2/23 Terps vs. Canes/ Gary Williams' status debate

[Oriole4Life]

I just listened to the last 10 minutes on XM Radio in my car. It is apparent that we can't play defense. Vasquez still turns the ball over way to much to be considered an elite point guard, and he takes about 93 shots a game.

We need to win our last three games and two in the ACC tournament in order to make the NCAA tournament. That loss to VTech at home was devestational. How could we not realize the importance of that game and play with so little passion? Not to mention American and Ohio early in the year. My only hope is that we get pissed off and win these next five.

[ccbird]

Yes.

I still can't believe we lost to Tech, now this, I'm really bitter.

Why?? Miami was clearly the better team. No question about it. They are a quickr, better shooting and more fundamentally sound team.

Don't be fooled too much by the middle of the year. Maryland is a very flawed basketball team who overachieved for a nice stretch in Jan and Feb. Talent wise they aren't one of the 50 or so best teams in the country.

[Lucky Jim]

They're NIT bound right now, no doubt. Thinking otherwise is crazy.

17-11? One win versus the top 50? They're embarrassing right now.

[JohnD]

Vasquez is never going to be an elite PG. I love the way he can slash and score in the lane. But he shouldn't be handling the ball. That experiment is past time to end.

[glenn__davis]

We need to win our last three games and two in the ACC tournament in order to make the NCAA tournament.

If we win our last 3 games we'll almost certainly make the NCAA tourney, regardless of the ACC tourney.

[BaltBird 24]

I don't know how to explain the feeling. You'd think there is enough talent on the team to beat teams like Virginia Tech, Miami, Ohio, American, VCU....... but something is just holding them back.

It can't be the coaching, can it?

[glenn__davis]

They're NIT bound right now, no doubt. Thinking otherwise is crazy.

If the season ended right now, I'd agree. But I think they'll play a lot better these last three games.

[Mackus]

Really terrible week.

We went from a near lock for the tournament to probably on the outside of the bubble right now.

Absolutely have to win at least 2 of the last 3. I think Clemson is a must-win for us now.

I think we need 3 wins over the remainder of the season to make it. 9-7 will get us in if we can win a game at the ACC tournament.

Really disappointing to fall back like this after having played so well and seemingly erasing the memories of how badly we played earlier in the year.

[Mackus]

I just listened to the last 10 minutes on XM Radio in my car. It is apparent that we can't play defense. Vasquez still turns the ball over way to much to be considered an elite point guard, and he takes about 93 shots a game.

We need to win our last three games and two in the ACC tournament in order to make the NCAA tournament. That loss to VTech at home was devestational. How could we not realize the importance of that game and play with so little passion? Not to mention American and Ohio early in the year. My only hope is that we get pissed off and win these next five.

Obviously we don't need that many wins to get in, thats just crazy talk. And devastational isn't even remotely close to being a word.

[BaltBird 24]

Gist especially. It's like he's already thinking more about what he can do to get to the NBA next year than he is winning games.

You mean like hanging on the outside and shooting up 3's all day, or trying to shoot fade away jumpers?

It's almost like he's trying to prove he can play the 3 since he's not physically big or strong enough to play the 4.

[Mackus]

Hayes and Gist have both been awful of late. No focus, no heart. Gist especially. It's like he's already thinking more about what he can do to get to the NBA next year than he is winning games.

I agree, since the NC State game where he played amazingly well, he's done absolutely nothing.

He really hasn't even played that well defensively.

Hayes seems like his head isn't in it right now. He's having almost as many silly turnovers as Vasquez. You can live with them from Vasquez because of all the great plays he does make, but Hayes doesn't really create much on his own. At least he started knocking down the open threes again today.

[Oriole4Life]

If we win our last 3 games we'll almost certainly make the NCAA tourney, regardless of the ACC tourney.

You think so? I hope you're right. Even though that would put us at 10-6 in conference, those out of conference losses hurt so bad. Plus we have 1 win against teams in the top 50 RPI, a good one against UNC. But still...I just don't think we have shown enough to convince the tournament committee that we belong. I'd say we need to win four in a row at least.

I always thought that devestational was a word. How about devestating? We just had two devestating losses.

[Mackus]

You think so? I hope you're right. Even though that would put us at 10-6 in conference, those out of conference losses hurt so bad. Plus we have 1 win against teams in the top 50 RPI(I read that on ESPN), a good one against UNC. But still...I just don't think we have shown enough to convince the tournament committee that we belong. I'd say we need to win four in a row at least.

10-6 and we're an absolute lock. 0% chance we miss out if we win the last 3 regular season games.

9-7 and we likely need at least one tournament win.

[Lucky Jim]

Obviously we don't need that many wins to get in, thats just crazy talk. And devastational isn't even remotely close to being a word.

Hey. Devastational is only two letters from being a word. That's not that far off.

[bryanman8]

Where are all those people defending this as Gary's best season ever, again? He's a joke of a coach. We run no friggin' offense whatsoever. We cannot run a single play to get Eric Hayes, the best shooter on our team, an open look. Someone tell me why he can't be similar to what J.J. Reddick was to Duke for us. Because the system is crap. Duke basically stole D'Antoni's offense and have a bunch of guys even now in Paulus, Scheyer, Singler, etc. that they just run screens and stuff all game long for in a spread offense to get them open shots. We cannot get Hayes one open look. The entire second half basically he was absolutely useless out there. Why does Gary even recruit players like him if he doesn't fit our system at all? Gary's system is clearly fit for guards who cut and drive and run his little screen and curl at the free-throw line, which Eric clearly can't do.

And Gist, I mean, is it partially his fault, sure, he doesn't seem to have the fire and intensity, but could he be any worse coached? Tell the freaking guy to get the hell away from the three-point line and get his @$$ down low! Post up and go up strong and stop with the fade-away crap! And how much can you blame him and Osby if every single time they go down low we can't get them the ball? Our entry passes SUCK! No pump fakes whatsoever, telegraphed every single time, Hayes for a guy that drew comparisons to Steve Blake doesn't have a clue in the world how to pass the ball to near-7 footers...it's a joke.

This team has some good players. All 5 of our starters are immensely talented and I think all could have futures at least as role players in the NBA. Gary just doesn't know how to use this talent AT ALL. The offense he runs is complete garbage, our press on defense--can someone tell me what the hell the point of it is?!! Did it produce more than 1 steal the whole game? I can tell you for sure it led to at least 10 easy points on the other end. If you can tell that's not working, maybe because Hayes is soft and won't knock the damn ball away from the guy, instead letting him dribble right through the double team, whatever the reason, go back into the damn half-court defense where we have two monstrous bigs who can swat away anything down low? This team, again, has potential to be great defensively but is coached by a stupid coach. Sorry, but that's the truth.

I've been saying the same thing all season long. Make the tourney this year or Gary needs to go. The win at NC was nice, but that's about the only nice thing we've had all year, and it's been far overshadowed by American, Ohio, VaTech, and Miami. Now, barring a remarkable recovery and perhaps some good coaching for the first time all season to actually run an offense and not run an absolutely useless press, I've about had it with Gary for sure. He had a chance to turn it around and easily make the tourney and make that two straight years in but instead it's going to be 3/4 in the NIT because he couldn't outcoach VaTech at home and was an absolute moron against Miami. Just awful.