(Oh, crap. Only three days til basketball season. An out-of-town conference put me behind the 8 ball, so I gotta step this up. Read the previous Rotation Guys post here.)

I’m going to do something crazy and put the “bottom line” summary at the top. I know it’s crazy someone bring me my meds omg.

Anyway, here goes: Jordan Williams could end up being the best out of Maryland’s four current big men, but as of now, he’s probably the worst. However, he is also their second-least injured and/or ineligible post man, so he’ll get plenty of run. That pretty much sums it up.

Assuming Dino Gregory does in fact get an extended suspension, Williams is probably gonna be one of the first, if not the first, guy off the bench. (Either him or Bowie is my guess.)

The 6′10″, 260 pound J-Will — can I call you J-Will? — is well-known to Terp fans. He’s a freshman from Torrington, Connecticut. Our first legit center prospect since, what, Mike Mardesich? Ryan Randle? He captured a lot of peoples’ attention — including mine — in a grainy YouTube video, in which the opposing crowd chanted “What’s a Terp?”, to which Williams responded by sprinkling their court with shards of backboard glass. Please allow me to post that video for the eleventy hundreth time. Nice.

So the guy is strong. The guy is tall. The guy is tough in the paint. The guy can dunk, and, unlike some of our other recent big men, he seems to have no reservations about doing so. What’s the downside? As of now, the downside is that he’s mainly upside. He’s got a high ceiling, but he doesn’t seem especially close to it. There are concerns about his slowness, and that he’s not shredded like Mr. Olympia, but I think that will resolve himself as the season progresses and he plays his way into college-level shape. Ditto for his somewhat limited offensive arsenal. (Padgett is probably ahead of him in all these areas, hence the reason why he’ll probably start over J-Will.) Here’s an interesting and promising nugget on his offense, though: he is silky smooth from the charity stripe. He went 5-6 against IUP, so that bodes well for his future development as well as this season, in which I’m guessing he’s gonna get hacked a lot.

Bottom line: probably 15-17 minutes a game for Williams out of the box. As previously mentioned, early part of the schedule, if Dino is suspended, could be good seasoning time for Jordan. I’m high on this guy. Once he gets into the swing of things, I think he’s gonna be a player for us, and I see that happening sooner rather than later.

(Photo credit: Baltimore Sun)

(The miniseries continues. Read the previous installment here.)

I can’t wait for the Dino Gregory era down low.  Sure, he wasn’t a world beater last year, but he came on late and worked hard on his game over the summer.  What’s not to like? 

Suspen-what?  OHHHHHHHHHHH.  The sus-PENNNNN-sionnnnn.

Right, right, right, right, right.

Well, that puts a bit of a damper on the expectations now, doesn’t it?   So as we wait, and wait, on news (and the season starts Friday, so it can’t be THAT much longer), I am of two minds on this.

On the one hand, it’s unfortunate. Duh.  I wasn’t really buying all this talk that he had become some kind of offensive force in the offseason (although I’m sure he improved somewhat), but even so he was the consummate puzzle piece for the team.  He was all hustle, all heart, all dirty work.  No glory, no nothing.  When you’ve got the piercing electric guitar that is Greivis Vasquez, you need a bass player to round out the sound.  Dino has shown he can do that.  He could be the Bobby Dahl to Vasquez’s C.C. Deville.  So in that sense, his missing time (if, in fact, he does) is unfortunate.

But on the bright side, it’ll give the young bucks some seasoning time.   Worst case scenario on Gregory seems to be that he’ll miss the fall semester, returning in December.  So he’ll miss some big games (Cincinnati, Villanova, Indiana, etc.), but won’t miss a second of ACC action.  So hopefully, this gives Padgett a chance to hone his game, and Jordan Williams a chance to play his way into top shape, and suddenly we’re a frontcourt to be reckoned with when we open against Florida State.  I predict Mike Gminski repeatedly saying things like ”these young guys aren’t freshmen anymore,” and so on.

So maybe it’s a blessing in disguise, especially if Dino really did work on his game that much over the offseason, and if he stays in shape during the extended suspension that I presume is forthcoming. In the meantime, I’ll slot him in as a rotation guy.

The defending National Champion Terps men’s soccer team wrapped up another successful year with a win against College of Charleston this weekend.  With the win the Terps finished regular season play with a 12-4-2 record.  Considering their tough schedule this was pretty impressive.

Maryland enters the ACC Tournament ranked #6 in the nation.  Their first postseason game will be against #7 UVA in Cary, NC, on Wednesday afternoon.  It’s a tough draw, but at least UVA is an out-of-towner, too, so Maryland will be on a truly neutral field.  UNC is #2 in the country and Wake is #4, so the ACC Tournament will be a dress rehearsal for the NCAA Tournament.

The NCAA Tournament starts on 11/20.  It’s been another great season for the defending champs.  The Terps have a legitimate shot at repeating, so stay tuned.

The Terps field hockey squad added another trophy to the case this weekend with a 3-2 win over UVA to capture the ACC Championship.  Katie O’Donnell, the best player in the nation, captured the tournament MVP award.  The Terps had to beat #6 Wake Forest and #3 UVA on their way to the title.  With the two wins the Terps are now 20-0 on the season and they are likely to capture the #1 seed in the ACC Tournament.

“Dominant” is the only word I can think of to describe this team.  Dominant.  The team has six shutouts this season and they have outscored their opponents 96-24.  That means they are scoring four times as many goals as their opponents for those of you fellow English majors.

I love this team.  If I had one free minute of time in my life I’d go to their games.  Maybe I’ll go to a game one day soon.  In the meantime I’ll follow them from afar and use the power of the blogosphere to broadcast my cheers.  Go Terps Field Hockey!

It’s one of those times when I hate being right, but in Maryland’s 38-31 loss to NC State this afternoon the game covered the over and State covered the spread.   I had a feeling this was coming given that both teams employ the Wet Paper Dag defense.  It’s an innovative variation on the 3-4 where the linemen use only their thumbs to tackle and the secondary covers the cheerleaders.

Even as turnovers mounted for the Wolf Pack, the Terps yielded 482 total yards to NC State.  Adding injury to insult, Chris Turner left the game in the first half with an injury to his MCL.  Backup Jamarr Robinson was ineffective in relief, going 5-11 passing with 27 yards in the second half.

Chris Turner could be lost for the rest of the year.  The Terps finish the season with three tough opponents, starting with Virginia Tech this weekend and continuing with games against Florida State and Boston College.  If you think the team looks ugly now, look for it to get uglier in the next three weeks.  There may be some competition for the starting QB job between Robinson and Danny O’Brien to keep you tuned in.  Either way, the Terps have a long November ahead of them.

The Lakers versus the Celtics in the 1984 NBA Finals at the Old Boston Garden

The Yankees versus the Dodgers in the 1963 World Series at Ebbitts Field

The Terps versus the Wolf Pack in 2009 at Carter-Finley Stadium

One of these games is not like the others.

The 2-6 Maryland Football Terps roll into Raleigh tomorrow to take on the 3-5 NC State Wolf Pack in a battle of ACC bottom feeders.  Eric Prisbell reports in the Post that this is one of two DI-A games that is not televised this weekend, the other being Baylor vs. Missouri.  While that nugget was the result of some cutting edge investigative reporting, the rest of Prisbell’s article leaves the impression that there is some reason to watch this game.  Even if this game was on terrestrial television rather than E-f’ing-SPN 360, there is zero chance I’d watch it, and even less of a chance that my co-blogger MASH would watch it given his newfound multimedia fame.

Both teams have suffered a number of injuries, including some to key underclassmen, which means that this game will do little to show progress and growth in either team.  Despite the fact that the winner of this game remains “bowl eligible”, neither team will win out, so eligibility is a moot (checking the spelling this time so I won’t be muted) point.  Neither team plays defense period.  Maryland ranks 104th in the country giving up about 32pts per game, while NC State ranks 89th at 29pts per game.  The saddest fact about this game is that both teams have lost to Duke this season.  Maybe this is how ESPN 360 should promote the game, “Both teams are looking for blood following embarrassing losses to Duke, the worst football program in the long history of the conference.”  Wait, nope, that still doesn’t make me care.

Vegas has NC State at a 6.5pt favorite and the over/under is 56.5.  I belive the Wolf Pack will cover.  One thing they can do is score, and Maryland’s depleted defense will not be able to keep them off the field.  Conversely, the Terps have not been able to get the ball in the end zone very much this year, scoring only 22pts per game against a schedule that has included some pretty weak opponents to this point.

Final Score: NC State 33 Maryland 26.  The Wolf Pack will cover and take the over.  If there is any defense played in this game it will be by the losing coach in the postgame press conference.

I have to go and take a shower now.  I feel dirty just writing about this terrible game.  Go Terps… blech.

Tonight’s episode of Terp Talk should be a good one.  Terp Talk host Bruce Posner is welcoming Kirk Fraser, director of the “Without Bias” documentary, to the show. Fellow blogger Chris Stoner is going to be on as well, along with yours truly. Hope you tune in. Those not in the Baltimore area can listen here.

(For the previous installment of Know Your Rotation Guys, click here.)

If Gary Williams wants to start a small lineup, Adrian Bowie could be a starter. However, just for fun let’s slot him to the rotation area for now.

When I think about Adrian Bowie, I think about X factor. When he’s on, the team seems to fire on all cylinders. He’s got charisma out there on the court — when he’s got the ball, people seem to sit up a little straighter. Eric Hayes is great, but his game isn’t to score…any substantial points from him are gravy and that’s just the way it is. So to prevent Vasquez from trying (and, sorry to say, often failing) to go 1 on 2 every possession, we need another scoring option. Sean Mosely is emerging in this area, but Gosh willing, Adrian Bowie will provide that option for us as well.

With Bowie’s great quickness and athleticism, it’s relatively easy for him to slash to the hoop and to defend other guards in the conference. I’d go so far as to say he’s the only pure slasher on the team (with Vasquez being more of a “pure scorer”). His weakness has always been the shooting. In the team’s exhibition victory over IUP early this week, he had an efficient and encouraging effort, getting 8 points on 3-6 shooting to go with 6 assists, 2 boards, 3 steals, and no turnovers. That’s called stuffing the stat sheet. He missed both of his three attempts, though.

After training hard over the summer with Cliff Tucker and Dino Gregory, he feels his all-around game is more efficient and just better. To sweeten the deal even further, Bowie bleeds Maryland red, black, white, and gold. Seriously, it’s disgusting, I’ve seen it. Bowie literally grew up washing Walt Williams’ socks as a Terps ballboy.

Last season, he averaged 18 mpg and 6 points. I see those and all his other numbers going up. He came on late last year and showed some poise under pressure, scoring in double figures in each of their last three games, including a 12 and 7 in the tournament win over Cal. The season is ultimately going to come down to Vasquez and the bigs. Everyone knows that. But every good team needs an X factor, a do-it-all guy. That’s Adrian Bowie.

(Photo credit: Christopher Blunck/Inside Maryland Sports)

Listening to the Terps’ 75-54 exhibition win last night over the mighty Crimson Hawks of Indiana University of Pennsylvania, you never would have guessed that Maryland had, or ever had, anyone on their roster named Dino Gregory.  And that’s noteworthy why, you ask?  Quit bothering you with this stupid exhibition bullcrap, you say? Well, hold on to your hats; this is curious because the Terps do have someone who goes by that name. Look, here he is. And what’s more, he was supposedly the team’s fifth starter entering the season.

So why did Gregory not only not play, but have his very existence expunged from the broadcast as if he were a “Fire Snyder” sign at a Redskins tailgate? Well, now we have our answer. Actually, some people were informed minutes before the game. But I was not. For I have no access, you see.

But now that I’m informed and fully awake, I’m going to be serious for a second here.  Gregory was suspended and barred from Comcast Center last night because of some previous team violations (alleged to be academic misconduct) that have yet to be resolved. The school isn’t commenting, citing privacy rules. This is not boding well. This could mean significant lost time for Dino.

If Gregory does miss real games, it would not be the first time for a Maryland athlete. Maryland QB Josh Portis was caught cheating, had to sit out the 2007 season, and never recovered. He transferred. And of course, in January 2006, Maryland guard Chris McCray was deemed ineligible for the rest of his senior season. This wasn’t some reserve who dropped off the radar; this was a big gaffe. He was the team’s leading scorer and they ended up missing the tournament. Earlier this year, the artist formerly known as Jin Soo Kim was declared academically ineligible before being reinstated a few days later.

This is to say nothing of the Tyree Evans or Gus Gilchrist eligibility fiascoes.

McCray, Kim/Choi, Evans, Gilchrist, Portis, and maybe Gregory. That’s a decent team right there.

I never had the feeling Maryland players and programs weren’t taking school seriously. (Although graduation stats are pretty poor, they’re improving and potentially misleading. But that’s another post.) But it seems fair to ask whether there is a disconnect somewhere. Isn’t someone accountable for making sure players know the rules and get their butts to class? It seems like someone keeps dropping the ball when it comes to making sure players understand expectations (and consequences). And it seems like this stuff happens at Maryland more than other schools. Is that just me? Either way, how many more times do players need to lose eligibility because of some ultimately silly mistake before we stop shooting ourselves in the foot?

As you know, the documentary Without Bias debuted on ESPN last night.

I’m going to resist the urge to write a bunch of flowery prose about “Everyone Knows Where They Were When They Heard Len Bias Was Dead,” “He Could Have Been Better Than Jordan,” etc. It feels a little superfluous at this point.  I’ll just say that it was sad, is sad, and will continue to be sad. I think what will always grab people is the timing, happening just two days after the draft.  It’s a little like if someone won the lottery, decided to celebrate by going skydiving, and died in the air before they could cash the ticket. It was a promising life snuffed out as it passed through the doorway to greatness. 

Okay, I said I would resist. I didn’t say I would be successful.

As for the movie, I thought it was pretty good, even if it generally lacked fresh insight. The reporting was comprehensive, and included a lot of familiar faces for D.C. dwellars — John Thompson, Michael Wilbon, Jim Vance, Steve Buckhantz and, of course, one Charles “Lefty” Driesell. After reading countless column inches on Bias over the years, it was interesting to see the story told in pictures. Here are some of the pictures that will stay with me for a while:

– The game footage. If he had played baseball, he would have been a “five tool” player. He was ferocious around the rim on both ends, his legs were industrial springs, he played tough defense, and he was a good teammate.  And finally, the jump shot, which I had forgotten about.  That thing was pure sugar.

– The stoicism of Bias’s mother

– The wrenching, almost convulsive weeping of Len’s brother Jay at Len’s funeral

– The reminder that Jay was murdered in a local mall parking lot just a couple years after Len’s passing

As for the film itself, there is some commentary about the harsh, knee-jerk drug sentencing policies that came into place after Bias’s death. Many of these policies, often referred to as Len Bias Laws, remain on the books. But other than that, the movie didn’t really offer any new perspectives. On the other hand, I’m not sure a new perspective is necessary. The story and its characters are all as compelling as ever, and that’s probably, and rightfully, the way it will always be.