a good team. They played a close game with no. 4 Syracuse last week until the Orangemen pulled away at the end.

I spent the first hour after the game last night trying to remember the last time Maryland beat a Top 25 team so soundly. I’m not sure if the Terps ever have.

If last night’s game is any indication, Maryland is better than advertised. Winning at a neutral site, was something the Terps were not able to do until the ACC tournament last year. (That is, if you count Greensboro, NC as a neutral site).

Let’s take a look at some of the Terps individual performances last night:

John Gilchrist: Simply put, he is the man. This team will go as far as Gilchrist can take them. He almost finished with a triple-double (he needed three more assists). Most importantly, Gilchrist only had one turnover. Look out Chris Paul, Jarrett Jack and Raymond Felton. Grade A+

Nik Caner-Medley: I’ve always been critical on NCM over the last two seasons. I thought he played the best game of his career last night. He displayed tenacity on both ends which something I have rarely seen in his career. He also displayed keen shot selection and he crashed the boards too. Grade: A

Travis Garrison: He sort of disappeared last night. If Travis doesn’t hit an early 15 footer, it seems like it is difficult for him to get going. I’m not too concerned however. He has a great jumper, and he will get his chance to use it. Grade: C

Ekene Ibekwe: His defensive effort was an A+. He dominated the interior with his shot blocking and rebounding. His offensive effort was an F-. He looked lost and he couldn’t hit a two-footer. Fortunately, with the offensive players around him, he won’t need to score much. Grade: C

Chris McCray: Except for his three-point shot, McCray is hitting on all cylinders. He ran the floor exceptionally well, made some beautiful passes that led to easy buckets, and he is automatic from the charity stripe. Grade: B

The Bench: I think the Terps might have the best bench in the nation. James Gist, DJ Strawberry, and Mike Jones would probably start on just about any other team in the country. DJ is so good defensively that I think that Gilchrist looks at games as a break from having to go against DJ in practice. Jones is simply the best three-point shooter on the team and Gist jumps higher than anyone in Terp uniform this side of Exree Hipp. Grade: A+

Maryland has its first road test next week in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. Wisconsin is one of those teams that lulls you to sleep with its methodical offense and plays zone defense. The Badgers like final scores in the 60’s. If Maryland is able to take Wisconsin out of their game and emerge from Madison unscathed, then Terps fans should be in store for a wonderful season.

Maryland 93, Mercer 67

2004-11-25T11:23:00.000-05:00

Maryland won by 27 points last night and they stunk. They were terrible. Keep in mind that the score in these early season cupcake games are meaningless. Teams like Maryland will beat teams like Mercer. In most cases, the Mercer’s of the world can hang on for about 10 minutes. After that, the top teams usually take over thanks to huge advantages in size and bench depth.

Given these facts, it is instructive to look at some other statistics besides the final score to determine how well Maryland played last night. Let’s take a look at some:

Turnovers: 22

With 17 assists last night, Maryland had an assist/turnover ratio under 1. Translation: they played careless. To make matters worse, in two combined games, the Terps have 43 turnovers! That is absolutely unacceptable for a team of Maryland’s caliber playing against the likes of Jackson State and Mercer. Gilchrist had five turnovers himself. He needs to play better against Memphis if Maryland is going to win.

Big Man Play:

Ekene Ibekwe: 1-9 FG, 2-6 FT! We played Mercer! These numbers are atrocious against anyone, let alone Mercer. Will Bowers came in and looked completely lost. I am giving up hope on him ever becoming a player. He is a poor man’s Mike Mardesich. Now that is saying something.

Defense:

Mercer shot 43% from 3PT range (9-21). The perimeter defense is terrible. At times, Maryland looked as if they have never played defense together. Mercer consistently found open shots and the guards will able to get penetration into the paint. This needs to improve as the schedule gets tougher.

Some Positives:

James Gist played well, but I haven’t seen anything but dunks from the guy. Hopefully, he has a medium range game of some kind.

Maryland plays Memphis on Friday at a neutral site. The Terps are experienced enough to beat this team, but if they don’t improve turnovers, big man play, and the defensive intensity, they will lose badly.

I have faith. Gary will get the team ready to play. Go Terps.

Herman Veal Chops is now on the MVN

2004-11-22T19:40:00.000-05:00

To my loyal readers (all 2 of you),

I will be writing a regular blog on the Most Valuable Network. I will have two columns:

Turtle Soup
Les Bullez

Yes, that's right, I am writing a Wizards column too. It's not that big of a leap, I mean they are the Terps of the NBA (see: Dixon and Blake). Please check out the site. It's cool and I am excited to have the gig.

Memo to the mainstream media

2004-11-20T11:09:00.000-05:00

Stop treating the North Carolina Tarheels like they are anything but a mediocre college basketball team. The over-hyped Tarheels gagged against the Steve Nash-less Santa Clara Broncs last night.

Carolina's slip into mediocrity is one of the greatest thing to happen to any Maryland fan. It mystifies me that the media still adorns them as a top 10 team every preseason. When I saw the Tarheels ranked no.4 in the polls last week, I laughed. This team is led by Rashad McCants. This is a team that lost eight ACC games last year. It doesn't matter that they are returning so many players because so is the rest of the ACC. It's not like they exhibited improvement throughout the 2003-04 season like Maryland; they got worse.

Housekeeping and Tonight's Tipoff

2004-11-19T15:37:00.000-05:00

Loyal adherents to Herman Veal Chops:

Sorry for the long lag between postings but I have been busy building the Herman Veal Chops Empire.

Now you will have two sources for my musings. I will be writing two weekly postings on the Most Valuable Network. Check out their some of their post season baseball awards here.

I be covering the plucky Washington Wizards on a blog called "Les Bullez" and the Terps on a blog called "Turtle Soup". As soon as the sites are up, I will link to them here. OK now onto my post. The season gets underway tonight, so hear are some things to look for:

The Terps tip off the 2004-05 season on tonight (Friday is a terrible day to open the season)against Jackson State and its senior-laden squad. The experience of the Jackson State squad will not matter. There is a reason why Gary Williams scheduled Jackson State for the first game of the season. Look for Maryland to run away from Jackson State in the second half. I keep writing "Jackson State" because I couldn't even find their school nickname on ESPN. Some program.

Since the game won’t be competitive, the contest will offer an opportunity to see if the Terrapins have improved on some of their “trouble spots” from last season. In descending order, here are the top 5 things to look for:

5. Free Throw Shooting
Last season, free throw shooting cost the Terps at least three games, maybe more. Aside from McCray, Jones, and Gilchrist; it was a crapshoot every time a Terp toed the line last season. Given their increased roles, DJ Strawberry and Ekene Ibekewe will need to be consistent from the line. These two need to get off to a good start and it begins with Jackson State.
4. Which Gilchrist will we see?
All indications have been that Gilchrist stunk it up in Italy over the summer and he has struggled during the preseason as well. I do not think it is time to push any panic buttons as of yet, but Gilchrist is the straw that stirs the team. Success this season rests in Gilchrist’s hands and his continued progression has been taken as a given by almost all Maryland fans. If he regresses and pulls a Terence Morris on us…..well if I think about it, I may throw up. Let’s hope that he starts off the season the way he is capable of playing. This team is going absolutely nowhere without him.
3. What happens when Gilchrist is out?
Sterling Ledbetter will not play against Jackson State. However, Ledbetter was recruited to backup John Gilchrist, and thereby filling a huge hole in last year’s squad. The Terps sputtered with DJ guiding the offense last year. When Gilchrist got in foul trouble or fouled out, you could fugedaboutit. With a squad this deep, Ledbetter will not be in there to score points, he will be in there to run the offense. Look for Ledbetter’s ability to get Maryland into its set offense quickly and his ability to run the transition. If he is able to those two things effectively, then Maryland will not be as susceptible to those scoring droughts that led to big runs that opposing teams had last year
2. Gary’s rotation
This is perhaps the most interesting subplot of the season. Gary has five guys who could start in the backcourt of just about any team in America. Where will Gary find minutes for the most talented and electrifying Terrapin since Steve Francis, Mike Jones? With Gilchrist and McCray penciled in to start and Ledbetter ensconced at backup PG how will Gary divide the minutes between DJ Strawberry and Mike Jones? Strawberry defensive tenacity has made him one of Gary’s favorite players. Will Jones get left out? If so, will he transfer? If Gary is unable to find minutes for Jones, it would be one of the most shocking developments in Terp history. Never has a player with his ability rode the bench at Maryland. My prediction? Look for Nik Caner-Medley to see diminished minutes in crunch time this year. Jones is the team’s best shooter, and I expect Gary to play a three guard set at the end of games this season.
1. Consistency
Which Terps team will we see this season? Will it be the team that stormed through the ACC Tournament in historic fashion, or will it be the team that stunk up February? Anyone who follows college basketball knows how loaded the ACC is this year. Maryland cannot afford any letdowns this season. A couple bad games and the Terps could be out of the upper-division. Whichever ACC squad can maintain consistency is going to wind up with the No. 1 seed in the East. If Maryland plays to its potential, they have as good a chance as any of the “sexy” picks like Tech, UNC, and Wake to walk away with a title.

It all begins on tonight. Let’s hope the Terps get off on the right foot.

Terps Ranked #16 in the Preseason ESPN/USA Today Poll

2004-10-29T18:19:00.000-05:00

ESPN.com - NCB - College Basketball Rankings

These rankings are meaningless, but it's good to know where we stand.

Why the NBA really sucks

2004-10-25T17:32:00.000-05:00

Comparing college basketball to the NBA has been done to death. Steven A. Smith aside, most people universally agree that the College ball is far superior to the NBA. Sure the NBA players are more skilled than college players, but that is exactly the point. College basketball is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you are going to get.

Unfortunately, with the NBA you know exactly what you will get. Let’s take a look at the three major professional sports (Hockey doesn’t count anymore). Since 1980, Major League baseball has had 16 different World Series Champions and if Boston wins this year, 17. The NFL has had 13 different Super Bowl Champions during the same period. As we all have heard, parity is the key to a successful professional sport. Fans need to feel that every season their team has a chance at the beginning of the season. Even with all of the dynasties in both the NFL (San Fran, Dallas, and Joe Gibbs’ Redskins), and MLB (Yankees, nearly half of the teams have won a championship. That’s pretty encouraging for fans, right? Alright, so what’s my point?

Since 1980, the NBA has had only seven different champions. I couldn’t believe that stat when I saw it. Besides the 76ers in 1983, the other six teams have won multiple championships during this period. That means that nearly 80% of the franchises in the league haven’t won in 25 years. Now I’m a Bullets/Wizards fan, and we all know what a pathetic franchise that it has been. I don’t remember the title in 1978, but the Wizards have had more recent success than 21 other NBA teams! Here’s my point, this is the most top heavy and predictable league in all of professional sports. The same teams are in it every year, and the rest of the franchises are hopelessly mismanaged and out of luck. In DC, we complain about Abe Pollin and Wes Unseld, but how do you think people in Golden State feel? Milwaukee? Atlanta?

Of all the professional sports, the NBA should have the most parity. With only five players on the court at one time, teams should be able to turn around quickly through draft picks. But it doesn’t happen. Why? Can it be that these other 23 teams have horrendous management? Is it that the rules tend to allow coaches to isolate superstars, while other players stand and watch? Is it that NBA superstars only want to play in certain cities for certain coaches? Perhaps the most significant factor is that with 82 games, there is no such thing as a big regular season game. In college ball, every game means something. I think the NBA sucks due to a combination of all these factors.

I don’t what the NBA can do to fix itself, but I would start by shortening the season to 50 games. As it stands, 30 games into the season, 10 teams are already out of it and the fans, players, and media know it. Secondly, I would be looking to eliminate some teams or at the very least, relocate them. Why are the Clippers in Los Angeles? Why does Golden State play in Oakland and not in San Jose or San Fran? Why does Memphis have a team? New Orleans? Teams should be located in urban centers. I think moving the Nets to Brooklyn will eventually be copied by other franchises. Either way, and for all of its faults, I’m so glad that there is College Basketball.

The Year of the Bridesmaid

2004-10-21T13:28:00.000-05:00

Bridesmaids no longer. Their year has arrived.

In the wake of Boston's miraculous comeback victory against the Yankees last night, I think it's time to point out a trend in sports that has been brewing all year long. Teams that have historically been bridesmaids/also rans have been defeating their historic arch-rivals. The examples are growing.

Let's begin with my beloved Terps. This past March, the Terps performed a feat similar to the Red Sox recent performance. In a span of three days, the Terps beat Wake, NC State, and arch-nemesis Duke on the way to the ACC Championship. In the Duke game, Maryland came back from an 11 point deficit in the final three minutes. Sounds similar to coming back from being down three games to zero to me. I do not have to tell you that the Blue Devils have by and large been getting the best of the Terps for last 10+ years. The Terps were bridesmaids no longer.

Let's stay with Basketball. In the NBA, the Lakers had been running roughshod over the rest of the NBA since 2000. The Lakers were everyone else's collective "daddy". Cue the Pistons. A collection of former Bullets/Wizards that many pundits expected to get swept by the exceedingly more-talented Lakers. As we all know, it was the Pistons that swept thus erasing the Lakers status as the Yankees of the NBA.

So what are the implications for the rest of the year? With the NFL in full swing, I think we should start to look for any potential de-throneings on the horizon. It's clear that the rest of the NFL has been having their way with New York Jets since 1969. Not only that, but one of the J-E-T-S' biggest rivals, the New England (read: Boston) Patriots, have experienced an unprecedented level of success. I think I see some similarities. New York v. Boston; Have v. Have Not; Historic Loser rises to defeat historic more successful rival? It may not happen next week (The Jets go to Foxboro on Sunday), but I am predicting a Jets victory in the AFC Championship Game. The Year of the Bridesmaid will continue.

The Shaming of Reggie Love

2004-10-20T10:08:00.000-05:00

Duke's newly reinstated basketball player got kicked off the team last year in part due to these photos circulating around the Net. Yes, that is a frat boy teabagging Reggie Love. He also received a DUI last November. He's a credit to the program.

Now I thought Coach K and Duke only had players of the highest caliber. Dickie V always gushes about how they run their program the right way and everyone should admire them. I guess Coach Krybaby throws that out the window when his team lacks the talent to compete in the conference this year.

And playing for the pink team...

2004-10-19T18:02:00.000-05:00

Some of our operatives lost their lives in obtaining this photo

What kind of coach allows/encourages this to happen? Was Coach Roy (or maybe it was Seigfried)trying to make his players a laughingstock? There are so many things I can say here...I will leave it up to my readers to come with a more appropriate photo caption, Maxim style.

Couple more observations:
1. This photo needs to be blown up and published in the Diamondback and put on every kiosk on campus. Any volunteers?
2. This should not be forgotten when the Tarheels travel to the Comcast Center.

And how about this gem from Rashad McCants in an article for Sports Illustrated online:
Rashad McCants, the enigmatic guard who led North Carolina in scoring last season, compared playing for the Tar Heels to being in prison.

In an interview with WRAL-TV that aired Friday night, he also said being a part of the team was like a 9-to-5 job.

"You're not allowed to do certain things," he said. "You're not allowed to say certain things, but once you get out of jail, you're free. [I'm] in my sentence and I'm doing my time."

I wonder if Dickie V is ready to revise his preseason rankings?

2004-05 ACC Conference Preview

2004-10-18T20:42:00.000-05:00

Who's gonna win the ACC this year?
Your guess is as good as mine John

Every columnist this time of year tries to predict how all the teams will finish. One thing is for sure, the conference is ridiculously tough. The incomparable Dickie V. has seven ACC schools in the Top 30.

The job is difficult, and no one ever gets it right, but I am going to throw my hat into an already overcrowded ring. My season predictions have a slight twist though. I have broken the ACC into three divisions. Each division is named after a former Terp small forward. The reason is that Maryland small forwards over the years seem to have been cut from the same cloth. Exree Hipp begat Laron Profit who begat Terence Morris. Each version is slightly better than the previous incarnation, but still with many faults (much like my predictions). So without further adieu:

Exree Hipp Division

11. Virginia Tech (Prediction: 3-13)
Frankly, it’s an embarrassment that this team is in the ACC. I’m filing it under things that never happened. I think if we all close our eyes and think really hard, we can convince ourselves that they are not in the ACC. This year Maryland has two games against this “team”. Hopefully, with the rotating schedule, the Terps will only be playing them once a year. Just think of it as a non-conference game. Trust me it will make you feel better. I am not even going to break down their roster because frankly, I don’t know any of them and they are all pretty bad.

10. University of Miami (Prediction 3-13)
Miami was 4-12 in the Big East last year. Now the Big East is a quality conference, so that record doesn’t mean they are garbage, but if it wasn’t for the Hokies, they might not win a game this year. I’m giving them three wins just because some teams may spend too much time clubbing in Miami Beach before a game and not show up. Here’s an interesting fact: Miami doesn’t have one player on their team from the state of Florida. I know they all play football down there, but come on. How on Earth can you build a program when you can’t even recruit in your own state? This season will be ugly.

9. Clemson (Prediction 4-12)
The 8-9 play-in game in the ACC Tournament has officially been renamed the Larry Schyatt Memorial game. This is one sorry program. They haven’t had a good team since Elden Campbell and Dale Davis suited up for the Tigers. Well, the hits just keep on coming. Clemson will suit up six freshman this year. Does anyone remember when Gary started all of those freshman in ‘92-93? We finished 2-14 that year. Have fun Tiger fans, you really have a program to be proud of.

Laron Profit Division

8. Virginia (Prediction 6-10)
Virginia returns their top two scorers from last year’s squad, Elton Brown and Devin Smith. I guess this means they should be improved from last year. I wouldn’t bet on it. They are probably a pretty good team, but this league is just too tough and the Cavaliers just don’t have enough horses. Cavaliers. No horses. Get it? Hey people, I’m working over here.
7. Florida State (Prediction 7-9)
Tim Pickett is gone. That guy was a beast. I didn’t watch the NBA draft, but I assume he went somewhere. Anyone know? Let’s break it down:
Backcourt: Von Wafer showed some flashes last year. He is the team leader. Florida State has three freshman coming in and they are all under 6’3”.
Frontcourt: Alexander Johnson is big and long and can block some shots, and he will make teams work down low to get open. His offensive is limited.
Intangibles: This team has no history of winning in this conference (save for the Sam Cassell years). This year will be no different. The team just did not improve enough in the offseason. Without Pickett, I can’t see them finishing .500 in this conference.
6. NC State (Prediction 9-7)
Frontcourt: The Wolfpack will really miss Marcus Melvin. He was the team’s most reliable three point threat and he could draw away the opposing team’s best interior defender away from the post, so Julius Hodge could go to the rack. They will not be able to replace Melvin’s shooting. Hodge can’t hit the three and it could become their Achilles heal.
Backcourt: Scooter Sherrill ran this team last year and they sputtered when he was out. They will really miss him especially since the upper-division is loaded with point guards. Hodge is the best player returning to the conference, and I think he will keep the Pack competitive.
Intangibles: This team just has away of falling apart in a horrible way during close games. They are like the Terps from the mid 90’s. They have talent, but they just don’t know how to win the big games. I’m also not convinced that Sendek is a good coach.

Terence Morris Division- The upper division of the ACC is ridiculously tough. Any of these teams (except Duke) could win the National Championship. Other than Duke finishing fifth, I have ranked these teams in no particular order. Frankly, I’m just guessing.

5. Duke (Prediction 10-6)
Backcourt: J.J. Redick is the best shooter in the NCAA. He probably would have led the USA Basketball team to the gold medal if he had been on the team. He is an absolute force and I hate him. Daniel Ewing is a natural shooting guard who plays small forward because of Redick. Now, lets take a look at the point guard position. Going into last season, Coach KryBaby had Shaun Livingston penciled in to replace Chris Duhon. Since Livingston left for the NBA, Coach K is forced to turn to Sean Dockery to lead the team. The two newcomers are both under 6’6”, (DaMarcus Nelson and David McClure) but neither can play the point. If you look at the rest of this conference, Duke will have some serious deficiencies at PG. I don’t think you can win in this conference without that. That being said, they are the Blue Devils and unfortunately, you can’t rule out Coach KryBaby.
Frontcourt: Shelden Williams can block some shots, but I think he has limited offensive skills. Shavlik Randolph isn’t scaring anyone. The Blue Devils will really miss Luol Deng.
Intangibles: If this team were any other team in the conference, people would not be picking them to finish in the upper half of the division. They have no bench at all, unless these freshman turn out to be good, but you can’t bet against KryBaby. He will have them ready. The only difference is that this year, they won’t have the best talent on the floor in nearly half their conference games.

4. North Carolina (Prediction 11-5)
Frontcourt: May is a question mark until he can prove that he can remain healthy for an entire season. If he can remain healthy, then watch out. He is a load down low and it will be a challenge for teams to keep him off the boards. Jawad Williams and Jackie Manuel are both overrated. Manuel in particular may be the worst starter in the ACC. What does he bring to the table other than an occasional steal? The big addition is Marvin Williams, the 6-9 forward was predicted to be a first rounder in the NBA draft, but he went to Chapel Hill instead. On a team as crowded as this, I wonder if he will regret that decision.
Backcourt: In a guard heavy conference, the Tarheels have two of the best, but I’m not convinced that these guys have the heart to take it to the next level. I think Felton often got outplayed in conference games last year, and McCants makes Vince Carter look tough. Bump this guy once when he is driving to the basket and he settles for threes the rest of the way.
Intangibles: OK, here’s my thing with Roy Williams. Name me one occasion in all of his years at Kansas when he did not have the most talent or second most talent in the Big 12? Don’t get me wrong; the Tarheels have tons of talent. It’s just that there are five other schools in the ACC with as much talent as Carolina. This means that the Tarheels will have to rely on the coaching of Roy Williams. I can’t recall Coach Roy ever out-coaching his opponent. I think last year confirmed that without talent head and shoulders above the competition, he is an average coach. If Williams can’t provide necessary leadership, than they are in deep trouble because it certainly won’t come from any of the players. Let’s talk about team leaders. Carolina must rely on the leadership of….Rashad McCants? The guy has tons of talent, but I just don’t see him setting an example for the rest of the team. I wouldn’t switch him for Gilchrist, that’s for sure.

3. Maryland (Prediction 11-5) Gary did a great job with the schedule this year. Just when the ACC becomes the toughest it’s been in 10 years, Gary has his easiest non-conference schedule in a decade. Could be luck, but when in doubt, I’m siding with the old Coach. If you want my full Terrapin preview, Check out my previous two postings below.

2. Georgia Tech (Prediction 12-4)
Backcourt: Jarret Jack and BJ Elder are as good as any tandem in the country. Will Bynum is a solid backup PG.
Frontcourt: Tech lost two starters off of last year’s squad to graduation: Marvin Lewis and Clarence Moore. Those forwards will be replaced by the electrifying Isma’il Muhammad and most likely freshman Ra’Sean Dickey. Luke Schenscher has the potential to be dominant at times. I know that sounds crazy but the guy is tough to match up against.
Intangibles: Tech made it to the Final Four last year and with most of the nucleus returning, it’s hard to pick against them this year. Schenscher, Elder, and Jack are special players. I don’t really have much else to say about the Yellowjackets, they are just good and Paul Hewitt can coach.

1. Wake Forest (Prediction 12-4)
Backcourt: The Demon Deacons didn’t lose anyone last year. Chris Paul might be the best point guard in the country. Justin Gray is a sharpshooter. The guards are a little undersized but a seasoned group. These two will not get outplayed all season.
Frontcourt: Jamal Levy can block shots and score in the paint, but he is thin. Guys like Sean May at UNC should be able to push him around a little. Vytas Danelius might be Darius Songalia, except that he whines like a little bitch. I think they are the same person otherwise. Seriously.
Intangibles: Wake Forest did not lose one significant player from last year’s team. This is the best Wake Forest team since Tim Duncan and Randolph Childress won the ACC Tournament. They could make it to the Final Four this year, but then again, so could four other teams in this conference. If Maryland can’t win it all this year, I’d rather it be the Deacs or Tech than Duke or Carolina.

Final Analysis
It is not out of the question that the ACC will send four teams to the Final Four. I know that sounds ridiculous, but it is plausible. Kentucky, Kansas, Connecticut, and Michigan State will challenge for National Championship as well. Besides that the ACC will rule the roost.

Terps Season Preview Part II

2004-10-07T12:00:00.000-05:00

Before I begin my back court preview, I think it is important to note that the Turtles have perhaps the most athletic backcourt in their history. I know that is saying something. The Terps have had some great backcourt players over the years, but this year’s squad should be Gary’s best. The four-headed monster of Gilchrist-Strawberry-Jones-McCray will present some serious match up problems all over the league.

BACKCOURT

John Gilchrist: Besides Juan Dixon, I cannot recall a Maryland guard that completely took over games like Gilchrist did last year. As Bill Simmons like to say, Gilchrist made “the leap” during last year’s ACC Tournament. His performance was something that Terp fans have never witnessed before. He single-handedly led the team back against NC State and Duke and made himself a front-runner for ACC Player of the Year this season. However questions remain about his consistency. Can Gilchrist sustain that level of performance for the whole season? If the Gilchrist from the ACC Tournament shows up this season, we are going to the Final Four. End of story.

Chris McCray: The key for McCray this year will be to develop consistency with his jump shot(there's the "C" word again). He might be the team’s best defender. He showed flashes last year of being able to hit the big shot, but then there were stretches (4 or 5 games) where he couldn’t hit a three if his life depended on it. Which McCray will we see this year? If he doesn’t step up his game and demonstrate a consistent jump shot, there are people who will be ready to step in.

Mike Jones: Terps fans could not get enough of Mike Jones last year. Every time he came out onto to floor, Terps fans went nuts. We all drank the Kool-Aid on this guy. He represents the most consistent and reliable shooter the Terps have. Gary was careful in the way he employed the athletic sharpshooter last year. It was clear that Jones had difficulty adjusting to college early on and didn’t play enough defense to get on Gary’s good side. Jones has the athletic ability to be a great defender and I think he will demonstrate that this year. He can create his own shot and has no problem going to the hole. Jones seems poised to have a break out year and I think that he will be a difference maker out there for the Terps. Look for Jones to challenge Chris McCray all season long for the starting position. Gary is loyal to his veterans and McCray is clearly the starter at the 2 spot. My view is that Jones is just too talented for Gary to keep off the court. The challenge will be for Gary to find minutes for all of these talented players. My advice would be to go with the hot hand and whoever displays the ability to consistently hit the three and score form the charity stripe.

By the way, is anyone else still smarting from the last play of the Syracuse game in the NCAA tournament last year? I can still see Mike Jones standing wide open at or near the top of the key as Straw launches that horrendous baseline shot. Pass the ball, DJ, Pass the ball!! (I am going to have convulsions if I don’t stop).

DJ Strawberry: Does anyone try harder out there than this guy? Gary loves his tenacity and it’s clear that he will be matched up against the opponents top backcourt scorer. He provided a spark off the bench and he’s good for at least one momentum swinging play per game. That being said, he has no outside shot and he can’t score from the free throw line. How do you play shooting guard in the ACC with no outside shot? I look for Gary to move DJ between the 2 and 3 positions. With Jones and McCray firmly entrenched at the 2 spot, and Ledbetter penciled in as Gilchrist’s backup. Where will DJ find minutes? I think he is too small to play small forward in the ACC, but I’m guessing that Gary will use a small lineup during periods of games this year.

Sterling Ledbetter: Before this guy even puts on a uniform, he already is in the starting lineup of the Terps all-time name team, or as I like to call it: The Herman Veal Group. The Herman Veal team looks like this:

1. Herman Veal (chairman and founder)
2. Sterling Ledbetter
3. Jerrod Mustaf
4. Xree Hipp
5. Teyon McCoy

Note: African names like Obinna Ekezie don't count since that is probably a normal name in Nigeria.

The bottom-line is that I don’t know much about this guy, but I do know that the Terps were a disaster when Gilchrist was out of the game last year. If Ledbetter is a natural point guard (which is what I’ve heard) and can take care of the rock and distribute it, then we will be a better team; especially if Gilchrist gets into foul trouble. Ledbetter doesn’t even need to shoot the ball.

Final Analysis

Being a coach is tough. Sometimes you don’t have enough good players and sometimes you have too many. The Terps will have to find minutes for five players that play only two positions. Gilchrist, McCray, Jones, Straw, and Ledbetter will be fighting for minutes all year. I don’t see how Gary can keep all of these guys happy throughout the season. I would not be surprised if one of these guys looks to transfer if he doesn’t see his minutes increase. Given that Gary loves Straw, is loyal to veterans (McCray), and desperately needs a backup point guard (Ledbetter); I am afraid that Jones may be the odd man out. He is the most gifted of all of these players, yet somehow he could be left out. Personally, I don’t think this team is going anywhere without Jones in the lineup, but he could be in for a roller coaster ride this year. I just hope he hangs on and doesn’t jump ship and pull an Andre Collins on us.

It’s hard to handicap the season in college ball. You never know how new players will blend in to existing units and change the chemistry. That being said, the Terps should have a good year. The non-conference schedule is not as tough as in year’s past. The tough games are a neutral site contest against Memphis and a road game at Wisconsin. Wisconsin will not be as strong because their best player from last season is now in the NBA. Look for the Terps to prevail in their non-conference games this year.

The ACC is always tough and you can never count on road wins. Look for losses at NC State, at Wake, at Duke, at Carolina and at GaTech. I think that a 22-5 regular season record is attainable and with the ACC Tournament at the MCI Center this year, does anyone smell back-to-back ACC Titles?

Look for my next posting in couple of days. I will be discussing the other schools in the ACC including the new additions, Miami and Va Tech.

Terps Season Preview Part I

2004-10-05T10:48:00.000-05:00

Welcome to my new blog covering the Terps Basketball Team. I am hoping to post after each game during the ACC Season. At this blog you can expect irreverant commentary and as much in-depth analysis that a six-foot, slow white guy who never played organized basketball can provide. Your comments are welcome and I hope that this becomes a destination site for Terp fans.

As Midnight Madness approaches, it's time to take a look at the 2004-05 Terrapin Men's Basketball Team. This year could be one of the most difficult seasons in recent memory to handicap. Will we see the team that had the miracle run in last year's ACC Tourney, or will we see the team that limped through February?

There are some big changes in the ACC this season. The league has added two perrennial doormats (VaTech and Miami) that will boost every team's record. How will this effect the conference's power rankings? Only time will tell.

Four Teams have found themselves ranked in the Top 10 to begin the season. It is clear that there are haves and have nots in the ACC this year and most likely for the forseeable future. Here are some thing to look for this year:

1. Home and home with UNC and Duke this year. This will be the last time we will see both of them at home in the same season for a while, so enjoy it!
2. Five guaranteed wins against Miami, VaTech, and Clemson. Can these teams ever compete in this league? These schools are strictly in this conference for football. By the way, who could have predicted this five years ago, but Maryland may prove to be the only school that is consistently competitive in both basketball and football. Thank God for the Fridge. If not for him, we would be subject to a Mark Duffner clone trying to reinstall the Run and Shoot.
3. The school will continue to shove women's basketball down our throats. News Flash: We are not Connecticut. We have other sports options in the Balt/DC area! I don't care that the women's team is ranked in the Top 15.

Now on to my season preview:

FRONT COURT

The team will actually miss Jamar Smith. For everything he did NOT bring to the table last year; including atrocious foul shooting and leading the NCAA in mental mistakes (He was the dumbest player to suit up since Mario Lucas). Replacing him at the pivot is the team's biggest obstacle this year. I am deeply concerned about where the Terps will go for inside scoring. Gilchrist will need to have a guy to dish off to when he drives to the hole. Look at the Terps' inside options going into this season:

Hassan Fofana: He should be able to pick up the slack in the rebounding department, but does anyone see this guy making moves in the post? Fofana or as I like to call him, Manos de Piedra (hands of of stone) has some serious defiencies. He can't shoot free throws and everytime he touches the ball, there is a 50/50 chance he will travel.
Will Bowers: He had a 'deer in the headlights' look all last season. I don't see him becoming a reliable inside threat until his senior year, if ever.
James Gist: The freshman is frail at 215 pounds and I don't think the Terps will be cutting down the nets if he is our best option down low.
Travis Garrison: I like him, but the guy is soft. He displayed some toughness at the end of the year, but his game is drawing interior defenders out of the paint and using his jump shot to shoot over the zone. He is crucial to the team's success this year, but he is not going to be reliable in the paint.
Nik Caner-Medley: If I see him lower his head and drive to the basket and commit a charging foul one more time....
Ekene Ibekwe: He is our best option. He has the length and athleticism to create his own shot down low. I haven't seen him since last season, but hopefully he added 15 pounds or so. We need him at 235, not 220. His development will be the key to entire season! Whether or not the Terps go to the Final Four will depend on this lanky sophomore. Please read that sentence again. By the way, am I the only one who thinks of Donald Igwebwekwe, the old Tampa Bay Bucs kicker, every time I here Ekene's name? We need to give him a nickname. Any suggestions? The Terps have enough bad memories with former Coke dealers that I don't need another reminder.

My gut tells me that Ekene will emerge as the man this year. That being said, his free throw shooting will probably cost us at least two games this year.

Look for PART 2 in the next couple of days, which will include my backcourt preview and season predictions.