SB Nation - Adrian Bowie

What You Need to Know About Maryland's First Opponent, Charleston Southern

Ben Broman — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 22:01:15 -0000

Good news, everyone! Maryland basketball finally kicks off tomorrow, at 8 on CSN (I won't be used to watching Maryland sports on TV again), against...Charleston Southern? Who's Charleston Southern? Are they any good? Could Maryland face a real challenge here? Is there a Charleston Northern? (Actually, no. No there is not.)

The Buccaneers, as they happen to be monikered, shouldn't present too much of a problem for Maryland. They were 9-20 last year, and lost two starters to transfer, one of whom was a double digit scorer and nearly pulled down 8 rebounds per game. That's not a formula for success.

They really could've used those two guys for depth purposes, because they're very young and pretty thin at pretty much every position. Only six players have played a college game ever, and only one of those guys have averaged double-digits in scoring in a year. Their third highest returning scorer from last year averaged just 5.9 points a game, and they received no major incoming transfers or recruits. Yeah, they have some pretty prominent negatives.

Luckily for the Bucs, they do have some things going for them. The biggest positive is Jamarco Warren, the starting PG and returning leading scorer. He put up nearly 18 points per game last year, and was on the preseason All-Big South first team. This will be a good defensive test for Greivis Vasquez and Adrian Bowie - the dude can put up a ton of points, and holds the CSU record for made threes in one season. He shot a very respectable, if not amazing, 39% from deep, so whoever's checking him will definitely have to extend their defense. He's traditionally been a very offensively-focused player, though, so he might lock into trying to score and ignore the rest of his teammates and defense altogether.

They also return Kelvin Martin at SF, a sophomore who averaged 9 points and 6 rebounds per game last year. They'll need him to take a big step if they want to succeed next year.

The other positives aren't quite so large, but they're still there. Their starting SG, Jeremy Sexton, was Tennessee's Mr. Basketball runner-up, which is moderately impressive considering Tennessee put out some real talent last year. Even with that, he still didn't even have a Rivals or Scout profile. The other positive would be that they return center Billy Blackmon, who only played a few games before breaking his arm last year. The tall (6-10), lanky (just 205) big man is expected to start for the Bucs opposite whoever Maryland throws out there (guessing James Padgett).

To make it simple, they have one really big threat, Warren, who's a solid outside shooter, but ultimately short (5-11) and offensive-focused. They also have a somewhat reliable #2 option with Martin, on whose progress they will depend.

Other than that, they're young and inexperienced - basically one gigantic question mark. It's highly unlikely, to me at least, that a bunch of role players will be able to elevate their games in their first game - they simply aren't naturally talented enough. Vasquez should be able to have his way with Warren when getting to the hoop (too much height and strength), and CSU won't be able to exploit Maryland's lack of experience in the middle. Their positives are similar to Maryland's, but they just aren't nearly as good at them.

Don't be surprised if the Bucs are sticking around at the beginning - Warren's too good offensively for them not too - but like most mid-majors, they'll start to fail as the game gets later and their depth and inexperience are exposed. I'm calling a Maryland win, 91-73.

The More You Know: Adrian Bowie

Ben Broman — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 22:00:35 -0000

More photos » by Nick Wass - AP

Bowie's driving the lane...get it?

Browse more photos »

Not only is Dino Gregory academically ineligible and Steven Goins out with a knee injury, but it seems Maryland might have another nuisance - albeit a very minor one - on their hands.

It appears Adrian Bowie has a few charges stemming from a traffic related incident that occurred a few months ago: failure to report property damage, negligent driving, failure to reduce speed in dangerous weather, failure to stop after property damage, and failure to reduce speed to avoid a collision. All of the links point to the public Maryland Judiciary Case Search, so anyone could've looked this up. (To get the links to work, click on one, accept the agreement, then close out that tab and go to the links again, or just accept the agreement and search Adrian Bowie). His "trial date" is the 16th, exactly a week from today and a few days later than the Maryland opener against Charleston Southern.

So what does all that mean? Well, no alcohol was involved and nobody got hurt, so there won't be any serious repercussions from it. He might have to pay a fine, do some community service, maybe take a driving class - something along those lines - but nothing that would affect his eligibility or make him miss any time. It's a little bigger than a simple traffic ticket or parking offense, but it's not even close to a criminal offense.

Or, at least, that's what it seems. We're not lawyers, so take what we say with a grain of salt. It could be more, could be less. But after a little research, it looks very innocent. And who knows, maybe he's innocent.

Well then, if it's not important, why post it? We had been sitting on this for awhile, but once it became clear that at least some of the fans knows about it (one even left a comment on one of our posts, asking "How's his driving?", and message boards had been making clues to it), we decided we clue the rest in, too. This isn't breaking news, nor are we trying to present it as such, but we're trying to help you out here.

It's not a big deal, and don't fret over it. But if somebody makes a reference to Adrian Bowie's driving, this is what they're talking about. Now you know.

Also, this sets up two years of easy "driving the lane" jokes. You're welcome.

BtB 2009-10 ACC Preview

Chris Dobbertean — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 17:00:28 -0000

North Carolina claimed the conference's 11th national title last season, but thanks to major personnel losses, they'll be hard pressed to repeat. The Tar Heels aren't alone, as the overwhelming majority of teams in the ACC lost at least one key player during the offseason. Not only will Wayne Ellington, Danny Green, Tyler Hansbrough, and Ty Lawson not be in the league next year; players like Alade Aminu, Brandon Costner, Toney Douglas, Gerald Henderson, James Johnson, Jack McClinton, Terrence Oglesby, Greg Paulus. K.C. Rivers, Jeff Teague, and A.D. Vassallo will be missing as well. But as is traditional, plenty of high-profile recruits have signed on with the league's 12 teams--with Derrick Favors, John Henson, Ryan Kelly, Mason Plumley, Durand Scott, and Michael Snaer the most prominent newcomers.

These freshmen will join several returning stars who have already shown brightly in the ACC universe, like Al-Faroq Aminu, Trevor Booker, Ed Davis, Malcolm Delaney, Gani Lawal, Sylven Landesberg, Jon Scheyer, Kyle Singler, and Greivis Vasquez. Those are the type of impact players who can keep the league at the forefront of the national conversation for yet another season.

The big question is whether one of the teams can get the old and new to mix well enough to claim the conference's 12th crown in Indianapolis in April. More on the 12 contenders after the jump.

Here's a recap of last year's ACC standings.

Atlantic Coast Conference Standings

(updated 4.7.2009 at 12:22 AM EDT)

	Conf		Overall
	W	L	W	L
North Carolina Tar Heels	13	3	34	4
Duke Blue Devils	11	5	30	7
Wake Forest Demon Deacons	11	5	24	7
Florida St. Seminoles	10	6	25	10
Clemson Tigers	9	7	23	9
Boston College Eagles	9	7	22	12
Maryland Terrapins	7	9	21	14
Miami Hurricanes	7	9	19	13
Virginia Tech Hokies	7	9	19	15
N.C. State Wolfpack	6	10	16	14
Virginia Cavaliers	4	12	10	18
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets	2	14	12	19

Now, here are my picks for 2009-10, presented in reverse order. If a team's name appears in red, click the link to visit that school's SB Nation site, where you'll find complete coverage and analysis throughout the season.

NC State (last NCAA: 2006) The Wolfpack could be in for a very long season, as the top three scorers are gone from a team that won only 6 ACC games last season. 6-8 junior F Tracy Smith (10 ppg, 4.5 rpg) is Sidney Lowe's leading returning scorer, and the coach has to settle on a point guard with Javier Gonzalez (6.6 ppg, 3.3 apg), Farnold Degand (4.7 ppg, 2.4 apg), and Julius Mays (4.7 ppg, 1.9 apg) all options. 6-9 senior Dennis Horner (6.4 ppg, 2.8 rpg) joins Smith in the frontcourt, but three freshmen--6-7 Richard Howell, 6-9 DeShawn Painter, and 7-0 Australian Jordan Vandenberg--will see significant minutes. Another newcomer, 6-6 Scott Wood, will get time as a swingman. NC State's schedule includes a home game with Georgia State in the Glenn Wilkes Classic, followed by games with Akron, Austin Peay, and Auburn in Daytona Beach. They face Northwestern in the ACC/BIg Ten Challenge; visit Marquette; and face Arizona and Florida in Raleigh.

Miami (last NCAA: 2008) PG Jack McClinton graduated after a season that ended with a loss to Florida in the second round of the NIT. It was a disappointing end to a year that started with high expectations. Now, McClinton's replacement, Villanova transfer Malcolm Grant, walks into a situation where he'll be the floor general for a team with few hopes. Frank Haith's squad got a major boost when 6-8 senior F Dwayne Collins (10.6 ppg, 7.3 rpg) decided to withdraw from the NBA Draft. That decision really helped the Canes' frontcourt, as 6-9 senior Cyrus McGowan (4.6 ppg, 4.4 rpg) and 6-7 senior Adrian Thomas (5.1 ppg, 2.3 ppg) would have been the most experienced players on the unit. 6-9 redshirt freshman Reggie Johnson will see action this season, as will several backcourt newcomers. 6-6 Garrius Adams, 6-1 Antoine Allen, and 6-5 Durand Scott--one of the top SG prospects--in the country will be called into immediate action to support Grant and 6-4 senior James Dews (8.2 ppg, 2.7 rpg). The Canes will take on Tulane in their first game at the Charleston Classic, then face either UNC Wilmington or NIT champ Penn State. They also host Minnesota in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge and visit Pepperdine.

Virginia (last NCAA: 2007) Tony Bennett was the surprise choice to replace Dave Leitao as head coach during the offseason. Now, while Bennett's arrival won't improve an offense that rated 11th in the league last season, the defense should improve (and it won't be hard as UVa rated 12th in scoring D in the ACC). That should result in more wins for a team that has talent. 6-6 sophomore Sylven Landesberg was a worthy replacement for Sean Singletary, as he averaged 16.6 points, 6 boards, and 2.8 assists a game during his freshman year. 6-8 Mike Scott is a frontcourt talent, but he needs to be more assertive. If he can do that, he'll improve on his already decent numbers of 10.3 ppg and 7.4 rpg. Virginia fans are hoping Bennett is working closely with his guards, as 6-2 Calvin Baker (8.4 ppg, 2.8 apg) and 6-0 Sammy Zeglinski (7.8 ppg, 3 apg) are just about as adept at passing the ball to the other team as they are to feeding teammates. (Both averaged 2.5 TO per game last season.) 5-11 freshman Jontel Evans is ready to take over the point if they don't improve. 6-8 freshman F Tristan Spurlock provides the Cavaliers with a legit inside/outside threat, so he'll see time right off the bat as well. The Cavaliers will be tested in the Cancun Challenge, and not only in the games in Mexico against Stanford, then Kentucky or Cleveland State. They face two difficult opponents, Rider and Oral Roberts, in Charlottesville before they head to the Caribbean.

Virginia Tech (last NCAA: 2007) Seth Greenberg has a major hole to fill, thanks to the graduation of A.D. Vassallo, but the Hokies' roster still features a lot of talent. 6-3 junior PG Malcolm Delaney becomes the face of the program, and he's already one of the best returning players in the league (18.1 ppg, 4 rpg, 4.5 apg). 6-7 FJeff Allen (13.7 ppg, 8.7 rpg) could fill the same role in the frontcourt, if he stays consistent and on his best behavior. 6-6 junior J.T. Thompson (6.5 ppg, 3.7 rpg) should provide more support after struggling through an injury-plagued season, as should 6-8 Victor Davila, who averaged 3.1 points and 2 boards a game in limited action. The Hokies' newcomers will see some time right off the bat--6-4 Erick Green backing up Delaney, 6-4 Ben Boggs at off guard, and 6-7 Manny Atkins in Vassallo's swingman spot. VPI's schedule features games against Delaware and Temple in the Philly Hoop Group Classic; at Iowa in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge; at Penn State; and against Seton Hall in Cancun to kickoff the New Year.

Wake Forest (last NCAA: 2009) The Demon Deacons will be without James Johnson and Jeff Teague, two major losses for a team that faded after a brief stay atop the polls. Even without Johnson, Dino Gaudio's frontcourt is a talented one, thanks to the presence of 6-9 sophomore Al-Faroq Aminu (12.9 ppg, 8.2 rpg). 7-foot senior C Chris McFarland (8.7 ppg, 5.8 rpg) could be more of a factor if he can play more consistently and stay off the bench. After those two, the Deacons' other bigs have a lot of room to improve. David Weaver, Tony Woods, and Ty Walker only managed to average a combined 6.2 points and 6.2 boards a game last season. 6-7 freshman Ari Stewart could see a lot of the minutes Johnson played in '08-09. In the backcourt, Teague's scoring punch will be missed. 6-0 PG Ishmael Smith (6.2 ppg, 3.4 apg) is a good passer, but lacks an outside shot, while 6-4 L.D. Williams (8 ppg) is more of a factor on the defensive end. 6-4 JC transfer Konner Tucker, who committed to Kentucky out of high school, will play shooting guard. Wake's schedule isn't overwhelming. They take on Purdue in the ACC/BIg Ten Challenge, visit Gonzaga, and host A-10 powers Dayton and Xavier around the New Year.

Boston College (last NCAA: 2009) Al Skinner's squad should be OK this year as they learn to play without Tyrese Rice, but expect next year to be even better as 6-7 reserve F Tyler Roche is the only senior on the roster. 6-1 junior Biko Paris (3.4, 1.7 apg) will get the first crack at replacing Rice, while 6-5 swingman Rakim Sanders (12.9 ppg, 4.4 rpg) and 6-3 Reggie Jackson--a 44 percent shooter who only averaged 7 points a game last year--will provide offense from the backcourt. The frontcourt will be pretty good, as 6-8 F Joe Trapani (13.4, 6.6) and 6-6 F Corey Raji (9.9 ppg, 6.1 rpg) have shown they can be a force in the ACC, and 6-10 Josh Southern (6.5 ppg while shooting 50.3% from the floor) could be if he's more assertive. The Eagles will face St. Joseph's in their opening game at the Paradise Jam, with a contest against either Purdue or South Dakota State to follow on day 2. The Eagles travel to Providence and Michigan in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, while they host UMass and South Carolina.

Clemson (last NCAA: 2009) Three key players from last year's squad are gone--swingman K.C. Rivers, big man Raymond Sykes, and sharpshooter Terrence Oglesby, who left to play professionally in Europe, but the top rebounder and field goal shooter in the league, 6-7 Trevor Booker (15.3 ppg, 9.7 rpg) is back for his senior season. The arrival of his brother Devin, a 6-8 F/C, and 6-9 Milton Jennings, a McDonald's All-American, gives the frontcourt an immediate boost. 6-6 Noel Johnson, a swingman who originally committed to Southern Cal, should prove to be a nice replacement for Rivers. The backcourt could be a bit of a concern for Oliver Purnell; however, as 6-2 junior PG Demontez Stitt (8.7 ppg, 3.8 apg) can be a bit inconsistent. That means 5-9 Andre Young (4.4 ppg, 2.1 apg) could see plenty of time at the 1 spot. Overall, the Tigers will really have to do better from the charity stripe this season, as they ranked 10th in the ACC last season. The Tigers will play in the very tough 76 Classic in Anaheim, where they open with Texas A&M. They also take on Illinois in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge and host archrival South Carolina.

Florida State (last NCAA: 2009) The Seminoles' heart and soul of the past few seasons, ACC leading scorer and Defensive Player of the Year Toney Douglas, graduated, as did F Uche Echefu. So that means FSU will be headed back to the NIT, right? Well, thanks to the return of a bunch of key players and one top recruit, don't expect the Noles to fall too far. 7-1 sophomore Solomon Alabi (8.4 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 2.1 bpg), an inside force and the team's leading returning scorer, anchors a frontcourt that also features 6-9 Chris Singleton (8.1 ppg, 4.9 rpg), 6-11 Xavier Gibson (2.3 ppg, 1.4 rpg in 6 mpg), and 6-8 senior Ryan Reid (4.9 ppg, 3.7 rpg). The big issue for FSU's backcourt is finding a replacement for Douglas. 6-4 junior Derwin Kitchen (7.9 ppg, 2.5 apg) could be the answer from a passing and defensive perspective, while 6-5 freshman Michael Snaer--who averaged 28 ppg during a senior year in which he was named California HS player of the year--could replace his scoring. If the returnees kick their scoring up a notch, FSU will be right back in the Dance. The Seminoles will be tested by a schedule that includes the Old Spice Classic--where they should have more of a home advantage than UCF had in 2007. They'll open that tournament with Iona, then face Alabama or Baylor on Day 2. Leonard Hamilton's squad also travels to archrival Florida and faces Ohio State in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.

Maryland (last NCAA: 2009) The equation for the Terrapins is pretty simple. If Greivis Vasquez is healthy and playing well, they'll be pretty good. The 6-6 Venezuelan senior decided to not enter the NBA Draft, and that's a good thing for Gary Williams' side. It not only would have been difficult to replace his 17.5 points, 5.4 boards, and 5 assists per game, but it would have been impossible to replace his heart and spirit. 6-4 Eric Hayes (10.3 ppg, 3.2 apg) and 6-2 drive-first junior Adrian Bowie (9 ppg, 2.5 apg) join Vasquez to form one of the top backcourt units in the league. The frontcourt features 6-7 senior Landon Milbourne (11.4 ppg, 5.2 rpg) and not much else in the way of experience, especially after Dave Neal's graduation. Freshmen James Padgett (6-8) and Jordan Williams (6-9) will be expected to provide instant interior presence for the Terps. Maryland will play in Maui, where they open with Chaminade before facing either Cincinnati or Vanderbilt on Day 2. They visit Indiana in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge and Villanova in DC at the BB&T Classic.

Georgia Tech (last NCAA: 2007) While the Yellow Jackets won't have the services of either Alade Aminu inside or Lewis Clinch outside, they will be a bigger threat thanks to the arrival of a true game-changer, 6-10 freshman Derrick Favors. He'll join a frontcourt that retains 6-9 junior Gani Lawal (15.1 ppg, 9.5 rpg) and 6-8 Zachary Peacock (9.2 ppg, 4.8 rpg). The backcourt could be Paul Hewitt's squad's Achilles heel, however. 6-5 guard Iman Shumpert's (10.6 ppg) assist-to-turnover ratio of 5 to 3.7 was way too high. He may handle the ball less this season, especially since 6-2 Maurice Miller (5.8 ppg, 4.3 apg) and 6-2 freshman Mfon Udofia are both capable point guards. The Yellow Jackets' schedule features some nice matchups, as they face Dayton, then either George Mason or Villanova in the first two days of the Puerto Rico Tip-Off. Tech also hosts Hewitt's former employer, Siena, and USC.

Duke (last NCAA: 2009) In a rarity for a recent Duke team, Mike Krzyzewski's 2009-10 Blue Devil outfit will be frontcourt-oriented, thanks to the departure of Gerald Henderson, Greg Paulus, and Elliot Williams. While 6-5 Jon Scheyer (14.9 ppg, 2.8 apg) and 6-2 junior Nolan Smith (8.4 ppg, 2.2 rpg) are back, and 6-4 freshman Andre Hawkins enrolled early, the Duke backcourt will be extremely thin. It's so thin that Kyle Singler, a 6-8 junior who averaged 16.5 points and 7.7 rebounds a game in '08-09, will spend a lot of time on the wing this season. The frontcourt is talented, but will lack experience. 7-1 senior C Brian Zoubeck (4.1 ppg, 3.7 rpg) and 6-8 senior PF Lance Thomas (5.3 ppg, 3.6 rpg) are the key holdovers from last season, but they'll be pushed hard by two 6-10 McDonald's All-Americans, Mason Plumlee (brother of Duke soph Miles) and Ryan Kelly. They're two players who will cause major matchup problems for opponents, as they love to get out and play on the perimeter on offense. If the new guys live up to the hype, it could be a big year in Durham. Duke's schedule includes the NIT Season Tip-Off. They'll take on Coastal Carolina in their first game, then face either Charlotte or Elon with a ticket to New York on the line. The Blue Devils will play at Wisconsin in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, face Gonzaga in New York, Iowa State in Chicago, and Tulsa in a rare late February non-conference tilt.

North Carolina (last NCAA: 2009) This pick relies on a lot of "ifs." Considering that Roy Williams lost an average of 66.2 ppg when Wayne Ellington, Tyler Hansbrough, Danny Green, and Ty Lawson left Chapel Hill, it won't be easy for the Tar Heels to repeat as NCAA Champion. It will even be tough for them to retain the ACC title. That being said, between the returnees--led by 6-8 senior Deon Thompson (10.6 ppg, 5.7 rpg) and 6-10 Ed Davis (6.7 ppg, 6.6 rpg, but bound to do better when playing more minutes)--and a sterling group of newcomers, the Heels should be able to keep making national noise. Davis and Thompson will be joined in the frontcourt by 6-10 frosh John Henson, who does a lot of everything well. The biggest knock on him is his weight (195 lbs.), but that won't stop him from being a force at this level. 6-5 swingman Marcus Ginyard was out for all but three games last year with an injury, while 6-6 G/F Will Graves (4 ppg, 2.6 rpg) is also back after missing time last season for disciplinary reasons. Freshmen Leslie McDonald (6-4) and Dexter Strickland (6-3) will also see plenty of action in their first season. The revamped Tar Heels will get their first test against in the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic, with a game against Ohio State to start, then one with California or Syracuse to follow the next night. They also host Nevada and Texas; face a rematch with Michigan State (in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge); and visit Kentucky.

The Tar Heels are my pick to repeat in the ACC, though they'll have a more difficult time this season with a younger roster. They'll hold the league's auto bid in my 2009-10 Final Preseason Bracket, which I will release on November 9. Check in then to see which other ACC squads I think have the best chance to go dancing in March.

To wrap up this preview, here is my preseason All-ACC team, featuring the best returning players from last season.

Preseason All-ACC Team

Player of the Year: Greivis Vasquez, 6-6 G, Sr. (Maryland)

Remainder of the Team
Trevor Booker, 6-7 F, Sr. (Clemson)
Ed Davis, 6-10 F, So. (North Carolina)
Malcolm Delaney, 6-3 G, Jr. (Virginia Tech)
Kyle Singler, 6-8 F, Jr. (Duke)

Poll

Who is your pick to win the ACC this season?

Boston College

9 votes

Clemson

1 votes

Duke

35 votes

Florida State

1 votes

Georgia Tech

3 votes

Maryland

37 votes

Miami

0 votes

North Carolina

22 votes

NC State

2 votes

Virginia

1 votes

Virginia Tech

1 votes

Wake Forest

3 votes

115 votes | Poll has closed

Halloween Scrimmage Notes

Ben Goldstein — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 21:33:38 -0000

More photos » by Nick Wass - AP

Another impressive day for the three seniors.

Browse more photos »

Gary Williams and Co. held their second open scrimmage of the season this afternoon. For those of you that couldn't make it, here are my notes on the guys.

Jordan Williams: Had a decent scrimmage, a lot better than his first one. Some of the comparisons floating around to Braxton Dupree are premature and probably a little unfair. JWill did a lot of good things today. He brought down a ton of rebounds which was nice to see. Defensively, though, he was a little inconsistent. Williams had a great block on James Padgett on a fast break that drew a loud cheer from the crowd. Unfortunately, he also seemed lost on defense at times. There was one play where Williams missed an assignment and Gary did one of his "I can't believe that just happened, now I'm going to put my hands on my head" things. Overall, though, it was a solid day for JWill who finished with 11 points and 10 rebounds.

James Padgett: Also had a solid day. He probably outplayed Williams, but not by that much. Padge initially struggled putting the ball in the hoop but got better as the game went on. It's clear that he's going to get significant playing time this year. He dropped 17 points and brought in 11 rebounds (6 offensive) on a 6 for 12 shooting day.

Jin Soo Choi: Jin Soo scored 8 points and had a couple of rebounds but didn't really stand out. It doesn't seem like he's really put on weight and he doesn't look greatly improved from last season. I doubt that he'll be in the regular rotation come ACC play but obviously a lot can change between now and January.

Sean Mosley: Mosley was good today and should be an even bigger part of the team this season. He seems a lot more assertive on the offensive end and also looks to have gained a step or two. Mosley's greatest strength on offense is probably finding the open man and he did a good job of it today, leading both teams in assists with seven. He also added 16 points on 6-11 shooting.

Adrian Bowie: Bowie had a decent day with 14 points and three assists. He wasn't too great from 3, though, shooting 1 for 6 from behind the arc. Bowie also played some point guard today and did a nice job of it. Still, he's probably the third PG option behind Greivis and Hayes.

Eric Hayes: The senior guard looked good and if he doesn't earn a starting spot, he'll be the first guy off the bench. Hayes scored 18 points on a 6 for 9 shooting day. He was 4 of 6 from beyond the arc. He also seems more comfortable this year. Hayes isn't flashy or loud but he's a huge part of this team. He'll have a big part in determining how successful the Terps are this season.

Landon Milbourne: He's a monster and should have a huge year. He seems more comfortable at the 4 which is good because that's where he's going to be forced to play this year. Landon finished with 21 points on 7 for 11 shooting and brought down 6 boards.

Dino Gregory: Dino stood out more to me than any other player on the court despite not really showing up on the stat sheet (it seems like he scored a lot more than 8 points.) Regardless, Dino was a defensive presence and looked pretty sharp on his mid-range jump shot from what I saw. There was one play where Greivis and Jordan Williams were on a fast break with Dino playing defense and Williams went in for a tomahawk slam. Dino swatted the ball into the crowd and let out a "Get that outta here!" It was awesome. Probably the play of the game.

Greivis Vasquez: Greivis is Greivis. He's the best player on this team and it's not close. Terp fans, appreciate GV because we're going to miss him next year. The guy just finds a way to score. He hit from three and created shots by driving to the lane with ease. There was one sequence where Vasquez hit two straight threes, then stole the ball on defense and threw a no-look pass to Mosley who slammed it home. He's the man. We'll go as far as he takes us this year.

A Few Other Notes:

- Walked onto the court after the scrimmage and saw Mychal Parker and Hippolyte Tsafack sitting first row. Both were laughing and seemed to be having a good time. Hopefully we'll have more on Hippo and how his visit went in the next day or so.

- Anybody who thinks that Gary isn't as intense or dedicated as we once was, you're wrong. He was screaming at the coaches and players in typical Gary fashion, all while sporting a neck brace from his recent surgery.

- The front court is by no means a strength this season, but it should be improved. Dino looks greatly improved, Milbourne looks more comfortable, and both the freshmen bigs seem like they can contribute.

- Steve Goins didn't play and according to Pat Stevens, he was out with a knee injury.

- The feel good moment of the scrimmage was when Ersin Levent hit a gorgeous turnaround jumper that drew a large applause from the crowd. Gary and Greivis both came over and gave him some dap. Pretty sweet for a guy that walked onto the team two weeks ago.

Terps Beat Cal, Move On to Memphis

Ben Broman — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 21:47:09 -0000

I was one of the many who predicted a win over Cal, but I didn't expect it to be nearly this easy. Maryland had the five minute scoreless streak that one comes to expect after rooting for the Terps, but other than that, it was a wonderfully played game. If not for that five minute stretch, this could've been a 20 point win, instead of 13.

The biggest, most obvious plus was how they defended the 3pt line. Cal normally shoots in the 40% area, but today they shot a lowly 29%, some of which was made up near the end of the game. The supposedly unstoppable Jerome Randle had only 14 points; he made a few amazing plays, but was shut down for the most part by some great defense from Adrian Bowie. Then there's Patrick Christopher, the SG for Cal, who, normally 49% from 3, went 0-7 from distance. Cal truly died with the jumper today. More impressive, Maryland wasn't torched on the boards. They lost by four rebounds, but they consistently got out on shooters. Cal should've dominated the battle on the boards, but they didn't. The great defense opened up some easy offensive opportunities, which gave the Terps confidence in their offensive game. The confidence made it easier to work in the half court, and Maryland just executed perfectly in both the halfcourt and in transition.

The first and second halves really were two different games. In the first half, Cal was finding options outside of 3pt shooting, and Maryland couldn't distance themselves. It really was a close game that made you worried. The first eight minutes in the second half were similarly close. Cal battled back to take a lead, and everyone rooting for Maryland started to feel a bit antsy.

But much like the NCSt game, they responded perfectly to losing the lead at about the 12 minute mark. After that point, everything went right for Maryland. Hayes, Vasquez, and Milbourne hit open jumpers. Dino Gregory was extremely active once again (loved the put back dunk). Adrian Bowie made his return to the offense. Dave Neal was grabbing rebounds and making shots. Charges were called on Cal instead of blocks on Maryland. Everything was working. I can't remember the last time that happened. Generally, we're on the other side of that.

This was the type of performance Maryland needs against Memphis to compete. Vasquez put up 27, but he had help. Neal had 15, Bowie had 12, Hayes had 14, and Milbourne had 9. You can't complain about those totals. The way all the pieces are starting to come together and find their place is pretty special.

In case you missed it, Memphis nearly lost to Cal St. Northridge earlier in the day. CS-Northridge had as much as a 6 point lead in the second half, and a 3 point lead with just 9 minutes left. In fact, if it weren't for Roburt Sallie's incredible, unexpected performance (he put up 35, and he averaged 4.5 this year), Memphis probably loses that game. The zone really hurt them, which is great news for Maryland. Memphis' offense is pretty much passing the ball around looking for a mismatch or good look. The zone can have a lot of success against that kind of play. If they shoot as poorly as they did today (minus Sallie), the 3-2 zone that worked so well in the ACCT could very well kill their offense.

I think Maryland proved today that they were the team that finished out the season with two ACCT wins. Memphis, however, proved they weren't the team that looked so dominant in the C-USA. Memphis is very beatable, and I don't think I'd want any coach other than Gary Williams to coach this game. I wouldn't go so far as to predict a victory, but Memphis isn't unbeatable.

A Maryland Terrapins Preview

ragnarok — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 13:00:11 -0000

Hey, looks like Cal fans no longer have to wait until September to get their revenge on the University of Maryland -- Cal Basketball has just won a Thursday date with the Terrapins in Kansas City for the first round of the NCAA Tournament!

vs.

Now, I've been on vacation for the past few days, and won't actually get home until Thursday, but when TwistNHook calls you up and tells you he just has to have a preview of the Maryland basketball team for Monday morning, well, it's pretty obvious what I have do: I tell him to kiss off. However, then Avinash emails me, pleading for mercy, telling me that since joining CGB, Twist has had him chained to his laptop night and day, and could I please help with the workload? With CBKWit feverishly toiling away at his Recruiting Event post, there simply isn't anyone else to handle this, so I graciously acquiesce. You're welcome.

Maryland has been considered an NCAA bubble team for quite some time, limping to just a 7-9 record in a tough ACC. They haven't lost more than 2 games in a row all season, yet until the ACC tournament, they'd only won 2 games in a row once since running off 7 in a row against a significantly easier non-conference slate back in December (Michigan and then a bunch of nobodies). They do have some nice wins this year, including an 88-85 overtime victory over North Carolina and an 80-62 handling of Michigan State in the Old Spice Classic, but a couple of bad losses to Morgan State (can Todd Bozeman give us some pointers?) and Virginia (to close the regular season with a dud), plus some embarassing blowouts to Gonzaga, Georgetown, Clemson and Duke (85-44? Ouch!) certainly left the Terrapins' post-season fate in doubt. Really, it probably took a pair of wins in the ACC tournament to secure their place in the field of 65, the second an impressive 75-64 win over Wake Forest. However, they got here, any team that can beat both North Carolina and Wake Forest should be one to take seriously.

And if we're taking Maryland seriously, that should start (and maybe end) with taking point guard Greivis Vasquez seriously. The Venezuelan is pretty much their team; he leads Maryland in points, rebounds, assists and steals. He plays by far the most minutes, and takes by far the most shots. If the game is on the line, the ball will be in his hands, and if he gets to the line, he's an 88% free throw shooter. He's been held below 10 points just 3 times this year (by Duke, Georgetown, and Florida State), and in the upset win over North Carolina, he recorded the Terrapins' first triple-double in 22 years. Perhaps Randle or Gutierrez will be quick enough to help contain Vasquez before he penetrates the lane, forcing him to pass it on, or hopefully take less-than-ideal shots (he can be a ball-hog at times, and though he takes by far the most threes on the team, he makes less than a third of them), though at 6' 6", Vasquez should be a height mismatch for either of Cal's point guards, and possibly too quick for Christopher or Robertson. The Bears should hold out scant hope of shutting Greivis down, instead merely trying to limit the damage.

Vasquez will be Maryland's first option on offense. Maybe their second and third options, too. - Image via sportsillustrated.cnn.com

Beyond Vasquez, however, Maryland will present little in the way of height. No one on their roster is taller than 6' 10", and much of that height goes unused on the bench; the tallest players who make significant contributions are 6' 7" forwards Landon Milbourne and Dave Neal (the squad's only senior). Without much size inside, the Terrapins give up a lot of offensive boards (when your point guard is your leading rebounder, you're probably in trouble), and while they are in the top 10 in the country in free throw percentage, that skill doesn't help them much, since they are absolutely awful at getting to the free throw line (in terms of the number of free throw attempts as compared to their total field goal attempts, they're in the bottom 15 in the country). Milbourne is Maryland's real inside presence, and a good shooter to boot (85% from the line, and can step out and hit some jump shots, too), but I feel pretty confident about Boykin and Kamp's ability to match up with him.

On the perimeter, Maryland has a number of players who can knock down an open shot, including Neal, 6' 4" guard Eric Hayes, and 6' 2" guard Adrian Bowie. However, as long as the Bears don't leave these guys open, I think they should be fine; none of these guys shoot even 40% from three (the best, Neal, is about as good as Christopher, though with far fewer attempts), and Maryland is overall pretty mediocre from three. In fact, their shooting percentage is overall pretty tepid (46%, 33% from three, both in the bottom half of the NCAA), and the main way they stay in games in by maximizing their opportunities; they don't turn the ball over much (top 30 in the country) and they grab a bunch of offensive boards (fantastic given their lack of size).

Defensively, Maryland likes to mix and match between straight up man defense and a zone. They can both block and steal the ball; if they have a weakness on defense, it's that they don't rebound particularly well, which is not good news for them; give the Bears two or three chances to knock down and open shot, and they almost certainly will. Neither team will physically overpower the other, so I have a feeling that a lot of this game is going to be determined by which team exudes more hustle, especailly on the boards.

In the Asian guy on the bench category, Maryland counters Cal's Max Zhang with one of their own, 6' 8" freshman Jin Soo Kim. Like Max, he's a bit of a fan favorite, and also like Max, he probably won't play outside of garbage time. Interesting fun fact, though.

On paper, I think Cal should win this game. Vasquez is a stellar talent (All-ACC second team), but he does need help, and I think the Bears match up well enough with everyone else to be able to deny Vasquez the help he needs. If there's one thing that worries me, it'll be how much the Bears want this game; they can survive a cold shooting stretch with good defense, but not if they aren't willing to put in the work. Traveling to Missouri and starting an early game didn't work too well back in December, and it could be a worry again, as the Bears have looked the worst this year when they didn't have 5 guys on the floor with their heads in the game, willing to play tough D.

My early homer prediction: Cal 75, Maryland 68, with Jerome Randle thriving in his first taste of the NCAA tournament.

Poll

Who will win the Cal vs. Maryland re-match? And how much of a margin will they win by?

Cal wins big.

67 votes

Cal barely wins

126 votes

Maryland barely wins

20 votes

Maryland wins big

21 votes

234 votes | Poll has closed

Terps' Run Ends With Duke

Ben Broman — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 14:52:07 -0000

This game should've hurt me more than it did. It was a close game that one could argue Maryland could've won had they played just a little better. But going into the game, I had the belief that Maryland did everything they needed to do to get in. I still believe that. As such, I can't be angry with a few guys running out of steam in their third game in three days.

However, when one guy doesn't get tired, he deserves recognition. Eric Hayes was simply amazing the last five minutes. He just took control of the game. There was confidence and almost a swagger that he knew what he was doing. I'm left wondering where this has been all year long. If he can do that consistently in the tourney, the Terps have a shot at the Sweet Sixteen.

Defensively, the zone did better than I expected it to against Duke. The shooters are there at Duke, but the zone still slowed them down a bit. It wasn't the be-all and end-all of defensive schemes, but it could've been much worse.

Outside of just the zone, Maryland still did a great job on defense. Kyle Singler was held scoreless for the first nineteen minutes of the second half, and Gerald Henderson had single digits. Neither of those are easy to do.

I don't know what it is, but everyone except one or two guys really picked up their play in the tourney. I would say it's because they were fighting for their tournament lives, but then why weren't they that good against Virginia? Regardless, Sean Mosley, Dino Gregory, and Eric Hayes all had coming out parties these past few days. Mosley proved that he can be a consistent 10 point scorer. Gregory, even though his statline wasn't always amazing, played very well the entire tournament, even on defense. Eric Hayes was probably the MVP for the Terps. He played so well in the NCSt game and this game, and was pretty good against Wake, too.

It was also good to see Adrian Bowie get back on track. He had ten points yesterday and didn't seem to be in a funk. It's clear just how good he is in the open floor - no one is as consistent with a difficult fast-break layup as he is.

On the other hand, Cliff Tucker was nonexistent yesterday. He played only four minutes, which brings back the nostalgia of earlier games in the year. I understand why he sat - in four minutes, he had two fouls, which isn't a formula to get playing time from Gary Williams. I'm starting to think that he may end up transferring again. He had a decent middle of the year, but if Lance Stephenson comes here, he may see the writing on the wall. I'm confident that one of the big guys will leave, opening up a spot for Lance, and the minutes at the 2/3 spots just won't be there. If he's getting 4 minutes now, imagine what he'll get when a top 5 player is in front of him. That raises the possibility of a Williams/Padgett/Lance/Vinson class, which would be a phenomenal coup.

It would've been nice to win, but I'm not at all broken up about it. In fact, it might be good to get an extra day of rest. I'm more concerned about the NCAAs than the ACC tournament. I said this in the game thread, but the committee won't look down at a six point loss when the team is as tired as they are. They'll see marked improvement - we started at 41 and ended at 6; this wasn't quite as good as a win, but it's not a normal loss.

Terps Keep Dream Alive, Beat Wolfpack

Ben Broman — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 01:43:17 -0000

Maryland had to fight back tonight, but the Terps were able to grab the comeback win on the backs of Eric Hayes and Greivis Vasquez. Now they need to focus on Wake Forest tomorrow to clinch a bid.

First off, I don't know what it is with Hayes and the state of Georgia, but the last time he was in Georgia, he scored 15. When he played a team from Georgia before that (GT) he dropped 17. Tonight, he was instrumental in the win, with 21. Without a doubt in my mind, he was the MVP tonight (Vasquez was a close second). Without a couple of threes in a row in the middle of the first half, Maryland doesn't make a run to tie the lead at half and probably end up losing. His three point shooting was perfect tonight, he played solid defense, and made good decisions. If he can play similarly tomorrow night, I like Maryland's chances. For whatever reason, he gets a pretty big amount of open threes; if he starts to knock them down, Maryland is a much better team.

He wasn't alone, though - Greivis Vasquez had another big game, this time earning a double-double. He had trouble with outside shooting tonight (1-5 from three), but he was great when he drove the lane. Not only did he hit the runner in the lane consistently, he made great pass-outs from those situations to open guys (particularly Hayes). When Vaz and Hayes play the way the they did tonight, Maryland is a very difficult team to beat.

On Mr. Church League, Dave Neal is as clutch as clutch gets. He's not always the most consistent, but when he needs to make a big shot, he usually hits it. He made two really big threes tonight when Maryland needed them, which made up for a couple of poor defensive possessions.

I don't like comparing the two because they're different styles, but Dino Gregory outplayed Landon Milbourne at the four tonight. Gregory only had six points, but he took a charge, had a huge block on the fast break, grabbed seven boards, and didn't consistently get stuffed. Milbourne, meanwhile, had seven points and just three boards in 35 minutes, compared to Dino's 23. Oh, and he got rejected about three times. I'm not saying Milbourne should be benched, but why did he play 35 minutes tonight when Dino was clearly outplaying him? He's been coming up short recently - he's due for a big game against Wake Forest.

Credit where credit is due: the zone worked perfectly tonight. Costner only had four points (though much of that was due to foul trouble), and NCSt had to rely on a freshman bench player for offense. I'll take my chances on that every day of the week.

Looks like the FT problem was fixed tonight, as well. Maryland had 21 attempts, which was a nice return to getting points from the line.

Again, the minutes were a little funky tonight. Both Bowie and Tucker only had 13 minutes, which was a bit lower than I would've had. When they were really struggling offensively, Tucker should've been in the game. He's one of the bigger offensive weapons on the team, and Maryland needed all the help they could've gotten.

On the bubble front, Maryland got helped out; Miami is officially dead in the water, Virginia Tech, although they got a win, were hurt badly by Clemson's loss. Clemson has really been slumping lately, and that was VT's "marquee win". Providence was blown out, Arizona State beat Arizona, and Rhode Island lost to Duquense. A few bubblers got wins, but it was about as good as you could expect.

ACC Tourney Preview

Dave Tucker — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 13:12:09 -0000

Well folks, it all comes down to this for the Terps. Win and they're closer to being in. Lose, and we're done. I'll preview the first round match up between the Terps and NC State and maybe later today provide some other previews/reactions to the other games scheduled for today.

Check out the Terps-State preview after the jump.

NC State vs. Maryland

In their only meeting this season, Maryland pulled out a road win, 71-60 over the Wolfpack. The game was a little closer then the score indicates, since it was 68-60 until Vasquez took that last second 3-point shot and made it. Vasquez finished the game with 33 points and 5 assists. Dave Neal nearly had a double double, as the senior scored 11 and pulled down 8 rebounds. No other player for Maryland reached double figures.

NC State was led by 6'8" sophomore forward Tracy Smith, who kept State in the game with his 19 points and 9 rebounds. Three of State's other starters also reached double figures in the game: McCauley, Fells, and Gonzalez.

State was able to stay in the game through rebounding and second chance points. State out-rebounded the Terps by 8, 32-24 and was able to convert some of those rebounds into 7 second chance points (the Terps only had 2).

What the Terps must do to win

In the earlier match up this season, the Terps did a lot of things right - they shot well from the line (7/8), they scored in transition (13 fast break points to NC State's 6) which was helped by their 9 steals, they took care of the ball (8 TOs to State's 16) and they shot 47.6% from three point land. The are again going to have to replicate many of those feats if they hope to win tonight in Hotlanta; take care of the ball; score in transition; and get to the line and score.

The Terps must also get more production out of their starting 5. Although Vasquez is always capable of putting up 30+ points, Maryland shouldn't assume or rely on the junior to have John Gilchrist-type performance for the entire tournament. Landon Milbourne, who has struggled a lot lately, needs to again become productive and should try to rely more on his mid-range jump shot, which is a very high percentage shot for him. Adrien Bowie needs to drive more to the lane, slash through the defense and score. Bowie has struggled to score as of late, ever since he came down with the flu a few weeks ago. Sean Mosley, who does so many things that don't show up in the box score and who is also a fantastic rebounder, also needs to score more. This team can't rely on Vasquez to always carry them. Someone else needs to step up and that person might have to be Sean. Dave Neal needs to keep up his fantastic play as of late, especially his 3 point shooting, which has by far been the best on the team in the last few weeks.

Solve the 1-3-1 and 2-3 zone defenses. Maryland has struggled mightily against the zone D in the last few game, ever since Wake switched to a 1-3-1 zone in the second half of the Terps lose to Wake. UVA, after being down by as many as 13, switched to a zone D and the Terps went on one of the longest scoring droughts I've ever seen. Maryland needs to drive and dish out if they're going to solve these zone D's, and you know Sidney Lowe is going have this team playing some zone to try to slow down the Terps.

Get to the line. The Terps have shot a whopping 8 free throws in the last two games. Again, Maryland needs to drive to the basket more and pick up fouls so they can get to the line, where they're a great 3 point shooting team.

Bench play. If Milbourne, Bowie and Mosley continue to struggle on offense, someone on the bench is going to have to jump into the game game give the Terps a spark. Tucker, Hayes and Gregory as the likely candidates for that, especially Tucker and Hayes. Eric needs to find his scoring touch, and quickly, especially from outside the arc, where he's struggled the last few games.

Out coach. Although Sidney Lowe is a highly regarded coach, Gary Williams is a better one. Sidney is 0-4 against Garyland and having this game on a neutral court, in the same building where MD won their national title, favors the Terps.

What the Wolfpack must do to win

State has talent on their team and they have a great, balanced scoring attack. If they can take care of the ball, they'll have a much better chance of winning this game.

Play zone Defense. As was said previously, Maryland has struggled against zone defenses, so if State wants to win, they should play a lot of zone and hope that Maryland can't break the zone by drive-penetrating and by making 3's, where the Terps have struggled dearly for most of the season.

Keep fighting. The Terps have a tendency to jump out to leads and not be able to hold onto them and close out a game. As long as State is able to stay in the game, they have a chance to go on a run and capture some late-game momentum.

Control Greivis Vasquez. The junior guard had a monster game for the Terps in their earlier meeting, scoring 33 points and carrying the Terps to victory. State might want to consider double-teaming Vasquez and daring another shooting on Maryland to step up and beat them. Running a 2-3 zone that will keep Greivis from driving the lane will help State as well.

Prediction

If this game was in North Caroline, I'd be really worried. The fact that it's in Atlanta makes me a little less worried, but worried nonetheless. I think the Terps win a close one, 72-67. I think Vasquez again has a good game, puts up 20 points and Milbourne again finds his game and scores 15. After struggling early, Tucker comes of the bench and breaks up State's zone with some 3's and that gets the game going for the Terps.

Maryland 71, North Carolina State 60: Thoughts

Ben Broman — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 14:20:27 -0000

While this was never a must-win game for Maryland, it's obviously a big win. Now, the Terps have a little room for error; not a lot, mind you, but enough that if there's a close loss, they can still get into the tourney.

Gary and Greivis both talked about the "grittiness" and "toughness" of the team last night, and I think it was a big deal last night. NCSt never went away, and the entire second half I was expecting Maryland to deconstruct at some point. The teams the past few years would've done that. But they didn't. In fact, when I was sure it was going to happen, right after NCSt took the lead, Maryland went on a 9-0 run to take an 8 point lead.

Greivis had a huge game last night, again. If he plays like this the final two games, an All-ACC spot just may be in order. He had 33 points, including 21 in the second half, and completely carried the team through a few rough patches. He did get some help from Dave Neal and Cliff Tucker, but he was simply outstanding. Not only was his play great, but he played 38 of 40 minutes, quite an achievement in and of itself.

On a more negative note, Maryland lost the rebounding battle, and that was a big reason NCSt stayed in it as long as they did. It's evident how bad this needs a big man. Sure, the rebounding was better than it could've been, but it needs to improve.

I also found out that you can learn a lot about the team when you look at the minutes played. It's true, I suppose, that Gary sees the lineup not as who starts, but more of who finishes. Eric Hayes played 31 minutes off the bench. Dino Gregory played 22. Cliff Tucker played 20. Meanwhile, Adrian Bowie only played 19, Landon only played 19 (that was surprising, actually), and Sean Mosley played a measly 11. It's a bit shocking to see most of these numbers, and I'm left wondering why he doesn't just change the starting lineup to reflect these minutes (except for Landon; he's earned his spot). Also, Dave Neal played 37 minutes. I'm not sure he deserves 37, but if Maryland wins when does that, I'm okay with it.

Oh, one more thing: Greivis' final second three. It's sure to raise a lot of controversy, but Gary really didn't seem to mind too much. Greivis, for all his flamboyance and flair, isn't the kind of guy who would do something like that just to do it. He does respect his opponents, though at times you may forget that amid the jersey pops and chest bumps. He doesn't do that to show anyone up, though - he's simply showing his own passion. I'm going to assume the fans were giving him crap, and that was how he got back at them. I don't really have a problem with it, but I'll just pray we don't play NCSt in the first round of the tournament.