Basketball Season In Full Swing

I am so happy for college basketball season to be back. The Terps got off to a good start and even broke into the top 25. They then fumbled in the Maui invitational to Cincinnati and Wisconsin. Both of those teams look poised to do good things this season. And the Terps managed to persevere against the Indiana Hoosiers in the ACC-Big Ten challenge. Overall, my Terps are looking good this year. I've heard naysayers talk about how in a month the fans and Washington Post will be calling for Gary's head. But I'm not so sure.

First of all, I want to enjoy the success while it's going on. Why assume bad things are going to happen? I'm trying to be positive. Maryland has a good mixture of young and experienced players. The new big freshman will need to grow as players to make Maryland great, but I think they have done well so far. The defense is playing well so far.

For that reason, I think Maryland can do well. The Terps tend to rely on their star shooters, like Vasquez and when he doesn't come through, the Terps are lost. But this year they have the defense working for them. The shots will start to fall more. They will struggle on Vasquez off nights, but I don't think it will kill them. There shouldn't be any games like last season's Duke blowout loss. I think that will bode well for Maryland.

This team also looks like a group of hard workers. They seem to have a drive early in the season that Gary's teams sometimes appear to lack. Even in their lackluster performances, the team did not give up, they always looked like they were working hard. This is good. I don't want to watch a team that doesn't try, even in the pushover games. In recent years, Maryland has lost to some cupcake team and then started to spiral downward. I think that can be avoided this year.

I don't want to be waiting anxiously on Selection Sunday, I don't want to be strung along throughout the season and have my emotions played with again. I don't want to mourn Maryland and I don't want to call for Gary's head. So I'm hoping the experienced Terps are teaching the freshman and that Maryland continues to improve over the season.

I have high hopes, here's hoping the Terps don't let me down.

GO TERPS!!

Seal the Deal

Personally, I think that after resoundingly beating Wake Forest yesterday, 75-64, Maryland has all but punched it's card to the big dance. But in an increasingly tight fight for those at large bids I wouldn't mind another win to shore up a spot. I mean, I wouldn't mind an automatic bid by winning the tournament either. That would be pretty ideal. But I'm nowhere near that hopeful and confident. If the Terps don't make the tournament with this resume I'll be screaming about a snub on Sunday night.

They have 4 really quality wins, three of those against top 10 teams. They have a few bad losses, but overall, they've stepped up as the season has gone on. And they only have two losses to really bad teams. And UVA beat Clemson when they were a top ranked team. So that loss isn't really that terrible, kinda, sorta.

Whatever, I'll save my arguments for later. Right now I want to focus on Duke. They beat Maryland twice during the regular season. The first time it was almost comical to watch. But Maryland seems to have tapped a new enthusiasm. They actually played better against Wake than they did against NC State. Stringing two wins together has been hard for the Terps this year, and two wins where they played better the second game seems even less likely. But that gives me hope that they'll show up again today ready to play and win.

The team seems to have rallied around Gary. Taking the criticism to heart and playing for to vindicate him as much as to win for themselves. It's very reminiscent of the 2004 ACC tournament. Duke is a really good team. And they tend to shine in the tournament, but if Maryland can keep buckling down and playing their hearts out, they have a good shot at beating Duke. Duke played a hard game against BC last night and I think Maryland will be able to challenge them again today.

LET'S GO TERPS!!! Silence the critics and stop the skepticism. Win today and show the selection committee that there is no doubt you belong in that field of 65.

Let Me Down Easy

Dear Maryland Terrapins,

You are my favorite team. I have watched all season for many seasons. I've weathered the ups and downs. I've suffered with you and enjoyed your successes. So as a long time fan and alumna of the great University of Maryland please grant me one small request. If you are going to break my heart and crush my soul tonight by losing, please do it early. Get blown out by Wake. Make it almost comical, similar to that Duke game earlier this season where I really tried to give up on this team. You keep dangling this carrot in front of me and I really just can't take it any more.

I can't take the game being close until the last three minutes when you're small size become overwhelmingly evident and every shot gets blocked. I just can't watch another game like that this season. It's been a rocky year. I started mourning the end of the season only to have you come back from the dead. I watched as Gary and Debbie exchanged words and embarrassed the once proud program. I defended the team to friends who insinuated all was lost when the revival started.

Please, if I have to suffer through another year of the NIT, give me some time to accept that. Don't give me hope that Selection Sunday will be all smiles for me and all the other Terp fans out there. Ideally, you guys will win tonight. But I'm not sure I'm ready to believe that will happen. I'd love to see the team step up and come together. To play like you did against UNC or Michigan St. I'd love to see a team that won't give up and plays a full 40 minutes. But I won't hold it against you if you don't. I know its hard to keep up the emotional intensity. It's hard to play a fresh team when you battled hard the night before. And I know, no matter what happens tonight, I'll be cheering you on whenever your next game is, be in NCAA, NIT, or next season.

I can't give up on you. I'll be there for you regardless. So please, try to treat all the fans that feel the same way right. Don't tease us and play with our emotions only to let us down and hurt us. Let us know where you stand early on. It's the humane thing to do. Remember, we love you anyway.

Sincerely,

Meghan

GO TERPS!!!

Photo: found at the Baltimore Sun

Hope Hurts More

I know I haven't written in a while but I just couldn't sit down and write this post. But every time I tried to write about something else it just seemed wrong. I wanted to just ignore the loss to Virginia, I want to just let my hopes and dreams die. I want to be able to accept that once again I won't be filling out a bracket that included Maryland.

But then there's the matter of the ACC tournament. In 2004, Maryland looked like it was sitting on the wrong side of the bubble, then they went on a tear and won the ACC tournament. And for that reason alone, I am forced to suffer through another few days of believing in a miracle. In 2004, the emotional and inconsistent leader, Gilchrist stepped up propelled the team to upset Duke's reign as ACC champ. This year, when Vasquez has shown up he has shown bright.

Maryland has already beat NC State, so the first round is not really impossible. And after getting beaten by UVA I'm guessing the team will want to salvage some of its pride. If Maryland can manage not to blow it again, they would move on to face Wake Forest. They were close to beating Wake last game. And while this doesn't bode well for them it is possible they could win. I'm not going to speculate past that round of the bracket. Even thinking about it makes me hopeful and I'm not ready to be that let down again.

After all this turmoil and all the ups and downs of this season, I kind of wish I had left Maryland for dead after the Duke game. I wish I had gotten on with my mourning, walked away and waited for next season. But a real fan can't do that. I'm tied to this team. I have to follow them. I have to watch the games and suffer through this tournament drought. And worst of all, I somehow still have hope.

No Better Time to Be a Terp

It was a good weekend to be a Terp fan. The Lady Terps won the ACC, the men's and women's lacrosse teams beat Duke, and the men's basketball team kept their tournament hopes alive by holding on and beating NC State. The men are back to .500 in the ACC with two games left to play before the ACC tourney. It's nice to occasionally take time to look at the other sports at Maryland and see them doing well.

Sometimes I get so caught up with football and basketball that I forget that Maryland has other teams and that those teams are usually ranked near the top in the country. It's hard with the snow outside to remember that its spring time which means time for lacrosse. I never played lacrosse but it is pretty fun to watch. Watching guys beat each other with sticks is strangely appealing. Also, it's a great excuse to tailgate in the springtime. And any reason to tailgate is good with me.

Also, anytime a Terp team beats Duke is a good day. But maybe its not such a big deal in lacrosse since Maryland is 55-17 all time against Duke. I know Maryland is a hotbed for lacrosse but that is just a pathetic stat for Duke. I think of lacrosse as a Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina based sport. Right now there are five Maryland teams ranked in the top 20. I would guess that there will probably be around 5 Maryland teams in the 16 team tournament at the end of the season.

In general, I love tournament play of any kind. For the last two years, I've even filled out women's basketball brackets on a random ESPN group. And if they have a lacrosse bracket I'll probably fill that out to. The women's bracket is a little easier than the men's because there are clear powerhouses and number one and two seeds usually go pretty far. Also, this is easier for me because I always pick Maryland to go far and they tend to do well.

Basically, this winding, random post is me trying to say check out the other teams at Maryland or whatever college you tend to cheer for and show them some love. At Maryland they tend to be pretty good. I apologize for the rambling nature of this post but my brain is somewhat fried from working on a research paper. I just figured I should throw something up here before tonight's MD-Wake game. And the other teams do deserve some love for their achievements.

Fans Regain Swagger, Hopefully Team Follows Suit

Maryland fans have a reputation of being mean, rude, crude, obscene, profane, and obnoxious. They have been repeatedly warned against wearing F*UCK DUKE shirts, scrawling inappropriate signs and making J.J. Redick cry. Maryland fans also like to riot after even minor upsets. Well, at least they used to. Over the past few years though Maryland has been riding the bubble every year and mostly been on the wrong side of it come March. I feel like the current Terps are missing out. The fans had lost some of their swagger.

But then the Terps beat UNC and the fans responded in kind. First came Operation Scheyerface. A student organized fans to print out black and white photos of Duke's Scheyer and wave them during the game. This should be entertaining. Then somehow some fans got hold of the hotel that Duke was staying at. Yes, prank calls ensued. This one if true, is probably the funniest:

“Hello, this is ****** with the Washington Times, sorry to bother you at this hour Mr. Paulus, but we are running a small piece tomorrow and I was hoping to take 2 minutes and ask you a question?”

Him: “Uhhh, sure”

“If you had to choose between Deron Washington, Danny Green, and Dwayne Collins, who’s nuts would you say tasted the best?”

Him: …click.

I don't care if it's juvenile, I still love it.

ACC fans are known for being terrible sports. But Maryland seems to get most of the bad wrap. Other teams used to chant "Crackhead parents, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap" when Juan Dixon played. Talk about classy.

But I'm glad Maryland fans seem to be back on their game. I mean, what's the fun of being a college sports fan if you can't get ridiculously obnoxious from time to time. That's part of the point of going to a school with a good program.

Hopefully the team will be inspired by the student's show of support, asinine as it may be, and play well. It would be nice to post a win over Duke this year. And they have looked beatable this season, just not the last time they played the Terps. But maybe this game Maryland can buckle down and play two great games in a row, something that has escaped them all season. Maybe Vasquez can find some consistency. I'm not really sure how the game will turn out tonight. But regardless, I'm glad the fans get to experience some old school Terps taunting.

GO TERPS!!

Photo: http://www.850thebuzz.com/blog/?p=7971

Hope Springs Eternal

Yesterday afternoon a graphic kept flashing across the bottom of the Maryland-UNC game. It was every major win by an ACC team over a top 10 ACC opponent. Even UVA had one. But next to MD there was a question mark. Every time it came up I felt the need to just shake my head. It was a huge gaping hole in an already very questionable resume for a NCAA bid. Maryland wasn't even on the bubble before yesterday. Then it all changed with a yellow clad, red hot Greivis Vasquez.

With the first triple double for Maryland since 1987, he kept the Terps in the game in the first half until someone else managed to hit a shot. The Terps who hadn't led all game managed to tie it up and send the game into overtime with 76 points. But Maryland managed to step it up in OT. And walked away from the #3 ranked UNC with a huge win 88-85.

All of a sudden Maryland is back to 6-6 in the ACC. Two of their next four games are very winnable, with UVA and NCST coming up. If they can win those, they become a legitimate bubble team by finishing 8-8 in the ACC. If they can also pull an upset against Duke or Wake Forest, a tourney bid becomes a real possibility. This erratic season is killing me but I have no intention of complaining if they can come back from the dead and make something happen.

Less than a month ago I was mourning the death of the Maryland season, Gary Williams and Debbie Yow were having a very public feud about recruiting and the Terps had suffered there worst loss in years against a hated Duke team. They couldn't hold onto leads in the second half, and everyone just seemed demoralized. But somehow this team made it through all that and started working its way back to .500. I keep giving up on them and they keep coming back and giving me hope. This is why no matter how bad they are I can't seem to abandon them. I can't stop watching.

This undersized team seems to have a big heart. Next year with a legitimate big man hopefully they will be a force to be reckoned with. But this season might have renewed my faith in Gary. Let's see if they can continue to rise to the challenge and maybe even make the tourney. I'm giddy with anticipation.

GO TERPS!!!

Photo: AP/Rob Carr found at ESPN.com

Topsy Turvy Terrapins

Maryland managed to hold off Georgia Tech last night extending their winning streak against the Yellow Jackets. It was a close game but a win is a win. And an ACC win is even better, even if its against the cellar dweller of the ACC. I didn't actually watch the game. I remembered how terrible the first GT game was and saw no reason to punish myself like that. I guess I was right since the Terps barely sneaked by with the win, 57-56, and only shot 35% from the field.

Regardless, I'm feeling optimistic. The infighting in the between Gary and Debbie is back to being private. The recruits for next season actually look promising. One recruit, Jordan, is 6'9 and has broken all sorts of records at his high school. We will actually have a legitimate big man next year. Maybe this means Gary has finally changed and his recruiting will get better. The Terps played pretty well against UNC even though they got beat. They still scored 91 points. Not a bad game at all.

So even after barely winning I am hopeful for the rest of the season. I'm in full on delusion mode right now. I believe Maryland could go on a ridiculous run like two seasons ago and still salvage this season. Maybe its the recent spring like weather. Maybe I just can't abandon my team no matter how painful it is or how much I want to. I don't care. I'm going to enjoy this brief respite from wishing the season was over. False hope is fine with me.

Utter Embarrassment

The way the Terps have been playing lately is an embarrassment. The rout by Duke and the second quarter collapses have been terrible to watch. But all of that pales in comparison to the athletic department squabbles. The rumors of difference between Gary Williams and Debbie Yow have been circulating for a while. But they were pushed into the spotlight this week. Articles in the Washington Post and Baltimore Sun highlighted the growing rifts between the AD and Gary. One of the Assistant ADs, Worthington, basically blamed Gary for all the problems, especially the recruiting.

I'm not sure how an athletic department is supposed to work, but I'm pretty sure that unless you are really ready to fire you're coach you should be supporting him up until the last possible second. The news of the infighting was even a headline on ESPN the other day. People who knew very little about the situation, but know I'm a huge Maryland fan, were asking me what the deal was with all of it. And many people pointed out the ESPN article to me. It's not enough that the program is suffering, the team can't win, and we have a giant hole on the roster where a big man should be. Now we have a very public fight between two people who should be trying to help the program get better. Not trying to bring more shame onto it.

This whole situation makes me feel really bad for Gary. He obviously doesn't have the support of the AD. Or maybe her assistant spoke out of turn. Yow is in North Carolina for the funeral of her sister this week. Maybe she didn't know about this public fight until it had already began. But somehow I doubt this. Rumors have been circulating for far too long for this to just be a rough assistant's comments Either ways, there's no way that Gary can successfully run a program without that support. I know he's made some mistakes but this is only making him more sympathetic in my eyes. I've been calling for his head for a while, but now I'm starting to think he was just trying to do the right thing and maybe its Debbie Yow that should go. Maybe Gary is trying to change and get better. Plus Gary does have all those big donors so he's probably not going anywhere. Might as well make the situation better any way they can.

But Yow has helped all those other coaches win all those national championships in sports like field hockey, soccer, and competitive cheer. It's a tough call. Wait, no its not, Maryland is a basketball school, and that should come first, before football or anything else. And if they do somehow manage to find the money to buy out Gary, who would want to step in and take his place. No one if it means being thrown under the bus by the AD the moment things start going bad.

Overall, I'm more embarrassed by this behavior than the 41 point loss to Duke. Our program can recover from a bad year with some really bad losses; however, it will take a lot longer to recover from the vicious infighting and public disgrace. Work it out behind closed doors people.

On a Side Note:

Any time a coaching change is made in a program so important to the success of the ACC, it can be seen as a tremendous gamble.

If you indulge in online sports betting the gamble you take is greater still.

Remember to wager only what you can afford to lose. Have fun, but be smart about it. Know your limits.

Mourning Maryland: The Stages of Grief

I am officially in mourning for the death of the Maryland basketball season. This probably started on Saturday when Maryland was humiliated by Duke. But I think I was experiencing the first stage, denial for the last few days. I still thought they're might have resurrect their season. Or maybe something good could come out of all of this. Maybe a change would be made. Maybe, they could learn and come back and show some improvement. Maybe make something respectable out of this debacle. That was obviously false hope and denial.

Right now I'm in the anger stage. How did they collapse again? How is Kim now ineligible? Why don't they have a center? When did they get so bad? How did this happen? What else could possible go wrong? Seriously, I can't believe this team. I'm just pissed at them all right now. Stupid Gary for not recruiting and coaching. Stupid Debbie Yow for not working better with Gary. Stupid Vasquez for playing consistently. I want somebody's head. At this point I don't care who. I just want blood.

The next stage is bargaining. Maybe I'm already there. I want something to change. I will not support this team anymore if nothing happens. It's really the only chip I have. It's not true. It's just the anger talking. I will always watch this team. Even when they are failing miserably.

After that is depression. I assume it will come after the next game, well next loss, probably the same thing. I'm sure I'll want to give up on the season since it doesn't matter any more. Maybe I'm already slipping into that stage. I'm definitely not there yet. But I can feel it coming on a little bit. Check with me after the next game. I can feel it coming it on.

Hopefully soon I'll be ready to accept this season as a failure. I honestly don't think we're going to even make the NIT the way things are going. This season might be the true low point in the great history of Maryland basketball. This team is just terrible and totally not competitive in the ACC. Sure, they were able to beat a couple Big Ten teams, but this is the ACC. And this is just sad.

Photo: http://arbroath.blogspot.com/2007_12_02_archive.html

Top Ten Reasons Gary Should Go

Supposedly there are still some Maryland supporters out there that love Gary Williams and think it's just a down year and he should stay. After yesterday's rout by the hated Dookies, I would be happy if he was fired/resigned tomorrow. So here are some reasons he shouldn't be around next season.

10. He's a lecherous old man. Every student has seen him out at a College Park bar at some time drinking and hitting on college students. This might have been tolerable when he won a championship, but now it's just gross.

9. He doesn't have the backing of the Athletic Director, Debbie Yow. They are constantly at odds and this is only hurting the program.

8. The Terps just got routed by Duke, 85-44. The score at halftime was 40-15. It was the most embarrassing loss I've seen as a Terps fan. This team is not competitive. It is just sad.

7. The lack of a big man is ridiculous. Gary couldn't manage to get even one mediocre big man to come to Maryland this year. It's symptomatic of how far this great program has fallen. Now we have an undersized team that can't really compete in the ACC.

6. This program has fallen apart under him. They won the National Championship in 2002 and since then had a flash of brilliance in to win the ACC tournament a few years later. But mostly these have been barren times with NIT bids and early tournament exits. It just keeps seem to be getting worse.

5. He could have a heart attack at any moment. Between the booze and the sideline screaming he looks as though he could die at any moment. He has to change his shirt and jacket at half time because he gets so sweaty. I might not want him as a coach any more but I don't want the poor man to come to any physical harm. Maybe he'll retire due to 'health issues.' This could actually be the best possible solution.

4. He can't coach the players to play to their potential. Maryland managed to beat Michigan and Michigan state this season. This gave me hope that they could play well during ACC play. But even the in conference wins have been ugly. Gary can't seem to motivate these players.

3. The inconsistency with this team in maddening. The last couple games have just been bad, but Maryland the last few seasons tends to go on a great mid season run and then collapses. The Terps haven't been able to play consistently for an entire season in recent memory. And playing consistently bad is even worse.

2. He hasn't done anything lately. We haven't even been making the NCAA tournament lately. And Maryland shouldn't be a regular in the NIT. And it doesn't look like this year is going to be any different.

1. He can't recruit. This team can't get better if he can't get anyone to come to this program. And the worse we get the harder it will be to recruit quality players. And this team will only continue to get worse.

Alright, I Didn't Mean It

I'm a liar, well, maybe I won't go that far. But I can be prone to exaggeration. A little while ago I said I hoped the Terps bombed the rest of the season and Maryland would be forced to fire Gary William. Well, I still want Gary gone, but I can't bring myself to root against my team. Or to even ignore them and stay away from the pain. I mean I'm also an Orioles fan, sports pain and disappointment are what I do. It's a way of life.

I just love college basketball too much. And I want to see my team win. I know that losing terribly might be better for my team in the long run. But I don't want them to suffer at all. Also, I'm not 100% sure that another crash and burn season will be the end of Gary. He has a lot of friends with deep pocket who are interested in having him stay. One thing is clear though, him and Debbie Yow have to figure a way to work things out or one of them has to go. Together they are terrible for basketball at Maryland.

But like that shitty boyfriend that brings you flowers and takes you out to a fantastic dinner the night you were planning on dumping him I just can't break up with my team. When they lost two ACC games in a row after barely beating Georgia Tech I though I could do it. Then they beat Virginia and suddenly I'm doubting my reslove. I want them to be good. I want them to win the tournament. I really want them to beat Duke tomorrow.

Yes, Duke is really hot right now. Ranked no. 2 in the country and on a nine game winning streak. Yes, they are playing at home where they are usually amazing. But miracles can happen. I thought Maryland would get crushed by Michigan and Michigan State this season and they pulled out wins there. And Duke has lost once this season so they're not unbeatable. A win like this would help restore my faith in this team. I've lost my faith in Gary but maybe the team can pull through despite him.

So come on Terps. Don't crush me again this season. I didn't mean it when I said I was ready to give up on this season. I'm just looking for things to get better. Is that too much to ask?

ACC Time: Fear the Turtle

Well it's finally here. This might be the best time of the year in sports. The Ravens are in the playoffs for at least one more week and Maryland is starting ACC play. The NFL playoffs and March Madness are my two favorite sporting times of the year. And during each one I truly believe and will argue that it is by far the best. But that's not really important. The important thing is to enjoy this time of year.

Right now the Terps are 11-2 with one more game before ACC play starts for them. They have solid wins over Michigan and Michigan State and respectable losses to Georgetown and Gonzaga. If they win tomorrow against Morgan State they will head into ACC play with 12 wins. Yes, I am a math genius. This means if they win just half of their conference games, they have a good shot of making the tournament with 20 wins. It's still early, but hell, if Boston College can beat UNC in their ACC opener, maybe the Terps can make the tourney this year. It's not unreasonable to thing Maryland can win 8 games in ACC play.

I know its still early in the season and this team is very young but they do seem to be learning from their non-conference games. They are trying to get better and Gary Williams has been able to get them to show up against better opponents in seasons past. Not alway consistently, but he does usually have at least one big upset a season. Let's hope that upset was not Michigan State this year.

This is the time of year when college basketball gets really interesting. Yes, you pay attention to the beginning of the season to try to predict how you're team will play all year long. But this is the time of year you actually start to go out of your way to watch the games. Maryland plays Georgia Tech on Saturday. Hopefully I will already be out celebrating a Ravens win but either way I plan on trying to watch this game. Oh, ACC time, it's just so good.

M-A-R-Y-L-A-N-D MARYLAND WILL WIN!

The Battle of the UMs

Classes ended for me yesterday. And I should be working on papers and studying diligently for exams. Instead I took a field trip to the Maryland game last night. Almost thirty of us from the Maryland Alumni Association got free tickets and chartered a bus down to College Park. We went to see Maryland beat Michigan 75-70.

Maryland seemed to struggle through the first half. It seemed like nothing would fall for the Terps. But Gary Williams must have given them some pep talk at half time. Because in the second half Maryland came out and fought back. Vasquez once again led the way scoring 23 points and getting 12 rebounds. Hayes did a good job with 13 points and 4 assists. And they managed to hold off Michigan and helped not only Maryland win but the ACC win the ACC/Big Ten Challenge for the 10th a year in row.

Wow, the Big Ten is pathetic. You'd think that after 10 years they would manage to win at least once. As if one needed any more proof, but I think this is the final straw in the argument of which area of the country is better. Obviously the East Coast is far superior to the Mid-West. They can't even get their basketball teams to beat ours in a yearly challenge. It's just another reason for the East Coast to keep believing we're better than the people in fly over land.

Maryland still has a lot of work to do this season. But the schooling of the state of Michigan should bolster their chances of making the Tourney. And hopefully, the Maryland will play well at the BB&T Classic this weekend. It would be nice if they could play as well in this tournament as they do in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. We'll see what happens.

Just a note: I do have a fair amount of work to do on exams. So expect these posts to be less frequent and shorter for the next few weeks.

Photo: http://www.land8lounge.com/group/universityofmarylandalumni

ACC/Big Ten Challenge

Yes, it's that time of year again, that time where the ACC gets to beat up on the Big Ten. It's called the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. Teams from the ACC are matched up against teams from the Big Ten, actually eleven teams. I'm not actually sure why the Big Ten keeps taking part in this. After nine years, the Big Ten has not won a single challenge. This year they might have a chance. VT and Miami lost, but Clemson and Boston College have won. Duke is winning but the Virginia is losing in the second half. So it could be tied going into tomorrow.

Usually I would be worried, but the ACC tends to show up big in this matchup. So I still think they'll pull it out. Especially, since one of those teams in UNC. Now, I don't want to get all high on UNC, but they are good. So if the games tally is even tomorrow, the ACC just has to win two games plus the UNC game. Three out of the other four games are played with the ACC having home court advantage. And ACC teams play well at home.

Maryland plays Michigan tomorrow at the Comcast Center. Maryland plays much better at home with the fans all riled up. Maryland showed that it can come to play when they beat Michigan State last week. I think they'll show up tomorrow. After two humiliating losses, they need to re-earn the respect of the fans and show they can be a contender. This is a win that will matter come tournament selection time. And Gary Williams can't afford another year with his team in the NIT.

I'm heading down to College Park tomorrow. So I really hope that the Terps show up and play well. This is a game that they need to win. And it's not going to be a fun bus ride home if they lose.

GO TERPS!!

Terp is a Four Letter Word

I'll admit I was totally unaware that a game was even going on Thursday. I was solidly in the grips of a food coma. And I really didn't expect much of the Terps playing agianst Michigan State, a team that came into the season with high expectations. So when I was out at the bar later that night trying to make sure I consumed the average 4500 calories, I was shocked to hear that Maryland not only beat Michigan State, but beat them by 18 points, 80-62. All of a sudden that damned hope started to seep back into my mind. My friend quickly pointed out that Maryland had to play Gonzaga the next night and would in all probability forget to show up. I nodded but the food/alcohol stupor numbed thoughts of a blow out the next day. All of a sudden I thought we could win the Old Spice Classic. I mean, Gary Williams could be an Old Spice spokesman. It would be fate.

I know that I caution everyone else agianst false hope about a flukie team. But I succumbed to it myself. So the next night I headed out with some friends to watch the game. Halfway through the second period, a large black box appeared on the screen of the TV I was watching, obscuring the game. The game was on several other TVs, all working fine, but they were all hard to see from where I was sitting. I am not joking. The TV I was watching censored the game. When the game ended, it went back to normal. I could see the edges of the screen but the game or the score. I chose to stay where I was sitting and forget about the end of the game. The Terps were outplayed the whole time I watched, I figured it wasn't going to get any better. I was right. Maryland lost 81-59.

Maryland shot a horrendous 37% from the floor and landed only one three point shot. I'm afraid that this team is going to take me on a rollercoster ride not unlike the Maryland football team. My problem is that I can't stop watching. It might be a depressing season, but everytime there is a bright spot, I'll be unable to suppress my foolish optimism and will get crushed once again. Gonzaga is a good team, there's no shame in losing to them. However, there's always a little shame in getting blown out. Hopefully, they'll use the Gonzaga game as motivation to play well agianst Georgetown on Sunday.

Sometimes I hate that I love sports so much. I'll have plenty of curses for this team as the season presses on. But I will still probably involuntarily finding myself defending them against naysayers. Even when I am saying the same things on a regular basis. I can't help it, as much as I hate this team some times, I will always hate Duke more. It's just the way it is. Stupid Terps.

Photo: www.puderluder.com

Vasquez Steps Up, Terps Stay Perfect, Fans Still Have Doubts

A win is a win right, even when it comes in overtime against an America East Conference team. The Terps beat Vermont last night when Vasquez managed to tie the game in the last few seconds to force overtime. I would like to take a moment to say that this is disgraceful. While, I'm happy Maryland won, but they shouldn't be forcing overtime against small conference teams. They should b winning outright, by a large margin. I shudder to think about what's going to happen next Thursday when they play Michigan State. Hopefully I will be in a complete food coma by game time and won't notice the pounding my Terps will be receiving.

Right now though, I guess I should be basking in the fact that after playing three sub par teams we are still undefeated. Because the losses are going to start piling up pretty soon. Well maybe not that soon, maybe not until conference play, but they are going to happen. Maybe this team of youngster will surprise me the way Maryland football surprises me every weekend. Which could be a good or a bad thing depending on how you look at it.

The upside of this team is that it is relatively young. With only one senior, hopefully they will be returning almost the entire squad next year. So as long as they can make progress through this season, next season should almost certainly be better. I know it's a little early to write off this season, but I think I might have a happier winter if I don't get my hopes up with this team. I'm just going to enjoy the wins, inevitably there will be one over a big team that we are not supposed to beat, and ignore the losses.

I know this is a pessimistic way to start the season, especially for one of my favorite sports, but I just don't have faith in Gary any more. He's let me down the last few years. He got my hopes up and then crushed them. I not ready for that type of heartbreak again. I'm not even ready to be cautiously optimistic. Maybe the Terps can show me that I should give them another chance. But I'm not counting on it this year.

Photo: Damian Strohmeyer from the Sports Illustrated Vault

Terps Are Undefeated

Last night, the Maryland mens basketball team had their season opener. They beat Bucknell 81-52 and are now undefeated on the season. Hopefully they will be able to continue winning on Tuesday when they play the Youngstown State Penguins. And since this is a team I've never heard of, I'm confident that the Terps can start the season 2-0. In fact, the Terps don't run up agianst any real competition until the fourth game of the season when they play against No. 7 ranked Michigan State. That will game will be a real test on these young Terrapins.

Regardless of how we do this year, it's always nice to start the season off with a few wins. It gets the confidence up and allows the team to find a good chemistry. And with the win over Bucknell last night, hopefully the team is finding a way to come together. Maryland was able to shoot 43% from the field and even managed a respectable 73% in free throws. For anyone who has watched this team in recent years, you have seen how terrible Maryland's free throw shooters have been. It's almost been like they don't want the easy points.

With only one senior on the team this year, David Neal, who isn't even a starter, the Terps are going to have to look elsewhere for leadership. If Vasquez has matured then he is the obvious choice. He has started since his freshman year, and led the team in minutes, rebounds and assists. He was second in scoring with 13 points, however he made only 5 of 16 shots, which probably means he still has work to do on his shot selection. Last year he had a tendency to try too hard and just throw the ball up there and make something happen. Hopefully this season he can learn to take less shots but score more points.

I'm hoping this team can come together during the beginning of the season and develop some great chemistry before heading into ACC play. The ACC is pretty stacked this year, with four teams ranked including the unanimous number 1. The Terps need to find their way before ACC play begins in January, otherwise, it's going to be a long spring, and another miserable March.

College Basketball Season Starts, Feelings of Trepidation Begin

Last night college basketball season tipped off with Duke beating some cupcake team. I know that's how big college programs start their seasons in every sport. Whatever, I'm fine with that, I like to see a win in the season opener as much as anyone. And with the Maryland team this year, we're going to need all the cupcake teams we can get, or maybe not.

Last season, Maryland gave up some easy wins to not very good teams, including American and Ohio. Yet, they managed to beat UNC while healthy, one of the few teams to do that. I fear that Maryland basketball might suffer the same problems as Maryland football, they play to the level of their opponent and forget to show up sometimes. This is a young team that is lacking in leadership and big men. Yes, they have Vasquez and Hayes as solid guard options, and that new freshman who was magically declared eligible, but this is a team that is going to struggle with consistency.

I know I'm sounding pessimistic again, as I tend to do at the beginning of any season for a team I follow, but lets be fair. I haven't had a reason to be optimistic before any season started this year. And with the Terps missing the NCAA Tournament 3 out of the last 4 years, and having an epic collapse last year, can I really get excited. I'd rather be surprised if Maryland does well than disappointed if they play terribly.

I believe that the ACC is the best conference in college basketball. Yeah, some people will argue that the Big East is the best, but I think they lose credibility when they have so many teams, they can't all play in the Big East tournament. The ACC was a little weaker than normal last year, but it's still a force to be reckoned with. And with 6 teams from the ACC ranked in the top 40 on rivals.com and 7 teams in the top 65.

This seems to be yet another rebuilding year for Maryland. Though I hope Gary will be able to motivate the team to somehow make the tournament. I'm tired of getting excited only to wind up watching the NIT every year. I'd rather go out in the first round to the Tourney than go deep in the NIT. And I think most people would agree.

I'm not going to make any preseason predictions as to what the Terps record is going to be. I really haven't put that much effort into analyzing the schedule and looking at how other teams are doing. And I really just have no idea what's going to happen. Maybe, Gary will get his alcoholic ass together and be able to motivate this young team and coach them into solid play, while showing the fans and alumni that there is a lot of upside for this young talent. And maybe, Gary will get so drunk he'll pass out mid game, leading everyone to think he finally had that heart attack everyone sees coming. Or maybe, he'll actually have a heart attack during an ACC game. Really, I can see any of these possibilities happening.

One thing I'm pretty certain of though, this whole, I won a Championship seven years ago routine is not going to fly much longer if the Terps keep missing the tournament. Maryland fans expect this team to be competitive every year and are getting tired of going to the NIT. If Gary doesn't turn things around this season, a lot more people will be calling for his head.

Photo: AP and found on the Baltimore Sun website