Maryland vs. Belmont

[Hallas]

40 minutes ago, Finisher said:

His final year, that's what he was. Obviously had the ability to do more. But great defender, chipped in a dozen or so points, made smart plays/passes that type of thing.

If memory serves, Steve Francis got him to Houston, and they played together for a couple years. Then he was promptly out of the league.

You're right -  I was super confused by his senior year - he was a mid-1st round pick imo after his junior year, and then he came back and played with zero sense of urgency.

[Finisher]

32 minutes ago, Hallas said:

You're right -  I was super confused by his senior year - he was a mid-1st round pick imo after his junior year, and then he came back and played with zero sense of urgency.

He took a back seat to the Dixon and Baxter show. Definitely had a weird college career trajectory.

34 minutes ago, vatech1994 said:

I’m tough on Stix so I will go on the record as saying he played a HUGE game today.  I was very impressed.

Smith plays well in the LSU game and maybe it boosts his draft stock enough and he bolts?? Definitely needs another year to bulk up and refine his game but .. it just takes one pro team to like what they see (a la Huerter and Atlanta).

[Hallas]

34 minutes ago, Finisher said:

He took a back seat to the Dixon and Baxter show. Definitely had a weird college career trajectory.

Smith plays well in the LSU game and maybe it boosts his draft stock enough and he bolts?? Definitely needs another year to bulk up and refine his game but .. it just takes one pro team to like what they see (a la Huerter and Atlanta).

He lost a little bit of playing time (probably because of Wilcox) but I felt like he wasn't super aggressive around the rim in his senior year, and settled for jump shots or passed the ball out way too often for someone with his skills.

[ChuckS]

47 minutes ago, Finisher said:

He took a back seat to the Dixon and Baxter show. Definitely had a weird college career trajectory.

Smith plays well in the LSU game and maybe it boosts his draft stock enough and he bolts?? Definitely needs another year to bulk up and refine his game but .. it just takes one pro team to like what they see (a la Huerter and Atlanta).

I think that would be ill-advised for Smith to go pro.  Or better yet, I think it would be ill-advised for an NBA team to take him in the first round if that is where he is being projected. 

Most of his points today were on offensive rebounds.  He's still really raw offensively and will have a tough time guarding NBA power forwards.  He doesn't create his own shot.  Doesn't shoot very well (by NBA standards).  He still has a long way to go, so I hope for his benefit that he stays. 

I think Huerter brought more to the table after his sophomore season.  Particularly being an excellent shooter.  I don't see a carrying NBA skill for Jaylen at this point.   

[JR Oriole]

10 hours ago, vatech1994 said:

Windler hit at least 5 shots that there is just no way he should make.  Jesus, did that guy play out of his mind.  Between him walking on water and 3-18 from Cowen, I’m pretty shocked we won.  It basically came down to only 5 TOs and a big game on the offensive boards.  That team was no joke.  Their offense was for real.

I’m tough on Stix so I will go on the record as saying he played a HUGE game today.  I was very impressed.  Morsell played his butt off.  Bruno was good although he was still a little in and out from an effort perspective IMHO.  Ayala had a nice game and I really just appreciate the way he plays. Wiggins didn’t play as well offensively as he should have played.  He had a couple pretty open shots that were missed.  Sorrell Smith hasn’t been worth a darn for weeks now.

Good win, but we should have won.  Let’s go win the next one.

Yeah, it definitely had the feel of a guy (Windler) completely putting a team on his back and willing them to the win, while the other guy (Cowan) kept coming up so small in the most important games.  This game smelled like a loss all the way until the end, so I am shocked we pulled it off.  Cowan had a big three late to tie the game, but his body language and shooting indicate something is way off with this dude.  The confidence just isn't there. 

[JR Oriole]

9 hours ago, Hallas said:

He lost a little bit of playing time (probably because of Wilcox) but I felt like he wasn't super aggressive around the rim in his senior year, and settled for jump shots or passed the ball out way too often for someone with his skills.

I remember this very well.  Morris did seem to regress a bit in his senior year, although I remember him coming up big against Stanford in the Regional Final.  Wilcox didn't do too much his freshman year, but by his sophomore year he was a beast.  If he ever had the intensity and effort to match his actual talent and athletic ability.....and had he stayed in college one more year....he would have been great. 

[Redskins Rick]

Terps got extremely lucky at the end of the game.

I dont think they won the game, more to the fact, Belmont got stupid at the end and lost the game.

Good to get out of round 1 with a victory and the ability to play in round 2.

Go Terps

[McLikin]

If I'm a Maryland fan, I'm actually feeling more confident going into the LSU game than I was for Belmont. Talk about a #3 seed that's ripe to be taken out. 

[Frobby]

So if Maryland loses this next game to the higher seeded LSU, do you consider this season a success, having at least made the NCAA tournament and advanced a round?

If your answer is no, would you consider the season a success if they beat LSU and made it to the Sweet 16?     Or is that still not enough?

[TonySoprano]

I think anything after the Sweet 16 is an unexpected bonus.   This was their first postseason win in their last 6 tries, and several TV pundits had them losing the opener.  Getting their asses handed to them so close to home in DC seems like a Terp thing to do.

What about Puke *ahem* Duke, anything less than a championship for one-and-done Williamson a disappointment?

[JR Oriole]

Given how long it has been since they actually pulled the upset on somebody else in a big game, it would be great to beat LSU.  Then there is no question the season was a success.  It probably already is as a result of yesterday's win. 

For Duke, I think Final Four is the bare minimum.  Preseason, they were Top 3/4 so that sets the expectation.  Kansas was No. 1 and actually looked good yesterday. 

[Finisher]

51 minutes ago, Frobby said:

...would you consider the season a success if they beat LSU and made it to the Sweet 16?     Or is that still not enough?

Beat LSU, season is a success.

Right now it's borderline to me. Just making the tourney and beating a team you should beat is good enough some seasons but we have 2 NBA bigs and this is Turgeon's most talented team imo. LSU is also vulnerable with their coaching situation.

Turgeon has never beaten a major conference team in the tourney in his 20+ years coaching. Really feels like the timing here is aligning, he really needs to get over that hurdle.

[JR Oriole]

6 minutes ago, Finisher said:

Beat LSU, season is a success.

Right now it's borderline to me. Just making the tourney and beating a team you should beat is good enough some seasons but we have 2 NBA bigs and this is Turgeon's most talented team imo. LSU is also vulnerable with their coaching situation.

Turgeon has never beaten a major conference team in the tourney in his 20+ years coaching. Really feels like the timing here is aligning, he really needs to get over that hurdle.

Somehow, I did not know this.  That has to be some sort of record. 

[Frobby]

53 minutes ago, TonySoprano said:

I think anything after the Sweet 16 is an unexpected bonus.   This was their first postseason win in their last 6 tries, and several TV pundits had them losing the opener.  Getting their asses handed to them so close to home in DC seems like a Terp thing to do.

What about Puke *ahem* Duke, anything less than a championship for one-and-done Williamson a disappointment?

Duke set the bar impossibly high when they demolished Kentucky at the beginning of the season.   Watching that game, I thought this team might be in the conversation for the best Duke team ever.     Since then, they’ve shown themselves to be pretty vulnerable and their inexperience really hurts them at times.    Saying that, they are certainly the most talented team and Zion is just ridiculous.   So, yes I think anything less than a championship will be a disappointment but I don’t consider them an odds-on favorite by any means.  

[ChuckS]

33 minutes ago, Finisher said:

Beat LSU, season is a success.

Right now it's borderline to me. Just making the tourney and beating a team you should beat is good enough some seasons but we have 2 NBA bigs and this is Turgeon's most talented team imo. LSU is also vulnerable with their coaching situation.

Turgeon has never beaten a major conference team in the tourney in his 20+ years coaching. Really feels like the timing here is aligning, he really needs to get over that hurdle.

I think it's hard to say that a team loaded with this many freshman is Turgeon's most talented team.  The team that had Trimble, Layman, Diamond Stone, and Robert Carter was much better on paper even though they underperformed.  That team made the Sweet 16 but they were top 10 for part of the season.