This should be another easy one.
The 43 game home winning streak (which I haven't mentioned nearly enough in this space) is put on the line once again later today against an in-state rival out of Baltimore. The Greyhounds, however, shouldn't provide much resistance. They certainly didn't in last year's meeting at Reitz Arena, a game I called that the Terps won 83-52. Expect a similar scoreline tomorrow.
Loyola's just 3-4 with wins over La Salle, Army, and Mount St. Mary's and losses to Navy, Tulane, Bucknell, and, most recently, Towson. So Maryland is the first big conference school they're playing and the first ranked team they're playing. They're likely in for a rude awakening.
If there's anything resembling a superstar on the Greyhound roster, it's Miriam McKenzie. She's averaging 17.4 points and 7.7 rebounds per game on the young season and she also has 17 assists. All of those are team highs. Kaitlin Grant has 12.7 points and 6.6 rebounds per game and has dished out 15 assists. All of those are second to McKenzie. So I guess it's clear who the # 1 and # 2 players are tomorrow. McKenzie in particular will be an interesting matchup. She's no Alexis Rack but if she goes for 17.4 points a game, she's obviously no joke. It'll be interesting to see if Maryland can lock her down.
Like seemingly every other mid major, Loyola is undersized. No one who plays is taller than 6'1 so that'll be a challenge against the much bigger Terps later today. Kizer and Tchatchouang should be able to do whatever they want and I expect more playing time for Tianna Hawkins as she could thrive in a game like this as well.
Maryland doesn't really face tough competition for the rest of 2009. This next run of games needs to be when Brenda starts to shake out her rotation, define roles, and basically get all of her ducks in a row before ACC play. Start working out the kinks now because before you know it, it's gonna be time to travel to Raleigh and kick off the conference schedule with always-pesky N.C. State before heading to Charlottesville four days later to face # 14/# 15 Virginia. There are six games between now and and the Wolfpack game and they should all be easy wins, so it's time to start getting everything worked out.
Not sure when I'll get the recap up. I will TRY to do it tomorrow afternoon before I head to D.C. for the men's basketball team facing Villanova in the BB&T Classic but I'm not sure if I'll have the time. I'm on the broadcast so I definitely won't be able to do it until at least a half hour or so after the game goes final. If not tomorrow night then I'll get to it sometime Monday or Tuesday (it's the last week of classes, it's getting busy around here.) And be sure to tune in to the game itself tomorrow at 2 PM on www.wmucsports.com.
PREDICTION - Maryland 74, Loyola (MD) 51
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Saturday, December 5, 2009
REACTION - Maryland 66, Minnesota 45
It's always nice when a team shows they can win multiple ways. That's what Maryland did on Thursday.
The Terps played Big Ten style and out-grinded the Gophers for a solid 20 point victory in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge. They won with defense, holding Minnesota to 45 points, 27.1% shooting and just 30% from three point range. They outfought and outmuscled the Gophers all evening long in a very physical game. No one player on Minnesota shot better than 4/10 from the field so that was well done defensively by the Terps. The most impressive part perhaps could be that the Terps only committed 13 fouls in the game and no one fouled out. To play that good of defense without conceding many fouls is extremely impressive. Minnesota only got to the line 14 times all game.
In an interesting twist, Kim Rodgers got the start and did well with the opportunity, scoring a career-high 14 points while also grabbing 8 rebounds. Brenda continues to start three guards, which is a luxury she can afford with Lynetta Kizer being such a beast down low and Diandra Tchatchouang also being able to be a force in the paint. And when you have this many good guards, why not start as many as you can? Dara Taylor had a nice rebound game, at least offensively, scoring 9 points on 4/8 shooting, but she didn't have a single assist and turned it over four times. She's been inconsistent to say the least this year, but the potential is most certainly there.
The shocker for me was that Tianna Hawkins only saw 8 minutes of action. But I suppose it sometimes works out that way from game to game and with a rotation that's far from set yet, sometimes players get more minutes and sometimes they'll get less. It's a testament to Maryland's depth, which is always an advantage.
The most impressive stat from Thursday, however? Maryland going 19/22 from the free throw line. When you do that, you're going to set yourself up to win a lot of basketball games. But this game was all about the defense and shutting down Minnesota's offensive attack. The Terps get Loyola tomorrow afternoon at 2 PM and I'll be on the broadcast of that one. I'll have a preview beforehand though so stay tuned for that.
The Terps played Big Ten style and out-grinded the Gophers for a solid 20 point victory in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge. They won with defense, holding Minnesota to 45 points, 27.1% shooting and just 30% from three point range. They outfought and outmuscled the Gophers all evening long in a very physical game. No one player on Minnesota shot better than 4/10 from the field so that was well done defensively by the Terps. The most impressive part perhaps could be that the Terps only committed 13 fouls in the game and no one fouled out. To play that good of defense without conceding many fouls is extremely impressive. Minnesota only got to the line 14 times all game.
In an interesting twist, Kim Rodgers got the start and did well with the opportunity, scoring a career-high 14 points while also grabbing 8 rebounds. Brenda continues to start three guards, which is a luxury she can afford with Lynetta Kizer being such a beast down low and Diandra Tchatchouang also being able to be a force in the paint. And when you have this many good guards, why not start as many as you can? Dara Taylor had a nice rebound game, at least offensively, scoring 9 points on 4/8 shooting, but she didn't have a single assist and turned it over four times. She's been inconsistent to say the least this year, but the potential is most certainly there.
The shocker for me was that Tianna Hawkins only saw 8 minutes of action. But I suppose it sometimes works out that way from game to game and with a rotation that's far from set yet, sometimes players get more minutes and sometimes they'll get less. It's a testament to Maryland's depth, which is always an advantage.
The most impressive stat from Thursday, however? Maryland going 19/22 from the free throw line. When you do that, you're going to set yourself up to win a lot of basketball games. But this game was all about the defense and shutting down Minnesota's offensive attack. The Terps get Loyola tomorrow afternoon at 2 PM and I'll be on the broadcast of that one. I'll have a preview beforehand though so stay tuned for that.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
GAMEDAY - Minnesota (5-2) @ RV/# 22 Maryland (6-1)
Now let's try and do a little better the second time around against a major conference opponent.
Brenda Frese welcomes her old school in to the Comcast Center to face her current school in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge. It's the third year of the Challenge and the ACC's ahead 2-1 in this year's edition coming in to tonight. The Terps definitely want to do their part for the conference by taking down the Gophers.
Somehow, Maryland is ranked in the coaches poll again this week despite getting pasted a couple Sunday's ago at Mississippi State and having done nothing but beat up on patsies since then. The Bulldogs, meanwhile, are in the "receiving votes" category in the same poll (due to wiping out in a holiday tournament against Texas and Rutgers.) Whatever. Pollsters never were accused of being the smartest group.
Anyway, back to tonight's game, which starts in like 3 minutes so I'd better hurry this up. Gophers are 5-2, best win is at a good TCU team, but they have losses to Utah (by 1) and, in their latest game, to preseason top 10 team Xavier. Kiara Buford and Ashley Ellis-Milan both average over 13 points per game for the Gophers. No one grabs more than 5.9 rebounds per game (Ellis-Milan's total) so the Gophers could be at a disadvantage on the boards tonight.
I think Maryland continues to defend Comcast Center and gets the ACC a valuable win in the Challenge tonight. Listen to the broadcast currently on LIVE on www.wmucsports.com; my friends Brian Kaufman, Daniel Baker, and Kevin Hannigan are on the call. I'll be back after the game with a recap that's much less rushed than this gameday post.
PREDICTION - Maryland 81, Minnesota 72
Brenda Frese welcomes her old school in to the Comcast Center to face her current school in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge. It's the third year of the Challenge and the ACC's ahead 2-1 in this year's edition coming in to tonight. The Terps definitely want to do their part for the conference by taking down the Gophers.
Somehow, Maryland is ranked in the coaches poll again this week despite getting pasted a couple Sunday's ago at Mississippi State and having done nothing but beat up on patsies since then. The Bulldogs, meanwhile, are in the "receiving votes" category in the same poll (due to wiping out in a holiday tournament against Texas and Rutgers.) Whatever. Pollsters never were accused of being the smartest group.
Anyway, back to tonight's game, which starts in like 3 minutes so I'd better hurry this up. Gophers are 5-2, best win is at a good TCU team, but they have losses to Utah (by 1) and, in their latest game, to preseason top 10 team Xavier. Kiara Buford and Ashley Ellis-Milan both average over 13 points per game for the Gophers. No one grabs more than 5.9 rebounds per game (Ellis-Milan's total) so the Gophers could be at a disadvantage on the boards tonight.
I think Maryland continues to defend Comcast Center and gets the ACC a valuable win in the Challenge tonight. Listen to the broadcast currently on LIVE on www.wmucsports.com; my friends Brian Kaufman, Daniel Baker, and Kevin Hannigan are on the call. I'll be back after the game with a recap that's much less rushed than this gameday post.
PREDICTION - Maryland 81, Minnesota 72
Monday, November 30, 2009
REACTION - Maryland 82, Drexel 65
First of all, apologies for breaking my promise again. I really need to step my game up. Like the Terps, I suppose I've got a long way to go as well >_>
Second of all, Diandra Tchatchouang has been named the ACC Rookie of the Week so congratulations to her. She's been terrific all year thus far and it's high time she got some recognition for it.
Now, to yesterday's game. Lori Bjork was the leading scorer with 19 on 6/10 shooting including 4/7 of three. She's really found her stroke this past week after I called her out for being a disappointment previously. If she can continue to play like this, it's going to make the Terps just that much better.
The other big game was had by our Rookie of the Week. Tchatchouang had 18 on 6/11 shooting and she was 2/2 from three point range. She continues to be a consistent threat offensively, scoring inside and out. Without a doubt, she's been the biggest surprise of the young season and she's really doing an excellent job of stepping in for Marissa Coleman.
Anjale Barrett had maybe the most complete performance of the lot yesterday. She had 10 points and 6 rebounds, which tied for a team-high. She also had three steals, a game high. She got the start in place of Dara Taylor, who only got 13 minutes and didn't play particularly well yesterday, so perhaps reports of Taylor taking over the PG job were premature. Both should continue to get good minutes from here on out and it seems Frese is going to ride the hot hand, whoever it is. I'd expect her to settle on a solid rotation before ACC play though, but you never know.
Lynetta Kizer ended up playing, though she didn't start, and she poured in 13 on 4/6 shooting. Solid game for someone coming off of an ankle injury. She's now got four days to rest up before Minnesota comes to town on Thursday night.
All in all it was another good performance from the Terps in yet another ho-hum out-of-conference laugher. This one was maybe a bit more of a test than some of the others; Maryland didn't fully pull away until the second half but they did and they're now 6-1. It'll be interesting to see how they perform in their next big test against a major conference team on Thursday when the Gophers come to town. I'll be back then to preview it; might have something on the national landscape of women's basketball before if I've got the time this week.
Second of all, Diandra Tchatchouang has been named the ACC Rookie of the Week so congratulations to her. She's been terrific all year thus far and it's high time she got some recognition for it.
Now, to yesterday's game. Lori Bjork was the leading scorer with 19 on 6/10 shooting including 4/7 of three. She's really found her stroke this past week after I called her out for being a disappointment previously. If she can continue to play like this, it's going to make the Terps just that much better.
The other big game was had by our Rookie of the Week. Tchatchouang had 18 on 6/11 shooting and she was 2/2 from three point range. She continues to be a consistent threat offensively, scoring inside and out. Without a doubt, she's been the biggest surprise of the young season and she's really doing an excellent job of stepping in for Marissa Coleman.
Anjale Barrett had maybe the most complete performance of the lot yesterday. She had 10 points and 6 rebounds, which tied for a team-high. She also had three steals, a game high. She got the start in place of Dara Taylor, who only got 13 minutes and didn't play particularly well yesterday, so perhaps reports of Taylor taking over the PG job were premature. Both should continue to get good minutes from here on out and it seems Frese is going to ride the hot hand, whoever it is. I'd expect her to settle on a solid rotation before ACC play though, but you never know.
Lynetta Kizer ended up playing, though she didn't start, and she poured in 13 on 4/6 shooting. Solid game for someone coming off of an ankle injury. She's now got four days to rest up before Minnesota comes to town on Thursday night.
All in all it was another good performance from the Terps in yet another ho-hum out-of-conference laugher. This one was maybe a bit more of a test than some of the others; Maryland didn't fully pull away until the second half but they did and they're now 6-1. It'll be interesting to see how they perform in their next big test against a major conference team on Thursday when the Gophers come to town. I'll be back then to preview it; might have something on the national landscape of women's basketball before if I've got the time this week.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
GAMEDAY - Drexel (2-1) @ Maryland (5-1)...And The Matter Of Laziness
First of all, my apologies for no Howard reaction post. I spent less of my break on here and more of it with my family so that's my excuse for the generally poor job on my behalf these past few days. The big story from that game, and the one that lingers in to today, is the one about Lynetta Kizer's left ankle. She sprained it early on against the Bison and her status for today is unclear. I'd rest her; the Terps shouldn't need her to beat the Dragons and might need her against Minnesota on Tuesday in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. But I'm not Brenda Frese. If she's fit to play, she should play.
Second of all, I don't have time to get a real live gameday post up since today is "moving back in to College Park" day for me and I'm in a bind. Thusly I will be lazy like I have been all break and simply link to the UMTerps game preview for today's game. Once we get back in to the swing of things, I promise I'll pick my game up. Hopefully the Terps will, too >_>
Drexel recap later today since it's a 2 PM tip. I'll be sure to get one up before Ravens/Steelers tonight because once that starts, my productivity stops. Listen to the game (the Maryland game, not Ravens/Steelers) on www.wmucsports.com in about an hour and a half. Take care, everyone.
PREDICTION - Maryland 76, Drexel 51
Second of all, I don't have time to get a real live gameday post up since today is "moving back in to College Park" day for me and I'm in a bind. Thusly I will be lazy like I have been all break and simply link to the UMTerps game preview for today's game. Once we get back in to the swing of things, I promise I'll pick my game up. Hopefully the Terps will, too >_>
Drexel recap later today since it's a 2 PM tip. I'll be sure to get one up before Ravens/Steelers tonight because once that starts, my productivity stops. Listen to the game (the Maryland game, not Ravens/Steelers) on www.wmucsports.com in about an hour and a half. Take care, everyone.
PREDICTION - Maryland 76, Drexel 51
Friday, November 27, 2009
GAMEDAY - Howard (1-3) @ Maryland (4-1)
Even if the Terps are still stuffed from yesterday, they shouldn't have too many problems tonight.
You might still be on Thanksgiving break but Maryland isn't; they welcome in the Howard Bison in to the Comcast Center in about a half hour.
I'm not gonna lie: there's really not much to say about this one. Howard's pretty terrible; they're 1-3, they won only 9 games last year and 7 of those came in the MEAC, and they haven't had double digit wins in a season since 2005-2006 and haven't had a winning season since 2004-2005. Their leading scorer is Zykia Brown, who averages 16.3 points per game but she does it shooting just over 32% from the floor and she's just 3/22 from three point range this season. Think a worse version of Greivis Vasquez (for fans of the Maryland men's team.) Saadia Doyle and Tamoria Holmes also average double figures and Doyle grabs 11.5 rebounds per game. She's just 5'11 though so I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that she's not grabbing 11 rebounds tonight against a Maryland team who's much bigger than most of the competition Howard faces.
I'd say that Maryland can't overlook this one but that's kind of a lie; as long as they simply show up, they should be fine. This is kind of an important game for Lynetta Kizer, who's alternated good and bad games so far this year and just had a good one so she'd like to break the trend, but she should be more than fine against a Howard team that's just as small, if not smaller, than Samford was. As for everyone else, they should probably use this game to tune up, work the kinks out in their respective games, and maybe get their fitness back after probably eating a ton yesterday. Yeah. I'd take this more seriously but the game's in 10 minutes so I don't exactly have time to do deep analysis; plus after seeing what Maryland did to a Samford team who's pretty good for a mid major, they're probably going to do just as bad, if not worse, to a Howard team who's pretty bad for a mid major.
Think of the N.C. Central game to open the season. Howard, like N.C. Central, is a historically black school that is much better at academics than athletics. And Howard, like N.C. Central, is probably in for a long night. Listen to that long night on www.wmucsports.com and I'll be back later tonight to recap said long night.
PREDICTION - Maryland 84, Howard 31
You might still be on Thanksgiving break but Maryland isn't; they welcome in the Howard Bison in to the Comcast Center in about a half hour.
I'm not gonna lie: there's really not much to say about this one. Howard's pretty terrible; they're 1-3, they won only 9 games last year and 7 of those came in the MEAC, and they haven't had double digit wins in a season since 2005-2006 and haven't had a winning season since 2004-2005. Their leading scorer is Zykia Brown, who averages 16.3 points per game but she does it shooting just over 32% from the floor and she's just 3/22 from three point range this season. Think a worse version of Greivis Vasquez (for fans of the Maryland men's team.) Saadia Doyle and Tamoria Holmes also average double figures and Doyle grabs 11.5 rebounds per game. She's just 5'11 though so I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that she's not grabbing 11 rebounds tonight against a Maryland team who's much bigger than most of the competition Howard faces.
I'd say that Maryland can't overlook this one but that's kind of a lie; as long as they simply show up, they should be fine. This is kind of an important game for Lynetta Kizer, who's alternated good and bad games so far this year and just had a good one so she'd like to break the trend, but she should be more than fine against a Howard team that's just as small, if not smaller, than Samford was. As for everyone else, they should probably use this game to tune up, work the kinks out in their respective games, and maybe get their fitness back after probably eating a ton yesterday. Yeah. I'd take this more seriously but the game's in 10 minutes so I don't exactly have time to do deep analysis; plus after seeing what Maryland did to a Samford team who's pretty good for a mid major, they're probably going to do just as bad, if not worse, to a Howard team who's pretty bad for a mid major.
Think of the N.C. Central game to open the season. Howard, like N.C. Central, is a historically black school that is much better at academics than athletics. And Howard, like N.C. Central, is probably in for a long night. Listen to that long night on www.wmucsports.com and I'll be back later tonight to recap said long night.
PREDICTION - Maryland 84, Howard 31
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
REACTION - Maryland 76, Samford 49
Now THAT'S more like it.
What better way to get past Sunday's awful loss at Mississippi State than to flip the script of it? This time, the Terps came out firing instead of flat and got up big early instead of falling well behind. They were up 17-2 just over 6 minutes in, ripping off a 16-0 run to take control that they never let go of.
This was pretty much an excellent game for everyone but no one shined brighter than the biggest star. Lynetta Kizer was a perfect 8/8 from the field, including a three, for a game-high 20 points. She really needs to stop alternating good and bad games but for now, this was a very good one and she should be proud. There's really not much more to say here; obviously you can't criticize perfection and I've said it a million times with Kizer: when she's on her game, she's a flat out superstar and one of the best post players in women's college basketball. Consistency is her issue and she still needs to work that out.
Strangely, Kizer didn't have a single defensive rebound and only 3 rebounds total but the Terps didn't need her to be dominant on the glass today. In fact, no one really put up big rebounding numbers except for Essence Townsend off the bench (who got significant playing time for the first time in a few games) who had a game-high 7 boards. If she can keep cleaning the glass like that, she might be able to win herself some more playing time, especially considering that Yemi Oyefuwa doesn't seem to have made the strides necessary to crack the lineup regularly. For now Frese can get by with only one center but what happens when Kizer gets in to foul trouble against a team with actual size? Townsend might be needed later in the season so it's good she gets some work in now and is able to succeed in at least one phase of the game, even if it is just in garbage time against an undersized mid major.
But back to this game. Tianna Hawkins really lit it up in the second half; 5/7 shooting to score 10 of her 14 points. She continues to be a factor off the bench. Diandra Tchatchouang basically repeated her Mississippi State game: only two field goals but both were threes. If she keeps knocking down that outside jumper, she won't lose her place in the starting lineup. Hawkins seems to thrive more coming off the bench anyways; it's very important to have a strong 6th man and it looks like the true freshman can be that.
The backcourt also performed extremely well. Both Dara Taylor and Anjale Barrett got the start as Frese either opted to go small against a small team or she wanted to see who played better between the two to determine the starting PG going forward or maybe she had no confidence in her big girls besides Kizer or maybe some combo of the three. But if they both keep playing like they did yesterday, they might both stay in the starting lineup. Each had 7 assists and Taylor's two turnovers were the only ones between the two. Very, VERY encouraging game for both, especially after the turnover-filled disaster that was Sunday. The team as a whole turned it over only 9 times and had 19 assists so that was a complete 180 from 28 and 4 in Starkville. Taylor had 11 points on 4/10 shooting and was 2/4 from three with 4 rebounds. Barrett only had 2 points on 1/2 shooting but grabbed 5 rebounds. I think Taylor's the better option as the starting point guard going forward since she's shown much more of an offensive punch (especially from beyond the arc) and she seems like more of a natural running the offense, but Barrett is certainly a good option as well if she keeps playing like this.
We haven't even mentioned Lori Bjork yet, who was a part of the backcourt's fantastic performance. She really had a nice breakout game with 11 points on 4/8 shooting and she was 3/5 from the three point line. That's how she has to shoot if the Terps are going to be really good. Encouraging performance from her. All 11 points came in that first half when Maryland built its big lead.
All in all it was a great game and a total turnaround from Sunday. The team really needed this dominating performance against a not-that-bad team. They should have another couple of layups over Thanksgiving break before dealing with Minnesota in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, a competition they traditionally rule.
I'd still like to get a post about the national landscape of women's college basketball up sometime soon. Maybe later tonight if I'm in the mood. Don't expect anything from me tomorrow obviously but you never know when I'll need to get away from family (kidding...sorta.) If nothing else, there will be a Howard gameday on Friday when the team, well, plays Howard. Happy Thanksgiving everyone.
What better way to get past Sunday's awful loss at Mississippi State than to flip the script of it? This time, the Terps came out firing instead of flat and got up big early instead of falling well behind. They were up 17-2 just over 6 minutes in, ripping off a 16-0 run to take control that they never let go of.
This was pretty much an excellent game for everyone but no one shined brighter than the biggest star. Lynetta Kizer was a perfect 8/8 from the field, including a three, for a game-high 20 points. She really needs to stop alternating good and bad games but for now, this was a very good one and she should be proud. There's really not much more to say here; obviously you can't criticize perfection and I've said it a million times with Kizer: when she's on her game, she's a flat out superstar and one of the best post players in women's college basketball. Consistency is her issue and she still needs to work that out.
Strangely, Kizer didn't have a single defensive rebound and only 3 rebounds total but the Terps didn't need her to be dominant on the glass today. In fact, no one really put up big rebounding numbers except for Essence Townsend off the bench (who got significant playing time for the first time in a few games) who had a game-high 7 boards. If she can keep cleaning the glass like that, she might be able to win herself some more playing time, especially considering that Yemi Oyefuwa doesn't seem to have made the strides necessary to crack the lineup regularly. For now Frese can get by with only one center but what happens when Kizer gets in to foul trouble against a team with actual size? Townsend might be needed later in the season so it's good she gets some work in now and is able to succeed in at least one phase of the game, even if it is just in garbage time against an undersized mid major.
But back to this game. Tianna Hawkins really lit it up in the second half; 5/7 shooting to score 10 of her 14 points. She continues to be a factor off the bench. Diandra Tchatchouang basically repeated her Mississippi State game: only two field goals but both were threes. If she keeps knocking down that outside jumper, she won't lose her place in the starting lineup. Hawkins seems to thrive more coming off the bench anyways; it's very important to have a strong 6th man and it looks like the true freshman can be that.
The backcourt also performed extremely well. Both Dara Taylor and Anjale Barrett got the start as Frese either opted to go small against a small team or she wanted to see who played better between the two to determine the starting PG going forward or maybe she had no confidence in her big girls besides Kizer or maybe some combo of the three. But if they both keep playing like they did yesterday, they might both stay in the starting lineup. Each had 7 assists and Taylor's two turnovers were the only ones between the two. Very, VERY encouraging game for both, especially after the turnover-filled disaster that was Sunday. The team as a whole turned it over only 9 times and had 19 assists so that was a complete 180 from 28 and 4 in Starkville. Taylor had 11 points on 4/10 shooting and was 2/4 from three with 4 rebounds. Barrett only had 2 points on 1/2 shooting but grabbed 5 rebounds. I think Taylor's the better option as the starting point guard going forward since she's shown much more of an offensive punch (especially from beyond the arc) and she seems like more of a natural running the offense, but Barrett is certainly a good option as well if she keeps playing like this.
We haven't even mentioned Lori Bjork yet, who was a part of the backcourt's fantastic performance. She really had a nice breakout game with 11 points on 4/8 shooting and she was 3/5 from the three point line. That's how she has to shoot if the Terps are going to be really good. Encouraging performance from her. All 11 points came in that first half when Maryland built its big lead.
All in all it was a great game and a total turnaround from Sunday. The team really needed this dominating performance against a not-that-bad team. They should have another couple of layups over Thanksgiving break before dealing with Minnesota in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, a competition they traditionally rule.
I'd still like to get a post about the national landscape of women's college basketball up sometime soon. Maybe later tonight if I'm in the mood. Don't expect anything from me tomorrow obviously but you never know when I'll need to get away from family (kidding...sorta.) If nothing else, there will be a Howard gameday on Friday when the team, well, plays Howard. Happy Thanksgiving everyone.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Terps Up 20 At Half
Well, at least one Maryland basketball team showed up to play tonight.
While the men are failing miserably in Maui, the women are taking care of business right here in College Park. They lead Samford 43-23 at recess.
As predicted, Lynetta Kizer is straight dominating. She's got a game-high 12 points on 5/5 from the floor as well as 3 rebounds. Samford clearly has no answer for her. They also don't have much of one for Lori Bjork, who is finally starting to play like the Lori Bjork of old. She's got 11 on 4/6 shooting and she's 3/4 from behind the arc, finally finding her sweet stroke. Dara Taylor's also having a nice game with a game-high 3 assists and only one turnover. Good for her to bounce back from her disasterous performance on Sunday. It's not always easy for freshman to do that.
The whole team is hot. They're shooting 17/31 (54.8%) collectively and are a scorching 7/10 (70%) from three point range. Bjork's 3/4, Diandra Tchatchouang's 2/3, even KIZER of all people has a three. Talk about a big girl with range. We knew she could hit foul line jumpers but the three?! Nice!
Back with a full recap later tonight or tomorrow.
While the men are failing miserably in Maui, the women are taking care of business right here in College Park. They lead Samford 43-23 at recess.
As predicted, Lynetta Kizer is straight dominating. She's got a game-high 12 points on 5/5 from the floor as well as 3 rebounds. Samford clearly has no answer for her. They also don't have much of one for Lori Bjork, who is finally starting to play like the Lori Bjork of old. She's got 11 on 4/6 shooting and she's 3/4 from behind the arc, finally finding her sweet stroke. Dara Taylor's also having a nice game with a game-high 3 assists and only one turnover. Good for her to bounce back from her disasterous performance on Sunday. It's not always easy for freshman to do that.
The whole team is hot. They're shooting 17/31 (54.8%) collectively and are a scorching 7/10 (70%) from three point range. Bjork's 3/4, Diandra Tchatchouang's 2/3, even KIZER of all people has a three. Talk about a big girl with range. We knew she could hit foul line jumpers but the three?! Nice!
Back with a full recap later tonight or tomorrow.
GAMEDAY - Samford (3-0) @ Maryland (3-1)
And now it's time to pick up the pieces.
Just 48 hours (actually a little more) after the stinker in Starkville, the Maryland Terrapins return home to the friendly confines of the Comcast Center to take on a not-that-bad Samford (not Stanford; they're better than "not-that-bad") squadron.
Above all else, the first key to tonight's game for the Terps is to put the Mississippi State game behind them. There's nothing you can do about it now; it was a horrible, horrible performance that can't be undone so just forget about it, move on, and focus on the task at hand tonight. And that's the Bulldogs.
No, Samford isn't Stanford (like I said already) but they're not bad for a mid major. They return 4 starters and 8 of 12 letterwinners from a team went 22-7 last year, setting a program record with 16 conference wins in their first season in the Southern Conference. They earned a 2 seed in the SoCon tournament (Chattanooga was the regular season conference champion) and went out in the semifinals to 3 seed and eventual tournament champion Western Carolina. They fought # 9 Baylor pretty hard in the second half, cutting a 23 point lead down to 5 before losing 63-51 in Waco during the regular season last year, so you know they won't be scared of an unranked major conference team like the Terps and they won't be afraid of an atmosphere like the Comcast Center. This year, the Bulldogs have claimed wins over Jacksonville State and at Evansville and McNeese State. No, those teams aren't the Terps but all wins count the same and they all matter. Plus, the fact that they've already won twice on the road this season should provide a boon to their confidence.
The Bulldogs are led by their two stars, Savannah Hill and Emily London. Both were All Conference last season and both were preseason All Conference this season. So far this season, it's Hill who's been the offensive superstar, averaging 19 points a game to lead the team. She was the SoCon Player of the Week two weeks ago for her efforts in their first two games. As for London, she's not doing too badly herself, averaging 12.7 points per contest as well as leading the team in rebounds with 6.3 per game and assists with 11 total. While those two have racked up the accolades, not to be overlooked also is third banana Monica Maxwell, averaging 13.7 points and 5 boards per game, both second on the team. All three can give Maryland headaches if the Terps aren't careful. Hill in particular should be defended closely in order to prevent a redux of the Alexis Rack Experience.
Maryland has one big advantage tonight though and, well, it's their size. No one taller than 6'2 plays significant minutes for the Bulldogs and they don't start nor do they really play a traditional center at all. Lynetta Kizer could have a feast down low. She really needs to bounce back from Sunday's 3/8 shooting performance and this is just the team to do it against. She should have a field day on the boards as well.
This could also be a bounce-back game for Diandra Tchatchouang. At 6'3, she too shouldn't have too many problems scoring inside while hopefully being able to continue her hot stroke from three point range. Despite shooting 2/9 from the field on Sunday, she was 2/5 from behind the arc and she's provided an unexpected boost from long distance all season. If that can continue tonight, it should only mean good things for the Terps.
All in all, I think Maryland will get tested a little bit, especially early when they could still be feeling the aftereffects of getting blown out in Mississippi two days ago. But once the Terps get it rolling, they'll really start to dominate on the boards and assert their size for a fairly comfortable win.
Listen to the game LIVE in like 10 minutes at www.wmucsports.com. My good friend Brian Kapur will be on the call while I'm sitting in class. Back with a recap perhaps tonight, definitely tomorrow at the latest.
PREDICTION - Maryland 76, Samford 63
Just 48 hours (actually a little more) after the stinker in Starkville, the Maryland Terrapins return home to the friendly confines of the Comcast Center to take on a not-that-bad Samford (not Stanford; they're better than "not-that-bad") squadron.
Above all else, the first key to tonight's game for the Terps is to put the Mississippi State game behind them. There's nothing you can do about it now; it was a horrible, horrible performance that can't be undone so just forget about it, move on, and focus on the task at hand tonight. And that's the Bulldogs.
No, Samford isn't Stanford (like I said already) but they're not bad for a mid major. They return 4 starters and 8 of 12 letterwinners from a team went 22-7 last year, setting a program record with 16 conference wins in their first season in the Southern Conference. They earned a 2 seed in the SoCon tournament (Chattanooga was the regular season conference champion) and went out in the semifinals to 3 seed and eventual tournament champion Western Carolina. They fought # 9 Baylor pretty hard in the second half, cutting a 23 point lead down to 5 before losing 63-51 in Waco during the regular season last year, so you know they won't be scared of an unranked major conference team like the Terps and they won't be afraid of an atmosphere like the Comcast Center. This year, the Bulldogs have claimed wins over Jacksonville State and at Evansville and McNeese State. No, those teams aren't the Terps but all wins count the same and they all matter. Plus, the fact that they've already won twice on the road this season should provide a boon to their confidence.
The Bulldogs are led by their two stars, Savannah Hill and Emily London. Both were All Conference last season and both were preseason All Conference this season. So far this season, it's Hill who's been the offensive superstar, averaging 19 points a game to lead the team. She was the SoCon Player of the Week two weeks ago for her efforts in their first two games. As for London, she's not doing too badly herself, averaging 12.7 points per contest as well as leading the team in rebounds with 6.3 per game and assists with 11 total. While those two have racked up the accolades, not to be overlooked also is third banana Monica Maxwell, averaging 13.7 points and 5 boards per game, both second on the team. All three can give Maryland headaches if the Terps aren't careful. Hill in particular should be defended closely in order to prevent a redux of the Alexis Rack Experience.
Maryland has one big advantage tonight though and, well, it's their size. No one taller than 6'2 plays significant minutes for the Bulldogs and they don't start nor do they really play a traditional center at all. Lynetta Kizer could have a feast down low. She really needs to bounce back from Sunday's 3/8 shooting performance and this is just the team to do it against. She should have a field day on the boards as well.
This could also be a bounce-back game for Diandra Tchatchouang. At 6'3, she too shouldn't have too many problems scoring inside while hopefully being able to continue her hot stroke from three point range. Despite shooting 2/9 from the field on Sunday, she was 2/5 from behind the arc and she's provided an unexpected boost from long distance all season. If that can continue tonight, it should only mean good things for the Terps.
All in all, I think Maryland will get tested a little bit, especially early when they could still be feeling the aftereffects of getting blown out in Mississippi two days ago. But once the Terps get it rolling, they'll really start to dominate on the boards and assert their size for a fairly comfortable win.
Listen to the game LIVE in like 10 minutes at www.wmucsports.com. My good friend Brian Kapur will be on the call while I'm sitting in class. Back with a recap perhaps tonight, definitely tomorrow at the latest.
PREDICTION - Maryland 76, Samford 63
Monday, November 23, 2009
REACTION - Mississippi State 84, Maryland 55
Before everyone hits the panic button, before everyone starts writing off the Terps this season, before everyone assumes that this is a team that won't do anything this year and we might as well just cancel the rest of the season and fire Brenda and go get Jeff Walz back or make a billion dollar offer to Pat or Geno or something equally as crazy, allow me to say one word.
Pittsburgh.
If you'll recall early last season, last year's team had a performance much like this one at Pittsburgh. It was an odd road trip at around this time of year (it was December 7 of last year so maybe a week or two later) against an up-and-coming opponent ranked low in the polls but who had a ton of potential and a superstar that was able to take over a game and did so. And this opponent and this star player were both hungry to prove to the nation that they were for real and they wanted to do so by knocking off the Terps, who are still seen as a big name in women's college basketball. And they came out and played their best game and flat out whipped a Maryland team that probably ran out of gas from the adversity from the trip and and the energy and intensity from the other side. And they got slaughtered, having run in to an absolute buzzsaw that they had no way of stopping.
That 86-57 destruction where Brenda Frese benched Marissa Coleman in the second half and Pitt's Shavonte Zellous went for 20 of her 26 in the second half didn't end the Terps season last year. In fact, it did quite the opposite. Maryland went on to win 24 of their next 26 games, including an ACC title, before falling in the Elite 8 to Louisville. So one bad performance on one bad day and one bad trip doesn't signal the end of a season. Especially not when it's not even December yet.
With that said, this isn't last year's team and it's very possible that the Terps did just get exposed in a big, big way as a team that has a ceiling that's not too high this year as we all thought in the preseason. This was not good and it's not a total shock when one realizes how young the Terps are and some of the struggles they had at times with New Hampshire and Old Dominion. They simply weren't ready for this kind of road trip, they simply weren't ready for this kind of opponent, and they simply weren't ready to go up against a player like Alexis Rack.
I warned everyone about Rack in my (almost) gameday post, talking about how she was first team All-SEC last year, preseason first team All-SEC this year, and, most importantly, how she lit up the Terps last year, especially from three. And boy, did she ever top herself yesterday.
She dropped 43, tied for 4th most in a single game in school history, including 7/13 from behind the arc. Those threes were only half of her field goals on the day, however, as she scored inside and out. There was absolutely no answer for her and unlike Zellous of Pitt last year, she started rolling early and so did the Bulldogs. It was 14-2 just under 3 minutes in and it was 28-8 just under 10 minutes in. It was never close and it just got uglier and uglier until the merciful final whistle.
So what does Maryland take from this? Well, obviously there's a lot of growth to be done. The first thing to work on is probably defense, especially on individual players who can take over games like Rack did. The second thing to work on is probably taking care of the basketball, as there were 28 turnovers yesterday as opposed to only four assists. That's where you start, I suppose. Shooting just 30.8% from the floor and 23.8% from three also needs to improve but I'm not as concerned about that. Mama said there'd be days like this; you're not going to shoot the lights out like against Old Dominion every night. Besides, it's not like they're ever going to be shooting against the Humphrey Coliseum backdrop ever again. But you can't shoot like that and expect to win games. That has to improve as well.
Believe it or not, there WERE a few positives. Jackie Nared had a relatively nice game, grabbing 10 rebounds off the bench and scoring 9 points. She got 22 minutes after getting just 5 against ODU and she made the most out of them, perhaps earning more. Also, the team not only did a good job of getting to the free throw line but they shot relatively well once they got there. 18/24 (75%) is a nice job, especially when it can become easy to stop driving the lane and instead just bomb jumpers when you fall down big.
Other than that...well, there's just not much good to look at. Dara Taylor got the start at point guard and, well, she might have given the job away already. 3/10 from the floor, 1/5 from three, 1 assist, 8 turnovers, and she fouled out. It's not like Anjale Barrett set the world on fire (1/5, 1 assist, 4 turnovers) but I wouldn't be surprised to see her reclaiming her starting point guard job tomorrow against Samford. Then again, maybe the long-term plan is to give the job to Taylor and let her work through the growing pains. We'll see.
Lynetta Kizer, despite nearly getting a double double, was also pretty bad, shooting just 3/8 from the floor. She did grab 12 rebounds but she has to do better on the offensive end, period. Diandra Tchatchouang had her first bad game too as she was just 2/9 from the field with 6 turnovers but 2/5 from three isn't too bad. Lori Bjork was a total no show, taking just three field goals and not making any. You have to expect more than that from your senior leader. I'd go so far to say as that Bjork's been the biggest disappointment of the young season thus far; she really needs to assert herself as one of the best scorers on this team and she's simply not doing that, nor is she showing much senior leadership. Kim Rodgers had as many turnovers (5) as field goals attempted and she only made one of those so it wasn't her best game, either.
All in all, it was a total dud from the Terps but what can you do? Mississippi State was a hungry team determined to prove a point that they're here to stay this season and Rack was simply a player on a mission who performed her magnum opus. Like I said before, Mama said there'd be days like this. Brush it off, move on, worry about Samford tomorrow, and get the season back on the right track. Again, it's not even December. One performance doesn't define the season, even if it was a really, really, really bad one.
Pittsburgh.
If you'll recall early last season, last year's team had a performance much like this one at Pittsburgh. It was an odd road trip at around this time of year (it was December 7 of last year so maybe a week or two later) against an up-and-coming opponent ranked low in the polls but who had a ton of potential and a superstar that was able to take over a game and did so. And this opponent and this star player were both hungry to prove to the nation that they were for real and they wanted to do so by knocking off the Terps, who are still seen as a big name in women's college basketball. And they came out and played their best game and flat out whipped a Maryland team that probably ran out of gas from the adversity from the trip and and the energy and intensity from the other side. And they got slaughtered, having run in to an absolute buzzsaw that they had no way of stopping.
That 86-57 destruction where Brenda Frese benched Marissa Coleman in the second half and Pitt's Shavonte Zellous went for 20 of her 26 in the second half didn't end the Terps season last year. In fact, it did quite the opposite. Maryland went on to win 24 of their next 26 games, including an ACC title, before falling in the Elite 8 to Louisville. So one bad performance on one bad day and one bad trip doesn't signal the end of a season. Especially not when it's not even December yet.
With that said, this isn't last year's team and it's very possible that the Terps did just get exposed in a big, big way as a team that has a ceiling that's not too high this year as we all thought in the preseason. This was not good and it's not a total shock when one realizes how young the Terps are and some of the struggles they had at times with New Hampshire and Old Dominion. They simply weren't ready for this kind of road trip, they simply weren't ready for this kind of opponent, and they simply weren't ready to go up against a player like Alexis Rack.
I warned everyone about Rack in my (almost) gameday post, talking about how she was first team All-SEC last year, preseason first team All-SEC this year, and, most importantly, how she lit up the Terps last year, especially from three. And boy, did she ever top herself yesterday.
She dropped 43, tied for 4th most in a single game in school history, including 7/13 from behind the arc. Those threes were only half of her field goals on the day, however, as she scored inside and out. There was absolutely no answer for her and unlike Zellous of Pitt last year, she started rolling early and so did the Bulldogs. It was 14-2 just under 3 minutes in and it was 28-8 just under 10 minutes in. It was never close and it just got uglier and uglier until the merciful final whistle.
So what does Maryland take from this? Well, obviously there's a lot of growth to be done. The first thing to work on is probably defense, especially on individual players who can take over games like Rack did. The second thing to work on is probably taking care of the basketball, as there were 28 turnovers yesterday as opposed to only four assists. That's where you start, I suppose. Shooting just 30.8% from the floor and 23.8% from three also needs to improve but I'm not as concerned about that. Mama said there'd be days like this; you're not going to shoot the lights out like against Old Dominion every night. Besides, it's not like they're ever going to be shooting against the Humphrey Coliseum backdrop ever again. But you can't shoot like that and expect to win games. That has to improve as well.
Believe it or not, there WERE a few positives. Jackie Nared had a relatively nice game, grabbing 10 rebounds off the bench and scoring 9 points. She got 22 minutes after getting just 5 against ODU and she made the most out of them, perhaps earning more. Also, the team not only did a good job of getting to the free throw line but they shot relatively well once they got there. 18/24 (75%) is a nice job, especially when it can become easy to stop driving the lane and instead just bomb jumpers when you fall down big.
Other than that...well, there's just not much good to look at. Dara Taylor got the start at point guard and, well, she might have given the job away already. 3/10 from the floor, 1/5 from three, 1 assist, 8 turnovers, and she fouled out. It's not like Anjale Barrett set the world on fire (1/5, 1 assist, 4 turnovers) but I wouldn't be surprised to see her reclaiming her starting point guard job tomorrow against Samford. Then again, maybe the long-term plan is to give the job to Taylor and let her work through the growing pains. We'll see.
Lynetta Kizer, despite nearly getting a double double, was also pretty bad, shooting just 3/8 from the floor. She did grab 12 rebounds but she has to do better on the offensive end, period. Diandra Tchatchouang had her first bad game too as she was just 2/9 from the field with 6 turnovers but 2/5 from three isn't too bad. Lori Bjork was a total no show, taking just three field goals and not making any. You have to expect more than that from your senior leader. I'd go so far to say as that Bjork's been the biggest disappointment of the young season thus far; she really needs to assert herself as one of the best scorers on this team and she's simply not doing that, nor is she showing much senior leadership. Kim Rodgers had as many turnovers (5) as field goals attempted and she only made one of those so it wasn't her best game, either.
All in all, it was a total dud from the Terps but what can you do? Mississippi State was a hungry team determined to prove a point that they're here to stay this season and Rack was simply a player on a mission who performed her magnum opus. Like I said before, Mama said there'd be days like this. Brush it off, move on, worry about Samford tomorrow, and get the season back on the right track. Again, it's not even December. One performance doesn't define the season, even if it was a really, really, really bad one.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Mississippi State Dominates Maryland
Well, it was a dominating performance for the Mississippi State Bulldogs and everyone will remember Alexis Rack dropping seven three-point field goals and 43 points on the Terrapins. Fortunately the Terps have a chance to turn it around rather quickly; they host Samford Tuesday night and that's an easier opponent that they have a better chance at beating. Mississippi State is a good team and they were able to bring the Terps to their style of basketball. The Bulldogs rushed out to a lead rather quickly at the beginning of the game. Maryland was simply unable to catch up.
But how did we all get there? How was the trip to Mississippi State? That's what we're getting at here. It started out Saturday morning with an early wake up call to get to the Comcast Center. We caught the bus, and after a Lynetta Kizer introduction (more on that in a minute) we were off to the airport.
The security line was short and the players checked their bags and we headed on to the Southwest flight. I slept for a lot of it and it wasn't that exciting of a flight. But this was my first trip to the Deep South, so once we landed it was really exciting. We landed in Birmingham early Saturday afternoon and hopped on the charter to Starkville. Birmingham is a small city and once we got outside of city limits, there was nothing around until we hit Mississippi. Rural Alabama and rural Mississippi is a major culture shock - seeing all the small houses because the areas are so dirt poor was really something.
Once we got into Starkville and Mississippi State (which literally came out of nowhere - we were driving and then all of the sudden it was there) the team toured the court and took to it for practice. They had just enough time before the men's team played that evening - and got in a good practice before dinner. We went to dinner at a restaurant called Harveys - and I had cajun chicken pasta. Absolutely delicious meal - and Cajun is definitely something I want to try again and would recommend to everyone!
Then it was time for a time-honored tradition. Every first road trip of the season, as coach Frese announced, the players and staff who were taking their first road trip had to perform a "special talent." That meant performances from a couple coaches (one did the hambone and another did a song and dance) and a few players. Lori Bjork showed us how she knows the 20th and 21st century presidents in order... with a few facts too! Diandra Tchatchouang, being from France, sang a song that French people sing to their kids about a mouse. Jackie Nared (after some convincing) did a song and dance too. Tianna Hawkins used to be a cheerleader so she performed that. And Dara Taylor is a former gymnast... so she did a routine with a flip and such. Then, much to Yemi Oyefuwa's delight, Lynetta Kizer (being the character that she is - she really has a unique personality) did her routine from last year, drawing laughs and cheers from the team, coaching staff, and media.
After dinner we checked in to the hotel, and received our room on the 5th floor. This was a solo journey for me, but I roomed with Ian of Under the Shell. So as we are coming back from dinner, Ian is getting film for his story for UTS when the girls decide to pack the elevator full with everyone. Yemi decides to beg Ian for his camera and he obliges, and the footage we got back was hilarious! The girls got on the elevator, and being the personalities that they are, started yelling because the elevator was moving slow (and got stuck a couple times). They were led by Lynetta Kizer - whose personality as I said before is quite eclectic. The elevator doors opened on the 5th floor and the team spilled out and Yemi hit the floor because she was laughing so hard. The team was definitely having fun.
Then Sunday morning it was time for a wake up call for breakfast. Delicious Southern pancakes and cereal for breakfast before a break... but then it was time to head over to Humphrey Coliseum at Mississippi State for the game. The game, being on tape delay, wasn't live for us, but it was recorded via computer to be replayed Monday at 4:30 pm.
You can hear the full version of the game at that time - but be aware that a couple technical difficulties cut out a few minutes of the broadcast.
Then after the game, it was a quiet but short bus ride (with a ham sandwich) to Golden Triangle airport for the charter flight back to Baltimore. The bus literally drove right up to the plane! And the plane had XM satellite radio (complimentary headphones provided just in case) and I was very surprised to get food on the plane - pretzels and usual plane snacks, but it was surprising considering it was a charter flight. Once the plane touched down in Baltimore, the University of Maryland charter bus picked us up right from the tarmac - and brought us back to the university, where our journey ends.
So it was a fun trip, not a fun game... but a learning experience nonetheless. For this reporter's first trip to the Deep South, it was definitely better than expected. Be sure to tune in to WMUCSports.com at 4:30 Monday afternoon for the full broadcast!
--Kenny Gartner
So, That Was No Fun
Just got back from Winston Salem. Terps field hockey lost the national championship with 11.7 seconds to g...wait, wrong blog.
As for Terps women's basketball...well, Alexis Rack scored 12 points less than they did as a team today. So that wasn't good. More on that nightmare of a performance tomorrow. For now, I need to ponder why the teams I cover and/or root for always seem to let me down in the most shocking, heartbreaking of fashions (I'm a Ravens fan too, joy.)
Life sucks right now. But hey, to borrow from one of my best friends: "without rain, there is no rainbows." It might be pouring right now in Terp Nation but better days are ahead. Keep your head up, everyone.
As for Terps women's basketball...well, Alexis Rack scored 12 points less than they did as a team today. So that wasn't good. More on that nightmare of a performance tomorrow. For now, I need to ponder why the teams I cover and/or root for always seem to let me down in the most shocking, heartbreaking of fashions (I'm a Ravens fan too, joy.)
Life sucks right now. But hey, to borrow from one of my best friends: "without rain, there is no rainbows." It might be pouring right now in Terp Nation but better days are ahead. Keep your head up, everyone.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
(almost) GAMEDAY - RV/# 20 Maryland (3-0) @ # 25/RV Mississippi State (3-0)
Welcome to the toughest test of out-of-conference season.
First of all, it speaks volumes about Maryland's cupcake non-league schedule when the toughest test is barely ranked in only one of the polls but that's an issue for another day. The focus is on tomorrow's game and it's a big one. If Old Dominion was a step up in weight class, then the Lady Bulldogs are a couple of steps up. Plus, it's the first road game of the season.
College basketball is notorious for being a sport where home court advantage means a considerable amount. Maryland hasn't lost at the Comcast Center in years but last season alone they lost on the road to TCU, Pittsburgh, Duke, and Virginia. Home court is especially important when it comes to young teams. Dara Taylor, Diandra Tchatchouang, and Tianna Hawkins have never faced a road atmosphere like they will tomorrow in Starkville. It's not like thousands and thousands of people are going to be there but it's still a long plane ride down to the middle of nowhere. Very awkward to be sure, especially if you're not used to it. And a good chunk of Maryland's roster isn't used to it.
It's not just the road trip itself that could give the Terps trouble, however. The team they're facing is pretty good as well. Mississippi State went 23-10 last year, upsetting # 6 seed Texas in the first round of the NCAA tournament before giving # 3 seed Ohio State a real battle in Columbus, falling 64-58. They return four starters from that team and were picked to finish 3rd in the SEC behind Tennessee (perhaps you've heard of them) and LSU (them too, to a much lesser extent) by the coaches in the league.
The leader of the gang for the Lady Bulldogs is Alexis Rack, a preseason First Team All-SEC selection and was First Team All-SEC last year, leading the team in eleven different categories including points per game (14.9) and assists (142.) She dropped 27 points on the Terps in the Terrapin Classic last year, a close 80-73 Maryland escape last December so they know what she can do firsthand. I have to imagine that it'll be Lori Bjork's job to stop Rack tomorrow, as it's Bjork who is the guard who has the senior experience and who is arguably the hardest worker on the team. Bjork also has four inches of height on her, which could throw her off her game as well and Rack hit seven threes in that game and Bjork, being a three expert herself, could have a few tricks to throw her off her game from beyond the arc.
Rack is joined by a couple of returnees who have names that will give poor Kenny Gartner headaches tomorrow afternoon. Both Armelie Lumanu and Chanel Mokango were All SEC Defensive Team selections last year. Lumanu led the Lady Bulldogs in steals last year with 70 and Mokango set a single season school record for blocks with 97, which ranked 9th nationally. Lumanu and Mokango, who are both from Kinshasa, Congo and both went to Southeastern Illinois College, are also threats on the offensive end, both averaging over 10 points per game last season.
Furthermore, Mokango, at 6'5, neutralizes Lynetta Kizer and the Terps' height advantage in this one. Kizer will have her hands full with the African tomorrow; it's matchups like this one that will prove if she's ready to take the next step and become one of the best post players in the country like we know she can become. The rebounding battle between Kizer and the Terps and Mokango and the Lady Bulldogs could go a long way to determining tomorrow's victor.
This should be a defensive battle. Away from their home court, I think the Terps get dragged down in to a low-scoring fistfight. Their pace will prevent this game from being in the 40's or 50's but I wouldn't be shocked to see a game in the 60's. Expect a close scoring war where the Kizer/Mokango battle as well as the battle of the trio of Maryland guards (Barrett, Taylor, Bjork) against Rack could cancel out, leaving the Terps with a perceived advantage if Tchatchouang and Hawkins can continue their hot play. Before the season, I would've given this game to the Bulldogs. Now? I'm switching my prediction. I really like what I've seen from this Maryland team and while there will be rough patches for sure tomorrow, I think they have just, just enough in the bag to pull it out.
Might not get to a recap until Monday. I've got a national championship game to broadcast tomorrow (go Terps field hockey!) and then a 6 hour trip home from Winston Salem so I might be too beat to do one tomorrow night. If nothing else though, I'll squeeze one in on Monday during a study break (two tests Tuesday.) The game will be on tape delay on www.wmucsports.com so keep an eye out for that.
PREDICTION - Maryland 67, Mississippi State 63
First of all, it speaks volumes about Maryland's cupcake non-league schedule when the toughest test is barely ranked in only one of the polls but that's an issue for another day. The focus is on tomorrow's game and it's a big one. If Old Dominion was a step up in weight class, then the Lady Bulldogs are a couple of steps up. Plus, it's the first road game of the season.
College basketball is notorious for being a sport where home court advantage means a considerable amount. Maryland hasn't lost at the Comcast Center in years but last season alone they lost on the road to TCU, Pittsburgh, Duke, and Virginia. Home court is especially important when it comes to young teams. Dara Taylor, Diandra Tchatchouang, and Tianna Hawkins have never faced a road atmosphere like they will tomorrow in Starkville. It's not like thousands and thousands of people are going to be there but it's still a long plane ride down to the middle of nowhere. Very awkward to be sure, especially if you're not used to it. And a good chunk of Maryland's roster isn't used to it.
It's not just the road trip itself that could give the Terps trouble, however. The team they're facing is pretty good as well. Mississippi State went 23-10 last year, upsetting # 6 seed Texas in the first round of the NCAA tournament before giving # 3 seed Ohio State a real battle in Columbus, falling 64-58. They return four starters from that team and were picked to finish 3rd in the SEC behind Tennessee (perhaps you've heard of them) and LSU (them too, to a much lesser extent) by the coaches in the league.
The leader of the gang for the Lady Bulldogs is Alexis Rack, a preseason First Team All-SEC selection and was First Team All-SEC last year, leading the team in eleven different categories including points per game (14.9) and assists (142.) She dropped 27 points on the Terps in the Terrapin Classic last year, a close 80-73 Maryland escape last December so they know what she can do firsthand. I have to imagine that it'll be Lori Bjork's job to stop Rack tomorrow, as it's Bjork who is the guard who has the senior experience and who is arguably the hardest worker on the team. Bjork also has four inches of height on her, which could throw her off her game as well and Rack hit seven threes in that game and Bjork, being a three expert herself, could have a few tricks to throw her off her game from beyond the arc.
Rack is joined by a couple of returnees who have names that will give poor Kenny Gartner headaches tomorrow afternoon. Both Armelie Lumanu and Chanel Mokango were All SEC Defensive Team selections last year. Lumanu led the Lady Bulldogs in steals last year with 70 and Mokango set a single season school record for blocks with 97, which ranked 9th nationally. Lumanu and Mokango, who are both from Kinshasa, Congo and both went to Southeastern Illinois College, are also threats on the offensive end, both averaging over 10 points per game last season.
Furthermore, Mokango, at 6'5, neutralizes Lynetta Kizer and the Terps' height advantage in this one. Kizer will have her hands full with the African tomorrow; it's matchups like this one that will prove if she's ready to take the next step and become one of the best post players in the country like we know she can become. The rebounding battle between Kizer and the Terps and Mokango and the Lady Bulldogs could go a long way to determining tomorrow's victor.
This should be a defensive battle. Away from their home court, I think the Terps get dragged down in to a low-scoring fistfight. Their pace will prevent this game from being in the 40's or 50's but I wouldn't be shocked to see a game in the 60's. Expect a close scoring war where the Kizer/Mokango battle as well as the battle of the trio of Maryland guards (Barrett, Taylor, Bjork) against Rack could cancel out, leaving the Terps with a perceived advantage if Tchatchouang and Hawkins can continue their hot play. Before the season, I would've given this game to the Bulldogs. Now? I'm switching my prediction. I really like what I've seen from this Maryland team and while there will be rough patches for sure tomorrow, I think they have just, just enough in the bag to pull it out.
Might not get to a recap until Monday. I've got a national championship game to broadcast tomorrow (go Terps field hockey!) and then a 6 hour trip home from Winston Salem so I might be too beat to do one tomorrow night. If nothing else though, I'll squeeze one in on Monday during a study break (two tests Tuesday.) The game will be on tape delay on www.wmucsports.com so keep an eye out for that.
PREDICTION - Maryland 67, Mississippi State 63
Thursday, November 19, 2009
REACTION - Maryland 84, Old Dominion 67
Learn the name "Diandra Tchatchouang" now, people. She's breaking out right before our very eyes.
Okay, we're not even to ACC play yet. We're not even close. And Maryland's yet to face a really good team, but what this girl is doing against the competition put in front of her so far is just fantastic. She had a game-high and career-high 22 points to lead the Terps to victory tonight. She went 8/11 from the floor, scoring inside and out, and 3/3 from beyond the arc and 3/5 at the free throw line. She "imposed her will inside" according to coach Brenda Frese, which is something she's been able to do whenever she's wanted to so far this season. We knew Lynetta Kizer (oh she had a fine night too; we'll get to her in a minute) was going to be an imposing force inside but we wondered if there was going to be a second one after Dee Liles was ruled academically ineligible. I think that question might have been answered. Tchatchouang can do more than just play inside though, as evidenced by her three threes. She can score from anywhere on the court and that makes her all the more dangerous. But I think the most impressive thing about her is the adjustment she's made from playing ball in France to come over here and just be so dominant so early on in her college career. I don't think anyone expected this but here we are. She's just terrific.
The best all around night, though, belongs to the team's superstar. After an off shooting night on Monday, Kizer responded by going 9/12 from the field tonight for 19 points while also grabbing 10 rebounds. It's her first of hopefully many double-doubles this season. She did whatever she wanted to inside, which was important for her after Monday's struggles. Like I've said before, she needs to dominate night in and night out if the Terps are going to succeed against the best competition and while ODU's not the best, they made the Terps break a sweat a little bit and it was key for Kizer to lead them to victory on both sides of the ball.
Dara Taylor continues to slowly take over the starting point guard position, getting 32 minutes tonight (10 more than Anjale Barrett.) And boy did she use them well. She dished out a team-high NINE assists, scored 6 points, and even grabbed 5 rebounds. Barrett, for her part, had a decent game with 10 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists. The 10 points came on 3/5 shooting, which is important for her to find her shot after her struggles from before, but she turned it over 5 times for a negative assist/turnover ratio once again. It's not like Taylor's was much better (9 turnovers accompanied those 9 assists) but it was better and Taylor's clearly proving herself to be the better player in the early season. It'll be interesting to see who gets the start Sunday in Starkville against Mississippi State. I think Frese will stick with Barrett for that one; I have a hard time seeing a true freshman getting her first start on the road but I suppose it's possible but not likely. I don't think Barrett's run out of chances just yet anyway.
Someone who may have lost their place in the starting lineup is Yemi Oyefuwa. She only played one minute tonight, recording only a block and a foul. It's possible she got hurt; I didn't see or hear the game since I'm in Winston Salem covering the field hockey team, but according to the play-by-play she was taken out right after the quick foul right away and never put back in. Regardless, she hadn't been playing well prior to tonight and if Tianna Hawkins keeps playing like she is, she's going to force herself in to the lineup.
Speaking of Hawkins, she put up another solid night with 11 points and 6 rebounds. She's solid night in and night out and honestly, with her and Tchatchouang showing themselves to be potent threats inside and more than adequate on the glass, Brenda could easily get away with a Taylor/Barrett (yes I listed Dara first; I really believe she's taking the PG job sooner rather than later)-Bjork-Hawkins-Tchatchouang-Kizer starting 5. On the other hand, Kizer might be better at the 4 and Hawkins might be a good 6th man off the bench. If nothing else, she has options with how well so many players are playing.
Lori Bjork also found her stroke tonight, scoring 9 points on 3/4 shooting from three. However, all 9 points came in the first half, which is kind of odd, but I believe once Maryland saw they had an inside advantage, that's where they catered their offense to.
All in all, the big story tonight was the Terps keeping the Monarchs at arm's length all night long. They shot well as a team, scorching the nets for 61.5 percent from the floor and 58.3 percent from 3 point range. Will they do that every night? Of course not. But they played very well tonight and should be proud of this victory. There are things that need to improve, like turnovers (26) and free throw shooting (65%) but this is a very good victory over a not-that-bad team. Kizer was terrific, Tchatchouang was superb, and the supporting cast stepped up as well. Now comes the first really big test as it's the first road game of the season against a Mississippi State team that played the Terps tough in College Park last year and made the second round of the NCAA tournament. But for now it's celebration time and the Terps really earned it tonight. Great win.
The Mississippi State gameday might go up a day early. If field hockey wins tomorrow afternoon (2 PM, wmucsports.com), they'll be in the national championship on Sunday afternoon at noon. In such a scenario, I wouldn't have time to get a gameday post up on the actual gameday so I'd throw it up on Saturday sometime. Just FYI.
Okay, we're not even to ACC play yet. We're not even close. And Maryland's yet to face a really good team, but what this girl is doing against the competition put in front of her so far is just fantastic. She had a game-high and career-high 22 points to lead the Terps to victory tonight. She went 8/11 from the floor, scoring inside and out, and 3/3 from beyond the arc and 3/5 at the free throw line. She "imposed her will inside" according to coach Brenda Frese, which is something she's been able to do whenever she's wanted to so far this season. We knew Lynetta Kizer (oh she had a fine night too; we'll get to her in a minute) was going to be an imposing force inside but we wondered if there was going to be a second one after Dee Liles was ruled academically ineligible. I think that question might have been answered. Tchatchouang can do more than just play inside though, as evidenced by her three threes. She can score from anywhere on the court and that makes her all the more dangerous. But I think the most impressive thing about her is the adjustment she's made from playing ball in France to come over here and just be so dominant so early on in her college career. I don't think anyone expected this but here we are. She's just terrific.
The best all around night, though, belongs to the team's superstar. After an off shooting night on Monday, Kizer responded by going 9/12 from the field tonight for 19 points while also grabbing 10 rebounds. It's her first of hopefully many double-doubles this season. She did whatever she wanted to inside, which was important for her after Monday's struggles. Like I've said before, she needs to dominate night in and night out if the Terps are going to succeed against the best competition and while ODU's not the best, they made the Terps break a sweat a little bit and it was key for Kizer to lead them to victory on both sides of the ball.
Dara Taylor continues to slowly take over the starting point guard position, getting 32 minutes tonight (10 more than Anjale Barrett.) And boy did she use them well. She dished out a team-high NINE assists, scored 6 points, and even grabbed 5 rebounds. Barrett, for her part, had a decent game with 10 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists. The 10 points came on 3/5 shooting, which is important for her to find her shot after her struggles from before, but she turned it over 5 times for a negative assist/turnover ratio once again. It's not like Taylor's was much better (9 turnovers accompanied those 9 assists) but it was better and Taylor's clearly proving herself to be the better player in the early season. It'll be interesting to see who gets the start Sunday in Starkville against Mississippi State. I think Frese will stick with Barrett for that one; I have a hard time seeing a true freshman getting her first start on the road but I suppose it's possible but not likely. I don't think Barrett's run out of chances just yet anyway.
Someone who may have lost their place in the starting lineup is Yemi Oyefuwa. She only played one minute tonight, recording only a block and a foul. It's possible she got hurt; I didn't see or hear the game since I'm in Winston Salem covering the field hockey team, but according to the play-by-play she was taken out right after the quick foul right away and never put back in. Regardless, she hadn't been playing well prior to tonight and if Tianna Hawkins keeps playing like she is, she's going to force herself in to the lineup.
Speaking of Hawkins, she put up another solid night with 11 points and 6 rebounds. She's solid night in and night out and honestly, with her and Tchatchouang showing themselves to be potent threats inside and more than adequate on the glass, Brenda could easily get away with a Taylor/Barrett (yes I listed Dara first; I really believe she's taking the PG job sooner rather than later)-Bjork-Hawkins-Tchatchouang-Kizer starting 5. On the other hand, Kizer might be better at the 4 and Hawkins might be a good 6th man off the bench. If nothing else, she has options with how well so many players are playing.
Lori Bjork also found her stroke tonight, scoring 9 points on 3/4 shooting from three. However, all 9 points came in the first half, which is kind of odd, but I believe once Maryland saw they had an inside advantage, that's where they catered their offense to.
All in all, the big story tonight was the Terps keeping the Monarchs at arm's length all night long. They shot well as a team, scorching the nets for 61.5 percent from the floor and 58.3 percent from 3 point range. Will they do that every night? Of course not. But they played very well tonight and should be proud of this victory. There are things that need to improve, like turnovers (26) and free throw shooting (65%) but this is a very good victory over a not-that-bad team. Kizer was terrific, Tchatchouang was superb, and the supporting cast stepped up as well. Now comes the first really big test as it's the first road game of the season against a Mississippi State team that played the Terps tough in College Park last year and made the second round of the NCAA tournament. But for now it's celebration time and the Terps really earned it tonight. Great win.
The Mississippi State gameday might go up a day early. If field hockey wins tomorrow afternoon (2 PM, wmucsports.com), they'll be in the national championship on Sunday afternoon at noon. In such a scenario, I wouldn't have time to get a gameday post up on the actual gameday so I'd throw it up on Saturday sometime. Just FYI.
GAMEDAY - Old Dominion (0-1) @ RV/20 Maryland (2-0)
And now for a step up in weight class.
No, Old Dominion isn't the powerhouse it used to be in the late 90's (or even the constant CAA champion that they were throughout the 90's and 2000's) but they're still a decent team that knocked off Virginia and pushed Tennessee and the Terps to the limit last season. They won 17 games last year and went 11-7 in a CAA that was pretty good for a mid major league. If nothing else, they're not N.C. Central and New Hampshire. They know what they're doing and if Maryland plays poorly, they could actually get burned and upset tonight.
With that said, however, this is another game the Terps should win. Not only did ODU lose its first game, it lost it at home and it lost it spectacularly. Okay, let's be fair, they lost to Stanford, who's # 2 in the country and probably the best team in the country not named "Connecticut" by a fair margin...but still, the Lady Monarchs got ROCKED. 89-56 and it was 53-23 at the half after a 29-4 run to start the game for the Cardinal. And this was in ODU's house, where they've only lost 16 times in 108 games since their building opened in 2002.
Furthermore, the Lady Monarchs will likely be without star senior forward Jessica Canaday tonight. She re-aggravated a right knee injury and left the Stanford game with 7 minutes to go, limping off the court. If she does play tonight, it will likely be in a very limited role. That's definitely advantage Maryland, especially considering that's 12.6 points and 9.6 rebounds per game, both team highs, that need to be replaced if she can't go. She was second team all CAA last season and was tipped to be preseason first team All CAA this season so she's a big loss for the Lady Monarchs. She was second in the conference in rebounding last season as well, despite missing 6 games, so for an ODU team that got outrebounded 52-38 against Stanford, she's a loss they cannot afford, especially on the boards against a Maryland team that brings a ton of height to the table.
ODU has three players to watch. They have a nice backcourt tandem in Jasmine Parker and Shadasia Green who combined to average almost 20 points per game last season. Parker was the leading scorer against Stanford with 16 points. Green had 11 points and grabbed 7 rebounds after averaging 6 rebounds per game last season so she's a rebounding threat but may not be as much of one tonight against Maryland's size. The third player to watch is center Tia Lewis, a transfer from Central Florida, who was the Conference USA freshman of the year a couple of years ago. She had 15 points and 9 rebounds, 8 of them offensive, against Stanford.
Maryland should handle their business tonight but it could be a real struggle if they play like they did in the first half against New Hampshire. I think there will be rough patches but in the end, Lewis will be handled by Kizer and while the ODU backcourt might be the better backcourt in this game, Taylor and Bjork should at least hold their own and the difference makers could be Tchatchouang and Hawkins at the 3. I'm not sure who the Monarchs have to counter them.
This should be a good game that is a decent "measuring stick" for the Terps. If they really roll, that's a great sign. If they struggle and get the win fairly comfortably, that could be good as well. But if they lose or cut it too close, it could be a sign that there's a long way to go to get where they want to be.
PREDICTION - Maryland 74, Old Dominion 62
No, Old Dominion isn't the powerhouse it used to be in the late 90's (or even the constant CAA champion that they were throughout the 90's and 2000's) but they're still a decent team that knocked off Virginia and pushed Tennessee and the Terps to the limit last season. They won 17 games last year and went 11-7 in a CAA that was pretty good for a mid major league. If nothing else, they're not N.C. Central and New Hampshire. They know what they're doing and if Maryland plays poorly, they could actually get burned and upset tonight.
With that said, however, this is another game the Terps should win. Not only did ODU lose its first game, it lost it at home and it lost it spectacularly. Okay, let's be fair, they lost to Stanford, who's # 2 in the country and probably the best team in the country not named "Connecticut" by a fair margin...but still, the Lady Monarchs got ROCKED. 89-56 and it was 53-23 at the half after a 29-4 run to start the game for the Cardinal. And this was in ODU's house, where they've only lost 16 times in 108 games since their building opened in 2002.
Furthermore, the Lady Monarchs will likely be without star senior forward Jessica Canaday tonight. She re-aggravated a right knee injury and left the Stanford game with 7 minutes to go, limping off the court. If she does play tonight, it will likely be in a very limited role. That's definitely advantage Maryland, especially considering that's 12.6 points and 9.6 rebounds per game, both team highs, that need to be replaced if she can't go. She was second team all CAA last season and was tipped to be preseason first team All CAA this season so she's a big loss for the Lady Monarchs. She was second in the conference in rebounding last season as well, despite missing 6 games, so for an ODU team that got outrebounded 52-38 against Stanford, she's a loss they cannot afford, especially on the boards against a Maryland team that brings a ton of height to the table.
ODU has three players to watch. They have a nice backcourt tandem in Jasmine Parker and Shadasia Green who combined to average almost 20 points per game last season. Parker was the leading scorer against Stanford with 16 points. Green had 11 points and grabbed 7 rebounds after averaging 6 rebounds per game last season so she's a rebounding threat but may not be as much of one tonight against Maryland's size. The third player to watch is center Tia Lewis, a transfer from Central Florida, who was the Conference USA freshman of the year a couple of years ago. She had 15 points and 9 rebounds, 8 of them offensive, against Stanford.
Maryland should handle their business tonight but it could be a real struggle if they play like they did in the first half against New Hampshire. I think there will be rough patches but in the end, Lewis will be handled by Kizer and while the ODU backcourt might be the better backcourt in this game, Taylor and Bjork should at least hold their own and the difference makers could be Tchatchouang and Hawkins at the 3. I'm not sure who the Monarchs have to counter them.
This should be a good game that is a decent "measuring stick" for the Terps. If they really roll, that's a great sign. If they struggle and get the win fairly comfortably, that could be good as well. But if they lose or cut it too close, it could be a sign that there's a long way to go to get where they want to be.
PREDICTION - Maryland 74, Old Dominion 62
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
REACTION - Maryland 63, New Hampshire 43
Ugly first half, better second half.
I really cannot quantify just how terrible the basketball played in the first half of last night's game was. Maryland led 26-20 at half but they were ATROCIOUS outside of the first 4 minutes when they jumped out to a quick 12-0 lead. From there, the Wildcats outscored them 20-14 in the half and would have likely led if they hadn't started so poorly themselves. To recap, New Hampshire shot 7/30 from the floor in the first half for a cool 23.3% and they were just 5/20 from three point range for 25% and they were the team that shot better.
Maryland's first half stats: 7/36 from the field (19.4%), 3/12 from three point range (25%), 9/14 from the free throw line (64.3%.) Lynetta Kizer: 1/9 from field. Anjale Barrett 1/6 and 1/4 from three. Lori Bjork 1/5, all from three. Nared/Townsend/Hawkins/Rodgers combined 0/10 from floor.
This was a bad, bad, BAD half of basketball and if Maryland plays one like it against a semi-competent opponent, they're going to get burned and burned badly. For the first time all year, they showed their youth and inexperience; taking bad shots, missing badly, turning the ball over, giving wide open looks on defense, etc. And remember, this was WITH a 12-0 start. Imagine if they hadn't come out firing? That half I think safely tempered things among Terrapin Nation and reminded us all that there are going to be growing pains with this team, there are going to be ugly points, even ugly halves and maybe even ugly games, and that everyone still has a lot of work to do to get where they ultimately want to be.
But then the second half happened.
It's not like Maryland set the world on fire in half # 2. They were just 13/36 from the field, which is 36.1% That's not terrible but it's not great either. But still, it was enough to get the job done and open up the game to win by a comfortable 20 points. The key player in the second half was Diandra Tchatchouang, who really needs to stop having good games or else I might have to quit broadcasting and blogging ("zhan-dra chat-choo-wong" is how the name is pronounced I learned last night), as she had a game-high 17 points, 11 coming in the second half.
Tchatchouang also grabbed 7 rebounds, good for third on the roster behind Lynetta Kizer's 8 and Tianna Hawkins' game-high FIFTEEN. Wow, are those two (Hawkins and Tchatchouang) waging an absolute war for that starting 3 spot or what? You could argue that they're two of the three best players on the team right now. Hawkins didn't get it done offensively last night (2/7 from the field) but she found another way to contribute and to be one of the best players on the floor. That's a mark of an excellent player. I really love the job she's done for this Maryland team thus far.
Going back to Kizer though, she really struggled last night. 3/14 from the field is not the way to build on a career-high 23 point performance. At least she grabbed 8 boards and was 4/5 from the free throw line. But after dominating early on, she really really struggled with some very easy shots that she should make 100% of the time. It was a disappointing offensive effort from her but she DID still get in to double figures. That's what superstars do; they find a way to get their points even on bad nights. 11's not a ton of points but it was still good for second on the team and almost half of them came at the line, which is another mark of a superstar (getting to the stripe.) But she can't have too many more off nights against better competition. Like was said before, she needs to lead this team night in and night out, especially against the better competition.
Same goes for Lori Bjork. 1/8 from the field, all threes? Wow. And many of them missed BADLY. She really didn't have the stroke last night, she didn't get to the foul line once, and she only had one assist. Very disappointing effort from her. I think it was a case of a shooter trying to shoot her way out of a cold streak and being unable to do so, hindering the rest of her game in the process. But she's not gonna go 1/8 every night so she just has to snap out of it, put it behind her, and focus on the next game.
Going back to positives, Dara Taylor really impressed the heck out of me last night. Boy, is she fast! Brenda Frese wasn't kidding when she said she was the fastest guard she'd ever had in the program. Watching her run the break is an absolute joy. I compared her to Ty Lawson at UNC last year running the show for their men's team and while she's not that good yet, she's got that kind of quickness and natural feel for the point guard position. She had a nice game last night with 10 points on 4/7 shooting and a team-high 5 assists. She's quickly become one of my favorite players to watch on this Maryland team.
Essence Townsend can get it done on the defensive end; she blocked a couple more shots last night and grabbed 5 rebounds. But her offensive game has a long, long way to go. She's very raw on that side of the ball but only practice and game experience will get her better.
Kim Rodgers was kind of a microcosm of the Terps last night-struggled in half 1, picked it up in half 2.
Jackie Nared continues to struggle unfortunately, as does Yemi Oyefuwa, as neither of them scored last night. Anjale Barrett was poor too, just 2/11 from the field. Oyefuwa and Barrett will be quickly replaced in the starting lineup by Townsend and Taylor if they don't improve. Barrett in particular needs to watch her back; Taylor was clearly the better and more natural point guard on the floor last night and she's really impressed so far.
So that's about it. Normally recaps aren't this thorough but this was my first chance to see this year's version of the Terps in person so I wanted to give my thoughts on everyone. In short, things look good but at times there are really rough patches and some players need to improve. All in all, there's a nice core there, some players (especially young players) are really stepping up and taking charge of the team contributing night in and night out, and this is a team that should continue to get better as the year goes along.
Maryland next plays on Thursday night against Old Dominion. I'll be back with your game preview for that one in a couple of days. If I have the time (doubtful), I'd like to throw up something taking a look at the women's basketball landscape on the whole; there have been a few upsets and things of that sort, but that may have to wait until next week. Take care, everyone.
I really cannot quantify just how terrible the basketball played in the first half of last night's game was. Maryland led 26-20 at half but they were ATROCIOUS outside of the first 4 minutes when they jumped out to a quick 12-0 lead. From there, the Wildcats outscored them 20-14 in the half and would have likely led if they hadn't started so poorly themselves. To recap, New Hampshire shot 7/30 from the floor in the first half for a cool 23.3% and they were just 5/20 from three point range for 25% and they were the team that shot better.
Maryland's first half stats: 7/36 from the field (19.4%), 3/12 from three point range (25%), 9/14 from the free throw line (64.3%.) Lynetta Kizer: 1/9 from field. Anjale Barrett 1/6 and 1/4 from three. Lori Bjork 1/5, all from three. Nared/Townsend/Hawkins/Rodgers combined 0/10 from floor.
This was a bad, bad, BAD half of basketball and if Maryland plays one like it against a semi-competent opponent, they're going to get burned and burned badly. For the first time all year, they showed their youth and inexperience; taking bad shots, missing badly, turning the ball over, giving wide open looks on defense, etc. And remember, this was WITH a 12-0 start. Imagine if they hadn't come out firing? That half I think safely tempered things among Terrapin Nation and reminded us all that there are going to be growing pains with this team, there are going to be ugly points, even ugly halves and maybe even ugly games, and that everyone still has a lot of work to do to get where they ultimately want to be.
But then the second half happened.
It's not like Maryland set the world on fire in half # 2. They were just 13/36 from the field, which is 36.1% That's not terrible but it's not great either. But still, it was enough to get the job done and open up the game to win by a comfortable 20 points. The key player in the second half was Diandra Tchatchouang, who really needs to stop having good games or else I might have to quit broadcasting and blogging ("zhan-dra chat-choo-wong" is how the name is pronounced I learned last night), as she had a game-high 17 points, 11 coming in the second half.
Tchatchouang also grabbed 7 rebounds, good for third on the roster behind Lynetta Kizer's 8 and Tianna Hawkins' game-high FIFTEEN. Wow, are those two (Hawkins and Tchatchouang) waging an absolute war for that starting 3 spot or what? You could argue that they're two of the three best players on the team right now. Hawkins didn't get it done offensively last night (2/7 from the field) but she found another way to contribute and to be one of the best players on the floor. That's a mark of an excellent player. I really love the job she's done for this Maryland team thus far.
Going back to Kizer though, she really struggled last night. 3/14 from the field is not the way to build on a career-high 23 point performance. At least she grabbed 8 boards and was 4/5 from the free throw line. But after dominating early on, she really really struggled with some very easy shots that she should make 100% of the time. It was a disappointing offensive effort from her but she DID still get in to double figures. That's what superstars do; they find a way to get their points even on bad nights. 11's not a ton of points but it was still good for second on the team and almost half of them came at the line, which is another mark of a superstar (getting to the stripe.) But she can't have too many more off nights against better competition. Like was said before, she needs to lead this team night in and night out, especially against the better competition.
Same goes for Lori Bjork. 1/8 from the field, all threes? Wow. And many of them missed BADLY. She really didn't have the stroke last night, she didn't get to the foul line once, and she only had one assist. Very disappointing effort from her. I think it was a case of a shooter trying to shoot her way out of a cold streak and being unable to do so, hindering the rest of her game in the process. But she's not gonna go 1/8 every night so she just has to snap out of it, put it behind her, and focus on the next game.
Going back to positives, Dara Taylor really impressed the heck out of me last night. Boy, is she fast! Brenda Frese wasn't kidding when she said she was the fastest guard she'd ever had in the program. Watching her run the break is an absolute joy. I compared her to Ty Lawson at UNC last year running the show for their men's team and while she's not that good yet, she's got that kind of quickness and natural feel for the point guard position. She had a nice game last night with 10 points on 4/7 shooting and a team-high 5 assists. She's quickly become one of my favorite players to watch on this Maryland team.
Essence Townsend can get it done on the defensive end; she blocked a couple more shots last night and grabbed 5 rebounds. But her offensive game has a long, long way to go. She's very raw on that side of the ball but only practice and game experience will get her better.
Kim Rodgers was kind of a microcosm of the Terps last night-struggled in half 1, picked it up in half 2.
Jackie Nared continues to struggle unfortunately, as does Yemi Oyefuwa, as neither of them scored last night. Anjale Barrett was poor too, just 2/11 from the field. Oyefuwa and Barrett will be quickly replaced in the starting lineup by Townsend and Taylor if they don't improve. Barrett in particular needs to watch her back; Taylor was clearly the better and more natural point guard on the floor last night and she's really impressed so far.
So that's about it. Normally recaps aren't this thorough but this was my first chance to see this year's version of the Terps in person so I wanted to give my thoughts on everyone. In short, things look good but at times there are really rough patches and some players need to improve. All in all, there's a nice core there, some players (especially young players) are really stepping up and taking charge of the team contributing night in and night out, and this is a team that should continue to get better as the year goes along.
Maryland next plays on Thursday night against Old Dominion. I'll be back with your game preview for that one in a couple of days. If I have the time (doubtful), I'd like to throw up something taking a look at the women's basketball landscape on the whole; there have been a few upsets and things of that sort, but that may have to wait until next week. Take care, everyone.
Monday, November 16, 2009
GAMEDAY - New Hampshire (1-0) @ # 21/NR Maryland (1-0)
Tonight the Terps become the first Maryland basketball team to welcome New Hampshire in to the Comcast Center this year (the men will on Friday night) as they take on the Wildcats for their second game in three days.
Will the two-games-in-three-days affect the Terps? Maybe because it's a young team but I think it's good that the Terps have a quick turnaround as they'll be playing multiple games in multiple days in the ACC tournament and then perhaps the NCAA tournament. Brenda Frese has always loved to get her teams ready for the postseason (remember the 15 games in 30 days or whatever it was a couple years ago?) by playing lots of games in a short time frame. Old Dominion comes to town on Thursday so it'll be 3 games in 6 days for the Terps.
As for tonight though, the Wildcats shouldn't be too tough of a test. They were just 8-23 last year and got absolutely destroyed by Boston College (85-43) and Louisville (82-40) in their only two games against major conference opponents. They were picked to finish fourth in the America East this season but seeing as how they finished fifth in the conference last year despite going 8-23, that tells me that the America East...well...how do I put this nicely...let's just say it's not exactly the ACC. They do own a 64-56 win over St. Joseph's this season, to their credit.
I've gotta get ready to go broadcast this game so listen to it starting at 6:45 PM on wmucsports.com. This will be my first in-person look at the Terps this season so I'll have a bit on that after the game. However, I do not promise a game recap tonight. My Baltimore Ravens are playing on Monday Night Football so I'm definitely watching that before I recap this game. But you'll get your recap tomorrow at the latest.
PREDICTION - Maryland 81, New Hampshire 44
Will the two-games-in-three-days affect the Terps? Maybe because it's a young team but I think it's good that the Terps have a quick turnaround as they'll be playing multiple games in multiple days in the ACC tournament and then perhaps the NCAA tournament. Brenda Frese has always loved to get her teams ready for the postseason (remember the 15 games in 30 days or whatever it was a couple years ago?) by playing lots of games in a short time frame. Old Dominion comes to town on Thursday so it'll be 3 games in 6 days for the Terps.
As for tonight though, the Wildcats shouldn't be too tough of a test. They were just 8-23 last year and got absolutely destroyed by Boston College (85-43) and Louisville (82-40) in their only two games against major conference opponents. They were picked to finish fourth in the America East this season but seeing as how they finished fifth in the conference last year despite going 8-23, that tells me that the America East...well...how do I put this nicely...let's just say it's not exactly the ACC. They do own a 64-56 win over St. Joseph's this season, to their credit.
I've gotta get ready to go broadcast this game so listen to it starting at 6:45 PM on wmucsports.com. This will be my first in-person look at the Terps this season so I'll have a bit on that after the game. However, I do not promise a game recap tonight. My Baltimore Ravens are playing on Monday Night Football so I'm definitely watching that before I recap this game. But you'll get your recap tomorrow at the latest.
PREDICTION - Maryland 81, New Hampshire 44
REACTION - Maryland 88, North Carolina Central 39
PREDICTION - Maryland 84, NC Central 37
Yeah, I'm pretty awesome.
No, seriously, this game was pretty predictable if one took the time to research how N.C. Central typically performed against big conference schools and this performance from them was no different. The Eagles turned it over 27 times, including 16 in the first half, and shot just 29.4% for the game. All Maryland had to do was basically show up and they did that and more.
That's one of the problems with women's college basketball: there's simply not much parity. Scorelines like this one aren't that uncommon. In fact, this isn't even THAT ugly. # 1 UConn beat Northeastern 105-35 the other day. LSU took down Centenary 92-19 yesterday. There simply aren't that many high quality women's basketball players to go around for everyone. But it is what it is and for the lucky teams like the Terps, they get to take advantage.
But anyway, the Terps basically dominated and the story for them was Lynetta Kizer making a dramatic statement of intent as the superstar on this year's team. She poured in a career-high 23 points and grabbed 8 rebounds in just 21 minutes. Going 10/12 from the floor and 3/3 from the foul line is just simply dominant. Great job by her asserting herself as the leader and star on this year's team.
Her's wasn't the only spectacular performance, however. Tianna Hawkins continued her tear of hot play, just missing her third straight double double with 15 points on 6/9 shooting and 8 rebounds. Both her and Diandra Tchatchouang, who had 11 on 5/7 shooting, are really producing well from the 3 spot. That's a huge boon for the Terps, who were looking at the 3 being a spot of weakness with no one anywhere close to proven (or even anyone that highly hyped) to replace Marissa Coleman but so far Hawkins and Tchatchouang have been excellent.
As for the rest of the team, it was a solid Maryland regular season debut for Lori Bjork, who had 10 points including 2/5 from beyond the arc and a team-high 6 assists. She was usually more of a scorer at Illinois but it's very nice to see the 2 guard distributing the ball as well. And the two highly touted freshman both contributed in different ways: Dara Taylor had 9 points and 5 assists and Essence Townsend had 4 points, 9 rebounds, and a team-high four blocks. If Townsend can be that kind of defensive presence night in and night out, she might quickly take Yemi Oyefuwa's job at center.
Yemi was one of the few players who struggled in this game, going 0/6 from the floor but she did manage to grab 7 rebounds. Anjale Barrett also struggled a bit, turning it over 4 times while only dishing out 2 assists and scoring just 6 points. They don't need a ton of offense from her, especially if both girls at the 3 are going to keep scoring, but a 1:2 assist/turnover ratio isn't acceptable.
All in all though, there's not too much to get upset about when you win by 49. Kizer was dominant, Bjork was an excellent second banana, both girls at the 3 played well, Townsend was a force on defense, Dara Taylor continued to impress, and everyone got some valuable minutes and experience in playing time. It's just North Carolina Central but this was a very impressive opening act from the Terps.
My apologies for getting this up late, it was a busy weekend. The next game? Tonight! Which means I'd better get on my horse and get a game preview up. Look for that in the next few hours.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
GAMEDAY - North Carolina Central (0-0) @ # 21/NR Maryland (0-0)
It all begins tonight.
Tonight the Terps kick off their 2009-2010 campaign by welcoming in the North Carolina Central Eagles.
I don't expect the Lady Eagles to put up much resistance tonight. They went 10-19 last season as an independent with no wins over a school from a major (BCS) conference. In their six games against BCS conference schools (so ACC, Big East, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-10, and SEC; for the non-college football inclined), they went 0-6, losing by an average of 43.5 points per game...and that includes a modest 15 point loss to Wake Forest. So basically they were losing by like 40 and 50 points, sometimes more, in their games against big time conference schools like Georgia, North Carolina, and Oklahoma. They're in just their third year of Division 1 play and the transitional period has naturally been difficult.
On the other hand, the Lady Eagles won six of their last ten last season and they will have the more experienced team in this matchup. They return 7 players from last year's team, including four starters. Will it make a difference? Probably not. But hey, I'm here to tell you about tonight's opposition.
So basically, expect a big time victory from the Terps. If they don't get that, they might want to re-evaluate some things. Look for a lot of playing time for everyone to show what they can do. This is virtually a third warmup game but this one counts.
I'll be back at some point to recap tonight's game. I can't promise it'll be tonight tonight and I can't promise tomorrow afternoon since I'll be broadcasting Maryland field hockey's second round game against Drexel. But probably tomorrow night at the latest I'll give you your recap of the Terps and the Lady Eagles.
PREDICTION - Maryland 84, NC Central 37
Tonight the Terps kick off their 2009-2010 campaign by welcoming in the North Carolina Central Eagles.
I don't expect the Lady Eagles to put up much resistance tonight. They went 10-19 last season as an independent with no wins over a school from a major (BCS) conference. In their six games against BCS conference schools (so ACC, Big East, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-10, and SEC; for the non-college football inclined), they went 0-6, losing by an average of 43.5 points per game...and that includes a modest 15 point loss to Wake Forest. So basically they were losing by like 40 and 50 points, sometimes more, in their games against big time conference schools like Georgia, North Carolina, and Oklahoma. They're in just their third year of Division 1 play and the transitional period has naturally been difficult.
On the other hand, the Lady Eagles won six of their last ten last season and they will have the more experienced team in this matchup. They return 7 players from last year's team, including four starters. Will it make a difference? Probably not. But hey, I'm here to tell you about tonight's opposition.
So basically, expect a big time victory from the Terps. If they don't get that, they might want to re-evaluate some things. Look for a lot of playing time for everyone to show what they can do. This is virtually a third warmup game but this one counts.
I'll be back at some point to recap tonight's game. I can't promise it'll be tonight tonight and I can't promise tomorrow afternoon since I'll be broadcasting Maryland field hockey's second round game against Drexel. But probably tomorrow night at the latest I'll give you your recap of the Terps and the Lady Eagles.
PREDICTION - Maryland 84, NC Central 37
Friday, November 13, 2009
2009 MARYLAND SEASON PREVIEW - Player By Player
This, folks, is going all out. We're about to take a closer look at the Terps, player by player.
# 10
Anjalé Barrett
Guard
5-10 Sophomore (RS)
Bronx, N.Y./St. Michael Academy
As a redshirt freshman last year, Barrett appeared in all but one game, starting two, and she averaged just four points per game but she was third on the team in assists with 72 while only turning it over 55 times for an assist/turnover ratio of 1.31, which is very solid. She was usually one of the first players off the bench and often provided a spark with key plays at key times, as well as showing a knack for dishing the rock as evidenced by her gaudy assist total for a reserve player. Also, she led the ACC with a .615 shooting percentage from beyond the arc during conference play in 2009. This year, however, it's a totally different game for her and she might be one of the biggest keys to a successful season. It's easy to play a reserve role behind the great Kristi Toliver but it's a whole new ballgame when you're the starting point guard and expected to run the offense on a regular basis. She'll also need to pick up her scoring load this season. No, she doesn't have to pour in points and threes like Toliver did (our next player could be responsible for that) but she has to become a reliable third or fourth option. If she can put up somewhere in the ballpark of 10 points per game while continuing to distribute the basketball and take care of it, the Terps' machine should run well on offense. So far, however, she's thrived at least as a passer dealing out four assists in each of the preseason exhibition games in limited time. Also remember that she's now a year further removed from the knee surgery she had as a freshman so that could provide a boon to her production as well.
# 31
Lori Bjork
Guard
5-11 Senior (TR)
Johnston, Iowa/Johnston/Illinois
And now to perhaps the most intriguing player of the lot. Bjork was a success at Illinois, there's no doubt about that. Big Ten All-Freshman Team in 2005-2006. Second Team All-Big Ten in 2006-2007. Preseason First Team All-Big Ten in 2007-2008 before ending up as a third team All-Big Ten selection that year. She's a sharpshooter to be sure, as she's 1-2 on the list of most three pointers made in a single season at Illinois with 84 threes in 06/07 and 77 in 07/08. At one point in 06/07, she had a streak of 35 consecutive games with a made three pointer. She was seventh in the Big Ten in scoring with 14.3 points per game that year and she is the all-time Illinois free throw percentage leader at 83.5 percent. So basically, she can score, she can really shoot the three and she makes her foul shots. She sat out last year due to NCAA transfer rules and now she's going to be expected to carry a big part of the scoring load that Kristi Toliver and Marissa Coleman are leaving behind. She put up double digit points in both of the preseason exhibition games, including 14 points on 5 of 9 shooting including 4/8 from three point range. She'll need to be one of the team's best players this season.
# 21
Tianna Hawkins
Forward
6-3 Freshman
Clinton, Md./Riverdale Baptist
If her exhibition performances are any indication, Hawkins is on a mission to prove that recruiting rankings don't mean jack. Not highly touted coming out of high school (ranked outside the ESPN and Scout.com top 100), she's put up double doubles in both of the first two exhibition games. She scored 20 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in 22 minutes against Bowie State and then she put up 12 points and 11 rebounds in just 19 minutes against Catholic. Despite not being on the radar of the big recruiting services, she was still the Gatorade State Player of the Year in 2008-2009 and she was first-team all-Met as a senior and most valuable player in 2007 and 2009. She'll be expected to contribute off the bench this season but could very easily crack the starting lineup if she keeps playing like she has in the preseason.
# 12
Lynetta Kizer
Center
6-4 Sophomore
Woodbridge, Va./Potomac
If the Maryland Terrapins have a superstar, Kizer is it. Or at least she's the one with the most potential to become one. A superstar recruit coming out of high school last year, she did not disappoint with 11.1 points and 7.3 rebounds per game, starting all but one game last season. She also blocked 31 shots and caused 39 steals so she was a force on the defensive side of the ball as well. At 6'4, she has the potential to absolutely dominate the women's game and she had a few dominating performances last season (TCU, Georgia Tech) but it could be more difficult this year with no Toliver and Coleman and, especially, no Dee Liles to help her out down low. Like Anjale Barrett, there's a lot more pressure on Kizer this year. She's no newcomer to the starting lineup but she will be looked at as one of the team's leaders and star players. She will have to be a reliable option night-in and night-out in the post and she'll have to be a force on defense, preventing opponents from scoring at will in the paint. She had 10 points and 8 rebounds in the second exhibition against Catholic in just 15 minutes. She'll need to put up a double double or close to it every game if the Terps are going to succeed this season. That's asking a lot but that's how it goes when you're supposed to be a superstar.
# 3
Jackie Nared
Guard
6-1 Freshman (RS)
Portland, Ore./Westview
After redshirting last year as a mid year enrollee, Nared's ready to play this season. She might not see much more than a reserve role as Barrett, Bjork, Kim Rodgers, and Dara Taylor all seem entrenched ahead of her on the depth chart for guards. You never know, however. Rodgers didn't see much playing time for most of last season and then suddenly she got time in the ACC tournament and played very well. If she gets the opportunity, a certain possibility with all the uncertainty and youth on this team, she could seize it. She struggled in the exhibition games, however, shooting just 2/8 against Bowie State and 5/17 against Catholic.
# 14
Yemi Oyefuwa
Center
6-6 Sophomore
London, England/Dartford Grammar Girls' School
This past summer, Hasheem Thabeet was the # 2 overall pick by the Memphis Grizzlies in the NBA Draft. Numerous times last year, I compared the freshman version of Oyefuwa to Thabeet during his freshman year in college. Both were more raw than sushi, showing flashes of their potential at times but looking at times a bit awkward in their very-big skin and perhaps struggling with the crossover from their native land in to the United States. She appeared in 27 games last year but didn't start any and averaged just 0.8 points and 1.6 rebounds per game. She was the proverbial "last man off the bench", logging only 6.4 minutes per game but this year, she'll be expected to be much more than that. She's the new starting center as Dee Liles is gone. No one's asking her to fill Liles' shoes completely but she still might need to make a quantum leap now that she's been thrust in to the starting lineup. If she can harness that potential though, she could be an absolutely dominating threat at 6'6. It's not a stretch to call her one of the keys to this season.
# 22
Kim Rodgers
Guard
5-9 Sophomore
Virginia Beach, Va./Princess Anne
When one looks up the phrase "late bloomer", a picture of Rodgers from last season should show up. After doing almost nothing during the regular season aside from a heart-warming 4/4 from three point range performance at Loyola in her first action since returning from knee surgery, she puts up 9 points in 14 minutes to help clinch the ACC regular season title against Miami and then she goes ballistic in the ACC tournament. 7 points against Wake in round 1, 11 points including a pair of threes to give the Terps the lead in the semis against UNC, and then 12 points on 4/5 shooting in the title game against Duke. She also saw a lot of time in the NCAA tournament and she'll certainly be playing for more than 11.4 minutes per game this year. She'll back up Bjork at the 2 and hopefully provide the same spark off the bench that she did at the end of last season.
# 2
Dara Taylor
Guard
5-7 Freshman
Wilmington, Del./Caravel Academy
And now we've arrived at this season's glamor recruit. Called "the quickest player I've ever had in the program," by Coach Brenda Frese, Taylor was ranked as the # 6 point guard by ESPN and the # 9 overall guard by Scout.com in this season's incoming recruiting class. She could challenge UNC's Tierra Ruffin-Pratt for ACC Freshman of the Year if all goes well. She had 7 points and a whopping 9 assists in 26 minutes against Bowie State and then put up 14 points and 7 assists in 23 minutes against Catholic. She'll push Barrett as the team's starting point guard and could take over the job sooner rather than later if she's worth all of the hype.
# 24
Diandra Tchatchouang
Forward
6-3 Freshman
La Courneuve, France/INSEP
First of all, I absolutely dread saying this name on the air. But she could be one of the great wild cards on the Terps this season. A top European recruit, it's hard to know what to expect from her this season. She could have trouble adjusting to crossing the pond like Yemi did last year or she could be an impact player right away. She's gotten the start in both of the exhibition games so clearly she's done something right in practice. After a modest showing against Bowie State, she exploded for 16 points on 6/9 shooting against Catholic, also grabbing 6 boards. She'll probably compete with Hawkins for the starting job at the 3, which appears to be the area where the Terps are looking most vulnerable coming in to this season as neither of their starting candidates has played a minute of college ball that counts. They both certainly have the potential to play a positive role for the Terps this season.
# 5
Essence Townsend
Center
6-7 Freshman
Paterson, N.J./Paterson Catholic
Oyefuwa might be the starter at center right now but if she's unable to perform, Townsend is waiting in the wings to take her job. Somehow, she's even taller than Yemi at 6'7 and as you can tell from the picture, she's very lean. A top 100 recruit herself according to both ESPN and Scout, she certainly has the potential to do big things (no pun intended.) She performed modestly in the exhibition games, either showing us that the best is yet to come or that she may need some seasoning before she's ready to take a large (again, no pun intended) role with the Terps. And hey, a Terps big girl recruit from New Jersey. Where have I heard that one before?
# 33
Emery Wallace
Forward
6-1 Senior
Roanoke, Va./Hidden Valley
By far the most embattled player on the Terps, Wallace has had three knee surgeries in her career. She's the lone senior on the team. If she can't play, she'll be the team's head cheerleader once again and continue to be a positive influence on the bench just like she was last season.
So there you have it, each player on the Terps previewed in to this coming season. I'll be back tomorrow with an NC Central game preview to kick off the regular season. The season is officially here, people. Get psyched.
# 10
Anjalé Barrett
Guard
5-10 Sophomore (RS)
Bronx, N.Y./St. Michael Academy
As a redshirt freshman last year, Barrett appeared in all but one game, starting two, and she averaged just four points per game but she was third on the team in assists with 72 while only turning it over 55 times for an assist/turnover ratio of 1.31, which is very solid. She was usually one of the first players off the bench and often provided a spark with key plays at key times, as well as showing a knack for dishing the rock as evidenced by her gaudy assist total for a reserve player. Also, she led the ACC with a .615 shooting percentage from beyond the arc during conference play in 2009. This year, however, it's a totally different game for her and she might be one of the biggest keys to a successful season. It's easy to play a reserve role behind the great Kristi Toliver but it's a whole new ballgame when you're the starting point guard and expected to run the offense on a regular basis. She'll also need to pick up her scoring load this season. No, she doesn't have to pour in points and threes like Toliver did (our next player could be responsible for that) but she has to become a reliable third or fourth option. If she can put up somewhere in the ballpark of 10 points per game while continuing to distribute the basketball and take care of it, the Terps' machine should run well on offense. So far, however, she's thrived at least as a passer dealing out four assists in each of the preseason exhibition games in limited time. Also remember that she's now a year further removed from the knee surgery she had as a freshman so that could provide a boon to her production as well.
# 31
Lori Bjork
Guard
5-11 Senior (TR)
Johnston, Iowa/Johnston/Illinois
And now to perhaps the most intriguing player of the lot. Bjork was a success at Illinois, there's no doubt about that. Big Ten All-Freshman Team in 2005-2006. Second Team All-Big Ten in 2006-2007. Preseason First Team All-Big Ten in 2007-2008 before ending up as a third team All-Big Ten selection that year. She's a sharpshooter to be sure, as she's 1-2 on the list of most three pointers made in a single season at Illinois with 84 threes in 06/07 and 77 in 07/08. At one point in 06/07, she had a streak of 35 consecutive games with a made three pointer. She was seventh in the Big Ten in scoring with 14.3 points per game that year and she is the all-time Illinois free throw percentage leader at 83.5 percent. So basically, she can score, she can really shoot the three and she makes her foul shots. She sat out last year due to NCAA transfer rules and now she's going to be expected to carry a big part of the scoring load that Kristi Toliver and Marissa Coleman are leaving behind. She put up double digit points in both of the preseason exhibition games, including 14 points on 5 of 9 shooting including 4/8 from three point range. She'll need to be one of the team's best players this season.
# 21
Tianna Hawkins
Forward
6-3 Freshman
Clinton, Md./Riverdale Baptist
If her exhibition performances are any indication, Hawkins is on a mission to prove that recruiting rankings don't mean jack. Not highly touted coming out of high school (ranked outside the ESPN and Scout.com top 100), she's put up double doubles in both of the first two exhibition games. She scored 20 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in 22 minutes against Bowie State and then she put up 12 points and 11 rebounds in just 19 minutes against Catholic. Despite not being on the radar of the big recruiting services, she was still the Gatorade State Player of the Year in 2008-2009 and she was first-team all-Met as a senior and most valuable player in 2007 and 2009. She'll be expected to contribute off the bench this season but could very easily crack the starting lineup if she keeps playing like she has in the preseason.
# 12
Lynetta Kizer
Center
6-4 Sophomore
Woodbridge, Va./Potomac
If the Maryland Terrapins have a superstar, Kizer is it. Or at least she's the one with the most potential to become one. A superstar recruit coming out of high school last year, she did not disappoint with 11.1 points and 7.3 rebounds per game, starting all but one game last season. She also blocked 31 shots and caused 39 steals so she was a force on the defensive side of the ball as well. At 6'4, she has the potential to absolutely dominate the women's game and she had a few dominating performances last season (TCU, Georgia Tech) but it could be more difficult this year with no Toliver and Coleman and, especially, no Dee Liles to help her out down low. Like Anjale Barrett, there's a lot more pressure on Kizer this year. She's no newcomer to the starting lineup but she will be looked at as one of the team's leaders and star players. She will have to be a reliable option night-in and night-out in the post and she'll have to be a force on defense, preventing opponents from scoring at will in the paint. She had 10 points and 8 rebounds in the second exhibition against Catholic in just 15 minutes. She'll need to put up a double double or close to it every game if the Terps are going to succeed this season. That's asking a lot but that's how it goes when you're supposed to be a superstar.
# 3
Jackie Nared
Guard
6-1 Freshman (RS)
Portland, Ore./Westview
After redshirting last year as a mid year enrollee, Nared's ready to play this season. She might not see much more than a reserve role as Barrett, Bjork, Kim Rodgers, and Dara Taylor all seem entrenched ahead of her on the depth chart for guards. You never know, however. Rodgers didn't see much playing time for most of last season and then suddenly she got time in the ACC tournament and played very well. If she gets the opportunity, a certain possibility with all the uncertainty and youth on this team, she could seize it. She struggled in the exhibition games, however, shooting just 2/8 against Bowie State and 5/17 against Catholic.
# 14
Yemi Oyefuwa
Center
6-6 Sophomore
London, England/Dartford Grammar Girls' School
This past summer, Hasheem Thabeet was the # 2 overall pick by the Memphis Grizzlies in the NBA Draft. Numerous times last year, I compared the freshman version of Oyefuwa to Thabeet during his freshman year in college. Both were more raw than sushi, showing flashes of their potential at times but looking at times a bit awkward in their very-big skin and perhaps struggling with the crossover from their native land in to the United States. She appeared in 27 games last year but didn't start any and averaged just 0.8 points and 1.6 rebounds per game. She was the proverbial "last man off the bench", logging only 6.4 minutes per game but this year, she'll be expected to be much more than that. She's the new starting center as Dee Liles is gone. No one's asking her to fill Liles' shoes completely but she still might need to make a quantum leap now that she's been thrust in to the starting lineup. If she can harness that potential though, she could be an absolutely dominating threat at 6'6. It's not a stretch to call her one of the keys to this season.
# 22
Kim Rodgers
Guard
5-9 Sophomore
Virginia Beach, Va./Princess Anne
When one looks up the phrase "late bloomer", a picture of Rodgers from last season should show up. After doing almost nothing during the regular season aside from a heart-warming 4/4 from three point range performance at Loyola in her first action since returning from knee surgery, she puts up 9 points in 14 minutes to help clinch the ACC regular season title against Miami and then she goes ballistic in the ACC tournament. 7 points against Wake in round 1, 11 points including a pair of threes to give the Terps the lead in the semis against UNC, and then 12 points on 4/5 shooting in the title game against Duke. She also saw a lot of time in the NCAA tournament and she'll certainly be playing for more than 11.4 minutes per game this year. She'll back up Bjork at the 2 and hopefully provide the same spark off the bench that she did at the end of last season.
# 2
Dara Taylor
Guard
5-7 Freshman
Wilmington, Del./Caravel Academy
And now we've arrived at this season's glamor recruit. Called "the quickest player I've ever had in the program," by Coach Brenda Frese, Taylor was ranked as the # 6 point guard by ESPN and the # 9 overall guard by Scout.com in this season's incoming recruiting class. She could challenge UNC's Tierra Ruffin-Pratt for ACC Freshman of the Year if all goes well. She had 7 points and a whopping 9 assists in 26 minutes against Bowie State and then put up 14 points and 7 assists in 23 minutes against Catholic. She'll push Barrett as the team's starting point guard and could take over the job sooner rather than later if she's worth all of the hype.
# 24
Diandra Tchatchouang
Forward
6-3 Freshman
La Courneuve, France/INSEP
First of all, I absolutely dread saying this name on the air. But she could be one of the great wild cards on the Terps this season. A top European recruit, it's hard to know what to expect from her this season. She could have trouble adjusting to crossing the pond like Yemi did last year or she could be an impact player right away. She's gotten the start in both of the exhibition games so clearly she's done something right in practice. After a modest showing against Bowie State, she exploded for 16 points on 6/9 shooting against Catholic, also grabbing 6 boards. She'll probably compete with Hawkins for the starting job at the 3, which appears to be the area where the Terps are looking most vulnerable coming in to this season as neither of their starting candidates has played a minute of college ball that counts. They both certainly have the potential to play a positive role for the Terps this season.
# 5
Essence Townsend
Center
6-7 Freshman
Paterson, N.J./Paterson Catholic
Oyefuwa might be the starter at center right now but if she's unable to perform, Townsend is waiting in the wings to take her job. Somehow, she's even taller than Yemi at 6'7 and as you can tell from the picture, she's very lean. A top 100 recruit herself according to both ESPN and Scout, she certainly has the potential to do big things (no pun intended.) She performed modestly in the exhibition games, either showing us that the best is yet to come or that she may need some seasoning before she's ready to take a large (again, no pun intended) role with the Terps. And hey, a Terps big girl recruit from New Jersey. Where have I heard that one before?
# 33
Emery Wallace
Forward
6-1 Senior
Roanoke, Va./Hidden Valley
By far the most embattled player on the Terps, Wallace has had three knee surgeries in her career. She's the lone senior on the team. If she can't play, she'll be the team's head cheerleader once again and continue to be a positive influence on the bench just like she was last season.
So there you have it, each player on the Terps previewed in to this coming season. I'll be back tomorrow with an NC Central game preview to kick off the regular season. The season is officially here, people. Get psyched.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
PRESEASON POLLS - Terps 21 in ESPN/USA Today, Unranked in AP
The 2009-2010 women's college basketball preseason polls are out (and have been for a week or two now.) Maryland is 21st in the ESPN/USA Today coaches poll and second in the "others receiving votes" category with 114 (so, theoretically, 27th) in the Associated Press poll.
The AP poll ranking seems about right at this point in time. 21 is a wee bit high I think; I think the Terps are a lot closer to the 30th best team in the country than the 20th but the general area of where they ranked is seemingly correct.
There are five teams from the ACC in each poll...but the 5th ACC team differs in each one. In the AP poll, Georgia Tech is ranked 19th and the Terps are unranked. In the coaches poll, the Terps are 21st and the Yellow Jackets are unranked (6th in the "others receiving votes" category.)
I personally think both polls are missing the boat on who the 5th best team in the ACC REALLY is, and that's Boston College. The Eagles, despite returning 6 of their top 7 scorers including preseason All-American Carolyn Swords, are unranked in both polls. In fact, they didn't even receive votes in the AP poll and only received 12 votes in the coaches poll. But, I suppose "sleepers" are sleepers for a reason. And the Eagles are definitely my big sleeper in the ACC this season.
Now let's take a look at the top of the polls. UConn's a unanimous # 1 in both polls, which is no shock. They return everyone except Renee Montgomery from last season's historically great team and while Montgomery's a big loss, they have more than enough wiggle room to still be comfortably # 1. Maya Moore and Tina Charles, among others, are still in town and that means that the Huskies are once again the clear favorites to cut down the nets in April.
If anyone's going to stop the Huskies, it will probably be Stanford, who's second in both polls. Jayne Appel might be the best low post player in the country (just look at what she did in the Elite Eight) and Kayla Pedersen is a versatile wing player who's also one of the best in the country at what she does.
I agree with the coaches in regards to # 3. I think it's Ohio State. You might not find a better point guard-center combo in the country than Samantha Prahalis (who's only a sophomore and might be the best PG in the nation) and Jantel Lavender (who's right there with Charles and Appel for best low-post player in the country...but perhaps a cut below, as Appel proved in the Sweet 16.)
I also agree with the coaches for # 4. Baylor was loaded last year and while they lost a lot, their incoming freshman class is truly special, especially Brittney Griner. I really believe she's the next Candace Parker/Maya Moore in terms of a high school recruit who's worth all the hype and comes in and takes women's college basketball by storm immediately. She's become a Youtube sensation because of her many dunks in high school but her whole game is complete; she wasn't ranked the by-far # 1 recruit in the country simply because she can dunk. But she can. And she has already in Baylor's exhibitions. I think she's going to be by far the biggest impact freshman in the country this season.
Both polls have UNC at # 5 and I guess I'll have to agree. Jessica Breland will probably redshirt due to her Hodgkin's lymphoma (even though it is thankfully in remission) but the Heels still have a ton of talent, led by Cetera DeGraffenreid, and the incoming freshman class, led by Tierra Ruffin-Pratt, is very strong.
Some people have Duke as the best team in the ACC and the Blue Devils are right behind the Tar Heels in both polls. You could probably go either way (assuming the Heels don't have Breland) but I like Carolina more because Duke doesn't appear to have a game-changing newcomer like Ruffin-Pratt should be. Also, I quite simply think that Sylvia Hatchell is a better head coach than Joanne P. McCallie...but both struggle to get it done in March when it matters the most. Just look at where (and how) their ultra-talented teams exited the tournament last year.
Virginia and Florida State are 3-4 in the ACC and in the teens on a national scale. Sounds about right to me. Both have excellent coaches (Debbie Ryan and Sue Semrau), both had great years last year, and both have superstars to lead the way (Jacinta Monroe and Monica Wright.) The Noles have a bit more returning depth but Wright could be the player of the year in the ACC to make the difference for the Cavaliers.
So that's your recap of the preseason polls in women's college basketball this season. I'll take a deeper look at Maryland's team on the whole on Friday as I preview the upcoming season that begins on Saturday when the Terps welcome North Carolina Central in to the Comcast Center.
The AP poll ranking seems about right at this point in time. 21 is a wee bit high I think; I think the Terps are a lot closer to the 30th best team in the country than the 20th but the general area of where they ranked is seemingly correct.
There are five teams from the ACC in each poll...but the 5th ACC team differs in each one. In the AP poll, Georgia Tech is ranked 19th and the Terps are unranked. In the coaches poll, the Terps are 21st and the Yellow Jackets are unranked (6th in the "others receiving votes" category.)
I personally think both polls are missing the boat on who the 5th best team in the ACC REALLY is, and that's Boston College. The Eagles, despite returning 6 of their top 7 scorers including preseason All-American Carolyn Swords, are unranked in both polls. In fact, they didn't even receive votes in the AP poll and only received 12 votes in the coaches poll. But, I suppose "sleepers" are sleepers for a reason. And the Eagles are definitely my big sleeper in the ACC this season.
Now let's take a look at the top of the polls. UConn's a unanimous # 1 in both polls, which is no shock. They return everyone except Renee Montgomery from last season's historically great team and while Montgomery's a big loss, they have more than enough wiggle room to still be comfortably # 1. Maya Moore and Tina Charles, among others, are still in town and that means that the Huskies are once again the clear favorites to cut down the nets in April.
If anyone's going to stop the Huskies, it will probably be Stanford, who's second in both polls. Jayne Appel might be the best low post player in the country (just look at what she did in the Elite Eight) and Kayla Pedersen is a versatile wing player who's also one of the best in the country at what she does.
I agree with the coaches in regards to # 3. I think it's Ohio State. You might not find a better point guard-center combo in the country than Samantha Prahalis (who's only a sophomore and might be the best PG in the nation) and Jantel Lavender (who's right there with Charles and Appel for best low-post player in the country...but perhaps a cut below, as Appel proved in the Sweet 16.)
I also agree with the coaches for # 4. Baylor was loaded last year and while they lost a lot, their incoming freshman class is truly special, especially Brittney Griner. I really believe she's the next Candace Parker/Maya Moore in terms of a high school recruit who's worth all the hype and comes in and takes women's college basketball by storm immediately. She's become a Youtube sensation because of her many dunks in high school but her whole game is complete; she wasn't ranked the by-far # 1 recruit in the country simply because she can dunk. But she can. And she has already in Baylor's exhibitions. I think she's going to be by far the biggest impact freshman in the country this season.
Both polls have UNC at # 5 and I guess I'll have to agree. Jessica Breland will probably redshirt due to her Hodgkin's lymphoma (even though it is thankfully in remission) but the Heels still have a ton of talent, led by Cetera DeGraffenreid, and the incoming freshman class, led by Tierra Ruffin-Pratt, is very strong.
Some people have Duke as the best team in the ACC and the Blue Devils are right behind the Tar Heels in both polls. You could probably go either way (assuming the Heels don't have Breland) but I like Carolina more because Duke doesn't appear to have a game-changing newcomer like Ruffin-Pratt should be. Also, I quite simply think that Sylvia Hatchell is a better head coach than Joanne P. McCallie...but both struggle to get it done in March when it matters the most. Just look at where (and how) their ultra-talented teams exited the tournament last year.
Virginia and Florida State are 3-4 in the ACC and in the teens on a national scale. Sounds about right to me. Both have excellent coaches (Debbie Ryan and Sue Semrau), both had great years last year, and both have superstars to lead the way (Jacinta Monroe and Monica Wright.) The Noles have a bit more returning depth but Wright could be the player of the year in the ACC to make the difference for the Cavaliers.
So that's your recap of the preseason polls in women's college basketball this season. I'll take a deeper look at Maryland's team on the whole on Friday as I preview the upcoming season that begins on Saturday when the Terps welcome North Carolina Central in to the Comcast Center.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Maryland Picked To Finish 5th In ACC This Season
First of all, an introduction. My name is Andy Gripshover and I'll hopefully be posting a lot on this blog throughout the year. You may or may not remember me from Courtside Banter, last year's WMUC Sports women's basketball blog that seems to be a thing of the past because we at WMUC Sports overhauled the blogging system this year. But now we're here and I'm here so in the words of the Black Eyed Peas circa 2004, let's get it started.
The reason I'm writing this post isn't just to introduce myself but to inform you that the Maryland Terrapins women's basketball team has been picked to finish in fifth place in the ACC this season by the Blue Ribbon Panel, a contingent of national and local media, as well as school representatives. The Terps earned three first place votes from the panel.
The panel tabbed North Carolina, who returns three starters and five of the top six scorers from last season's 28-7 squad that earned a # 3 seed in the NCAA tournament, as the preseason favorite with 30 out of 45 first place votes. Duke, who returns two starters from last season's 27-6 side that earned a # 1 seed in the NCAA tournament, was picked to be runner up and garnered 10 first place votes. Florida State, co-ACC regular season champions along with Maryland last season and a # 3 seed in the NCAA tournament, was picked to finish third and got two first place votes. Virginia, anchored by preseason ACC Player of the Year Monica Wright, was picked to finish fourth. After Maryland, the predicted order of finish is Boston College, Georgia Tech, Miami, N.C. State, Wake Forest, Clemson, and Virginia Tech, respectively.
If you ask me, fifth might be generous for this Terps team. As Brian noted in the previous post, four of five starters from last year's Elite Eight team are gone. Kristi Toliver and Marissa Coleman, who absolutely carried the team at times, are in the WNBA. Marah Strickland transferred. Demauria Liles is academically ineligible. So it's a mess in College Park right now, especially when one factors in the transfer of reserve Drey Mingo, the fact that everyone on the roster not named Emery Wallace or Lori Bjork is an underclassman and the perception that the incoming recruiting class is not as highly touted as previous Frese recruiting classes. There's talent on the roster to be certain but it's never been placed under the kind of pressure it will be this year. Anjale Barrett, for example, played very well last year as one of the first players off the bench but there's a huge difference between being Kristi Toliver's backup and being asked to fill her shoes. Lynetta Kizer will go from being, at times, the fourth best option on the court to the absolute undisputed superstar who everyone looks to to carry the team. And remember, these girls are almost all young and largely inexperienced at the college level.
Boston College, the team picked directly behind the Terps who returns six of its top seven point scorers from last season including preseason All-American Carolyn Swords, could be in better shape than them. The Eagles might just be this year's Florida State, a team that shocks everyone by contending for a conference title. They don't have the cushy soft conference schedule that the Noles did but they certainly have the talent, potential, and experience.
It's hard to say after that but I wouldn't be totally shocked if N.C. State surprises people as well. The Wolfpack return a lot of experience from last year's team who will no longer have to deal with the tragic circumstances of Kay Yow's death like they did last season so that could make a dramatic difference. Are they going to finish ahead of the Terps? Let's not go that far but I wouldn't say it's out of the realm of possibility if the Terps are unable to handle the transitions they're going through.
The point is that I don't know what the heck those three people were thinking who tipped the Terps to win the ACC. I will be absolutely stunned if that happens. In fact, I'm not even sure if they can finish their modestly-projected fifth in the conference with how good BC looks beneath them and with all the turmoil and question marks the Terps have, it could be even worse than that. On the other hand, maybe Florida State falls off or Virginia underachieves with nobody helping Wright or Duke can't replace Waner and Black and Gay. Or maybe the Terps underclassmen don't act their age and instead step it up and surprise us all (well, most of us.) We'll see. Put a gun to my head and I'm saying Maryland finishes in sixth in the ACC this season.
We'll have much more Maryland women's basketball coverage in the near future on here but for now it's goodbye. And welcome to the 2009-2010 women's college basketball season.
The reason I'm writing this post isn't just to introduce myself but to inform you that the Maryland Terrapins women's basketball team has been picked to finish in fifth place in the ACC this season by the Blue Ribbon Panel, a contingent of national and local media, as well as school representatives. The Terps earned three first place votes from the panel.
The panel tabbed North Carolina, who returns three starters and five of the top six scorers from last season's 28-7 squad that earned a # 3 seed in the NCAA tournament, as the preseason favorite with 30 out of 45 first place votes. Duke, who returns two starters from last season's 27-6 side that earned a # 1 seed in the NCAA tournament, was picked to be runner up and garnered 10 first place votes. Florida State, co-ACC regular season champions along with Maryland last season and a # 3 seed in the NCAA tournament, was picked to finish third and got two first place votes. Virginia, anchored by preseason ACC Player of the Year Monica Wright, was picked to finish fourth. After Maryland, the predicted order of finish is Boston College, Georgia Tech, Miami, N.C. State, Wake Forest, Clemson, and Virginia Tech, respectively.
If you ask me, fifth might be generous for this Terps team. As Brian noted in the previous post, four of five starters from last year's Elite Eight team are gone. Kristi Toliver and Marissa Coleman, who absolutely carried the team at times, are in the WNBA. Marah Strickland transferred. Demauria Liles is academically ineligible. So it's a mess in College Park right now, especially when one factors in the transfer of reserve Drey Mingo, the fact that everyone on the roster not named Emery Wallace or Lori Bjork is an underclassman and the perception that the incoming recruiting class is not as highly touted as previous Frese recruiting classes. There's talent on the roster to be certain but it's never been placed under the kind of pressure it will be this year. Anjale Barrett, for example, played very well last year as one of the first players off the bench but there's a huge difference between being Kristi Toliver's backup and being asked to fill her shoes. Lynetta Kizer will go from being, at times, the fourth best option on the court to the absolute undisputed superstar who everyone looks to to carry the team. And remember, these girls are almost all young and largely inexperienced at the college level.
Boston College, the team picked directly behind the Terps who returns six of its top seven point scorers from last season including preseason All-American Carolyn Swords, could be in better shape than them. The Eagles might just be this year's Florida State, a team that shocks everyone by contending for a conference title. They don't have the cushy soft conference schedule that the Noles did but they certainly have the talent, potential, and experience.
It's hard to say after that but I wouldn't be totally shocked if N.C. State surprises people as well. The Wolfpack return a lot of experience from last year's team who will no longer have to deal with the tragic circumstances of Kay Yow's death like they did last season so that could make a dramatic difference. Are they going to finish ahead of the Terps? Let's not go that far but I wouldn't say it's out of the realm of possibility if the Terps are unable to handle the transitions they're going through.
The point is that I don't know what the heck those three people were thinking who tipped the Terps to win the ACC. I will be absolutely stunned if that happens. In fact, I'm not even sure if they can finish their modestly-projected fifth in the conference with how good BC looks beneath them and with all the turmoil and question marks the Terps have, it could be even worse than that. On the other hand, maybe Florida State falls off or Virginia underachieves with nobody helping Wright or Duke can't replace Waner and Black and Gay. Or maybe the Terps underclassmen don't act their age and instead step it up and surprise us all (well, most of us.) We'll see. Put a gun to my head and I'm saying Maryland finishes in sixth in the ACC this season.
We'll have much more Maryland women's basketball coverage in the near future on here but for now it's goodbye. And welcome to the 2009-2010 women's college basketball season.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
The Start of a New Season
Today was media day, and that signals the start of a new season of Terrapins women's basketball!
My name is Brian Kaufman, I'll be the crew chief for the women's basketball team this year. I think I speak for everyone who will help out with the broadcasts this year when I say that we are thrilled to be back for another year!
Anyways, let's get to the real stuff: this year's team.
Sorry for the bluriness, its a cell phone picture but the roster is:
From left to right:
Front row: Kim Rodgers, Lori Bjork, Emery Wallace, Dara Taylor, Anjale Barrett
Back Row: Jackie Nared, Tianna Hawkins, Lynetta Kizer, Yemi Oyefuwa, Essence Townsend, Diandra Tchatchoung
Obviously, there are major holes to fill. Four of the five starters from last year's Elite 8 team are gone. Last season's ACC Rookie of the Year Lynetta Kizer is the only returning starter, and she'll only be a sophomore. The team lost two of the top players in program history in Kristi Toliver and Marissa Coleman, whose jerseys now hang from the Comcast Center rafters.
What's in the past i
s in the past. This year's team is full with bright young stars that will surely make for an exciting season. Nine of the ten players on this year's team are freshmen or sophomores. The one exception? She's Lori Bjork, the grad student who will play her first game in a Terrapin uniform this season. She'll be expected to take on a big leadership role for the Terps this year.Youth is clearly the factor, as Coach Frese said at today's press conference. Frese noted that the best way to become ACC ready is to get that game experience. She also commented that she likes the schedule, including the impressive number of home games (the team hasn't lost at Comcast in two years) and the amount of time the Terps will play on television.
It should be a very exciting season. Be sure to listen in on WMUCSports.com all year and continue to check out the blog! We look forward to interacting with you all year.
Brian Kaufman
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