Terps vs. UVA

[BaltimoreTerp]

Are you really suggesting that HS kids would be more impressed with the advice of their AD over a coach with a NC banner flying in his arena? Seriously? When I played HS sports I had no idea who the AD even was...

Bet your coach did. Especially when the AD (in charge of ALL CITY SCHOOLS, not just some random high school) is a local legend and former coach of the state's flagship university who many believe got a bad deal.

Didn't we just have one of those Post articles talking about how AAU coaches have a tremendous influence on where players go to school? Why wouldn't high school coaches have the same influence? Why wouldn't a guy with that much history, as well as probably some control over aspects of the programs and coahces in the system (I don't know how the city schools operate when it comes to having a system-wide "athletic director", so if I'm wrong about that someone please let me know) have influence over the coaches, who then have influence over the players?

[Todd-O]

Bottom line is this: you can't expect to win consistently without a presence in the paint. Terps don't have one. They know it. We know it. Everyone knows it. Put a good center on this team and they blow UVA out of the water today.

They are NIT bound.

[BaltimoreTerp]

Bottom line is this: you can't expect to win consistently without a presence in the paint. Terps don't have one. They know it. We know it. Everyone knows it. Put a good center on this team and they blow UVA out of the water today.

Absolutely.

However, the question then becomes whether or not we just need someone who can play down low for this to be a "good" team.

A lot of the present criticism seems to be based on a lack of recruiting ability, but if the missing piece is just missing this year, after having been there in the past and possibly coming in the future, can we really declare the rest of the recruiting a failure?

[Oriole4Life]

I just wanna say that as soon as Vasquez took that shot at the end of the NC State game I had a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach. I just knew something bad was going to happen, like karma. It was a dick move that deserved to be punished. And we got punished. I know none of that is related but nonetheless I felt it.

Horrible loss today. I didn't see it but Jesus H Christ. So close to the NCAA tournament once again, and we lose the final game that we should've won. Remember Clemson on Senior Day last year?

I'm so mad. I'm gonna go throw up now. We need 3 wins in the ACC tournament in my opinion.

[BaltimoreTerp]

I just wanna say that as soon as Vasquez took that shot at the end of the NC State game I had a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach. I just knew something bad was going to happen, like karma. It was a dick move that deserved to be punished. And we got punished. I know none of that is related but nonetheless I felt it.

Wow, that's a good point.

Karma's a real *female Duke fan*

[section18]

I agree with you. Why did he take that last shot with time running out at NC State. Did any of the writers have a quote from GV? The better question is why he tried to move forward from outside the three point line and took a 2 point shot today with about 12 seconds left when we were down by three? He must know how to add and subtract. If he made it we would have been down by one and would have immediately fouled a Virginia player and put them on the line. Virginia would then have had a chance to go back up by three with about 8 or 9 seconds left and we would have had to go the length of the court to put up a three to tie. Some might argue the 2 point shot was more of a sure thing considering how we shot 3'S on Saturday. 3-18? I think that's what I heard on the postgame show.

Add them up......we should have won the Morgan State game and the 1st Miami game along with the Florida State game and today's game. We are 18-11 and if we would have won those games we would be 22-7. What if they would have hit a couple shots at the end of the Wake game and won we would be 23-6. We would be ranked in the top 20 and Gary would be ACC coach of the year. Too many what if's here. This has been a strange season in more ways than one. If we play Miami in the first game we better hope that our defense holds them to less than 10 three point attempts and we definitely need the yellow uniforms.

[section18]

Correction! We are 18-12. With those blown games in the win column we would have been 22-8 and 23-7 with a Wake Forest win the other night. Incredible how different our season would have been if we had been able to finish games. We would be a top 25 team tied with Illinois at #23 or #24.

[Todd-O]

Absolutely.

However, the question then becomes whether or not we just need someone who can play down low for this to be a "good" team.

A lot of the present criticism seems to be based on a lack of recruiting ability, but if the missing piece is just missing this year, after having been there in the past and possibly coming in the future, can we really declare the rest of the recruiting a failure?

I think the answer is undoubtedly "yes." This would be a very good squad with good center. No question about it. A hallmark of Gary's best teams has always been the ability to dump the ball into the paint and have reliable/high percentage shots... especially when the going is getting tough. A secondary effect is getting the opposing big men into foul trouble. For years... whenever the game was tight, Gary would call plays looking down low. And for years he gave opposing centers headaches.

You put a mediocre player in there... or a player like Neal (and... yes... I'm aware he's doing everything he can to help the team win) who is more or less hanging out around the 3 point line... and you have a situation where a huge part of the game is taken away.

I still scratch my head wondering how Gary Williams allowed himself to have no true center.

It's crazy... but it has happened... and a real center would have had a major impact on that game yesterday.

[LAOSfan]

Correction! We are 18-12. With those blown games in the win column we would have been 22-8 and 23-7 with a Wake Forest win the other night. Incredible how different our season would have been if we had been able to finish games. We would be a top 25 team tied with Illinois at #23 or #24.

But every team could say that. We, meaning Clemson, should have beaten FSU at home (up 19 points in the second half) and won at UVa. UNC should have beaten you guys at Comcast. Miami should have beaten Duke in Cameron. Duke probably should have beaten BC in Boston....you could go on and on. Every team has 3-4 games that they should or could have won. The difference is that the good teams win those games more times than not.

[weemnj]

I think the answer is undoubtedly "yes." This would be a very good squad with good center. No question about it. A hallmark of Gary's best teams has always been the ability to dump the ball into the paint and have reliable/high percentage shots... especially when the going is getting tough. A secondary effect is getting the opposing big men into foul trouble. For years... whenever the game was tight, Gary would call plays looking down low. And for years he gave opposing centers headaches.

You put a mediocre player in there... or a player like Neal (and... yes... I'm aware he's doing everything he can to help the team win) who is more or less hanging out around the 3 point line... and you have a situation where a huge part of the game is taken away.

I still scratch my head wondering how Gary Williams allowed himself to have no true center.

It's crazy... but it has happened... and a real center would have had a major impact on that game yesterday.

And Gilchrist was supposed to be his center before his "adviser" tried to extort GW.