The University of Maryland started their 2009-10 season with an impressive effort in their 89-51 win over Charleston Southern.
I emphasize the word effort, because that is what the Terps gave tonight. At times the play was sloppy, which is a bit understandable for an opener. When MD reviews the tape of this game, they will be able to feel good about their defensive intensity, and the passion they played with.
The Good:
1) Maryland achieved everything they could have wanted to tonight. They played hard. They established a bit of an identity, and they did not play down to the competition. It was a good way to start the year, and attempt to build some momentum prior to heading to Maui.
2) The depth of the Terps backcourt and wings was quickly apparent. Due to this depth (and improved play inside), MD showed immediately they will be returning to the style of play that has traditionally marked a Gary Williams team. Unlike last year where they had to compensate for their lack of size, by occasionally playing zone, and slowing the tempo – the Terps ran up and down the court, and constantly pressured the ball.
3) Freshman bigs Jordan Williams, and James Padgett combined for 22 points, and 17 rebounds in their collegiate debuts. It does not matter who they were facing, they showed they are going to be able to contribute to the team from the beginning. Williams had the good hands as advertised, ate up space, and was able to get fantastic positioning. In the flex-offense, he is going to have a lot of opportunities to score at point-blank range. Padgett showed his athleticism, running up and down the court, being a shot-blocking presence, and attacking the boards. Underneath the basket, he has the ability to not only get up and off the floor, but to jump multiple-times in quick succession.
3a) With Williams on the floor, Charleston Southern could not ignore him underneath, which means their defenders were not able to cheat on the shooters outside.
4) Milbourne had 16 points, 7 boards, 4 steals, and 2 blocks. Last year he developed that quality jumper from 12 to 15 feet from the baseline. Tonight, he showed an ability to hit that jumper from multiple spots around the key. Milbourne is poised for a big Senior year.
5) Hayes had 10 points, and nailed three 3 pointers. Also had 5 assists, vs. 2 turnovers, with 3 steals.
6) Bowie and Tucker combined for 30 mts, and 15 points off the bench. MD being able to bring these two off the bench, gives the Terps the quality depth any team would want. It is interesting that just like it was in exhibition opener, Hayes started over Bowie. It will be interesting to see how this plays out as the season progresses. My guess is that right now, Gary is giving the nod to the Senior. Presumably, he also likes Hayes shooting in combination with the other starters. He might also like the ability to bring Bowie’s quicks off of the bench.
7) It was clear that reports of Mosley looking stronger, faster, and more athletic were correct. Maybe playing with 2 healthy ankles also has a lot to do about that. Mosley is never going to wow you with his athletic skills like a Steve Francis did a decade ago, but his all-around game will eventually make him an All-ACC caliber player. Tonight Mosley had 15 points, 5 boards, 4 assists, 1 steal, and 0 turnovers. He hit 7 of 9 shots, finishing several around the basket, and showing an improved jumper. I said before the season that I thought Mosley would jump his scoring average to around 10 points per game. It will be interesting to see if I sold Mosley short.
8) Terps won on the boards 43-35. MD forced 20 turnovers, with 15 steals. Despite being sloppy early, and playing up and down the court – the Terps finished with only 11 turnovers.
9) The box-score shows essentially nothing for Choi, but I think JSC played well in his limited minutes. He runs well, he stepped into passing legs, and at 6’8 he caused some difficult shots when he got his hands up. Looks like he rolled his ankle, hopefully that feels better tomorrow.
10) As Ron Thompson said several times on the game-cast, even when Vasquez’s shot is not falling, he can still make a difference. Only 3 of 14 from the floor, but 13 assists, with just 2 turnovers.
The Bad:
1) It is hard to find a lot of ‘bad’ when you win by 38 points. It is also hard to point shooting 78% from the line as a ‘negative.’ I would say that this Terp team needs to go into every game with the intent of getting to the foul-line. Tonight they only had 9 foul-shots, and that will have to improve.
2) MD shot a livable 35% from 3, as they hit 6 of 17 shots. Hoisting 17 threes tonight was fine, but I do not want to see it become a trend. MD’s strength might be their guards and wings, but outside shooting is not the strength of those players.
3) As I said above, I thought there were some positives about Hayes play tonight. I thought he looked a 1/2 step slower, which I am attributing to the turf-toe he has been dealing with. Where I noticed this the most, was not with his defense, but that he was not driving. He was a force in the ACC Tournament last year, because he was driving the lane. If he did not convert, he was put on the line. If he is going to get 25 mts to Bowie’s 17, Hayes has to attack the rim.
The Ugly:
1) You can only play with the players that are available, but even in a 38 point win, Gregory and Goins were missed. Williams was getting gassed at-times, and not having that extra big off the bench showed. Against a legitimate major-conference team, you can just picture Williams or Padgett getting in foul-trouble, and the problems that would cause. This was also shown when JSC rolled his ankle, and the front-court depth became even more limited.
It seems pretty clear at this point that if Gregory plays at-all this year, that it will not be until the 2nd-semester. That would mean he would be around for ACC play, but would miss Maui, Indiana, and Villanova. That could have a profound effect on seeding come tournament time.
For now, I think you have to just play as if Gregory will not be back at all. In the immediate term, the best thing that could happen for the Terps, would be for Goins knees to respond enough for him to be able to play 5-8 mts a game, and give 5 fouls.
Conclusion:
I know that Maryland was just playing Charleston Southern tonight, but there are not 25 teams in the country better then the Terps.
It is not an overly athletic team, but it is a team with a lot of quality depth, and experience.
Up-Next:
The Terps will face Fairfield on Tuesday night.
http://baltimoresportsandlife.blogspot.com/2009/10/before-maui-look-at-fairfield.html
Due to the extreme generosity of Mr. Bruce Posner from Terp Talk (http://terptalk.com/) I will be in attendance.
It is another game to gain experience, and prepare for Maui. The number one thing I will be watching for, is to see if Williams, and Padgett can duplicate their results from tonight.
Owner
Chris Stoner founded Baltimore Sports and Life in 2009. He has appeared as a radio guest with 1090 WBAL, 105.7 The Fan, CBS 1300, Q1370, WOYK 1350, WKAV 1400, and WNST 1570. He has also been interviewed by The Baltimore Sun, Baltimore Business Journal, and PressBox (TV). As Owner, his responsibilities include serving as the Managing Editor, Publicist, & Sales Director.