The one time I watch a game

So I finally realize my very real Bucket List dream of watching a women’s basketball game from wire to wire, and this is what I get. The Maryland women’s season comes to a screeching and unceremonious halt against Louisville, 77-60. Toliver and Coleman combined to shoot 11-27, with a lot of the makes coming in garbage time. Whatever spark they had for most of the season just wasn’t there. And they were sloppy — even for women’s ball. And that’s saying something. That’s like saying someone was really drunk — even for the infield at the Preakness.

It was still an incredible run for Toliver, Coleman, and the rest of the team. They made the Elite Eight and finished 31-5. The two senior leaders won a championship their freshman year. And they wanted to bookend with another — or at least a return to the big game. No one would have faulted them if they lost to UConn and that insufferable prick Gino Auriemma. But to not reach the game was probably a bit disappointing, for the players, for Maryland fans, and for all those legions of women’s hoop fans. Maryland-UConn was THE game. And now we won’t get it.

Oh well. With Dee Liles and Lynnetta Kizer underneath (and, for this game, underused), the Lady Terps have a solid foundation to build on. Here’s hoping they come back strong next year. Best of luck to Kristi and the attractive Marissa Coleman, who I would like to meet in person, because she is attractive. Go Terps!

I may have to watch an entire women’s basketball game

There are some things I’ve had on my Bucket List for some time now.   Read Infinite Jest cover to cover.   The running of the bulls in Pamplona.  Drink an entire one of those Heineken mini kegs without using a glass.  Watch an entire women’s basketball game on television.   I know these are big dreams.  And I hope I haven’t alienated you.  I’m just a regular guy, albeit with some formidably big dreams. But I put my pants on one leg at a time just like everyone else.  Trust me on that.

And now, I’m joyful to say, an opportunity is nigh.  Truth be told, perhaps this entire basketball season — men’s and women’s — has been leading up to this one Herculean effort on my part.  I’m not saying it will be easy.  But what it will be, is maybe potentially entertaining, is what it will be. So suck on that.  Because I’ve gotta catch these Lady Terps for the full 40 minutes.  I caught the final minutes of their second-round dismantling of Utah last night in the final home game for Kristi Tolliver and Marissa Coleman, and they were totally dominant.   (It was gratifying to see the home crowd acknowledge this, too.)   Maryland is now on a collision course with Connecticut for alllll the marbles.

Mike Wise was right in his column today, which said that Tolliver and Coleman were now THE all-time stars of Maryland women’s hoops. Hard to argue with that. In fact, I’ll go him one better and claim, without hesitation, that they are the Juan Dixon and Lonny Baxter of the Lady Terps. In fact, I’ll go him two better and say that, if they beat the Huskies in the final to win their second title in four years, they might challenge UConn, Tennessee, and Lisa Leslie for a spot on that tiny shelf of the national consciousness reserved for women’s basketball.

But you know what? I’m not going to stop there, either. Because I’m crazy. I’m not doing Mike just one better. I’m not going to stop there. And I’m not stopping at two better either. I’m going to do him THREE better, right here and now, right in this blog post, and commit to watching an entire women’s basketball game on television. What’s the next game? March 28 at 2 p.m. against Vanderbilt. Damn it all! I think that’s my afternoon to polish my shoes. But I could try to shuffle it around. That’s my solemn promise. These ladies are a can’t miss. Go Terps.

Lady Terps win ACC Tourney, Men hopefully taking some kind of notes

 

HUGE congratulations to the Maryland female hoop squad, who won the program’s first ACC tournament in 20 years last night with a monstrous overtime win against Duke.

No one can say they got a weak draw, either. They beat Duke and Carolina along the way, plus a squeaker over Wake. As usual, the team was led by ACC Player of the Year Kristi “I am the Female Juan Dixon” Tolliver (24 points and overcoming an illness to play) and ACC Tournament MVP and overall attractive woman Marissa Coleman (28 points, 15 rebounds). This almost certainly locks up a #1 seed for them in the Big Dance. Other than UConn — which seems like an unstoppable juggernaut this year — I don’t see anyone playing better ball right now than Maryland.

If only the same thing could be said for the guys, who finished seventh in the ACC regular season standings. After yet another choke in a game they had to win, Maryland is yet again hoping for some kind of crazy ACC tournament run that they haven’t given anyone any reason to hope is a realistic possibility. But I’m a fan, so hope I do. If I have a rant in me somewhere, I’ll wait until after I watch another Selection Sunday go by with no mention of my beloved Terrapins.

In the meantime, I just took a look at their tournament draw and it’s actually pretty decent. According to the latest bracketology (Bracketologist comment on the Viriginia loss: “Who didn’t see [it] coming from a mile away? Over the past few seasons, these are the kind of games the Terrapins have been unable to win.” But I digress.), Maryland needs at least two more wins for a decent shot at an at-large bid. They’ve got N.C. State in the first round (Thursday, 7 p.m., Raycom) — much better than Virginia, Ga. Tech or Miami. If you’ll follow me into Theoretical Town for just a moment, you will see that a victory there gets them to Wake in the second round, who they played pretty close just a few days ago. A possible Duke semifinal showdown is too crazy to consider at this point. Let’s see if we can pull it together for N.C. State — who was no pushover — and go from there.

My prediction: beat N.C. State, lose a close one to Wake, NIT here we come. Hope they prove me wrong. In the meantime, congrats again to Brenda Frese and her team this season, who continue to beat every team that gets put in front of them. Go (lady) Terps!

(Photo credits: Top: Chuck Burton, Associated Press; Bottom: Greg Fiume)

Lady Terps win regular season ACC title

The Lady Terps are ACC champions.  The Maryland women’s basketball team beat Miami today to lock up the regular season ACC title — the team’s first in 20 years — as well as the #1 seed in the ACC tournament, and probably the Big Dance as well.

You know the drill by now. Tolliver and Coleman led the way with an 11-6 and a 17-16, respectively. But some of the younger players were big in this one, too, as sophomore Marah Strickland (17 pts, 5 ast, 3 reb) and freshman force of nature Lynetta Kizer (10 pts, 10 reb) also made contributions.

The Terps will play the winner of N.C. State-Wake Forest in the second round of the conference tournament, which happens March 6-9 in Greensboro. UNC has won the tourney four straight times…knock em off the throne, ladies.

Can the women make the Final Four?

Tolliver and Coleman...that's a good name for a cop show.

I’m a little late on this, but this past Sunday the Lady Terps crushed Duke 77-59 at Comcast Center. They beat the seventh-ranked team in the country by 18 for their seventh straight win…good enough for a #5 ranking in this week’s poll. The records and accolades are starting to build for this team, especially Kristi Tolliver and Marissa Coleman, who are averaging almost 35 ppg combined, will have their jerseys retired this Friday, and will probably both be All-Americans (Tolliver made second team last year, Coleman got honorable mention).

I have to say…I’m as excited as I can possibly be for a team whose games I don’t watch. Hey, I’m just being real. The question now becomes, can they make the Final Four? UConn and Maya Moore are the odds-on title favorites, but after that there’s a drop-off. According to Charlie Creme, who is apparently the Joe Lunardi of the Women’s Game (what a great tombstone epitaph!), the Terps would have a 1 seed if the tourney started today. So there you have it. Can they make it? Sure…being a number one would be a good start. Here’s hoping they finish strong…no reason to suspect they won’t. Goterps.

(Photo credit: Toni L. Sandys — The Washington Post)

Lady Terps show the men how you do it

At least one Maryland team is playing well. Yesterday, the no. 12 women’s hoops team upended no. 2 North Carolina, 77-71. Big ups to the lady Terps…after a slightly rocky start, the team finds itself in a pretty good spot…they’re 4-1 in ACC play and could crack the top 10 soon.

The ladies seem to have a lot of pieces that the men very blatantly lack. Strong floor leadership in Marissa Coleman and Kristi Toliver.  They’re calm in the clutch.  And they get awesome post play from Coleman, Demauria Liles, and Lynetta Kizer, who combined for 44 points and 34 rebounds in this game. How much money would you pay to see the men’s frontcourt put up a line like that?

Pinky and the pinks couldn't get over Lynetta Kizer and co.

The game also included a tribute to N.C. State women’s coach Kay Yow, sister of Maryland athletic director Debbie Yow. This is the second campus icon that N.C. State has lost to cancer. Here’s hoping Kay Yow’s legacy lives on in as strong and beneficial a way as Jimmy V’s has.

All in all, great day for the ladies. It’s nice to have something positive to root for in College Park right now. One thing I’m most decidedly NOT rooting for is a return of those hideous pink Carolina unis. Hey, Carolina. I know it’s meant to be a tribute, but tributes should never be unsightly. Your unis are so distinctive that their color is actually named for them. And it’s not Carolina Pink. Think, McFly. Think.

Photo credit: AP Photo/Gail Burton

So how are the women doing?

With the lady Terps set to start ACC play this Thursday at home against Wake Forest, and with this final calm before the storm that is the men’s conference schedule, now seemed like a good time to check in with the basketball program’s better half.

I find Marissa Coleman attractive

At the season’s midway point, Brenda Frese’s squad has a record similar to their male counterparts…12-2 to the guys’ 11-2.  Their one key numerical difference, of course, is their rankings, with the women at 14 in this week’s AP poll, while the men, well, you know. (That’s what actually making the tournament will do for you, ahem, Gary Williams.) The lady Terps are keyed by two senior stars: point guard Kristi Tolliver and forward Marissa Coleman. Together, they account for 40% of the team’s points and 57% of its assists.  But wait, there’s more.  Junior Demauria Liles and freshman powerhouse Lynetta Kizer are great complements to Coleman underneath. Together, the three average more than 24 boards a game. Insert your own Braxton Dupree joke here.

They may not generate the interest (or the drama) that the men do, but the stats will show you that the lady Terps are the better program right now by a sizable distance. With Carolina (#2), Duke (#5), Virginia (#15), and Georgia Tech (#22) all ranked right now, it’s going to be another knock-down, drag-out season. Best of luck to the lady Terps in their quest to get back to the championship podium.

(Photo credit:  UMTerps.com)

terps women’s basketball beats loyola, improves to 8-2

Coleman passes around the back of a Loyola defender, embarrassing her.

The women’s basketball team is off to another good start.  The ladies are currently ranked #15 in the AP poll with an 8-2 record after beating Loyola by 31 points last night.  The team was ranked #8 before losing to #16 Pittsburgh over the weekend.  Both of the Terps losses came to ranked opponents, but the 86-57 loss to Pittsburgh was especially bad. Coach Brenda Frese got on the team after that game, and the Terps used the loss as motivation to deliver a whooping to Loyola.

Maryland has benefited from balanced scoring, with four players averaging in double figures in points thus far.  The team is led by senior point guard Kristi Toliver who has a deadly jumper and is averaging 15.3 pts/gm and 4.7 asst/gm, and senior Marissa Coleman who is averaging 15 pts/gm and 8.4 rb/gm at the three spot.  Both players were on the 2006 National Championship team.

Like the men’s team, these Terps face a tough ACC schedule.  UNC, Duke, and Virginia are all ranked, and all of them appear twice on the regular season schedule.  Maryland seems a bit more vulnerable this year than in years past as shown by the bad loss to Pitt.  They should be able to coast through the rest of their pre-ACC schedule, but I hope it isn’t too easy.  The team will need to pick-up its intensity if they’re going to make a run at the ACC and keep playing deep into March.