SB Nation - Eric Hayes

ACC Power Rankings: 12.21

MRickman84 — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 20:30:13 -0000

by Charlie Neibergall - AP

It's time for another exciting edition of ACC Power Rankings. We've had some teams really moving around, so let's see where everyone stacks up.

1.) Duke Blue Devils (9-1, W vs. Gardner-Webb, W vs. Gonzaga) - Duke is really playing well right now. Kyle Singler has picked his game up and Jon Scheyer has been almost mistake free. Duke needs to worry a little bit about their starters' minutes as Scheyer, Singler and Nolan Smith are all playing over 33 minutes a game, and that's with the blowouts included. That notwithstanding, Duke has this spot with a bullet.

2.) North Carolina Tar Heels (8-3, L vs. Texas) - I am almost tempted to drop UNC a little bit further, but there aren't any other teams that have really earned the #2 spot. Regardless, UNC has looked awful in a couple games this year and they definitely have some things to work on. The bigs--Tyler Zeller, Ed Davis and Deon "Miss It" Thompson--are playing well, but the Heels do not play good defense at all and there is literally no guard depth.

3.) Clemson Tigers (10-2, W vs. ECU, W vs. CofC) - Clemson has all the pieces. But they're Clemson. Trevor Booker is a very good player and the combination of Tanner Smith, Andre Young and Demontez Stitt aren't pretty, but they get the job done. Plus their defense can keep them in any game.

4.) Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (8-2, W vs. Chattanooga, W vs. AR Pine Bluff, L vs. Florida State) - Despite the loss to FSU, Tech is up here because they have a lot of talent and everyone knew they'd have some bumps along the way. Gani Lawal, Derrick Favors and Zach Peacock bring it most of the time, but with Iman Shumpert out, GT has to rely on freshman Mfon Udofia at the point. He's a gifted player, but he's still a freshman. Tech will have big wins and dumb losses (a lot like a certain team from last year).

5.) Miami Hurricanes (10-2, W vs. Stetson, W vs. Florida Atlantic) - The next few teams are kind of a jumbled mess, but right now I feel like the 'Canes have the edge. Their only blemish was the extremely close loss to Boston College. In all their other games they have won by an average of 22.7 points. Dwayne Collins is averaging 13 and 9, and the James Dews, Malcolm Grand and Durand Scott combo of guards are chipping in 31.4 a game.

6.) Florida State Seminoles (10-2, W vs. Georgia State, W vs. Auburn, W vs. Georgia Tech) - FSU's win over GT was a bit of a statement. The 'Noles had a few decent wins but no real statement win to their credit. This win helps them out and solidifies them as a tough, physical basketball team. Solomon Alabi and Chris Singleton are a real force and Derwin Kitchen is a well-rounded player. Ryan Reid is always capable of showing spurts as well.

7.) Wake Forest Demon Deacons (8-2, W vs. UNC-W, W vs. NC State) - Ok, I'll move the Deacs up. They are on a four game winning streak and the wins over Gonzaga, UNC-W and State are games they needed to win, but still look pretty good. If Al-Farouq Aminu can hold onto the basketball, he could average 20+ a game, but as it stands right now, he's still a beast. The key to Wake is whether or not they can get solid play out of their bigs at all--right now, they haven't.

8.) Virginia Tech Hokies (9-1, W vs. Charleston Southern) - VT's record is gaudy, but there aren't any wins that really stick out to me right now. But still, I love how Malcolm Delaney plays and Jeff Allen has done a good job so far. The problem is, there isn't a whole lot more there outside of Dorenzo Hudson and Victor Davila.

9.) Boston College Eagles (7-4, W vs. Bryant) - After back to back losses to Harvard and Rhode Island, where does BC stand? There's a good core there with Joe Trapani, Corey Raji and Reggie Jackson. Tyler Roche gives good minutes. Rakim Sanders is an explosive player. But BC needs to figure things out before ACC play before they can move up the list.

10.) Maryland Terrapins (6-3, DNP) - Remember when everyone was slobbering all over Maryland and Greivis Vasquez? Well, he is shooting 34.6% and 28.2% from deep. Sean Mosley and Landon Milbourne are good players and we all know about Eric Hayes, but Maryland has no good wins and they've lost to the good teams they've played. They need to prove something.

11.) N.C. State Wolfpack (8-2, W vs. Elon, L vs. Wake Forest) - State is an ugly basketball team. They almost lost to Elon and then looked just downright bad against Wake. They have no identity and no real players outside of Javi Gonzalez and Tracy Smith. That win against Marquette is still strange, and the rest of their wins aren't anything to write home about. The Wolfpack have a long road ahead of them when conference play gets going.

12.) Virginia Cavaliers (4-4, DNP) - The best thing to happen to UVA last week was that they got snowed in and didn't play. I wholeheartedly believe that UNC-W would have beaten them. This team is Sylven Landesberg and not much else--Mike Scott is ok, Mustapha Farrakhan shows promise and Sammy Zeglinski is Eric Hayes Part Deux, but the Cavs are not good. Their four wins are against Longwood, Rider, Oral Roberts and Cleveland State.

Maryland Basketball's Unsung Hero So Far: Eric Hayes

Ben Broman — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 02:16:37 -0000

More photos » by Rob Carr - AP

9 days ago: Maryland's Eric Hayes (5) shoots over Eastern Kentucky's Josh Taylor (24) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game, Saturday, Dec. 12, 2009, in College Park, Md. Maryland won 83-72. (AP Photo/Rob Carr)

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One player who really hasn't gotten enough talk for his surprisingly excellent play thus far is everyone's favorite shooting combo guard, Eric Hayes. The senior from Potomac, long heralded for his three point shot despite rough times, is finally putting everything together for the makings of a very solid, consistent year, and the timing couldn't have been better for Maryland.

The first inklings of it came toward the end of last year, when Hayes showed unprecedented offensive aggression during the ACC tournament and NCAA tournament. That now seems to be holding true through the first half of this year, too, and Maryland is easily a better team because of it.

Through the first nine games, Hayes is averaging more points, more shot attempts, more 3 point attempts, more steals, and fewer turnovers per game than any other point in his career. His offensive rating is the highest for his career; so too is his shooting percentages. His effective FG%, one of the four factors to winning, is a sky-high 65%, and his true shooting percentage (which converts threes to twos, basically) is an outstanding 72%. To top it off, his new quicker triggered, but not ill-advised, threes are falling at a smoking 50%, his best (again) and good for 16th in the NCAA.

If you watch the games, you can see the improvement. He's the steadiest player on the team and seems much more comfortable and in the flow than he ever was before. There's no doubt in my mind that he's a top 3 player for Maryland, and is top 2 on some days. Gone are the Hayes-ian performances of the past (hopefully for good).

Part of his emergence is Greivis Vasquez's disappointing play thus far, which meant Hayes was on the floor more and expected to make more shots. So, too, has been Dave Neal's absence, which means Hayes is the new deep threat. That had another repurcussion, too; with another big body in the middle, Hayes is more likely to be open as players are more likely to help out against the big guy.

Another part, though, has been Hayes himself. He's getting his shot off quicker and is generally being more forceful when it comes to scoring, all while remaining his calm and steady self. The result has been a very good, very underrated performance.

Any other nominee's for an unsung hero? I would say Sean Mosley, except we've been singing his praises for a few weeks (seriously, I'm making up an SSM t-shirt). It could be Greivis Vasquez, in an ironic sort of way, but I didn't want to be ironic. My choice is Hayes. Any others?

Hayes of the Day: 12/17

MRickman84 — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 20:24:51 -0000

You didn't think I'd forget about Hayes of the Day just because finals put ACC basketball on hiatus did you? We're back and better than ever. So without further ado, who is today's Hayes of the Day?

Poll

Who is today's Hayes of the Day?

Clemson G Demontez Stitt vs. ECU: 5 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 3 TO

4 votes

GT G Mfon Udofia vs. Ark-Pine Bluff: 8 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 TO, 3-10 FG

2 votes

Miami G Durand Scott vs. Stetson: 4 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists

3 votes

GT G D'Andre Bell vs. Ark-Pine Bluff: 6 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 2 blocks, 3 TO

2 votes

Miami G Malcolm Grant vs. Stetson: 9 points, 4 assists, 2 rebounds

1 votes

Maryland G Eric Hayes vs. Finals: Did his thing and is probably playing Call of Duty

8 votes

20 votes | Poll has closed

Maryland Minute 12.14.09 - Brandon Coleman Takes OV

Ben Goldstein — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 23:56:07 -0000

Tip of the cap to Ben B. for most of the links today.

Brandon Coleman Took an OV To Maryland

That's all we know right now, but it's good to know nonetheless.

Maryland feels good about start to season - WT

Can't say I agree, but then, people say I'm a pessimist.

"We beat Michigan State last year, but we also had a couple bad losses down in Orlando," guard Eric Hayes said. "I don't think we have any bad losses at this point. We could have won a couple of those games as well. I think at this point I'd say we're in a better position."

I don't really agree that the GT and Gonzaga losses were bad. They were large, but not bad. Morgan State was the killer; Michigan State got Maryland in the tourney. They haven't had either yet.

ACC's potential first-round picks - Dinich

Interesting stuff. Our very own Bruce Campbell is slated to go at #20 to the New York Jets. For selfish purposes, I hope he stays. Don't think there's been any announcement as to whether he's staying or leaving, yet. - Ben G.

Good Article On Chris Turner - Diamondback

Again, he wasn't always the best QB, but he was damn good and had some great moments.

Georgia interested in VT's Foster - ESPN

Good. Get this guy out of the ACC...unless he wants to come to MD, of course. - Ben G.

Recruiting Report: Weekend wrap

Busy weekend for recruiting.

Maryland SG Commit Terrence Ross Is Blowing Up

Ben Broman — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 23:01:47 -0000

Sorry for the Ross posts, but what else do you want us to talk about? Image via a.espncdn.com

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After Dave Telep sung his praises this weekend, Terrence Ross caught the eye of another major scouting service: ESPN. They called him the best performer of the High School Hoops Festival - which, by the way, included guys like Kendall Marshall and Quinn Cook - and the writeup couldn't have been more encouraging.

This athletic wing has great size and a big-time shooting stroke. Ross can knock down 3s off the catch and after one or two rhythm dribbles. He is shot-ready on the catch and releases the ball with great elevation and follow-through. Ross shoots over smaller defenders and late closers with ease. He runs the floor on the break for spot-up and penetration kick outs, of which he is capable of making two or three in a row. Ross has NBA range and his confidence is sky-high. Defensively, Ross was alert in the passing lanes and really worked to defend the dribble by moving his feet and keeping his hands active. Ross must work to develop his scoring moves off the dribble and make going to the boards a habit. Still, he is a deadly offensive weapon. Maryland coach Gary Williams will have fun coaching this kid.

Yes please, I'll take some of that.

You can bet that if ESPN and Scout's main men took notice that he'll be moving on up the boards. It's safe to say that Rivals will have seen it, too, and he'll be improving his standing there, too. If he can put up this type of season all year - which includes some very big time opponents on national TV - it's not a stretch to believe he could legitimately be a top 25 player.

Ross is a big time talent that is criminally underrated, in my opinion. He's super athletic, is a lights-out shooter, has a solid work ethic, and plays committed defense. There's really not much more at all you can ask for, and he's exactly what the doctor ordered for Maryland in 2010. He'll very nicely fill the void that Greivis Vasquez and Eric Hayes leave, and maybe even bring something extra to the table while doing it.

Oh, and having a Montrose Christian guy on the team while recruiting Justin Anderson can't be bad, either.

Of course, his status is still unclear, but as it distances further, I'm calming down about it. Time to pray that the coaching staff can just lock him up, because he looks like he could be very, very special one day.

Maryland Rides Vasquez and Milbourne to 83-72 Win Over Eastern Kentucky

Ben Broman — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 23:36:49 -0000

More photos » by Rob Carr - AP

9 days ago: Marylan's Greivis Vasquez reacts after scoring and getting fouled during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Eastern Kentucky, Saturday, Dec. 12, 2009, in College Park, Md. (AP Photo/Rob Carr)

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When Maryland needed him, Greivis Vasquez delivered.

He didn't start the game after showing up late to a shootaround and had some rough times, as he had all this year, but as the Eastern Kentucky Colonels sat down two, on a run, with Maryland unable to make a shot, Vasquez did what he had to do: make big shots. He ended up with two threes in as many possessions, and sparked Maryland's offense that, at the time, was completely out of sync.

Maryland rode the momentum and ended up with an 83-72 win over EKU, putting them at 6-3 on the year.

Despite a fast start for Maryland with Vasquez on the bench (13-5 when he entered the game, up 17 shortly after), Eastern Kentucky steadily fought back and eventually tied the game in the second half on the strength of ridiculously good three point shooting and solid defense. Shortly after, Maryland's offense caught fire, spurred on by two big threes by Vasquez, who had struggled somewhat up to that point.

Sean Mosley was quiet after a breakout week that included solid games against Villanova and Indiana. Part of that might have been due to Vasquez's offensive reemergence; he led all scorers with 20 and paired that with 5 assists.

Props go out to Eric Hayes for a great performance today; he's been extremely consistent all year and had an important 14 points with 4 made threes. Landon Milbourne also quietly went about his business, returning to form with 19 points and 9 rebounds. He made big plays and didn't have too many lapses. This is the Milbourne you remember from last year.

As for Dino Gregory in his first game: he was okay, but definitely rusty. Some of his passes were iffy and his defense was inconsistent, but his jumper was absolutely money and he showed some very encouraging flashes. He probably got the start thanks to the need for perimeter defense.

EKU's shooting ability and lack of size meant that Jordan Williams wasn't very well fitted for this game: he isn't great guarding 6-6 people on the perimeter. Still, in limited time, he had 4 points and 5 rebounds, which was pretty good. He had some problems and looked very much like a freshman, but I'm still encouraged.

The strange thing was James Padgett's lack of playing time. He didn't see the floor, despite Jin Soo Choi inexplicably getting PT in a close game. I'm sure the lack of size for EKU and their perimeter shooting had plenty to do with it, but I've never been all that impressed with Choi's defense at any level. Puzzling indeed.

I'll try to go for some more analysis tomorrow, but for now, I'm okay with this result. It was closer than it should've been, that's for sure, but Vasquez looked like he was getting out of his funk and EKU is a tough team to beat when they're hot, as they were. Maryland has plenty to work on - defense especially among them - but it could've been worse.

ACC Power Rankings: 12.8

MRickman84 — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 16:30:14 -0000

So this probably should have been done yesterday, but I really want to get in the habit of doing power rankings throughout the season. UNC occupies the top spot this week, with Duke coming in second, as both are coming off tough losses last week to strong opponents.

Let's take a look at who is where after the jump...

1.) UNC-- [W vs. Michigan State, L vs. Kentucky] UNC is getting better as was expected. The young guys are playing well and Larry Drew II looks a lot more comfortable. I'm still concerned about the Heels' bench, as Strickland looks a little lost out there and Henson just does not know what to do with his body. The Wear twins are eating up a ton of minutes without a lot of productivity. Tyler Zeller is a great player for them though and really makes the perfect sixth man. UNC gets another tough test when they head to Dallas to play Texas at the Cowboys stadium next week.

2.) Duke -- [L vs. Wisconsin, W vs. St. John's] I thought this Duke team was supposed to be able to shoot? Kyle Singler is looking average at best so far this year and is taking a LOT of shots. You know what you're getting out of Jon Scheyer week in and week out and that is a great stabilizer. Andre Dawkins has been spectacular so far and we are going to be seeing a lot more of him as Duke enters ACC play. Duke's big weakness is still down low--Zoubek and Thomas are just bad, but the Plumlees work hard and are good players.

3.) GT [W vs. Siena, W vs. USC] The Jackets were left out of the Challenge this year because of their finish last season, and that really is a shame as I believe they would have won their matchup and turned the tide for the ACC. Instead, Tech put a whooping on Siena and USC last week. GT is stellar in the frontcourt with Lawal, Peacock and Favors, but losing Iman Shumpert is going to be sidelined for 3-6 weeks with a knee injury.

4.) Clemson [L vs. Illinois, W vs. South Carolina] Clemson is looking like bi-polar Clemson again, surprise! This is a good, solid basketball team. They have 5 players averaging at least 9 points per game and Trevor Booker is almost averaging a double-double (13 and 9). Their problem is that they just lose focus (as seen by the terrible collapse against Illinois). I think they are a better team than Georgia Tech, but they just can't pass them until they show some consistency.

5.) Miami [W vs. Minnesota, L vs. BC] Yes, I know they lost their first conference game. But it was very close and came down to the buzzer. They picked up a great non-con win over Minnesota, but still have not really been challenged other than their last two contests. Dwayne Collins is very good, but there's a lot of pressure on him coming into conference play since two of Miami's three strong guards are newcomers (Malcolm Grant from Villinova and freshman Durand Scott.) James Dews can get it done too, but we will see just how much the 'Canes miss Jack McClinton after the 1st of the year.

6.) Wake Forest [L vs. Purdue, W vs. Gonzaga] After a disappointing loss at home to William & Mary, the Deacs took to the road for two very tough tests. After a hard-fought loss to Purdue, the Deacs looked like they finally clicked in a win over Gonzaga at the Kennel. If the Demon Deacons can use this as a momentum builder, they could enter the new year at 10-2. They will be tested by UNC-W, who has played some good teams tough, as well as Richmond, which received votes in the polls this week. Freshmen C.J. Harris and Ari Stewart are looking like the real deal, but the Deacs absolutely need to get consistency from their bigs and from Al-Farouq Aminu.

7.) Virginia Tech [W vs. Iowa, W vs. Georgia] I like VT. They're better than they look on paper, and their loss to Temple is not a bad one--the Owls almost pulled off the upset against Georgetown a few games ago. They easily could finish anywhere between 6th and 10th, but the combo of Malcolm Delaney and Jeff Allen should be good for at least 6 conference wins.

8.) Maryland [W vs. Indiana, L vs. Villanova] I've seen Maryland play 4 times now this year and I'm sorry, I just don't think they are very good. Greivis Vasquez takes way too many ill-advised shots and he is shooting 32%. Sean Mosley and Landon Milbourne are the strong points to this team and Eric Hayes keeps them calm sometimes, but they aren't deep and I'm not sold on their front court. The Terps were a hot pick to start the season, but they have to prove something to me before they can move up the board.

9.) Boston College [W vs. Michigan, W vs. Miami] Here we go again. It's the same old story every year. BC looks sparse on paper and then Al Skinner does a great job coaching his team to overachieve. It'll probably happen again this year and their last two wins are a big indicator of this. Reggie Jackson could be a great player, and BC gets bumped up a spot just from his nasty dunk against the 'Canes (on a terrible offensive foul call in the last 30 seconds) and his clutch FTs to seal the win. Raji, Jackson, Trapani is a great combo and they get a good effort out of Josh Southern too.

10.) Florida State [L vs. Ohio State, W vs. FIU] Florida State looked downright ugly against Ohio State. And downright ugly against Florida. But that win against Marquette was big, so they have that in them. Alabi, Singleton and Kitchen are a nice 1-2-3, but the 'Noles need to be getting more out of Xavier Gibson and Ryan Reid.

11.) NC State [L vs. Northwestern, W. vs Marquette] After their loss to Northwestern, I didn't think at all that the Wolfpack would beat Marquette. It was the furthest thing from my mind. State is 6-1, but they are a mess and there is just not much there.

12.) Virginia [L vs. Penn State, L vs. Auburn] Hey, at least Virginia has beaten Cleveland State, something Wake wasn't able to do last year. Sylven Landesberg is a heck of a player, but when your next two leading scorers are Mike Scott and Sammy Zeglinski, there's a problem there. Virginia is not very good.

Around the ACC: 12.2

MRickman84 — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 13:36:20 -0000

It was a rocky start to the Challenge with the ACC going 0-3 with the UVA, State and Wake losses, but the conference bounced back a bit in the second slate of games. Today will decide whether the ACC will win its 11th straight ACC/Big Ten Challenge.

NC State 53, Northwestern 65

So what was going on in this game? Two starters for State--Scott Wood and C.J. Williams--both had 0 points in a combined Tossed in with Javi Gonzalez's performance, those three starters combined for 3-21 shooting. Tracy Smith had an inspired game with 23, but Michael Thompsons's 22 points and Northwestern's 49% shooting (43% from 3) were enough to give the Wildcats the W.

Wake Forest 58, Purdue 69

We all know how this turned out. Nothing to see here. Turnovers, Purdue making 14 more FTs and the Boilermakers taking 12 more shots than the Deacs really told the story. E'Twaun Moore, JaJuan Johnson and Robbie Hummel combined for 54 points in the win.

Maryland 80, Indiana 68

This one was close for a long time, but the Terps pulled away in the last 5 minutes. Greivis Vasquez continued his poor shooting, going 4-14. He's gotta figure this out and fast, although he had 23, 5 rebounds and 8 assists. 13 of his 14 pionts came off FTs. Vasquez's shooting has obviously suffered, but he is becoming a better point guard overall and is making better decisions (1.83 A:TO). Milbourne had 19 and 7, while Eric hayes added 14. Indiana did not shoot well at all, but Maurice Cheek led Indiana with 19 points in the loss.

UNC 89, Michigan State 82

In a rematch of last year's National Championship game, the Tarheels absolutely blitzed Michigan State in the first half, shooting lights out and looking unstoppable. The Spartans settled down in the second half, cutting the lead down, but in the track meet, UNC just had too much firepower. Ed Davis had a career game with 22 points and 6 rebounds. Larry Drew looked really strong, adding 18 points and 6 assists. UNC shot 58% while Michigan State shot 2-20 from beyond the arc.

Virginia Tech 70, Iowa 64

Props to Iowa for hanging tough in this game. Iowa is not a very good basketball team at all, but they played inspired basketball yesterday. It didn't help the Hokies' cause that they shot 4-15 from deep, but they committed only four turnovers and looked under control the whole game. Malcolm Delaney had 18 points and 5 assists. I don't know what to make of this VT team, but 5-1 with a loss against Temple doesn't look terrible. Let's see how they look in the rest of their non-conference schedule.

Maryland Rebounds From Maui With a Win Over Indiana

Ben Broman — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 02:40:07 -0000

More photos » by Darron Cummings - AP

20 days ago: Indiana forward Derek Elston, right, is fouled by Maryland forward James Padgett as he goes up for a shot during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Bloomington, Ind., Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2009. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

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After two tough losses that brought Maryland and their fans back down to earth, the Terps needed a rebound win. They got one over Indiana tonight, 80-68. It's not the most impressive win, as the Hoosiers are looking to be bottom half of the Big Ten, but Assembly Hall is always tough and it's better than a low-level DI opponent. Maryland also got the ACC on the board in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge and reasserted their dominance over Indiana in basketball (2002, anyone?).

Greivis Vasquez is slowly breaking out of his shell (get it?) with occasional moments of brilliance, but he's still not close to last year. The stars of the game were Landon Milbourne, Sean Mosley, and Eric Hayes (as usual). Milbourne was second on the team with 19 points and Mosley looked a consistent layup away from being a star - he definitely has every other aspect of the game down. He was actually just a rebound away from a double-double. Hayes was his usual, consistent, calm self, and that's invaluable for this up-and-down team.

Turnovers were a real problem, especially early on, and Maryland turned it over 19 times. Coupled with average, though better than expected rebounding, it allowed Indiana to stay close for longer than they should've - that is, most of the game.

I think most people expected a slightly easier win (score wise, it got out of hand in the final five minutes or so), but I'm content with it. It's a win and my expectations for this team have dropped compared to pre-Maui. Villanova will be an uphill battle to the fullest.

As for the biweekly freshmen update, Jordan Williams is getting closer. He still has some problems - today, it was with traveling and finishing - but he's becoming more aggressive and is still a pretty good rebounder right now. By ACC play, he'll be pretty good. James Padgett's performance was more forgettable tonight.

A few days of rest before the biggie of the OOC slate - Nova - and then Dino Gregory returns. Let's hope he sparks a fire for the Terps. The question for me is whether or not he takes Jordan Williams' starting spot.

ACC-Big Ten Challenge: Indiana Hoosiers v. Maryland Terrapins (preview).

John M (The Crimson Quarry) — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 17:17:59 -0000

More photos » by Gail Burton - AP

Big point guard Greivis Vasquez presents a challenge for Indiana.

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Maryland Terrapins
Current record: 4-2
Current RPI: 70
Current Sagarin: 57
Current Pomeroy: 57
2008-09 record: 18-12 (7-9 ACC, lost to Memphis in second round of NCAA Tournament)
2008-09 RPI: 55
2008-09 Sagarin: 46
2008-09 Pomeroy: 54
Pomeroy scouting report
Series: IU leads 5-1
TV:7:30 p.m., ESPN2
Blog: Testudo Times

The Terrapins and the Hoosiers met on April 1, 2002 at the Georgia Dome to decide the NCAA Championship and while some programs have fallen further than others since then(ahem), both programs still are trying to recapture the magic. As I mentioned yesterday, Indiana and Maryland met in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge in 2002-03 at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, and IU won in overtime in a game most remembered for Steve Blake's potential game-winning shot that went in but was ruled, after replay review, to have been released just after the buzzer at the end of regulation.

Maryland was ranked in the top 25 before a rough trip to Maui. Much like the Hoosiers last season, Maryland beat Chaminade but lost to two major programs: 69-57 to Cincinnati and 78-69 to Wisconsin. As Testudo Times (see link above) notes, IU is better than any team that Maryland has defeated and is worse than any team that has defeated Maryland, so the Terps will know more about where they stand after tomorrow.

As is typical, Maryland has played very well defensively this season. Its adjusted defensive efficiency of .86 points per possession is good enough for #21 in the nation, and for as far back as Ken Pomeroy keeps track, sound defense has been a constant for Maryland, with offensive production the variable that determines whether the Terps will have a good season or an ordinary one. Particularly chilling are Maryland's turnover percentage (28.2%, #8) and steal percentage (16.4, #7). Of course, those numbers were higher against the dregs of the Maryland schedule, but given IU's struggles with turnovers, this is a concern. On the other hand, Maryland's overall offensive efficiency ranks them below the median, #182 in Division I. Still, Maryland's offense has been much more productive than IU's.

Here are the Terps' stats:

			FG			3PT			FT			Rebounds			Misc
	G	M	M	A	Pct	M	A	Pct	M	A	Pct	Off	Def	Tot	Ast	TO	Stl	Blk	PF	PPG
Landon Milbourne	6	29.0	5.7	10.2	55.7	0.5	0.8	60.0	1.8	2.3	78.6	1.5	2.3	3.8	0.3	1.5	0.8	1.0	2.5	13.7
Sean Mosley	6	29.8	4.8	7.8	61.7	0.5	1.0	50.0	3.0	4.0	75.0	1.2	3.5	4.7	3.8	1.3	1.8	0.3	1.7	13.2
Eric Hayes	6	29.2	4.0	7.5	53.3	2.2	4.5	48.1	1.3	1.5	88.9	0.0	3.0	3.0	2.7	1.3	1.5	0.8	1.7	11.5
Greivis Vasquez	6	30.5	3.8	11.7	32.9	1.0	3.8	26.1	2.5	3.0	83.3	0.7	3.5	4.2	5.3	3.2	2.0	0.5	2.0	11.2
James Padgett	6	18.5	3.5	6.8	51.2	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.5	2.0	25.0	2.7	2.8	5.5	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.7	1.7	7.5
Jordan Williams	6	22.5	2.8	6.3	44.7	0.0	0.0	0.0	1.5	3.3	45.0	2.5	5.2	7.7	0.0	0.5	0.8	0.8	2.8	7.2
Cliff Tucker	6	17.2	2.3	4.3	53.8	0.3	1.5	22.2	0.7	1.0	66.7	0.5	1.5	2.0	1.0	1.0	0.8	0.3	1.3	5.7
Adrian Bowie	6	15.3	1.3	4.3	30.8	0.2	2.0	8.3	0.3	0.8	40.0	0.0	0.8	0.8	2.5	1.0	1.5	0.2	1.2	3.2
David Pearman	4	2.5	0.5	1.3	40.0	0.0	0.8	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.3	0.0	0.3	0.0	0.0	0.3	0.0	0.0	1.0
Steve Goins	2	2.0	0.5	1.0	50.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.5	0.0	0.5	0.0	0.5	0.5	0.0	0.5	1.0
Jin Soo Choi	4	6.8	0.0	1.5	0.0	0.0	0.5	0.0	0.5	0.5	100.0	0.5	1.3	1.8	0.5	0.0	0.5	0.3	1.0	0.5
Ersin Levent	4	1.8	0.0	0.3	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.3	0.5	50.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.3

As you can see, the Terps present a faily balanced scoring attack, with four players averaging between 11-14 points per game. Senior Landon Milbourne, a 6-7 forward, leads the way with 13.7 points per game and he shoots 55 percent from the field. Sophomore guard Sean Mosley, in a significantly increased role compared to last season, is averaging 13.2 points per game and shooting a remarkable 61 percent from the field and 50 percent from three point range (the latter on only 6 attempts, however). Eric Hayes, a 6-4 senior guard, averages 11.5 points per game and is shooting 53 percent from the field and 48 percent from three point range. Grevis Vasquez, a 6-6 senior guard, is the fourth of Maryland's double figure scorers, plus leads the team with 5.3 assists per game. With his size, Vasquez will present an interesting matchup for Jeremiah Rivers on both ends of the court. Finally, note that the three Maryland guards who play the most all are comfortably in the black on assist-turnover ratio.

Looking at individual scoring stats, plus the Terps' excellent offensive and defensive turnover numberrs, it's difficult to imagine how Maryland's offense could have such middling overall efficiency. As the Pomeroy scouting report reveals, the Terps do not rebound particularly well, particularly on the offensive end, don't get to the line very often, and shoot free throws nearly as poorly as IU does.

Unquestionably, IU must play its best game of the season to have any chance for victory. While Maryland, per the early season computer ratings, is not as good as Mississippi, the Terps are far better than any other team IU has played, including Boston U. and George Mason, teams that defeated IU in Puerto Rico. It seems inevitable that IU will turn the ball over against Maryland. Even normally sure-handed Wisconsin turned the ball over on 23 percent of its possession in a win against the Terps. It seems to me that IU's best chance depends upon exploiting Maryland's rebounding weakness, continiuing to shoot well from three point range, and trying to force the Terps into enough turnovers to balance out that factor. Really, nothing that IU has done this year provides much hope for victory, other than the belief that this team has enough talent to improve as the season progresses. Tonight would be a good night to show such improvement.