SB Nation - Braxton Dupree

Maryland Minute 12.09.09 - Post Season Accolades

Ben Goldstein — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 01:33:11 -0000

Alex Wujciak is the team's lone representative. Can't really argue with that.

Coleman named to All-Star game - MdVarsity.com

If Maryland can land Brandon Coleman they'll have at least one player in the Under Armor All-Star game. - Ben B.

Not too shabby for a team that finished last season with a losing record. Also, sophomore forward Jasmyne Spencer earned first team All-Southeast Region honors while sophomore defender Mallory Baker cracked the third team.

Mosley has made noticeable progress - The Diamondback

This guy's quickly becoming my favorite Terp.

Season wrap-up: Maryland - Dinich

We know it all already (we lived it, after all), but it's whatever. Torrey's the offensive MVP, and Wujciak the defensive MVP. No sign of Nick Ferrara. - Ben B.

Recruiting Report: Season recap: Matt Robinson
Sounds good.

His intangibles are what is going to make him, I think, good in college. His size is solid, his speed is good, his strength is good and it will continue to get better. But the intangibles that Matt brings are what helped us."

I've slowly become a Robinson fan. His senior season has been great and he's grown on me. For what it's worth, the early guess on him as playing at safety. - Ben B.

Towson Hopes to "Pack the House" vs. Lady Terps Tomorrow Night

Its the 15th time these two teams will meet, with the Terps leading the series 10-4. It'd be nice if the guys team could do something like this too. Who wouldn't love to see a Jordan Williams vs. Braxton Dupree matchup?

Braxton Dupree Transferring

Dave Tucker — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 17:24:16 -0000

WNST in Baltimore is reporting that Braxton Dupree has been granted his release from the University and is now free to transfer. This probably shouldn't be that big of a surprise to anyone as Dupree never seemed to gain confidence in his limited playing time this year and last, and the college game, especially in the ACC, seem to be too fast for Braxton. I think Braxton has a lot of potential and could possibly do well at a mid-major school (like Loyola of MD), but he has to want to get better and I think that has been a problem he's had since his freshman year. I think he's had streatches where he's improved, but he didn't maintain those improvements and never really gained confidence during his two years here.

Plus, with the incoming class of Jordan Williams and James Padgett, Dupree probably realized he would be playing behind both of those players going into his junior year and knew his playing time was going to decrease, rather than increase. Dino getting better in the low post (even though that isn't his primary position) and stealing some of Braxton's minutes probably made the decision easier as well.

WNST also reported that Jerome Burney might also be transfering and or giving up basketball all together, due to his reoccurring problems with his foot. Burney credit wise is at lease a junior, after being redshirted his freshman year. I've heard he might be able to graduate after the upcoming fall semester, but that wasn't reported today on WNST.

I feel really bad for Burney, becasue when he was able to play, he played hard and pretty well. I think he could have been a starter this year if he didn't have this reoccurring foot problem.

I also feel bad for Brax, because I think he could be a good center, but he still needs to be refined. From what I heard, his situation was similar to the "you can lead a horse to water but can't force them to drink" metaphore.

If Burney does indeed leave or transfer, that would open up two scholarships (assuming Vaz stays, which I think he will. I think someone reported that he "stopped going to classes" in a comment on a previous post, which according to people I know who have classes with him, isn't true) so Maryland could land both Stephenson and Painter and that explains why we're going hard after both when previously we didn't know there were two possible scholarships available.

Stay tuned for more on this tomorrow/later tonight...

Basketball Scholarship Situation

Ben Broman — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 20:01:49 -0000

I'm sure a few people are wondering how Maryland is recruiting Lance Stephenson (and Terrell Vinson, and some JUCOs) if there are no scholarships left (I addressed this a long time ago, but some of the newer readers haven't seen it). In case you don't know, here's the situation: Maryland currently has 13 players on scholarship. When Gilchrist transferred out, there were 12. The extra was given to Pearman for one year, with the understanding he'd give it up after this year. Pearman gives up his scholly to Williams, Neal gives up his to Padgett (or Pearman to Williams, Neal to Padgett). Here's a handy graphic, plus a few years:

Yes, Maryland appears to be out of scholarships for the 2009 season. Don't worry: it's a near guarantee that someone will transfer out, or in some other way vacate a scholarship. It seems that the coaches aren't just pursuing Stephenson - they've been on Vinson (though lightly) and some JUCOs, just in case Stephenson doesn't turn out. Generally, players will let coaches know very early in the process so they can grab a replacement. If they're still recruiting, that's a damn good indicator that someone is transferring.

The candidates:

Cliff Tucker: Cliff was stuck on the end of the bench earlier in the year, even getting shut out some games. A lot of people assumed he'd transfer for PT, and a lot of rumors were swirling on the same subject, but he started to get more burn in ACC games. After a great game against UNC, it seemed he'd stay. But before long, he ended up on the end of the bench again. If those few games were promising enough for him, he'll stay. If not, and it might not, I wouldn't be surprised to see him transfer.

Braxton Dupree: Probably the choice of most Terp fans (it's mine). Odds are, he won't get much PT at Maryland in the future unless he significantly improves. He could transfer to UMBC and be a starter right away. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like he'll go anywhere. The hunger just isn't there, from what I've heard (well, at least not metaphorically). If it was, he might've lost some weight by now.

Jerome Burney: Jerome wouldn't transfer, but his scholly could still open up. He's had injury problems since he's been on campus, and even though he's showed promise, he hasn't been able to get on the floor consistently. He could get an early graduation if he wanted to, and he may: he could get his degree and move on with his life. I don't know if he'd want to do that, but staying with basketball could just mess up his legs more. I wouldn't blame him if he decided to.

Jin Soo Kim/Steve Goins: Kim showed some serious potential early in the year. He's got a lot of talent, but needs to get bigger and acclimated to the ACC game. He got minimal playing time, so he could look for a place where he could play more. Goins came in as a project, but he's still 6-9 on a team with a 6-6 center. I'm sure he expected more than a few minutes of playing time. I don't expect either to transfer, but they're possibilities.

There's a great chance at least one of those five will end up someone other than Maryland next year. We'll have to wait awhile for the transfer to be publicly announced, but the coaches probably already know. In the meantime, it is completely legal and possible for Maryland to recruit players for the 2009 season, and those players can verbally commit without a scholarship available.

Also, Gary could - in theory - kick someone out of a 'ship. He could just say to Brax "Sorry, no more scholarship for you" and kick him off the team, technically. Just know that very few coaches would do that. I'd consider it low for guys like Jim Calhoun, so don't expect Gary to do that.

In case you're wondering, Kansas is actually already two scholarships over for 2009, but that hasn't slowed them in recruiting Stevenson.

Terps Can't Hang On, Fall to Wake

Ben Broman — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 13:45:32 -0000

This loss really was heartbreaking - Maryland was winning, then went on an almost 6 minute scoreless streak to lose the game. On senior night, and in a game that would've nearly clinched an NCAA bid, it's unacceptable.

It's obvious how much the Terps need Greivis Vazquez. He was playing poorly in the second half for whatever reason, and no one else was able to do anything. Outside of Dave Neal's senior night moment, Maryland scored just 22 points in the second half.

A lot of people will talk about the rebounding problem, and it did exist. Maryland was outrebounded by 18. Had it been more even, they almost certainly would've won. But everyone knew there was going to a huge rebounding advantage for Wake. We expected it. The bigger problem was the inability to score. If the offense doesn't grind to a stop (literally) Wake could've gotten all the rebounds they liked, and the Terps still would've won. Maryland lost by two points. I think they would've scored more than two points in that five minute scoreless stretch.

Another huge problem was free throws. There were some questionable calls throughout the game, and Maryland couldn't seem to get a call when they went inside. Despite the color guy consistently saying "Maryland needs to go inside and get fouled", I think it was the right decision not to try to go inside. When the refs aren't blowing the whistle, there's no reason to go get beaten up on the interior. Still, free throws were a big part of the loss. Only two free throws all game - the Terps normally gets 18. They win the game if the free throws are at a normal pace.

Of course, Dave Neal deserves to recognized for his performance. It was outstanding, and was a great senior night. I just wish they could've made it a perfect night.

On a less negative note, the minutes were interesting again. Again, Burney got zero minutes, but this time it makes sense - he was in street clothes and a walking boot. Brax ended up getting 4 minutes, and four points. It wasn't a great performance, but it wasn't a disaster. I wonder if Gary will up his minutes in the future. Cliff Tucker only played 12, which is a shame, because Maryland needed his offensive ability. I love Eric Hayes, but when he's not hitting wide open shots, Tucker needs to be in.

Maryland seems to be capable of playing well for about one game at a time. Beat Virginia Tech, lose to Clemson. Beat UNC, lose to Duke. Beat NCSt, lose to Wake. While this pattern bodes well Virginia, it's frustrating to see (nevermind about this being the exact reason we need Lance Stephenson). Still, Maryland's in great shape to make the NCAAs (or "the March Madness" as the color guy would say). Win the next two games - Maryland will be favored in both - and they're in. It's as simple as that.

Maryland 88, North Carolina 85: Impressions

Ben Broman — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 15:39:54 -0000

The key word of the night, to me, was execution. Maryland made the open shots they had been missing, stayed on defenders who had been beating them, made rebounds they had been losing. Everything was clicking during that comeback. It was one of the most exhilarating games I've ever watched, but I think I've cooled down enough to be coherent.

Greivis Vasquez is a monster. A simply incredible performance that's bigger than I can describe.
Even though Vaz was the star of the day, everyone else did what they needed to. Obviously, Cliff Tucker was the biggie. His shooting was great, his defense was good, and he seems to have a great offensive sense. I hate to sit Mosley, but I feel it may be necessary if Tucker can continue to play like he did. It feels good for him to be back, and I don't think he'll transfer at the end of the year, unlike I thought a few weeks ago.
Eric Hayes also had a great game. After that horrible start by everyone involved (excluding, of course, Vasquez) Hayes' shot really started to fall. He was aggressive without being out of control, and he was the ying to GV's yang. I still think he'll come off the bench, simply because of the incredible depth at his position, but like Gary said, he's a "finisher", even if he's not a starter.
Maryland never let UNC getting going from outside, unlike the first game. They never doubled Hansbrough, so no one was able to get open on the perimeter. Despite being one-on-one most of the game against someone much smaller than he is, Hansbrough never made a big impact.
A lot of UNC fans are blaming the refs, which is a giant piece of BS. Did the refs impact the game? Of course they did. And yes, they missed some calls on Maryland, especially during The Comeback (it's capitalized now). But UNC was in the bonus within 7 minutes in the first half. I'm sure they all thought that UNC was getting jobbed then, too. Not to mention two elbows thrown by Hansbrough (one on Hayes, the other on Mosley) late in the game and in overtime that could've been called fouls. It was a horribly called game, but on both sides.
Sean Mosley is still looking for consistent offense, and he probably won't find it until next year at the earliest. But on the defensive and rebounding fronts, he's a stud. For a small guard (calling him 6-4 is generous), he gets a lot of rebounds, mostly through hustle. I don't think Gary will bench him for Cliff, even though I think he should (through no fault of Mosley's), simply because Mosley is Gary's type of guy. He's a shorter Byron Mouton with better potential on offense.
Jerome Burney needs more playing time. Yes, he missed two clutch free throws, but he's a big body and a good athlete. That brings the total of those types of players on the team to...one.
Anyone else see that Brax got a mohawk? Even if he never plays and isn't very good, at least he shows team spirit. I was thinking he'd be the one to transfer, but maybe not. No one else joined Landon and Bowie, after all.
Speaking of Landon and Bowie, they came up a little bit short today. I don't think it was a big deal (not everyone can have a career day) but they'll be needed against Duke.
Everyone is flying high right now. I think that everyone on the team is great and I can't imagine that I was ever mad at any one of these guys. Of course, that'll last until Maryland loses again and we identify who should be blamed. It's terrible that this euphoric feeling can't last forever. A lot of people are probably thinking that Lance Stephenson isn't a big deal, Maryland is fine without him. Bu this game was an anomaly. There are still big, fundamental problems within this team, and they'll resurface. Big changes need to happen. But this game proved that, even though those changes haven't happened yet, Maryland can still be competitive and still win games.

Mid-(ACC)Season Thoughts

Ben Broman — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 01:35:18 -0000

Guess what it says.

Every other Maryland blog was posting something on the midseason mark, and though I think it's an especially arbitrary date to evaluate the team, I suppose I will too.

Everyone knew that, with the lack of solid post depth, Maryland would need a big year from Greivis Vasquez to even sniff the tourney. Frankly, Vaz has been pretty average. I'm not trying to knock him, and I do like him - there are plenty of games that he won for the Terps that would've been losses otherwise. But, unfortunately, the team isn't yet strong enough to avoid a loss on a day when Greivis doesn't show up fully. In Maryland's 14 wins, Greivis statline is about 18 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, a 2.4 assist/turnover ratio, and 41% FG%. In Maryland's 8 lossses, his statline is about 11 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, a 1.03 assist/turnover ration, and a 28% FG%. The killer is FG%, especially because Greivis doesn't exactly shy away from taking shots. It's clear that if Maryland wants a chance to sniff the postseason, GV needs to play his best every game.
It's also worth noting the effect that the fans, or Gary, or whoever, had on him after the Georgia Tech game. He seemed determined to not make any mistakes at all, which forced him into making mistakes. Before that game: 18 points, 6 boards, 5 assists, 2.5 turnovers, 1.87 assist/turnover ratio, 40% FG%. After that game: 12 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 turnovers, 1.5 assist/turnover ratio, 30% FG%. He decreased in every category. Also, note how similar this comparison is to the one in the above bullet. Coincidence? Maybe.
I understand that it's extremely possible that both of the above comparisons have their "switch" from good to bad at about the start of ACC play, and yes, that could be a factor. I might seriously consider that if Greivis didn't play his best in big games and hadn't changed his style of play so severely after that game.
Landon Milbourne has been just outstanding. His statline (13.3, 5.5) is a little misleading because he had some poor games early on, but he's really come into the PF position. He's rebounding very well, and scoring well from the interior. If we could get him to stop taking those mid-range jumpers, we'd be in the clear. As it stands, he's easily the best post threat on the team, and while it's not that big of an accomplish with this lineup, he deserves a lot of credit for the transformation.
Likewise, Sean Mosely has really developed. Most thought he'd be a contributor early, but I was expecting some limited minutes until late in ACC play. He got some minutes in the Old Spice Classic, and his play dictated more. At first he was a glue guy - he made his living on defense and hustle. Recently, though, his offensive game has really developed - he's hitting the jumpers and tough shots inside that weren't falling earlier. He has the potential to be All-ACC not too far in the future.

More after the jump.

Hate to beat the dead progression horse, but Adrian Bowie has done it too. I've always loved Bowie since he first stepped on the court at Comcast - I love his style of play. He's great in transition, and he's come into his own as a point guard - a position the team was lacking. His outside game still needs some help still, and he needs to cut down on the fouls, but he's a very exciting guy to watch.
Put me in the Dave Neal love camp. As someone I couldn't stand early in the year, he's become a senior leader and outside threat - probably the best one Maryland has. I do wish people would stop it with the "YMCA skills" stuff, though. DN would dominate a YMCA pickup game.
Not everything can be good. Cliff Tucker has seen very few minutes. Early in the year, I agree with Gary that he didn't exactly deserve them, but the shutouts he's been getting are a little bit uncalled for. He obviously has something to offer the team - he was the best player against UNC.
Also, Eric Hayes has had some tough times. I've never thought of him as what most UMD fans have, apparently, but he certainly hasn't lived up to anyone's expectations. When he doesn't hit outside shots or drive the lane aggresively, I can't really validate keeping him in there.
Braxton Dupree...no comment.
Maryland has a pretty tough schedule for the rest of the year four of them are against highly ranked teams (Clemson, Wake, Duke, UNC) and the other four teams aren't exactly slackers, either (with the exception of Virginia). This is actually a blessing in disguise - if the Terps ended with a crappy schedule, a good finish wouldn't have meant much. With the final few games they have, even a decent finish is a big boon, if only to the guys' self-esteem.

Clarification of the Scholarship Situation

Ben Broman — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 20:40:47 -0000

After reading some of the comments on the previous Lance story, it appears everybody's pretty confused on this front. Here's the situation:

Maryland currently has 13 players on scholarship (that's the limit). When Gus Gilchrist transferred away, we only had 12 scholarship players. The extra was allocated to David Pearman, with the understanding that he'd give it up at the end of the year. All the other players (including Goins and Kim) are on scholarship under normal circumstances.

After this year Dave Neal graduates, and his scholarship will go to Jordan Williams (or Padgett). Then Pearman gives up his scholly voluntarily, and his will go to James Padgett (or Williams). That leaves us with 13 players under scholarship for 2009-10, which means there's no room for Lance Stephenson. Maryland is still allowed to recruit him, but there can be no official offer until a scholarship opens up.

However, it's a near certainty that at least one guy will be leaving at the end of the year. Cliff Tucker is currently the front runner. Some will say last night says otherwise, but he only got major minutes because the deficit was so big; I'll wait and see how the rest of the year turns out. Also, just because he's getting a lot of minutes doesn't mean he can't transfer anyway - he feels disrespected right now, and he'll remember what the past few games felt like. The next best bet is Greivis Vasquez, who very well could go pro to Europe. It's tough to get a read on him, though - I'd say it's 50/50 on staying/leaving. If the season ends poorly, I doubt he'll want to stay for another tough year unless Lance is on his way, which would mean someone else needs to transfer.

Eric Hayes is another option. His play has been lagging, so his playing time probably will, too. He hasn't used his redshirt yet, so I could conceivably see him pulling a Danny Miller and transfer out to play serious minutes his senior year. Dupree seems a popular choice among fans (and a certain blogger). I doubt Brax will transfer, though. Unfortunately, Braxton seems perfectly happy in his current situation (which is part of the problem as to why his play hasn't improved), and it probably won't get much better at any other DI school. I don't think you can cross his name off the list completely, but I'd bet he'll stay.

I have trouble seeing Goins or Kim leaving. I guess Burney is an option, but that also seems like a longshot; we'll have to see what his PT looks like when he's healthy. But with 4 or 5 serious candidates, odds are one of them will leave. The problem will be getting them to make that announcement early enough. Lance will officially commit sometime in March, so whoever's going will have to make their decision before the end of the season.

Also, know that Gary can, in theory, force someone out of scholarship. If he decides Brax isn't worth his scholarship, he can just say, "Sorry, no more scholarship" and take it away, technically. However, very, very, very few coaches would ever consider this, and it seems to be an extremely long shot. It's not exactly the most ethical thing you can do, and his credibility would take a giant shot.

Hey! Dan Steinberg Actually Wrote About the Terps

Ben Broman — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 00:08:25 -0000

In what must be the first time in a decade and half (maybe two?) Dan Steinberg, he of the DC Sports Bog (which is actually a decent piece of literature - I read it daily) has put his hands to the keyboard and typed (or wrote, whatever) about the Maryland Terrapins. It's a rare occurance indeed.

Steinberg's kind of famous for being at best ambivalent towards Maryland. So when he wrote about the Terps's game last night, it was a mild surprise. It's actually an interesting article, and it makes me like Braxton Dupree, which is strange. I suppose I'm actually a little angry about that fact, because my Dupree disliking meter was at an all-time high, and now I'm confused.

Anyway, I assume Gary knows this (not that I don't like Brax, that Steinberg doesn't cover the Terps) and he had a pretty good zing, for being Gary Williams.

"Dan, how you doing?" he said. "What are you doing here? Must have been no Caps, no Wizards, Georgetown's not playing. You had nothing to do, just tell the truth."

That's just about right on.

Anyway, Steinberg's a pretty good pen, or at least journo, so there's some interesting stuff that I saw postworthy, particularly Dave Neal's nickname. According to Sean Mosely, it's "Dave", which is exceedingly boring. According to Braxton, it's "The Real Deal Dave Neal." To me, "Dave the Real Deal Neal" sounds better, but whatever. This article actually makes Brax look like an appreciated member of the team, so I'm a little frustrated. Check it out at the link at the top of the page.

Sometimes, the team just doesn't care

Ben Broman — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 22:19:42 -0000

Case in point: Maryland's down 2, there's 5.5 seconds left in overtime, and Maryland just fouled Toney Douglass, sending FSU to the line in what would decide the game. The game very well might define Maryland's entire season.

The camera cuts to the Florida State bench. The players on the edge of their seats, anxiously awaiting the fate of the free throws. The camera then cuts over to Maryland. Instead of nervous glances, or sad faces, you see Braxton Dupree and Cliff Tucker happily chatting. Braxton makes a joke, Cliff laughs.

I haven't been able to find a video (or a decent screen grab utility for Mac) so there's no video evidence for those who didn't see it, but you can see it in the pic above. At least David Pearman, who didn't play at all, looked like his dog just died. These guys actually went out, contributed to the comeback (well, Cliff did) and still didn't care.

Tucker was the one who, if you remember, nearly transferred at the beginning of the year. Braxton is the one who, if you've ever watched a game, can't jump or run. Hey guys: just know that you're not indispensible. When you're playing as poorly as you to are right now, this isn't something I'd want to do.

Bad News - Burney out 3-6 Weeks

Dave Tucker — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 22:28:29 -0000

Bad news for Terps basketball today. Gary Williams announced that redshirt sophomore Jerome Burney has a stress fracture in his foot that will keep him out for 3-6 weeks. If you'll recall, Burney had a similar problem his true freshman year, when he was redshirted as a result of another foot injury.

Burney, listed at 6'-10", has seemingly been in Gary's doghouse all year, but regardless this is a big loss to a team with a average at best frontcourt. Additionally, this comes during the non-conference portion of the schedule where people like Burney should have been getting time to help fine tune their skills. It will also hurt the Terps, maybe more so, in practice, as Dupree, Gregory and Goins will have 1 less big person to go against. I guess it's better then this happening during the heart of the ACC schedule...