SB Nation - Jerome Burney

Preparing for Life Without Jerome Burney

Ben Broman — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 21:39:09 -0000

You've probably heard by now that Jerome Burney, Maryland's injured-plagued, athletic PF/C, won't be returning to the team due to chronic foot injuries. Despite what the reports say, it's highly likely - almost certain - that he's officially done, not just "for this season", though I can't know for sure.

It's a terrible thing to happen to a what was, by all accounts, a great kid. You never like to see this happen to anyone, let alone someone as smart and potential-filled as Burney. Thoughts go out to Jerome and his family and friends.

Now, from a Maryland basketball perspective, this has two real consequences: the immediate and the future.

Immediately, the frontcourt is still Maryland's biggest weakness, and Burney would've been a major contributor if healthy. His loss hurts, but not hugely; after all, he missed all of last year, too and Maryland's actually gaining size, so that area of the team should improve regardless. It would've been great if he had been there to get quality minutes and teach the young guys, but it's not a killer, tactically. If you're wondering, this is a rough sketch of Maryland's now Burney-less depth chart:

PG - Greivis Vasquez
SG - Adrian Bowie
SF - Sean Mosley
PF - Landon Milbourne
C - Jordan Williams
Bench (in order of who comes off first): Eric Hayes, Dino Gregory, James Padgett, Cliff Tucker, Jin Soo Choi, Steve Goins, David Pearman

That's three real big men in Williams, Gregory, and Padgett, which is, admittedly, thin, but still miles better than last year. If Goins can get on the floor for only a few minutes a game, even, it would be a big boost.

Burney's unfortunate departure also gives Maryland an extra scholarship, meaning they'd have five total for the 2010 recruiting class. As they've already taken three, that leaves two more to give. One of those will hopefully go to Tobias Harris or C.J. Leslie, and the other will go to a "true" big man.

Gary Williams has probably known about this for at least a week or two, which explains why he's been expanding his recruiting to big men Ashton Pankey, Devon Collier, and Alex Kirk in recent weeks. Guys like Jon Graham and Hippolyte Tsafack remain possibilities, too.

The biggest upside to the extra scholarship is that Maryland doesn't have to worry about one of those guys stealing Harris' or Leslie's spot. That means that, if the coaching staff so chooses, Graham or Tsafack could finally get an actual offer and cement themselves in the class. It's a bit of protection for Maryland if Harris/Leslie fall through, which is definitely possible.

It also makes sure that there won't be a gap between Jordan Williams/James Padgett and the next big man. A guy like Pankey or Collier could come in, develop behind Williams and Padgett, and be ready to step in without any pressure after a year or two. That's a big bonus.

Again, it sucks that Burney can't play. He always had the look of someone who could be a beast. I'll leave you with his highlight video, which has literally every play he every made in his short career at Maryland - some mundane (a rebound?), some breathtaking (Miami putback dunk). He could've been an impact player.

Maryland Minute 7.16.09 - Will Jerome Burney Ever Suit Up for Maryland Again?

Ben Broman — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 02:12:46 -0000

Pat Stevens: Jerome Burney's Unbroken Resolve
Jerome Burney's resolve may be unbroken - indeed, it seems like he'll become quite successful in whatever he does - but his feet? Well, they break often. The oft-injured big man will decide whether or not he'll play next year by the end of the month. If he decides not (which seems likely) Maryland will have another open scholarship for 2010, if they decide to use it.

Burney injury chronology
Yep, Burney has injured his legs/feet four times since he's been on campus...in three years. I really do like him, but I don't think he'll be back.

Maryland/UNC Greensboro set for Jan. 3
That's pretty much it for the biggies for the men's basketball schedule (I really debated calling UNCG a biggie, but went ahead anyway). It looks something like this:

Nov. 23-25: Maui Invitational (w/Arizona, Chaminade, Cincinnati, Colorado, Gonzaga, Vanderbilt and Wisconsin)
Dec. 1: at Indiana, 7:30
Dec. 6: vs. Villanova at Verizon Center (BB&T Classic)
Jan. 3: at UNC Greensboro, 2

MD Commit Tyler Smith: Elite 11 Caliber?
The Elite 11 choices were made recently (I don't know when, exactly), and though no Maryland player was on it, MD commit Tyler Smith was apparently good enough, but didn't attend the right camp (or something along those lines:

Keep in mind that in order to qualify for the final Elite 11 invitation, players needed to attend either an Elite 11 regional camp or a Nike Football Training Camp and many quality prospects in this class chose not to participate. Guys like Notre Dame commit Andrew Hendrix (Cincinnati, Ohio/Moeller), Zach Lee (McKinney, Texas), Maryland commit Tyler Smith (Easton, Pa./Wilson Area) and Anthony Gonzalez (Bethlehem, Pa./Liberty), just to name a few, were not under consideration for this very reason. Obviously this made the selection process all the more difficult and tough decisions had to be made for at least five of the 12 spots.

Smith is a great prospect - ESPN loves him, and I wouldn't be shocked to see him get up to a 4 star on the other sites. It'll be interesting to see if he can challenge at all for the QB spot next year.

States that produce the most Elite 11 QBs: Virginia #4
That's actually pretty shocking, I had expected Pennsylvania, Oklahoma, Georgia, and Michigan all to be above Virginia - shame, because I can't remember the last time we pulled a Va. QB, but the talent is nearby.

NCAA Highlights Maryland Athletics
If championships in men's soccer and field hockey don't get you there, not much will - Maryland has been recognized as one of the best 10 or so athletic programs in the nation by the NCAA itself. Nice, huh?

Andre Dawkins Early Arrival Analysis
Wondering what Andre Dawkins's early arrival to Duke does to the rest of the ACC? Paul Biancardi has you covered. In short: Duke will be good...again. Not sure I buy it yet - they still have only 3 guards on the entire roster - but they won't see a sizable drop.

Former Terp 2008-09 Overseas League Wrap-Up
Lots of former Terps played over in Europe this year, and the Maryland Where Are They Now blog has the wrapup of how every Terp did. Andre Collins did surprisingly well.

Everything You Need to Know About Matt Pilgrim

Ben Broman — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 17:42:45 -0000

So, Maryland is looking at transfer prospect Matt Pilgrim (and vice versa, obviously). While I wouldn't get my hopes up, it only stands to reason that we should actually know who he is. He is, after all, a Terp target. I mean, if we do this for DeShawn Painter, we might as well do it for Matt Pilgrim.

Height: 6-9

Weight: 235

Position: PF/C

Vital Info: Pilgrim was at Hampton for his first two years, but impressed a lot of people and transferred to Kentucky. After sitting out a year, the HC who recruited him - Billy Gillespie - was unceremoniously kicked out the door. In turn, John Calipari kicked Pilgrim out the door, giving him the option of sitting the bench and getting 0 playing time or transferring out - for all intents and purposes, he was cut. He would normally have to sit out a year, but an NCAA waiver is expected, because he was kicked out of his scholarship by the coach. This would mean he'd be a junior and able to play next year.

Competitors: Memphis (ugh), Oklahoma State, Cincinnati

Scouting report (from NBADraft.net):

Strengths: Forward with excellent versatility, has the ability to pass and handle plus face the basket or go inside Pilgrim has a good feel for the game ... He has active hands and has a real presence on the floor when he decides to play .... His stroke has vastly improved since he got to college ... In high school he was very much an inside banger, who has developed a good face up game and 3 point shot. His athletic ability is above average ... Can play with anyone in the country and dominate ... He is a terrific ball handler for someone who has played inside for so long. His long arms give him added size and make him a solid shot blocker and also rebounder ... Maintains excellent post skills to compliment his now improving perimeter game An excellent rebounder, especially for a small forward, who hits the glass hard ...

Weaknesses: As a high schooler he would play great for 5 minutes and disappear for the next 10, which explained why he was under-recruited ... He needs to develop consistency and play hard all the time ... He missed the beginning of the season due to a broken foot and has taken some time to get back up to speed ... He'll have one huge game followed by an average one. As he matures in college it could get scary how good he becomes at a mid-major with the style of play and the freedom to grow he has at Hampton ... To truly develop into a legit first round prospect he needs to hit the weights and commit himself to dominating every game ... Free throws need work, he has good form, but needs to develop a consistent routine at the line ... Shows good handle, but needs to become better at protecting the ball and limiting turnovers ...

NBADraft.net wrote that up and graded him in 2007. He would've been a freshman at Hampton then, I believe, and they rated him an 85. James Gist, for comparison's sake, was an 87 after his senior year.

Ok, so now that you have all that fun stuff, did UK fans like him? Well, that's up for debate. Some UK fans don't like him at all:

I really hope Matt Pilgrim gets a chance to play against UK because I think the kid needs an attitude adjustment. [snip] It was obvious from the get go that Matt wasn't the most pleasant of players but his recent comments lend creedence to the thought that he may have been a case of "too much attitude, not enough game".

Others do...a lot:

The guy comes in a relative unknown from Hampton University, and all the talk is that he is a beast. Everyone that follows UK raved about his ability and claimed that he would have started if he were eligible last season. [snip] I heard another scout say that if he was coming out of high school right now, he would be a 5-star player.

Scott Padgett - yes, the former player...he's now an analyst - said Pilgrim would've been a starter last year at UK easily. For what it's worth, more UK fans seemed unhappy that he was leaving than pleased.

Want to see him in action? If you remember, two years Maryland played Hampton, and yes, Pilgrim was on that Hampton team. He played relatively well, though he wasn't spectacular. Here's the highlight reel for him for that game. He's got a nice shot, which is just about all you see in that highlight reel.

If you want to see more highlights of Pilgrim, here's a video of a Kentucky pickup game in which Pilgrim participated. If you just want to see Pilgrim and not have to listen to the guy's commentary, I suggest you start watching the clip at 4:40, then fast-forward to about 6:30, then see Pilgrim's finale at 8:30. The guy commentating the pickup game seemed to like Pilgrim, saying he is "athletic, mean, and a future NBA star. Well, maybe not star, but he can play in the NBA."

Now you know what I know. From the little that I know of him, I definitely like and want him. He's a big body who can take pressure off the freshmen bigs coming in, and play right away, possibly starting. Gary has very few good big men targets for 2010, so he wouldn't be robbing anyone of a 'ship and may actually help us with the tweeners like CJ Leslie and Terrence Jones. Especially considering Jerome Burney's health track record, Pilgrim is a guy that, if he wants to come, you take.

Current Basketball Roster Situation

Ben Broman — Fri, 01 May 2009 00:25:35 -0000

Now that Brax and Goins have both decided to transfer, the basketball roster is starting to take shape. There are still four distinct possibilities - Greivis Vasquez goes pro and Jerome Burney is physically unable to play (he would get either an academic scholarship, graduate early, or get a medical hardship scholarship), GV returns but no Burney, Burney returns but no GV, and both return. Here's what the roster would look like for each of those situations:

GV, but no Burney (seemingly the most likely right now):

GV and Burney return:

Burney, but no GV:

Both leave:

As you can see, even if both return, we end up with two scholarsips available for use this year, and three for 2010. If both leave, we'd have four total scholarships for use sometime between this year and next, which is a whoppingly huge number when you're talking about schollies. I fully expect Gary to sign at least one more guy this year (maybe an int'l guy who flew under the radar?), simply because he won't go into the season risking having only nine guys on scholarship.

I have no point to prove with this post. I just thought it'd be useful for some reason.

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.

Duke 78, Maryland 67: More Thoughts

Ben Broman — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 20:43:47 -0000

Yes, it was an eminently disappointing game, but it was disappointing for the right reasons: Maryland played extremely well, almost well enough to win. The last two games (plus the Clemson first half) have been very good against very good competition, even though Maryland only came out of it with one win.

Before anything else, I have a bit of a PSA: This was not a must-win game. A lot of people are saying that Maryland needs something huge to get in now, but nothing has changed. Go 2-1, get one in the ACCT, and we're in. That's not to say that we won't be sweating on Sunday, but all signs point to that being enough. But more on this later.

The game yesterday came down to very few factors. You could throw almost every stat, except these of course, out of the window. These four factors are the reasons Maryland ended up losing.

I wish the ACC kept stats on who wins lose balls. Duke got almost every free ball last night, which often led to easy baskets.
Maryland's strength all year long - indeed, it kept them in many games - has been free throw shooting. Maryland had an extremely disappointing performance here - 16-25. Nine misses. That's 67% on the night. If Maryland had made four more free throws at clutch moments (like the two Greivis missed) momentum could've switched and the game could've turned out different.
Rebounding was surprisingly poor last night. Duke doesn't have a huge size advantage, but ended up with 11 more boards, including 13 on offense.
No, I don't think you can completely put this on the refs, but there were a lot of very iffy calls. To say the least, it wasn't a game that was called evenly and consistently, especially when it came to Greivis Vasquez and Gerald Henderson.

Other thoughts:

Nice to see Landon Milbourne return. He had a monster game. Gary needs to realize that he's the Terps' best halfcourt weapon. That mid-range jumper is money.
Eric Hayes was great last night. I won't blame Greivis for his phantom fouls, but I will commend Hayes on a great performance. Very in control, very steady, and kept Maryland in the game until GV came in (and fouled out). After that, no one played well.
Sean Mosley was great until that injury. He was shutting down Gerald Henderson, but he clearly changed after the injury. He was hobbling around a little more, and seemed to have lost some mobility.
I could see Hayes going in for Bowie against NCSt. Not saying it's a probability, but Bowie's had a tough stretch and, despite some great plays last night, has been inconsistent. He also doesn't seem to be a true PG. He can play when needed, but I really think the team would benefit from having a calming presence at point.
Cliff Tucker was disappointing. His offense was really needed, and he just didn't have it.
Where was Jerome Burney? He would've be a good matchup against a less athletic Duke team, one would think.
As I mentioned earlier, win two of three plus one in the tourney and Maryland is in. I honestly think Maryland could win out and get two in the ACCT, which would be good enough for a 7 seed in the NCAAT, but it's unnecessary. Providence, Va Tech, and BC all had some big wins, but there were more than three open spots in the tourney. Plus, all three could lose a big game between now and March.

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.

Burney Recovering...But Slowly

Ben Broman — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 00:20:30 -0000

Great. /s (h/t Patrick Stevens)

"It's still very sore," Burney said. "It's like the first time you lifted in a month. You try to do the weights you do normally, and that's what it feels like. I hope it doesn't get anywhere near where it was before, but we'll have to see how long it takes. Right now, there's only so much I can do. After that ..."

It's not a huge deal, especially with the emergence of Dino Gregory, but Burney was starting to get some momentum before the injury. He's a sizable body, something the Terps are lacking at the moment. I obviously want him to take his time - I'd rather wait an extra two games and not have him get this injury again than try to push it and get hurt again.

On the other hand, there's some big must-win games coming up, and not having a body to put on a team's center is a pretty big deterrent. Hopefully he'll be back after the Duke game, but I doubt it.