It was a rough first half, but the Terps have a slight lead, with Milbourne scoring a very helpful 12 points and the rest of the team making 5 of 8 three-pointers. Notice who didn't play at all the first half? Yup, Cliff Tucker. Apparently I wasn't the only one who noticed his suckiness in the Maui Invitational. I still can't wait for Dino's return; Choi won't be coming in when Milbourne gets into trouble. Let's go, second half, let's go!
Williams is a freshman, I know, but didn't he learn not to turn the ball over so much in high school? He's cost us two baskets that could have broken the Hoosiers' rhythm. Hayes, in true Steve Blake fashion, has not disappointed and it looks, however premature this may be, as if the Terps are finding their groove and are capitalizing just a teeny bit more with each possession. Shots are falling for Maryland and they are playing good defense. Keep your fingers crossed, folks, or whatever the hell you are doing to make the Terps do so well. Score's 41-37, Terps.
I didn't want to have to say it, but it is a biased blog and I can write what I want to: are these Indiana players the biggest bunch of wimps you have ever seen or what? Boy, if you sneeze hard enough, you'll knock a player over and send him sprawling. Did these guys all attend Coach K's Flop Clinic in the off-season? F*cking ridiculous! At the same time, these asses have no problem slapping and getting scrappy. The Terps' lead has dwindled down to one now. Choi nearly got an and-one (!); let's see if he knows how to make free-throws.
Choi is officially on the board, making one of his two free-throws. Too bad it's followed by a Hoosier three, and the Terps have lost their lead. Mosley makes both of his free-throws to give the Terps a one-point lead. Just need to outscore by at least ten more for me to be right in my prediction. That would mean we would have to play a little something called DEFENSE.
Bowie is in, and he makes his first one-and-one to put the Terps back up, 55-54. Too bad these refs are all former Hoosiers and just can't seem to stop themselves from seeing only Maryland fouls. I mean, if they are committed, you gotta call them, but how about on the other end? The Terps NEED to play good defense here after going up by 5 (59-54). Williams rebounds and the Terps, of course, get a foul called against them, a charge while the doofy-looking Hoosier slides five feet across the floor. Yeah, that's fair. "Oh, Indiana needed that!" I didn't think it would happen this early in the season, but "Cheating!" can be heard very loudly in my home.
You know what else can be heard in my home right now? "Horsesh*t!" God forbid a hair on the head of a Hoosier be harmed, but Vasquez gets knocked down on his butt, the balls goes to Indiana, and then Terps get another foul called on them. I don't want this to turn into a I-hate-refs blog, but... right now, I am really hating these refs. They are handing points in a basket to Indiana and doing whatever they can to keep them in the game. Okay, I've said my peace, I am going back to the game now...
the Terps are up 65-58 with just over 4 minutes left. There is still time for the game to go either way, and both teams have been streaky tonight, so it's anyone's call right now. The Terps have GOT to capitalize. This is when Vasquez has shined the last two games; this needs to be his time now. Milbourne goes to the basket and gets fouled, makes his shot, and the Terps are up by 12 with just under 2 minutes. I have officially gotten my prediction wrong, because I said the Terps would score in the 60s, but if we still get the V, I will take it.
A Hoosier intentionally fouls Williams, giving him two free-throws and the ball. Astonishingly enough, Williams makes one of them, and then Vasquez makes both of his free-throws. We are just playing the foul game now, with the Hoosiers delaying the inevitable loss they are about to suffer.
What a win! And kudos to the Terps for putting the ACC on the board in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge. This victory was so great for Gary (his 630th) that he even cracked a smile at the refs at the end of the game. You know it's a good game when that happens. Final score: 80-68. At least I got the spread right...
Now it's time for #3 Villanova on Sunday. Alas, few followers, I will not be blogging that day. The Biggest Little Terps Fan is going to be born this weekend, and I will be out of commission for a short while. Rest assured, I will be following the Terps at the BB&T Classic--a tournament I frequent when I can. Best of luck, Terps!
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Which Maryland Team Will Show Up?
Hopefully it's the one that wins! In an interview, Vasquz claimed he didn't listen to the rantings of Gary while sitting on the bench and in practice. I am hoping he was just trying to appear manly and as if nothing bothers him, and that he's decided to heed the advice of his all-knowing coach. Will Vasquez do what he did during the Maui Invitational and only step up at the end of the game, when it's too late? Or will he dominate and be the leader he was praised to be preseason? We also need to look for a big night from key players such as Eric Hayes (who really hasn't disappointed yet, in all fairness), Jordan Williams, Adrian Bowie, and Cliff Tucker. And these guys NEED to make their free-throws! Technically, the Terps lost to the Bearcats because of those damn free-throws. I don't expect any team to make 100% of their shots, but 17 out of 31 is not good enough for a team of Maryland's caliber.
I'm going to be bold this evening and go with a prediction. I haven't been successful with this since the 2001-2002 season when the Terps took the National Championship (ironic it was against Indiana, huh?). I am going with the Terps winning by anywhere from 11 to 20 points, scoring in the 60s. I will say that I am betting on the fact that Indiana will score a million and one three-pointers tonight, because that's what they do. It's inevitable. But I still say (hope?) we get the V.
So Jeremiah Rivers gets hurt on a fancy shot, but when Maryland gets the ball on offense, somehow a timeout was called...? I am not sure what ensued for the timeout to be called when Maryland has possession, but I don't think it was allowed. Anyway, Vasquez is stinking up the place, and I hate having to report that every damn game. He made the first basket and has missed three shots. To give Indiana some credit, they are playing very good defense against the Terps.
Indiana took nine straight trips to the basket, and the score is still 9-9. At least Vasquez got the make-your-free-throws memo. These Indiana white boys keep falling on the ground, and it's nice to see the refs telling them to man up and stay on their feet rather than pussing out and flopping on the floor. It's plain to see the ref's side--these boys aren't hurt at all and are just getting in the way of good offense on the Terps' part. Bowie, one of my step-up guys, scored a nice inside basket. The only unfortunate part is that Indiana is still outscoring us and the Terps can't seem to keep from turning the ball over. Stupid, stupid, stupid. It doesn't help that these dumb Indiana fans are acting like they are beating number one Kansas. Geez.
I have to renege on a statement I made earlier. It won't be three-pointers that kill the Terps tonight; apparently it's those pesky jump-shots. Indiana is making them like it's their job, and the Terps just can't reciprocate. With Indiana losing to George Mason in Puerto Rico, I would have thought Maryland was the better team. And they are. But they can't fall into a rhythm, whereas the Hoosiers are making key shots when they need a boost of confidence, sending them further ahead. And Maryland is losing its cool, missing even the most basic layups.
Hayes looks to be the white guy scoring three-pointers; thank God he's on our side! He ended our five-minute scoring drought, making the score 28-24, Indiana. After trading a heart-breaking three-pointer back with the Hoosiers, Vasquez steps up to make another three with Williams getting a good rebound, leading to an and-one by Milbourne. Can he make it? Yes he can! (Think: Bob the Builder theme song.)
The foul-fairies are looking in our direction, and now Indiana is getting a taste of its own medicine, getting stopped in their tracks with stupid calls. Well, that lasted long. We have ELEVEN, read it, ELEVEN turnovers. We are only down by one, and if we didn't have ELEVEN turnovers, we could be winning. Thanks for the three, Vasquez, it helped. Score's 35-33, Maryland, at the half.
I'm going to be bold this evening and go with a prediction. I haven't been successful with this since the 2001-2002 season when the Terps took the National Championship (ironic it was against Indiana, huh?). I am going with the Terps winning by anywhere from 11 to 20 points, scoring in the 60s. I will say that I am betting on the fact that Indiana will score a million and one three-pointers tonight, because that's what they do. It's inevitable. But I still say (hope?) we get the V.
So Jeremiah Rivers gets hurt on a fancy shot, but when Maryland gets the ball on offense, somehow a timeout was called...? I am not sure what ensued for the timeout to be called when Maryland has possession, but I don't think it was allowed. Anyway, Vasquez is stinking up the place, and I hate having to report that every damn game. He made the first basket and has missed three shots. To give Indiana some credit, they are playing very good defense against the Terps.
Indiana took nine straight trips to the basket, and the score is still 9-9. At least Vasquez got the make-your-free-throws memo. These Indiana white boys keep falling on the ground, and it's nice to see the refs telling them to man up and stay on their feet rather than pussing out and flopping on the floor. It's plain to see the ref's side--these boys aren't hurt at all and are just getting in the way of good offense on the Terps' part. Bowie, one of my step-up guys, scored a nice inside basket. The only unfortunate part is that Indiana is still outscoring us and the Terps can't seem to keep from turning the ball over. Stupid, stupid, stupid. It doesn't help that these dumb Indiana fans are acting like they are beating number one Kansas. Geez.
I have to renege on a statement I made earlier. It won't be three-pointers that kill the Terps tonight; apparently it's those pesky jump-shots. Indiana is making them like it's their job, and the Terps just can't reciprocate. With Indiana losing to George Mason in Puerto Rico, I would have thought Maryland was the better team. And they are. But they can't fall into a rhythm, whereas the Hoosiers are making key shots when they need a boost of confidence, sending them further ahead. And Maryland is losing its cool, missing even the most basic layups.
Hayes looks to be the white guy scoring three-pointers; thank God he's on our side! He ended our five-minute scoring drought, making the score 28-24, Indiana. After trading a heart-breaking three-pointer back with the Hoosiers, Vasquez steps up to make another three with Williams getting a good rebound, leading to an and-one by Milbourne. Can he make it? Yes he can! (Think: Bob the Builder theme song.)
The foul-fairies are looking in our direction, and now Indiana is getting a taste of its own medicine, getting stopped in their tracks with stupid calls. Well, that lasted long. We have ELEVEN, read it, ELEVEN turnovers. We are only down by one, and if we didn't have ELEVEN turnovers, we could be winning. Thanks for the three, Vasquez, it helped. Score's 35-33, Maryland, at the half.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Can We PLEASE Have a Better Second Half?
So according to the half-time stats, Vasqquez isn't doing as badly as I thought. Do I have too much invested him? Am I too rough on him? The man thought he was going to go the NBA, so no, I don't think I am too rough on him. If he thought he was good enough to leave early, he needs to be doing a lot more than he is, and he needs to lead the Terps to victories.
Hopefully the Badgers' three-point luck will run out and they will cut us some slack. Maryland has come out aggressively, but they still need to watch the Wisconsin's three-point shots. They have scored 8 on us, and that's only in 25 minutes of playtime. That's basically a point a minute, and that doesn't include their two-point shots or foul shots, which they have 20 points off of. I guess asking for a better second half is like asking for a million dollars. Ain't gonna happen, no matter how much I want it.
Choi is actually laughable at the moment. His tenacity is goofy to watch, and he just committed two fouls in less than two minutes. And now Mosley has three fouls and will be sitting out for a while. We've now only got four people on the floor to score for us. AND WE CAN'T SCORE A JUMP SHOT TO SAVE OUR LIVES! The Terps are actually doing well offensively. Well, not badly, anyway, but their defense is just under par and they can't get a rhythm going.
Christ on a crutch, we have committed 7 team fouls, versus their 3. These ticky-tack foul calls are getting real old real quick. Apparently there is no physical touch allowed in basketball. finally, a foul in our favor! Hayes steals the ball and gets bulldozed... all for Jordan Williams to shoot and miss a jump shot. Gary can give me a scholarship to miss those jump shots, if he wants.
We get it within three, and Williams let's a Badger bump into him ever so slightly for an and-1. My motto? If you are going to foul, make it worth it. Don't give them an extra point. That, followed by Vasquez turning the ball over. (By the way, it is worth mentioning that the whole time the Terps fought to get within three, Vasquez was on the bench. Hmmm....) So with turnover after disasterous turnover, Wisconsin is back up by 7 and shooting free-throws, putting us down by 9.
This is embarrassing. A month ago, I was so psyched for the beginning of basketball season. It's like five months of Christmas. But this "Christmas" season, all I have gotten is coal. The Terps are getting worked by a bunch of skinny white boys from the farmland who can shoot nothing but three-pointers because that's all they practiced in their drafty barns in below-freezing temperatures. Disgusting. And our boys look like a bunch of wusses out there, giving sissy bumps to offer them free points. Good thing I am not a player, because at this point I would start hurting people. If I am going to lose and have fouls called against me, I am going to make them count. I am secretly hoping I will see that from the Terps in the last five minutes of delayed agony. Score is 68-55, very obviously Wisconsin up.
Cool guy Vasquez shoots a three and actually makes it. Deja vu warning: a day late and a dollar short. He's not there when we need him the most, period. That puts us down by 11 with under 5 minutes left. I know crazier things have happened, but dare I hope for some sort of magical run that gives us third place? Or are we going to go all the way to Maui to beat no one except a Division II school with about a thousand undergrad students?
No, I won't even bother hoping for a miracle victory. It's funny... now that the Terps are blatantly fouling, the refs won't call it, giving Wisconsin even more time. If I were a conspiracy theorist, I would smell a rat. But it's too early in the season. Wisconsin needed their 30 points from three-pointers to beat us. Let's see what those 30 points do for them against Duke. Ha. I can be a spiteful bitch when I want to be.
Final disgusting score: 78-69. Let's beat Indiana next week and put this crap behind us! At least we can maybe blame this one on jetlag...
Hopefully the Badgers' three-point luck will run out and they will cut us some slack. Maryland has come out aggressively, but they still need to watch the Wisconsin's three-point shots. They have scored 8 on us, and that's only in 25 minutes of playtime. That's basically a point a minute, and that doesn't include their two-point shots or foul shots, which they have 20 points off of. I guess asking for a better second half is like asking for a million dollars. Ain't gonna happen, no matter how much I want it.
Choi is actually laughable at the moment. His tenacity is goofy to watch, and he just committed two fouls in less than two minutes. And now Mosley has three fouls and will be sitting out for a while. We've now only got four people on the floor to score for us. AND WE CAN'T SCORE A JUMP SHOT TO SAVE OUR LIVES! The Terps are actually doing well offensively. Well, not badly, anyway, but their defense is just under par and they can't get a rhythm going.
Christ on a crutch, we have committed 7 team fouls, versus their 3. These ticky-tack foul calls are getting real old real quick. Apparently there is no physical touch allowed in basketball. finally, a foul in our favor! Hayes steals the ball and gets bulldozed... all for Jordan Williams to shoot and miss a jump shot. Gary can give me a scholarship to miss those jump shots, if he wants.
We get it within three, and Williams let's a Badger bump into him ever so slightly for an and-1. My motto? If you are going to foul, make it worth it. Don't give them an extra point. That, followed by Vasquez turning the ball over. (By the way, it is worth mentioning that the whole time the Terps fought to get within three, Vasquez was on the bench. Hmmm....) So with turnover after disasterous turnover, Wisconsin is back up by 7 and shooting free-throws, putting us down by 9.
This is embarrassing. A month ago, I was so psyched for the beginning of basketball season. It's like five months of Christmas. But this "Christmas" season, all I have gotten is coal. The Terps are getting worked by a bunch of skinny white boys from the farmland who can shoot nothing but three-pointers because that's all they practiced in their drafty barns in below-freezing temperatures. Disgusting. And our boys look like a bunch of wusses out there, giving sissy bumps to offer them free points. Good thing I am not a player, because at this point I would start hurting people. If I am going to lose and have fouls called against me, I am going to make them count. I am secretly hoping I will see that from the Terps in the last five minutes of delayed agony. Score is 68-55, very obviously Wisconsin up.
Cool guy Vasquez shoots a three and actually makes it. Deja vu warning: a day late and a dollar short. He's not there when we need him the most, period. That puts us down by 11 with under 5 minutes left. I know crazier things have happened, but dare I hope for some sort of magical run that gives us third place? Or are we going to go all the way to Maui to beat no one except a Division II school with about a thousand undergrad students?
No, I won't even bother hoping for a miracle victory. It's funny... now that the Terps are blatantly fouling, the refs won't call it, giving Wisconsin even more time. If I were a conspiracy theorist, I would smell a rat. But it's too early in the season. Wisconsin needed their 30 points from three-pointers to beat us. Let's see what those 30 points do for them against Duke. Ha. I can be a spiteful bitch when I want to be.
Final disgusting score: 78-69. Let's beat Indiana next week and put this crap behind us! At least we can maybe blame this one on jetlag...
Wisconsin Wants a Piece of Maryland?
Okay, I have calmed down from yesterday's Cincy debacle, and I have faith that Gary and the Terrapins have done the same thing. Hopefully they will bring the energy and confidence (along with the heart) that was lacking yesterday to get third place in the Maui Invitational. For God's sake, PLEASE win today!
The regrouping did some good for the Terps... they open the game with a 7-0 run. Of course, it won't last, but Maryland is showing a lot of energy early. Too bad it's raining threes for Wisconsin. It looks like I put my foot in my mouth, because after the first four baskets dropped for Maryland, nothing else has, and the score is 11-9, Wisconsin. One good thing about the Badgers is that they are looking to put the Terps in the bonus real quick with all their fouls. Maybe the Terps learned something from yesterday and will get those 1-and-1's?
A 16-2 run from the Badgers... tisk, tisk. Vasquez is making an ass of himself, and his team, and his costing points left and right. He can't make anything and isn't staying on his man defensively. Steve Blake, Jr., I mean Eric Hayes, is the man to lead to this team. He was on the bench a little too long to my liking yesterday, and I hope he gets more playtime today. Not only is Vasquez bad news for the moment, but Choi is in early AGAIN. I can't wait for December 12th, when Dino Gregory comes back from his mysterious violation of team rules/academic dishonesty.
Wow, the Terps really need to learn to defend the three-point line better. It's like they keep forgetting it's there. I want to say here that I support the NBA three-point line, and think the college three-point line is a load of crap. Anyway... Jimmy Dykes has commented that it's a slow start for Vasquez, and I think we've been hearing that too much for someone who had such preseason hype. Perhaps he feels the same way, because he just scored 6 straight points for Maryland to bring them within 1 point. Now we have free-throws to tie and maybe, fingers crossed, take the lead. And my wish is their command! The Terps have the lead once again, 22-21.
Okay, the and-1 call for Rob Wilson was the biggest load of crap I have ever seen. He seriously went barrelling into Williams and got the extra point to take their lead to 7 points, again. Williams is a big boy, if you haven't noticed, and if he goes flying backwards onto his ass, it's because he was nearly run over. Not a good turn for the Terps right now. But have faith, fans. We won't have a repeat of last night. Right? RIGHT?!
The second the Badgers take their largest lead of the game so far, 9 points, Milbourne answers with a three. A three! For every one of our threes, though, Wisconsin has like 10. Ugh. I'd like to keep the Badger lead to ten before the half. At least they can manage to do that. The score at the half is 37-27.
Coach K's huddle at the half? I think I will watch the Home Shopping Network, thank you.
The regrouping did some good for the Terps... they open the game with a 7-0 run. Of course, it won't last, but Maryland is showing a lot of energy early. Too bad it's raining threes for Wisconsin. It looks like I put my foot in my mouth, because after the first four baskets dropped for Maryland, nothing else has, and the score is 11-9, Wisconsin. One good thing about the Badgers is that they are looking to put the Terps in the bonus real quick with all their fouls. Maybe the Terps learned something from yesterday and will get those 1-and-1's?
A 16-2 run from the Badgers... tisk, tisk. Vasquez is making an ass of himself, and his team, and his costing points left and right. He can't make anything and isn't staying on his man defensively. Steve Blake, Jr., I mean Eric Hayes, is the man to lead to this team. He was on the bench a little too long to my liking yesterday, and I hope he gets more playtime today. Not only is Vasquez bad news for the moment, but Choi is in early AGAIN. I can't wait for December 12th, when Dino Gregory comes back from his mysterious violation of team rules/academic dishonesty.
Wow, the Terps really need to learn to defend the three-point line better. It's like they keep forgetting it's there. I want to say here that I support the NBA three-point line, and think the college three-point line is a load of crap. Anyway... Jimmy Dykes has commented that it's a slow start for Vasquez, and I think we've been hearing that too much for someone who had such preseason hype. Perhaps he feels the same way, because he just scored 6 straight points for Maryland to bring them within 1 point. Now we have free-throws to tie and maybe, fingers crossed, take the lead. And my wish is their command! The Terps have the lead once again, 22-21.
Okay, the and-1 call for Rob Wilson was the biggest load of crap I have ever seen. He seriously went barrelling into Williams and got the extra point to take their lead to 7 points, again. Williams is a big boy, if you haven't noticed, and if he goes flying backwards onto his ass, it's because he was nearly run over. Not a good turn for the Terps right now. But have faith, fans. We won't have a repeat of last night. Right? RIGHT?!
The second the Badgers take their largest lead of the game so far, 9 points, Milbourne answers with a three. A three! For every one of our threes, though, Wisconsin has like 10. Ugh. I'd like to keep the Badger lead to ten before the half. At least they can manage to do that. The score at the half is 37-27.
Coach K's huddle at the half? I think I will watch the Home Shopping Network, thank you.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Hopefully Gary Williams said something to light a fire under the guys' butts to get a better half going...
Aha... Choi was in because Milbourne had 3 fouls; now he's up to 4, so hopefully Choi can do a little something to help the team, seeing as how he will be getting quite a bit of playtime. Someone or something lit a spark, and the Terps are now within 7 points. They are actually scoring and playing good defense once again. Vasquez ends the good vibe; even Bilas commented he is just not doing well tonight at all. It seems as if Maryland's short-lived spark has gone out. The Bearcats are back up with a nice lead, 39-26.
So Maryland has brough the game back to a negotiable lead, but then Cincy scores a three-pointer that puts a kink into things. I was in the process of writing that the lead was under ten, but... well, you get the picture, I am sure.
Padgett and Stephenson played together, and right now I am wishing we had gotten the other Licoln player, because Padgett just can't seem to do much, except give Stephenson an elbow to the face that gets him all in a tizzy. We are back within single digits, and what's a Terp to do? Give up an and-one.
I hate to say it, and I have been delaying it, but it looks like Maryland is facing its first loss of the season. I knew the Bearcats were going to give us trouble, but I can least find some solace in the fact that the Terps were not the only ranked team in the tournament to lose to Cincy. We are losing now by 15 points (55-40). Ugh.
There's really nothing to report. Vasquez has decided to show up, a day late and a dollar short, and will think he's hot stuff because of his 20 meaningless points. The rest of the big scorers have done nothing sensational, with not a single other player scoring at least 10 points. The Terps lucked out with 30 free-throws to Cincy's 10, but missed 14 of them. If these guys could have made their free-throws, the game could have had a totally different outcome, seeing as how the final score to the game was 69-57. I know no team can make 100% of their free-throws during a game, but maybe it could have given them the extra boost of confidence they needed to outscore the Bearcats.
On a funnier note... Stephenson tried a Duke-esque flop to the ground, as if Cliff Tucker's elbow had the insane strength of 20 men, and the ref actually laughed at him. I say penalties for flopping and not acting like a grown man.
Hopefully either Gonzago or Wisconsin will fear the honu, because Cincy didn't.
Aha... Choi was in because Milbourne had 3 fouls; now he's up to 4, so hopefully Choi can do a little something to help the team, seeing as how he will be getting quite a bit of playtime. Someone or something lit a spark, and the Terps are now within 7 points. They are actually scoring and playing good defense once again. Vasquez ends the good vibe; even Bilas commented he is just not doing well tonight at all. It seems as if Maryland's short-lived spark has gone out. The Bearcats are back up with a nice lead, 39-26.
So Maryland has brough the game back to a negotiable lead, but then Cincy scores a three-pointer that puts a kink into things. I was in the process of writing that the lead was under ten, but... well, you get the picture, I am sure.
Padgett and Stephenson played together, and right now I am wishing we had gotten the other Licoln player, because Padgett just can't seem to do much, except give Stephenson an elbow to the face that gets him all in a tizzy. We are back within single digits, and what's a Terp to do? Give up an and-one.
I hate to say it, and I have been delaying it, but it looks like Maryland is facing its first loss of the season. I knew the Bearcats were going to give us trouble, but I can least find some solace in the fact that the Terps were not the only ranked team in the tournament to lose to Cincy. We are losing now by 15 points (55-40). Ugh.
There's really nothing to report. Vasquez has decided to show up, a day late and a dollar short, and will think he's hot stuff because of his 20 meaningless points. The rest of the big scorers have done nothing sensational, with not a single other player scoring at least 10 points. The Terps lucked out with 30 free-throws to Cincy's 10, but missed 14 of them. If these guys could have made their free-throws, the game could have had a totally different outcome, seeing as how the final score to the game was 69-57. I know no team can make 100% of their free-throws during a game, but maybe it could have given them the extra boost of confidence they needed to outscore the Bearcats.
On a funnier note... Stephenson tried a Duke-esque flop to the ground, as if Cliff Tucker's elbow had the insane strength of 20 men, and the ref actually laughed at him. I say penalties for flopping and not acting like a grown man.
Hopefully either Gonzago or Wisconsin will fear the honu, because Cincy didn't.
Hoping for a Better Second Half
Let me start off by saying that Cincy makes me really nervous, especially after pulling out the upset yesterday over #24 Vanderbilt. It may also be because Lance Stevenson is on the team, who was supposed to come to Maryland but bolted at the last minute. (In case you forgot, Vasquez said he would stay at Maryland as long as Stevenson came...)
At least it's not taking over a half of playtime for Vasquez to score. He puts up a nice basket, followed by a three from Hayes. One thing is sure, Cincy is going to give the Terps a run for their money. They've simply been trading baskets, and the score is only 9-9 (Cincy) after nearly 9 minutes of play. One positive: we are playing some good defense! Cincy actually isn't, though the score seems to say otherwise. Baskets are not falling for the Terps at all.
As Jay Bilas said, the Terps are good at scoring when passing inbound. Vasquez, possibly showing up tonight, scores and gets the and-one. Continuing with their good defense, Maryland gets even more rebounds on the Bearcats' end. Padgett finally capitalizes on the good defense, scoring after a steal.
I said yesterday you know you are losing pretty badly to the Terps when Choi shows up... but he's in the game already. We are winning, but not stomping. Where is Eric Hayes? Bring him back in; Cliff Tucker isn't performing very well, and our only scorer on the floor is Mosley. Whatever Gary Williams was thinking with this combo on the floor was not well-thought out. The game has gone to crap, and Williams kept them in so long that Cincy has gotten (and kept) a 7-point lead, with the Terps scoreless in over 4 minutes. Gary pulled most of them out, but why is Choi still in the game? And Vasquez needs to be thanking his lucky stars he didn't go the NBA, because he would have been out a job really quickly.
Who would have thought Vasquez would have ended the Terps' 6-minute scoring drought? His one free throw isn't enough to get the Terps down by less than 10. Looks like we are pouting right now; the guys won't hustle to go down court after a missed shot and passes are sloppy and careless. The Bearcats continue to score and up their lead, although a meager shot by Hayes was finally made. The score at the half is a pathetic, pathetic, pathetic 31-18, Cincy.
At least it's not taking over a half of playtime for Vasquez to score. He puts up a nice basket, followed by a three from Hayes. One thing is sure, Cincy is going to give the Terps a run for their money. They've simply been trading baskets, and the score is only 9-9 (Cincy) after nearly 9 minutes of play. One positive: we are playing some good defense! Cincy actually isn't, though the score seems to say otherwise. Baskets are not falling for the Terps at all.
As Jay Bilas said, the Terps are good at scoring when passing inbound. Vasquez, possibly showing up tonight, scores and gets the and-one. Continuing with their good defense, Maryland gets even more rebounds on the Bearcats' end. Padgett finally capitalizes on the good defense, scoring after a steal.
I said yesterday you know you are losing pretty badly to the Terps when Choi shows up... but he's in the game already. We are winning, but not stomping. Where is Eric Hayes? Bring him back in; Cliff Tucker isn't performing very well, and our only scorer on the floor is Mosley. Whatever Gary Williams was thinking with this combo on the floor was not well-thought out. The game has gone to crap, and Williams kept them in so long that Cincy has gotten (and kept) a 7-point lead, with the Terps scoreless in over 4 minutes. Gary pulled most of them out, but why is Choi still in the game? And Vasquez needs to be thanking his lucky stars he didn't go the NBA, because he would have been out a job really quickly.
Who would have thought Vasquez would have ended the Terps' 6-minute scoring drought? His one free throw isn't enough to get the Terps down by less than 10. Looks like we are pouting right now; the guys won't hustle to go down court after a missed shot and passes are sloppy and careless. The Bearcats continue to score and up their lead, although a meager shot by Hayes was finally made. The score at the half is a pathetic, pathetic, pathetic 31-18, Cincy.
Monday, November 23, 2009
Aloha, Chaminade! (That Means Goodbye and Good Riddance)
Jimmy Dykes can shut his trap now ("This is Chaminade's Super Bowl!"), because Maryland is increasing its lead nicely and a lot more quickly than they did in the first half... they pull the lead to 17 in just under 4 minutes of playtime.
Great... some of our key players are sitting the bench in foul trouble. Chaminade had THREE straight possessions that ended in Maryland fouls, and they are clawing their way into the Terps' lead. Gary looks like he's about to flip his stuff on the refs: foul calls up the wazoo against the Terps then a bad call that hands the ball right over to the Silverswords. I guess that study wasn't so much of a shock: refs do tend to make calls for the home team. Look at that, they just got their fourth foul in a row, and Maryland fans are screaming. Chaminade is in the bonus with more than half of the second half left. Thank God for make-up calls.
I think Chaminade is starting to run out of gas. The lead is now to 19 points, and hasn't waned at all since the beginning of the half. Not only that, but the commentators are actually talking about Maryland now, rather than kissing Chaminade's butt. Steven Bennett, aka Little Foot, is on the ground with a broken leg. Oh wait, it's just a cramp that is taking up too much time and delaying the inevitable loss they are about to suffer. Seriously, why can't this little guy just hop over to the bench? He's only 5'6"; why can't the two trainers sweep him off his feet and get him off the floor? Instead, he's getting a nearly full service massage there on the court. They finally get him off the floor, and he still being serviced. Jesus, get the kid some Gatorade!
Choi is a pleasant surprise in the last 5 minutes. He's had a nice assist, a good play to the basket (although he missed), and a steal. And on a more serious note... Bennett is now drinking Gatorade and seems to have regained his walking skills. Back to the game now. Pearman is in; the Silverswords should know they are getting worked now, in case the 30-point lead didn't tell them that already. Not only that, but Pearman scores! Silly Chaminade, thinking they had a chance with their two-point lead back when the score was 16-14. Maryland wins despite the appearance of the Chaminade little person (smaller than Bennett, if you can believe it) 79-51.
Fear the Honu.
Great... some of our key players are sitting the bench in foul trouble. Chaminade had THREE straight possessions that ended in Maryland fouls, and they are clawing their way into the Terps' lead. Gary looks like he's about to flip his stuff on the refs: foul calls up the wazoo against the Terps then a bad call that hands the ball right over to the Silverswords. I guess that study wasn't so much of a shock: refs do tend to make calls for the home team. Look at that, they just got their fourth foul in a row, and Maryland fans are screaming. Chaminade is in the bonus with more than half of the second half left. Thank God for make-up calls.
I think Chaminade is starting to run out of gas. The lead is now to 19 points, and hasn't waned at all since the beginning of the half. Not only that, but the commentators are actually talking about Maryland now, rather than kissing Chaminade's butt. Steven Bennett, aka Little Foot, is on the ground with a broken leg. Oh wait, it's just a cramp that is taking up too much time and delaying the inevitable loss they are about to suffer. Seriously, why can't this little guy just hop over to the bench? He's only 5'6"; why can't the two trainers sweep him off his feet and get him off the floor? Instead, he's getting a nearly full service massage there on the court. They finally get him off the floor, and he still being serviced. Jesus, get the kid some Gatorade!
Choi is a pleasant surprise in the last 5 minutes. He's had a nice assist, a good play to the basket (although he missed), and a steal. And on a more serious note... Bennett is now drinking Gatorade and seems to have regained his walking skills. Back to the game now. Pearman is in; the Silverswords should know they are getting worked now, in case the 30-point lead didn't tell them that already. Not only that, but Pearman scores! Silly Chaminade, thinking they had a chance with their two-point lead back when the score was 16-14. Maryland wins despite the appearance of the Chaminade little person (smaller than Bennett, if you can believe it) 79-51.
Fear the Honu.
Aloha, Chaminade! (That Means Hello)
I say that with utmost sarcasm... I am not saying "hello" as in "nice to see you, how ya been?" Although it is always nice to see a team that I know we can beat. Lucky Maryland getting the Chaminade Silverswords in the first round, rather than Gonzaga (who always gives us trouble--I still hate Adam Morrison) or Cincy (with Lance Stevenson, who bolted on Maryland). Let's hope I don't say that with sarcasm.
I overheard some commentators today talking about how if Maryland wants to win, Vasquez needs to step up. Um... so he's been good with the assists, but am I missing something else? Because so far, he's been flying really low under the radar. Too low to be acknowledged. Will tonight be the night he decides to step up? The first two and a half minutes tell me NO because he's gotten two turn-overs and two offensive fouls already. And Chaminade is winning. Hmmm...
Bling it! Eric Hayes gets a three-pointer to, ahem, tie Chaminade. That's embarrassing just to write, but if you aren't watching, the fact that we are shooting bricks left and right is even worse. The ball just will not fall into the basket for Maryland. Thankfully it's not falling for Chaminade as well, or we'd be screwed right about now.
In ten minutes of playtime, the game is still tied and it is still like watching a bunch of high-schoolers play. Vasquez is getting ready to come back into the game; he's been out since he had two quick fouls. Looking for a change in the game? Oh no, my friends. Maryland is still hanging tight with Chaminade. For heaven's sake, they have a player who is 5'6" and another named Dominique! I am still waiting for the Terps to take over the game and run with it; I didn't think it'd be this hard to play against a runt.
Milbourne got a sweet dunk, then Chaminade got trapped in the corner. Some good energy coming out of the timeout; did Vasquez actually listen to Gary in the huddle? Unfortunately, that little zip was it. No more baskets, except for the three by the stitch-lipped white guy on their team (not be confused with the white who looks like he's 40). Cliff Tucker got a fancy basket, then Chaminade pulls off a quick shot that fails, and the ball is back in the hands of Maryland. The Terps had their biggest lead (5 points) for a split second, and Mosley got a Juan Dixon shot off that worked. They tried it again a few seconds later, and the ball went soaring out of bounds. With a quick burst of confidence, Chaminade takes the ball straight to the basket, hoping for a Jordan-esque slam dunk, but ends up with an offensive foul instead.
Look out, the Terps have their biggest lead of the game... a whopping 7 points AND an and-1 (that Hayes makes). Vasquez has gotten a lot of airtime in the preseason, but Hayes and Mosley have been busting their butts every game and have come out big. Those two look to be the Terp stars of this game as well. Tucker is really showing his nerve tonight, too, bringing the lead even higher.
Jimmy Dykes is an idiot and I hate listening to him. I may need to watch the rest of the game muted.
Vasquez has shown up--only 19 minutes and 32 seconds into the game! He then takes it straight to the basket with a blind pass to Milbourne, who takes the lead to ten. The half ends 36-26.
I overheard some commentators today talking about how if Maryland wants to win, Vasquez needs to step up. Um... so he's been good with the assists, but am I missing something else? Because so far, he's been flying really low under the radar. Too low to be acknowledged. Will tonight be the night he decides to step up? The first two and a half minutes tell me NO because he's gotten two turn-overs and two offensive fouls already. And Chaminade is winning. Hmmm...
Bling it! Eric Hayes gets a three-pointer to, ahem, tie Chaminade. That's embarrassing just to write, but if you aren't watching, the fact that we are shooting bricks left and right is even worse. The ball just will not fall into the basket for Maryland. Thankfully it's not falling for Chaminade as well, or we'd be screwed right about now.
In ten minutes of playtime, the game is still tied and it is still like watching a bunch of high-schoolers play. Vasquez is getting ready to come back into the game; he's been out since he had two quick fouls. Looking for a change in the game? Oh no, my friends. Maryland is still hanging tight with Chaminade. For heaven's sake, they have a player who is 5'6" and another named Dominique! I am still waiting for the Terps to take over the game and run with it; I didn't think it'd be this hard to play against a runt.
Milbourne got a sweet dunk, then Chaminade got trapped in the corner. Some good energy coming out of the timeout; did Vasquez actually listen to Gary in the huddle? Unfortunately, that little zip was it. No more baskets, except for the three by the stitch-lipped white guy on their team (not be confused with the white who looks like he's 40). Cliff Tucker got a fancy basket, then Chaminade pulls off a quick shot that fails, and the ball is back in the hands of Maryland. The Terps had their biggest lead (5 points) for a split second, and Mosley got a Juan Dixon shot off that worked. They tried it again a few seconds later, and the ball went soaring out of bounds. With a quick burst of confidence, Chaminade takes the ball straight to the basket, hoping for a Jordan-esque slam dunk, but ends up with an offensive foul instead.
Look out, the Terps have their biggest lead of the game... a whopping 7 points AND an and-1 (that Hayes makes). Vasquez has gotten a lot of airtime in the preseason, but Hayes and Mosley have been busting their butts every game and have come out big. Those two look to be the Terp stars of this game as well. Tucker is really showing his nerve tonight, too, bringing the lead even higher.
Jimmy Dykes is an idiot and I hate listening to him. I may need to watch the rest of the game muted.
Vasquez has shown up--only 19 minutes and 32 seconds into the game! He then takes it straight to the basket with a blind pass to Milbourne, who takes the lead to ten. The half ends 36-26.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Let's Hope for a Better Half...
Just so everyone knows... my two-year-old daughter is making more baskets with her Fisher Price hoop than the Terps are. Hmmm...
The Terps apparently still have cold asses because they have come out shooting bricks left and right. These Fairfield Stags (I can think of a better name for them that rhymes with Stags) are still hanging around, and the Terps can't seem to pull away from them with more than ten points or so. If Georgetown can pull off a victory with a point, I can, too, but that doesn't mean I want the Stags that close. And can't they shut up Anthony Johnson? I can see that he's good and is causing trouble, so why can't the Terps?
OMG... Vasquez just made a basket. (Must be because he changed his ugly black shoes.) It's his SECOND OF THE GAME. This kid, who thought he was the shiz and had a better place in the NBA, has a whopping two baskets. So we are finally starting to pull away from them a bit. Almost 20 points. So close I can smell it. Oh, wait. They have a white boy who can shoot threes, too. Well, darn.
Argh! Their white boy with the bald spot should NOT be performing this well against the Terps. We are still hanging around just under the 20-point-lead mark. Poor Williams--both of them. Jordan got all ball, and Gary looked ready to have a heart attack with such a stupid call.
Not a pretty game, but the score in the end wasn't that bad at all. In case you missed it, it was 71-42. It certainly wasn't the offense that won the game, that's for sure. Our defense was good and kept us in the game. And the freshmen are good freshmen, not the bench-warmers who never see playtime unless they are dominating a team by, say, 50 points. So we got the victory, but I hope it's a lot prettier next time around. Too bad we can't see it, but you can be sure I will write about it... Until next time, Terp fans.
The Terps apparently still have cold asses because they have come out shooting bricks left and right. These Fairfield Stags (I can think of a better name for them that rhymes with Stags) are still hanging around, and the Terps can't seem to pull away from them with more than ten points or so. If Georgetown can pull off a victory with a point, I can, too, but that doesn't mean I want the Stags that close. And can't they shut up Anthony Johnson? I can see that he's good and is causing trouble, so why can't the Terps?
OMG... Vasquez just made a basket. (Must be because he changed his ugly black shoes.) It's his SECOND OF THE GAME. This kid, who thought he was the shiz and had a better place in the NBA, has a whopping two baskets. So we are finally starting to pull away from them a bit. Almost 20 points. So close I can smell it. Oh, wait. They have a white boy who can shoot threes, too. Well, darn.
Argh! Their white boy with the bald spot should NOT be performing this well against the Terps. We are still hanging around just under the 20-point-lead mark. Poor Williams--both of them. Jordan got all ball, and Gary looked ready to have a heart attack with such a stupid call.
Not a pretty game, but the score in the end wasn't that bad at all. In case you missed it, it was 71-42. It certainly wasn't the offense that won the game, that's for sure. Our defense was good and kept us in the game. And the freshmen are good freshmen, not the bench-warmers who never see playtime unless they are dominating a team by, say, 50 points. So we got the victory, but I hope it's a lot prettier next time around. Too bad we can't see it, but you can be sure I will write about it... Until next time, Terp fans.
Newly Top 25 Terps Play Fairfield
The Terps started the week ranked in the Top 25 in the AP Poll (but not the Coach's Poll, oddly enough). I don't know how Maryland was #26 in both polls, but then the Coaches let Illinois jump over them. I don't know what the difference is, but at least the Terps are ranked in at least one poll. Stupid ESPN, not allowing my team to be ranked when they have every right to be after beating a team by nearly 40 points.
Now to the Fairfield fight... The game has started out ugly. It took nearly three minutes for either team to score. Luckily, it was the Terps, with Hayes scoring a three-pointer, but then it was followed by the same by Fairfield. And then another one. Ugh. I know it's only 6-5, but a team like Fairfield should NEVER be beating the Terps.
Vasquez is making me nervous. He always does this, playing sloppy in the first bit and forcing me to bite my nails, and then he ends up coming through. But at this moment in the game, I am yelling at him like I am Gary Williams, and he is really pissing me off. Turnovers, missed shots... and he was going to declare for the draft?! I love him or I hate him, and there is no in between whatsoever. Right now... well, we won't go there. I think it's the black shoes. They are not giving him good mojo, and this is the worst I have seen him play in a while. He better come through quick, at least in the second half.
Geez, Fairfield is on a freakin' 6-0 run right now. I hope this is the only excitement they see all night. I'd rather them have a slight lead early then turn me red in the face at the end of the game. Now we've managed to come back, but damn, we are still letting them hang around! Thankfully Mosley is a good aggressive player who knows how to take care of his team. He's had a big hand in Fairfield going about five minutes without scoring, and the Terps' 15-0 run.
Eric Hayes, aka Steve Blake Junior, is on fire! He's got two three-pointers and ten points altogether with 6 minutes left in the half. I was just daring to write that I thought Fairfield was floundering, but they have gotten two three-pointers. I hate them when they are scored against me.
There's just a minute left in the half and the Terps are up 28-22. Not the score you thought you were going to see either, huh? I guess since we are winning, I cannot complain, but... it's my blog and I can complain if I want to. I am pissed at this game, and I don't feel like some of these guys are playing the way they should (or the way they played the other night). Jordan Williams is pretty good, but why go for the lay-up when his big self could have dunked the ball? Too many turnovers and too many bricks (VASQUEZ!) have made this half short and ugly. I am hoping Gary will be able to light a fire under their collective Terp butt to get them playing like a Top 25 team in the second half against this nobody team.
Thanks, Sean Mosley, for the last-second basket.
Now to the Fairfield fight... The game has started out ugly. It took nearly three minutes for either team to score. Luckily, it was the Terps, with Hayes scoring a three-pointer, but then it was followed by the same by Fairfield. And then another one. Ugh. I know it's only 6-5, but a team like Fairfield should NEVER be beating the Terps.
Vasquez is making me nervous. He always does this, playing sloppy in the first bit and forcing me to bite my nails, and then he ends up coming through. But at this moment in the game, I am yelling at him like I am Gary Williams, and he is really pissing me off. Turnovers, missed shots... and he was going to declare for the draft?! I love him or I hate him, and there is no in between whatsoever. Right now... well, we won't go there. I think it's the black shoes. They are not giving him good mojo, and this is the worst I have seen him play in a while. He better come through quick, at least in the second half.
Geez, Fairfield is on a freakin' 6-0 run right now. I hope this is the only excitement they see all night. I'd rather them have a slight lead early then turn me red in the face at the end of the game. Now we've managed to come back, but damn, we are still letting them hang around! Thankfully Mosley is a good aggressive player who knows how to take care of his team. He's had a big hand in Fairfield going about five minutes without scoring, and the Terps' 15-0 run.
Eric Hayes, aka Steve Blake Junior, is on fire! He's got two three-pointers and ten points altogether with 6 minutes left in the half. I was just daring to write that I thought Fairfield was floundering, but they have gotten two three-pointers. I hate them when they are scored against me.
There's just a minute left in the half and the Terps are up 28-22. Not the score you thought you were going to see either, huh? I guess since we are winning, I cannot complain, but... it's my blog and I can complain if I want to. I am pissed at this game, and I don't feel like some of these guys are playing the way they should (or the way they played the other night). Jordan Williams is pretty good, but why go for the lay-up when his big self could have dunked the ball? Too many turnovers and too many bricks (VASQUEZ!) have made this half short and ugly. I am hoping Gary will be able to light a fire under their collective Terp butt to get them playing like a Top 25 team in the second half against this nobody team.
Thanks, Sean Mosley, for the last-second basket.
Friday, November 13, 2009
100th Victory at Comcast Center!
FINALLY! Eric Hayes got the first three-pointer for the Terps. And it only took 22 minutes of play time to get it. That, followed by a nice behind-the-back pass to Mosely, is the way to start the half. Is it too early to say that Eric Hayes is on fire with the three-point shots? He's now got TWO to his name!
Okay, litte guy with the pony-tail has run out of any love from me. He traveled past about three players, then got cleanly denied at the basket... and he gets the foul. Yet Vasquez has twice looked at the ref, raising his arms in question. Maybe they need new glasses. Or for someone from Duke to put money in their pockets. Either way, I call for more fouls on Charleston Southern.
Oops, he did it again! Hayes just scored another three-pointer. My God, it's like some kind of miracle; it's raining threes--and alley-oops. And pony-tail boy is floundering, missing shots and dribbling the ball like a four-year-old. Hee hee. 24-8 run in the Terps' favor, with the score 61-35.
Yikes. Choi came down funky on his ankle and had to get helped off the court. At least he's still on the bench and not back in the locker room already. Maybe its his South Korean stoicism, but he didn't seem too hurt, like he was going to be out for the season.
With the Terps' very cushiony lead, there's a lot of fancy footwork and passing going on. If there was ever a time to practice and show off, it's when you can afford to miss.
San Antonio Tucker is getting quite a bit of playtime here in the second half and isn't disappointing. He went 4-5. And Padgett seems to have found a good home under the basket, taking hot passes and sinking them in the basket like it's his job. He's got 10 points and 7 rebounds. Williams needs to be noted here as well; he's got 12 points and 8 rebounds. Even Pearman scores tonight!
The final score ends up 89-51. I not-so-secretly hoped that Charleston Southern would stay under 50 points, but I don't really have a right to complain at the moment. We were up by 12 at the half, but ended up winning by 38 in the end. Not too shabby.
Key Players Tonight:
Mosley...15 points
Tucker...9 points
Vasquez...9 points (but had 13 assists)
Milbourne...16 points
Williams...12 points
Best news of all: 27 bench points and 22 points off of turn-overs. And Gary, although not smiling, was not scowling during the post-game interview.
Okay, litte guy with the pony-tail has run out of any love from me. He traveled past about three players, then got cleanly denied at the basket... and he gets the foul. Yet Vasquez has twice looked at the ref, raising his arms in question. Maybe they need new glasses. Or for someone from Duke to put money in their pockets. Either way, I call for more fouls on Charleston Southern.
Oops, he did it again! Hayes just scored another three-pointer. My God, it's like some kind of miracle; it's raining threes--and alley-oops. And pony-tail boy is floundering, missing shots and dribbling the ball like a four-year-old. Hee hee. 24-8 run in the Terps' favor, with the score 61-35.
Yikes. Choi came down funky on his ankle and had to get helped off the court. At least he's still on the bench and not back in the locker room already. Maybe its his South Korean stoicism, but he didn't seem too hurt, like he was going to be out for the season.
With the Terps' very cushiony lead, there's a lot of fancy footwork and passing going on. If there was ever a time to practice and show off, it's when you can afford to miss.
San Antonio Tucker is getting quite a bit of playtime here in the second half and isn't disappointing. He went 4-5. And Padgett seems to have found a good home under the basket, taking hot passes and sinking them in the basket like it's his job. He's got 10 points and 7 rebounds. Williams needs to be noted here as well; he's got 12 points and 8 rebounds. Even Pearman scores tonight!
The final score ends up 89-51. I not-so-secretly hoped that Charleston Southern would stay under 50 points, but I don't really have a right to complain at the moment. We were up by 12 at the half, but ended up winning by 38 in the end. Not too shabby.
Key Players Tonight:
Mosley...15 points
Tucker...9 points
Vasquez...9 points (but had 13 assists)
Milbourne...16 points
Williams...12 points
Best news of all: 27 bench points and 22 points off of turn-overs. And Gary, although not smiling, was not scowling during the post-game interview.
Charleston Southern--First Half
First and foremost, Dino Gregory is officially suspended, but for what exactly and for how long are still questionable. Williams pretended like it was news to him, but how would he not be aware? Nice try, Gary, but I ain't buying it. If you ask me, Dino's done for the season. I think he pulled a Florida State on us and cheated.
Now for news on the first half... bit of a slow start to the game. It took nearly five minutes to get five baskets between the two teams. UMD turned the ball over three times in four possessions, but managed to stay in control; thank God for airballs, right? Milbourne got a good, clean rejection that could have started something good, but then he went downcourt to miss a three-point shot. I have to note here that I like Gary's use of the young 'uns early. Jordan Williams was pretty impressive as far as I was concerned, scoring half of the Terps' points by the first TV timeout (3-3). He got a good offensive rebound and basket that started a domino effect of good shots from the Terps. (By the end of the half, his points run in the double figures, and had a few good rebounds.) At the first TV timeout, the score is 12-5, with just over 13 minutes left.
Geez... 0 for 5 on three-pointers! Why do the Terps always seem to have problems with three-point shots? At least Mosely made up for it with a nice alley-oop that got the fans pumped. The Terps kept up with their game solidly, never letting their lead wane too much. The Bucs went on a 6-0 run, but actually had some problems capitalizing on Terp turn-overs for the most part.
You know, that little guy with the pony-tail for the Bucs (his name is Warren, but I think my description rolls off the tongue better) is pretty feisty. He goes after the ball like he's protecting a newborn baby. And he's not too shabby with his points. Hey, I have to give credit where credit is due. If it wasn't for pony-tail wonder boy, Charleston wouldn't have been able to hang around the only-ten-points-under mark.
I love Gary. No matter how many points the Terps have on their opponent, he's as serious and furious as ever with this team. But that's good; treat every team like it's Duke, and you'll beat every team... like Duke.
I'm happy with the first half. And I'm like Gary, I'm never happy. Things are a little shakey, but not bad at all, and if this is what they play like the first game of the season against feisty guys with pony-tails, then I think we'll definitely be getting an NCAA berth this year. Score is 37-25.
Now for news on the first half... bit of a slow start to the game. It took nearly five minutes to get five baskets between the two teams. UMD turned the ball over three times in four possessions, but managed to stay in control; thank God for airballs, right? Milbourne got a good, clean rejection that could have started something good, but then he went downcourt to miss a three-point shot. I have to note here that I like Gary's use of the young 'uns early. Jordan Williams was pretty impressive as far as I was concerned, scoring half of the Terps' points by the first TV timeout (3-3). He got a good offensive rebound and basket that started a domino effect of good shots from the Terps. (By the end of the half, his points run in the double figures, and had a few good rebounds.) At the first TV timeout, the score is 12-5, with just over 13 minutes left.
Geez... 0 for 5 on three-pointers! Why do the Terps always seem to have problems with three-point shots? At least Mosely made up for it with a nice alley-oop that got the fans pumped. The Terps kept up with their game solidly, never letting their lead wane too much. The Bucs went on a 6-0 run, but actually had some problems capitalizing on Terp turn-overs for the most part.
You know, that little guy with the pony-tail for the Bucs (his name is Warren, but I think my description rolls off the tongue better) is pretty feisty. He goes after the ball like he's protecting a newborn baby. And he's not too shabby with his points. Hey, I have to give credit where credit is due. If it wasn't for pony-tail wonder boy, Charleston wouldn't have been able to hang around the only-ten-points-under mark.
I love Gary. No matter how many points the Terps have on their opponent, he's as serious and furious as ever with this team. But that's good; treat every team like it's Duke, and you'll beat every team... like Duke.
I'm happy with the first half. And I'm like Gary, I'm never happy. Things are a little shakey, but not bad at all, and if this is what they play like the first game of the season against feisty guys with pony-tails, then I think we'll definitely be getting an NCAA berth this year. Score is 37-25.
Monday, November 9, 2009
It's Go Time!
I hope you are as excited as I am that this Friday the regular basketball season for the Terps begins! My preparedness ritual is underway and the living room is all black, red, and yellow. Retired jerseys (at least retired for me) have been strung strategically around the living room, along with any and every Maryland Terrapin piece of paraphenalia I have gathered: a large soft-drink cup from the arena; a plush Testudo who, when prompted, sings the Maryland fight song; a UMD garden flag; UMD bumper stickers; bottle-openers that sing the fight song; a plush cow from Chik-Fil-A wearing a UMD sandwich board; a UMD door mat; and a t-shirt signed by Gary and several players from the 2004-2005 season. Hey, when I get more money, I'll get more crap to put up in my area.
Gary Williams (or his entourage) may not want me saying this, but that t-shirt is one of the coolest things I own. My wife, before we were married, bought a UMD basketall t-shirt on the sly and sent it to Gary Williams with a letter stating it was my birthday, and I was the biggest fan ever, and could he sign it and send it back in the prepaid envelope. Not only did he and the rest of the coaching staff sign it, but so did members of the team. How many coaches do you think would do that? I wouldn't think many big-namers would, unless it was for a terminally-ill child. So my affinity for Gary and company has multiple dimensions.
With the UMD football team sucking, and the Redskins sucking even worse, I am SO ready for the start of basketball season! I need a win, darn it! I need a team I can feel good about, one that doesn't make me drown my sorrows every Thursday, Saturday, or Sunday. With Vasquez getting a shout-out from Dickie V, I have high hopes for the team. Of course, I always have high hopes, even in transition years. And I haven't let go of that fact that only six years (not even a decade!) ago, we had a National Championship under our collective belt. But this year is actually very promising. I don't think I've been able to say that with as much gusto in years.
Go Terps!
Gary Williams (or his entourage) may not want me saying this, but that t-shirt is one of the coolest things I own. My wife, before we were married, bought a UMD basketall t-shirt on the sly and sent it to Gary Williams with a letter stating it was my birthday, and I was the biggest fan ever, and could he sign it and send it back in the prepaid envelope. Not only did he and the rest of the coaching staff sign it, but so did members of the team. How many coaches do you think would do that? I wouldn't think many big-namers would, unless it was for a terminally-ill child. So my affinity for Gary and company has multiple dimensions.
With the UMD football team sucking, and the Redskins sucking even worse, I am SO ready for the start of basketball season! I need a win, darn it! I need a team I can feel good about, one that doesn't make me drown my sorrows every Thursday, Saturday, or Sunday. With Vasquez getting a shout-out from Dickie V, I have high hopes for the team. Of course, I always have high hopes, even in transition years. And I haven't let go of that fact that only six years (not even a decade!) ago, we had a National Championship under our collective belt. But this year is actually very promising. I don't think I've been able to say that with as much gusto in years.
Go Terps!
Friday, November 6, 2009
Good Game, But...
The other night, the Terps played their first game, an exhibition game against Indiana, Penn. In case you weren't aware, the game wasn't televised. And if you were like me, and attempted to watch it online, you may have run into the same problem I did: the game got stuck in the very beginning, when the Terps were LOSING and didn't pick up again until the end of the game. But in the end, as I knew they would, the Terps won 75-54. Mosley and Milbourne were the top scorers of the evening, with Vasquez showing up as well.
Maryland was actually down 18-15, but it didn't last long. Bowie scored three baskets, helping put the Terps on top for good, with the score being 42-26 late in the half. After that, Indiana got to within 8 points of the Terps, but never closer. Good win for the Terps! Let's hope it goes at least this well next Friday, with the official season-opener against Charleston Southern.
Now for the "but..." Did you happen to notice who didn't show up, literally? Dino Gregory. I posted it earlier... seems like there's some trouble in College Park. Dino is rumored to be in trouble for academic dishonesty, and was nowhere to be seen on Tuesday night. Could be a coincidence, fingers crossed. As of right now, Maryland is not talking. More on that as details come out.
Another semi-issue I have come across involves Bowie. The details of this "case" are shady and a bit hard for me to understand. If there is only one African-American Adrian Bowie who stands at 6'3" living near College Park, then it looks like he was involved in a car accident where he is in trouble for not reporting the incident to the police. It says he was the driver, but no damage was done. So whatever you can get from that, take it. At least he was at the game and played on Tuesday. As for Dino... I just hope whatever he did doesn't affect his entire season and he comes back.
Maryland was actually down 18-15, but it didn't last long. Bowie scored three baskets, helping put the Terps on top for good, with the score being 42-26 late in the half. After that, Indiana got to within 8 points of the Terps, but never closer. Good win for the Terps! Let's hope it goes at least this well next Friday, with the official season-opener against Charleston Southern.
Now for the "but..." Did you happen to notice who didn't show up, literally? Dino Gregory. I posted it earlier... seems like there's some trouble in College Park. Dino is rumored to be in trouble for academic dishonesty, and was nowhere to be seen on Tuesday night. Could be a coincidence, fingers crossed. As of right now, Maryland is not talking. More on that as details come out.
Another semi-issue I have come across involves Bowie. The details of this "case" are shady and a bit hard for me to understand. If there is only one African-American Adrian Bowie who stands at 6'3" living near College Park, then it looks like he was involved in a car accident where he is in trouble for not reporting the incident to the police. It says he was the driver, but no damage was done. So whatever you can get from that, take it. At least he was at the game and played on Tuesday. As for Dino... I just hope whatever he did doesn't affect his entire season and he comes back.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Gary's Still Got It
As you probably already know, Coach Gary Williams underwent surgery earlier this month to repair a disc problem in his back. It came as a shock to most fans, since he appeared unscathed at Midnight Madness, and not many knew about it then. But at yesterday's Halloween scrimmage (where Vasquez dominated, of course) Gary donned a neckbrace. Think that at all slowed him down on the sidelines? Heck no! Gary was still red in the face, with facial veins throbbing while doing his classic two-hands-on-his-head-as-if-the-world-were-ending stance.
Players played impressively. Freshman Jordan Williams looked pretty solid on the court and appears to be a promising player. Good thing charges of pushing a girl to the ground were dropped. The last thing we need is a good player in bad trouble. Speakingof which... rumor has it that one of our players is, in fact, in some sort of trouble. still trying to get the scoop, but you can guarantee I'll get it and post as soon as I can.
Players played impressively. Freshman Jordan Williams looked pretty solid on the court and appears to be a promising player. Good thing charges of pushing a girl to the ground were dropped. The last thing we need is a good player in bad trouble. Speakingof which... rumor has it that one of our players is, in fact, in some sort of trouble. still trying to get the scoop, but you can guarantee I'll get it and post as soon as I can.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Vasquez: Boy, am I Glad he Stayed!
Vasquez nearly gave me an apoplexy this April, making me wonder whether or not he was going to stay. And when Lance Stevenson wasn't coming to Maryland, I thought for sure Vasquez was out of here. Thank God he stayed! In case you hadn't heard the news, Vasquez was voted First Team All-ACC, was runner-up for Player of the Year (beat out by stupid Dukie Kyle Singler), and has been named as one of 50 college players on the preseason watch list for the 2010 Naismith Award.
Bam! I don't know where we would have been had Vasquez listened to whatever idiot agent was trying to whisper sweet nothings in his ear to get him to leave college and go to the NBA a year early. I hope his Latin passion lights a fire under the team's collective rear-end.
Bam! I don't know where we would have been had Vasquez listened to whatever idiot agent was trying to whisper sweet nothings in his ear to get him to leave college and go to the NBA a year early. I hope his Latin passion lights a fire under the team's collective rear-end.
Season Looking Good Already
Okay, so given that I am a firm believer that the Terps should always be number one in the polls, I was pleased to see the Terps at #26 on both the Coach's Poll and AP Poll. Darn, almost missed being in the Top 25 in the preseason! As far as I concerned, that just means the commentators are less likely to give my team crap when they lose to a team that should beat us anyways.
I'm also happy to see that we were picked fifth in the preseason Media Poll, although I think we have a shot (long?) at being third. I think we can eek out Clemson and Georgia Tech to get there. Fingers are crossed, and the hopes are high here in the household.
Boo Duke, go Terps!
I'm also happy to see that we were picked fifth in the preseason Media Poll, although I think we have a shot (long?) at being third. I think we can eek out Clemson and Georgia Tech to get there. Fingers are crossed, and the hopes are high here in the household.
Boo Duke, go Terps!
Men's Basketball Schedule
Here is a look at this year's schedule. (All times are eastern, and starred games are televised.)
*11/3/09 vs. Indiana Univ. @ 8 pm (College Park)
*11/13/09 vs. Charleston Southern @ 8 pm (College Park)
*11/17/09 vs. Fairfield @ 8 pm (College Park)
EA Sports Maui Invitational
*11/23/09 at Chaminade @ 9:30 pm (Lahaina, Hawaii)
*11/24/09 Cincinnati/Vanderbilt TBA (Lahaina, Hawaii)
*11/25/09 Third Round Game TBA (Lahaina, Hawaii)
Big Ten/ACC Challenge
*12/01/09 @ Indiana @ 7:30 pm (Bloomington, Ind.)
BB&T Challenge
12/06/09 vs. Villanova @ 7:30 pm (Washington, DC)
*12/12/09 vs. Eastern Kentucky @ 4:30 pm (College Park)
*12/22/09 vs. Winston-Salem State @ 8 pm (College Park)
12/27/09 vs. Florida Atlantic @ 2 pm (College Park)
*12/30/09 vs. William and Mary @ 7:30 pm (College Park)
*1/03/10 @ UNC Greensboro @ 1 pm (Greensboro, NC)
*1/10/10 vs. Florida State @ 5:30 pm (College Park)
*1/12/10 @ Wake Forest @ 8 pm (Winston-Salem)
*1/16/10 @ Boston College @ 4 pm (Chesnut Hill, Mass.)
*1/19/10 vs. Longwood @ 8 pm (College Park)
*1/23/10 vs. North Carolina State @ 6 pm (College Park)
*1/26/10 vs. Miami @ 7 pm (College Park)
*1/31/10 @ Clemson @ 5:30 pm (Clemson, SC)
*2/04/10 @ Florida State @ 9 pm (Tallahassee, Fla.)
*2/07/10 vs. North Carolina @ 2 pm (College Park)
*2/10/10 vs. Virginia @ 7 pm (College Park)
*2/13/10 @ Duke @ 1 pm (Durham, NC)
*2/17/10 @ North Carolina State @ 9 pm (Raleigh, NC)
*2/20/10 vs. Georgia Tech @ 2 pm (College Park)
*2/24/10 vs. Clemson @ 9 pm (College Park)
*2/27/10 @ Virginia Tech @ 4 pm (Blacksburg, Va.)
*3/03/10 vs. Duke @ 9 pm (College Park)
*3/06/10 @ Virginia @ 1:30 pm (Charlottesville, Va.)
3/11, 3/12, 3/13, 3/14 ACC Tournament TBA (Greensboro, NC)
*11/3/09 vs. Indiana Univ. @ 8 pm (College Park)
*11/13/09 vs. Charleston Southern @ 8 pm (College Park)
*11/17/09 vs. Fairfield @ 8 pm (College Park)
EA Sports Maui Invitational
*11/23/09 at Chaminade @ 9:30 pm (Lahaina, Hawaii)
*11/24/09 Cincinnati/Vanderbilt TBA (Lahaina, Hawaii)
*11/25/09 Third Round Game TBA (Lahaina, Hawaii)
Big Ten/ACC Challenge
*12/01/09 @ Indiana @ 7:30 pm (Bloomington, Ind.)
BB&T Challenge
12/06/09 vs. Villanova @ 7:30 pm (Washington, DC)
*12/12/09 vs. Eastern Kentucky @ 4:30 pm (College Park)
*12/22/09 vs. Winston-Salem State @ 8 pm (College Park)
12/27/09 vs. Florida Atlantic @ 2 pm (College Park)
*12/30/09 vs. William and Mary @ 7:30 pm (College Park)
*1/03/10 @ UNC Greensboro @ 1 pm (Greensboro, NC)
*1/10/10 vs. Florida State @ 5:30 pm (College Park)
*1/12/10 @ Wake Forest @ 8 pm (Winston-Salem)
*1/16/10 @ Boston College @ 4 pm (Chesnut Hill, Mass.)
*1/19/10 vs. Longwood @ 8 pm (College Park)
*1/23/10 vs. North Carolina State @ 6 pm (College Park)
*1/26/10 vs. Miami @ 7 pm (College Park)
*1/31/10 @ Clemson @ 5:30 pm (Clemson, SC)
*2/04/10 @ Florida State @ 9 pm (Tallahassee, Fla.)
*2/07/10 vs. North Carolina @ 2 pm (College Park)
*2/10/10 vs. Virginia @ 7 pm (College Park)
*2/13/10 @ Duke @ 1 pm (Durham, NC)
*2/17/10 @ North Carolina State @ 9 pm (Raleigh, NC)
*2/20/10 vs. Georgia Tech @ 2 pm (College Park)
*2/24/10 vs. Clemson @ 9 pm (College Park)
*2/27/10 @ Virginia Tech @ 4 pm (Blacksburg, Va.)
*3/03/10 vs. Duke @ 9 pm (College Park)
*3/06/10 @ Virginia @ 1:30 pm (Charlottesville, Va.)
3/11, 3/12, 3/13, 3/14 ACC Tournament TBA (Greensboro, NC)
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