Terps Handle ‘Noles 78-62

(AP) COLLEGE PARK, Md. — Freshman Terrell Stoglin scored 17 points, and Maryland used a strong second half to beat Florida State 78-62 Wednesday night and severely damage the Seminoles’ pursuit of their first Atlantic Coast Conference title.

The Terrapins (18-10, 7-6) had five players score in double figures. Jordan Williams had 11 points and 11 rebounds, Dino Gregory scored 14, Adrian Bowie added 12 and Sean Mosley chipped in 10 in Maryland’s eighth straight home win over Florida State.

It was the 21st double-double of the season for Williams, who became the seventh sophomore in ACC history to collect at least 600 rebounds in his career.

Derwin Kitchen scored 16 and Deividas Dulkys had 14 points for the Seminoles (19-8, 9-4). The loss dropped Florida State three games behind first-place Duke with three games to play.

Thoughts on the win:

-Dino Gregory was key for the Terrapins in the second half. He bailed out their stagnant offense several times. From 10:57 to play to the 2:10 mark, Gregory was the only Terp to make a field goal as he connected on four. Dino finished 6 of 10 overall for 14 points.

-Terrell Stoglin can play! After back to back 25 point performances, the freshman point guard added another 17 on Wednesday night. He looks more and more comfortable running the offense and has no fear taking and making shots from beyond the arc, shooting 3 for 4 from downtown. He has truly earned his spot in the starting lineup.

-Gotta cut down on the turnovers. 16 turnovers may be OK against Florida State (who had 17 of their own). But it won’t get it done against the tougher teams of the ACC.

-Much better from the charity stripe. Over the past two games, Maryland has shot 80% from the foul line. This is a big positive for the team as it was clearly their weak spot for the better part of the season. Whether or not they can get to the line often and convert will be one of the key determining factors in this final stretch run.

-A bit of concern against the zone. The Seminoles zone on ‘D seemed to frustrate the Terps on quite a few offensive possessions. Maryland was able to hit some tough shots, take advantage on fast breaks, and draw fouls to rack up some points. However there were some stretches in the second half where the zone looked quite effective. And that was without the Noles’ top player Chris Singleton. It will be interesting to see if UNC, Miami, or Virginia try a similar style in the next three games when they face the Terps.

Virginia Tech Outlasts MD; Completes Season Sweep

(AP)—Malcolm Delaney scored 22 points to help Virginia Tech rally past Maryland 91-83 on Tuesday night.

The Hokies (17-7, 7-4 Atlantic Coast Conference), who have won 13 of their past 16 games, trailed 76-75 after a basket by Maryland’s Jordan Williams with 5:21 remaining. But behind Delaney and Erick Green, Virginia Tech went on a 9-0 run to take control of the game. Green hit a 3-pointer in that run, and Delaney hit six free throws, including two with 1:14 left that gave the Hokies an 84-76 lead.

Maryland (16-10, 5-6) stopped the run with a 3-pointer by Dino Gregory with 1:09 left. The Terps cut the lead to 87-83 with 33 seconds left on two Terrell Stoglin free throws.

But Delaney hit two free throws with 28 seconds left push the lead back to six, and after Stoglin missed a 3-pointer, Delaney added two more with 14 seconds to go to account for the final margin.

 

Ahh a very tough defeat for the Maryland. They hung in there for most of the game and showed some very positive signs on offense. They led at the half and generated a handful of nice fast breaks. But they could not finish once again, dropping their record to 2-8 in games decided by single digits.

Virginia Tech’s seniors – Delaney, Jeff Allen, and Terrell Bell – were calm and clutch especially in the final minutes as collectively they made 7 of 8 free throws. The Hokies only had two turnovers in the second half, compared to the Terps’ eight.

A bright spot for Maryland however was the play of freshman guard Terrell Stoglin. He posted a career high 25 points coming off the bench and added six assists. Fellow freshman Pe’Shon Howard added ten points.

Maryland has four days off before hosting N.C. State late Sunday afternoon at Comcast Center.

 

Terps Visit Hokies Tonight; NCAA Tourney Hopes On The Line For Both Squads

It is hard to believe it was almost a year ago (2/27 to be exact) that Maryland toppled Virginia Tech one of the more memorable games I can recall as a Terps fan.

The tip time was originally scheduled for 4:00 pm, but a beer truck ran over a nearby fire hydrant hours before the game, fracturing a water line that led to the Cassell Coliseum in Blacksburg.

The game was delayed nearly three hours, but once it got going, it was ACC basketball at its finest. It featured 24 lead changes, 15 ties, and two overtimes. Greivis Vasquez dropped 41 and Malcolm Delaney added 28. When all was said and done, Maryland came out on top with a 104-100 win, and a NCAA Tournament berth was all but secured.

Fast forward to tonight’s game where the Terrapins (16-9, 5-5) need a win much more than they did last year when they visited Tech. But the Hokies (16-7, 6-4), even with seniors Delaney and Jeff Allen, are not where they would like to be record-wise at this point in the season. They need this game just as bad as the Terps do if they want to make a run at the big dance, especially after getting snubbed by the selection committee a year ago.

Delaney has been a fantastic player in his four years as a Hokie, however, it has been Allen that has carried the load in the last few weeks. In the past five games, he hasn’t scored less than 15 points or grabbed fewer than 11 rebounds a single time. Over that span, he’s averaging 20.2 ppg and 13.2 rpg.

Maryland’s Jordan Williams has similar numbers for the season in 17.1 ppg and 11.8 rpg. It will be interesting to watch these two go at it and fight for boards. Allen has the edge at the foul line (66%) shooting a full ten percentage points higher than Williams (56%).

Back on January 20 of this season, the Hokies came into College Park and dealt the Maryland their worst loss ever in the Comcast Center, a 17 point defeat. You know that game is still fresh in the minds of players from both teams. Across the board, Tech is the more talented team. But if the Terps can play a complete game tonight, I really believe they can pull this off.

And a complete game means the following:

–Sean Mosely finally stepping up. 7.7 ppg in ACC games this year?? He has more than that in him. He knows this offense and can attack the rim well. I don’t see any reason why he can’t finish with 15 tonight.

–Hitting free throws. UMD is shooting 65.2% as a team…tied for 281st in the country. It has been said since those 2K Sports Classic games back in November against Pittsburgh and Illinois, the foul shooting have to improve.

–Cutting down on Turnovers. One stat that was critical to Maryland’s win in last year’s thriller against Tech was the turnovers, or lack thereof. In the entire second half (including both OT’s), they only committed two turnovers. Two! Possessions are so valuable, throwing them away with careless passes, charges, and moving screens cannot happen tonight if the Terps want to win. 13.6 is their season average. Keeping that number below double digits will would help immensely tonight.

Should be fun!! Tip is at 8:00 on ACC/Raycom

Peace

A Look Back: Greivis Vasquez

How do I begin to describe this young man??

It keeping with the theme of the other two posts of Hayes and Milbourne, I’ll describe him the way he was introduced for four years at Comcast Center…a 6’6″ guard…from Caracas, Venezuela…#21…Greivis Vasquez!!

I’ve seen countless nicknames for him. Tim Brando called him the Vivacious Venezuelan. Others have called him the Venezuelan sensation. There are signs and posters that say VIVA VASQUEZ.

Whatever you call him, you have to respect his game and the mark he left on the Maryland basketball program. Let’s take a look.

It was evident from his freshman year that Vasquez had very real talent. He was an extension of coach Gary Williams while on the floor: Emotional, passionate, and hard-working. At times he took ill-advised shots and made careless turnovers, which was a cause of concern for some. But he contributed a great deal as a freshman and helped Maryland reach the second round of the NCAA tournament.

In his sophomore year he increased his numbers across the board in rebounds, points, and assists. However his turnovers per game nearly doubled and the inconsistent Terps failed to make the Big Dance.

In Vasquez’s junior year, he once again put up very solid numbers. Although the team fell to Duke three times, including a 40 point loss in Durham, the high point of the season came on Feb. 21, 2009.

Facing the third ranked (and eventual National Champion) UNC Tar Heels, Greivis placed the team on his back and put up one of the most impressive single game performances in school history. He dropped 35 points, grabbed 11 boards, and had 10 assists: The first Maryland triple-double since 1987.

Maryland went on the reach the second round the NCAA’s once again. But just like in his freshman year, Vasquez couldn’t do enough as a talent filled Memphis squad rolled over the Terps 89-70.

There was much speculation as to whether or not he would forgo his senior year and turn pro. I inaccurately predicted (see last paragraph) that he would go pro. It seemed inevitable. There had been some tension between him and the fans earlier in the season…and if you are good enough to go professional, why wouldn’t you?

Vasquez went to a few pre-draft workouts to see how he stacked up against the competition and how high he might get picked. He never signed an agent which meant he was still eligible to come back and play his senior season if he wanted to. And once the workouts were over, that is exactly what happened. There would be a senior year for Mr. Vasquez after all.

And what a senior year it was. In averaging 19.6 ppg, 6.3 apg, and 4.6 rpg, he never scored below 10 points in any of the team’s conference games. He led the team to seven consecutive victories to close out the season including two memorable games: at Virginia Tech and senior night vs. Duke.

The game at Blacksburg was wild for many reasons. The start time of the game was delayed nearly three hours because a beer truck ran over a fire hydrant and broke a water main. The game itself was thrilling. Back and forth with numerous ties and lead changes in the second half. It took two overtime periods to decide this one. But the Terps emerged victorious behind a career high 41 points from Vasquez.

The Duke game was big as always because Maryland fans just despise the Blue Devils. But for the first time in almost a decade, the stakes were high…a share of the regular season ACC title was on the line. Just like the Tech game, this one had a great flow. Back and forth it went in the second half. And with 39 seconds left to play, with his team up by two, Vasquez hit an extremely difficult fall away runner that helped seal the win for Maryland.

Just like in ’07 and 09′, the Terrapins’ 2010 season ended in the second round of the NCAA Tourney. Against Michigan State, Vasquez put the Terps up by one with 6 seconds to play, but a buzzer beater by the Spartans’ Korie Lucious ended Greivis’ season, and his career.

The career numbers for Vasquez are quite amazing. He is the first Maryland player to ever record 500 rebounds and 500 assists and the only player in ACC history to amass 2,000 points, 700 rebounds, and 600 assists. In his final game he surpassed the late Len Bias as the Terrapins second leading scorer all-time. Only Juan Dixon compiled more career points.

Greivis Vasquez…A Terrapin Forever…Thank You!!!!!!!!!!!!

A Look Back: Eric Hayes

Now we take a look back at the career of…a 6’4″ guard…from Woodbridge, Virginia…#5…Eric Hayes!!

Hayes got a very good amount of playing time as a freshman, averaging just under 23½ per game. He seemed to fit into Gary Williams system quite well, rarely turning the ball over and running solid offense.

He was almost automatic from the foul line…finishing his career as the Terrapins all-time leader in free throw percentage at 86.9%. In his four years he never missed more than 10 free throw attempts in any season.

Hayes was just as dangerous from beyond the arc. His career three-point shooting percentage was a very respectable 40%. And his 196 three pointers ranks him fourth in school history.

In dishing out 513 career assists, he ranks sixth on Maryland’s all-time list.

I will always remember Hayes’ quiet demeanor and that same expression on his face all the time, no matter what the score or situation.

What a tremendous playmaker…Thank you Eric Hayes!!!!!!!!

A Look Back: Landon Milbourne

 

So over the next few days I’m posting a little reflection piece on each of the three Terp seniors from this year’s squad.

Let’s begin a 6’7″ forward…from Roswell, Georgia…#1…Landon Milbourne!!! 

I don’t remember much of Landon during his freshman year. He didn’t get much playing time because MD was all set with Bombale “Boom” Osby, Ekene Ibekwe, and James Gist playing the forward positions.

But with the graduation of Mike Jones, D.J. Strawberry, and Ikene Ibekwe, it opened up a spot for Milbourne to get significantly more playing time in the 2007-08 year. He went from playing in 16 games to 33. His minutes shot up from just under 5 a game to 24.7. And although averaging just 8.2 ppg, he was a very solid 79% from the foul line and 39% from beyond the arc.

It was that year that he had a very impressive dunk against Florida State that I will always remember. He got the rock and from the triple threat position hesitated left and then zoomed left as Osby set in what in all honesty look like a moving screen. But nontheless Milbourne went along the baseline and slammed it in right over a helpless Uche Echefu. The Comcast Center just erupted after that dun. Here is a link to a video of the slam.

Even more improvement came in his junior year as well as an increased role helping out Dave Neal in the post. With the loss of Gist and Osby Landon naturally increased his rebounding totals. He averaged 5.2 over the course of the season and grabbed 11 total in a winning effort at Wake Forest.

Once again a certain dunk of his stands out in my mind from this season. It was a home game on Valentine’s day vs. Virginia Tech. This dunk originated out of a fast break. Milbourne was running down the court parallel to the ball handler, Cliff Tucker. Tucker dishes it and Landon gets it right around the foul line. He rose up and as he was flushing with his left arm extended, Hokie senior A.D. Vassallo attempted to get a body on him but ended up getting sucked into the wrong end of a thunderous finish. Check out the vid.

And this past season he started out ACC play with a very consistent scoring output. He scored in double digits in 7 of the Terrapins first 8 conference games. However Mr. Milbourne’s point totals took a dip down the stretch run of the regular season but he was still was a major factor in the team finishing the season winning 9 of 10 and claiming a share of the regular season conference championship.

He grabbed 7 boards, and scored 19 while going a perfect 7-for-7 from the charity stripe in the team’s first round NCAA tournament win over Houston.

Congrats Landon Milbourne on a fantastic career as a Maryland Terrapin!!!!!!

Michigan State 85 – Maryland 83

Michigan State's Korie Lucious celebrates his game winning shot against Maryland on Sunday

Well that was certainly an abrupt end to a stellar season by the Maryland Terrapins.

The first thing that ran through my mind as Korie Lucious drained his buzzer beater was “So this is what Georgia Tech felt like back on Feb. 20 when Cliff Tucker hit his crazy game winner.

If you are a supporter of the Terps I do not see how you can’t be proud of this year’s team. They far exceeded the expectations most had for them going into this season and did so in the most exhilarating fashion possible.

I read some comments online regarding the game and the naysayers and nitpickers are all saying the team played like garbage for most of the game and deserved to lose. And that is their opinion and they are entitled to it.

However the way I see it, looking back at how yesterday’s game concluded…you really could not have asked more in terms of effort.

Lucious made a layup with 2:09 left in the game to extend the Spartan lead to 9. The Terps then proceeded to go on a 10-0 run over the next 1:47. They did so by forcing turnovers with the pesky press and capitalizing on them by hitting big shots.

It looked as if the game was in hand when Greivis Vasquez hit a short jumper with 6.6 seconds remaining. But it wasn’t meant to be as Lucious hit the shot of the day to advance Michigan State to the Sweet 16.

Check out the gameflow chart (right) from ESPN.com. If you show me that chart without me ever seeing the game I would say the red team refused to accept defeat and had a never say die attitude. Going back to what I said earlier, that is the kind of team I want. They didn’t pack it in or start sulking when the chances of winning looked slim. They gave it their all and I will always remember that about this year’s team.

Check back this week for a look back at the careers of  seniors Greivis Vasquez, Landon Milbourne, and Eric Hayes.

3/3/10: DUKE – MD Game Preview

Hello all. Wow it has been a while since I last posted! But thanks to a certain friend of mine your boy is BACK to preview Maryland’s most important regular season game in quite some time.

Let’s start with the facts. The fourth ranked Duke Blue Devils come to College Park this evening playing some excellent basketball. Their last defeat was to Georgetown at the end of January. Since that loss they have rattled off eight straight wins by an average margin of 13½ points.

The 22nd ranked Maryland Terrapins last loss was at the hands of Duke when they got clobbered by 21 on February 13 at Cameron Indoor Stadium. However things have changed for the Terps since that beatdown. They have won five straight, and have come from behind in four of those wins.

And so these two rivals meet again, but this time the stakes are a bit higher. Maryland is one game behind Duke in the ACC standings. Conventional wisdom would say “Look, Duke won 67-49 last time these two played each other, no chance the Terps win tonight.” That argument works if we are simulating this game on Accuscore with computer simulations. But we are certainly NOT.

Tonight is senior night for Greivis Vasquez, Eric Hayes, and Landon Milbourne. Emotions will be running high. The students at Maryland just loathe everything about Duke, you know they will be loud and crazy tonight.

But let’s step away from the emotion and environment of the game and look at the keys to victory for both the Devils and the Terps.

DUKE: KEY #1: Get off to a fast start. They are such a hard team to beat once they get a substantial lead on you. In the last meeting between these teams Duke had a 25-6 run in the first half and built up a lead they didn’t even come close to relinquishing.

KEY#2: The big 3 has to produce. Jon Scheyer (18.8 ppg), Nolan Smith (17.4 ppg), and Kyle Singler (17.1 ppg) do the bulk of the scoring for this team. Even if one of them has an off night, usually the other two are capable of playing well enough to pick up his slack. Also Duke’s defense acts a cushion in case the baskets aren’t coming for this trio. But if Maryland can force others such as Lance Thomas, the Plumlee brothers, and Brian Zoubek to take the big shots down the stretch, that will be big.

KEY#3: Take advantage of the middle. In the game on Feb. 13th, Zoubek had a career day scoring 16 points and grabbing 17 boards. The senior took advantage of Terps freshman Jordan Williams. I don’t know if it was the nerves of playing at Cameron for the first time, but until Williams proves he can hold his own against Duke’s big men, it would be wise for the Devils to go after him early and often.

MARYLAND: KEY #1: The Venezuelan Sensation. What a year it has been for Greivis Vasquez. He is second in the ACC in scoring (19½ ppg) and leads the conference in assists per game (6.4). He has been the unquestioned leader of this squad. He is shooting a career best 38% from beyond the arc and is quietly becoming on of the best players in school and conference history. However after beating Duke on the road in his freshman year, he has lost six straight to the Devils, including last year’s ACC tournament semi-final game. Whether it be smart distribution of the rock or putting the team on his back, Vasquez needs to bring his A-game tonight.

KEY #2: Who else will step up? In Maryland’s five game win streak, different players other than Vasquez have played crucial roles. On Feb 20th, Cliff Tucker hit an amazing buzzer beater to shock Georgia Tech. Eric Hayes and Sean Mosely were cool and confident in the closing moments of last Saturday’s instant classic at Virginia Tech, nailing their free throws in the second overtime. Freshman Jordan Williams was fantastic, scoring 19 and securing 11 rebounds at N.C. State. I am looking for Landon Milbourne to step up this evening in his final home game. He had a very good start to conference play but has put up average numbers in the past six games.

KEY #3: Take care of the ball. Maryland was able to come from behind and beat the Hokies last Saturday because they only turned the ball over twice in the 2nd half. The Terps gave themselves scoring chances nearly every time they had the ball. Vasquez had only two turnovers playing 48 of the 50 minutes. Eric Hayes had 10 assists and two turnovers in 40 minutes. Duke has been and always will be a good defensive team that feasts on turnovers. It will be interesting to see how many points off of turnovers the Devils accumulate and whether or not it will be the difference between a win or a loss.

Closing thoughts: Tonight’s game should be a classic. Enjoy the best that the ACC has to offer. Expect both teams to leave it all out there for this one. Although this is not a do or die game (both teams already have byes in the ACC Tourny and are secured sports in the Big Dance), it is a rivalry, and the top spot in the conference is on the line. Should be fun. And because I’m a homer through and through, and can’t go against my boys. Two straight Duke wins at Comcast is enough…MD 71-DUKE 67

Memphis 89 – Maryland 70

Mar. 21, 2009, 6:44 PM

Maryland’s season has officially come to an end. The high flying Tigers from Memphis outplayed the Terps in every possible way on Saturday afternoon, and they move on to face the winner of Sunday’s Missouri-Marquette game.

-The way Memphis shot the three-ball in the first half, that was the worst imaginable start MD. By halftime, the Tigers were 8 of 11 from beyond the arc. From the 4:52 mark in the first half to 1:24, they were 5 of 5 from downtown.

-Memphis did cool down eventually, but the Terps didn’t play their game at all. They panicked and played like a team who didn’t know what to do down by 20. They were careless with the ball and played lousy defense.

-It would have been interesting to see how Maryland would have fared if they had jumped out to an early lead. But Memphis took control of the game very early and never looked back. They played like a team wanting to make a statement.

-I think it speaks volumes, the way that the kids played for Gary throughout the season. Whether it was a win or a loss, the players always had Gary’s back and played their hearts out for him him. Forget the media and the fans who moan and complain. For the players to give everything they have, that’s all you can ask for from a team.

-I’m not sure if we have seen Greivis Vasquez play his last game as a Terrapin. I wouldn’t be suprised if he tries to go pro. There is a chance he will return, but my gut says that his days as a Terp are over.

ACC Tournament Semi-Final, Duke 67-Maryland 61

Mar. 14, 2009, 6:49 PM

Here are a few notes/observations following Duke’s six point victory over Maryland:

-Duke started out 0-3 from beyond the arc, but then made six of their next eight. That was huge for them. They finished the game 9-22 from downtown.

-Eric Hayes scored Maryland’s final 11 points. He hit four field goals and also nailed a three-pointer in the game’s final 80 seconds. He seemed like he was able to score at will. But it was too little, too late, as Duke was able to knock down their free throws and negate the comeback effort.

-Duke’s Jon Scheyer had a great game, scoring 22 points. Half of them came from his four three-pointers.

-One of the areas in which the Terps have struggled all year, especially in losses, has been getting to the foul line. Today Duke was able to get to the line 12 more time than Maryland. The Devils had 11 more points from the line than Maryland.

-Maryland should be encouraged with their effort on the boards. In their previous meeting with Duke on February 25th, they got out-rebounded 37-25.

-Duke moves on to play Florida State in tomorrow afternoon’s ACC Title Game.

Halftime: Duke 32-Maryland 30

Mar. 14, 2009, 5:15 PM

It has been a solid first half of basketball from Atlanta. The difference has been Duke’s ability to shoot the longball (6/12).

Duke’s Kyle Singler is the only player in double figures so far. He has 12.

And how bout Florida State in the early game! They knock off the number one team in the country, North Carolina, to advance to the ACC Championship Game for the first time in their history.

Tickets Punched, UMD 75 – WAKE 64

Mar. 13, 2009, 9:30 PM

When the Maryland Terps last played Wake Forest, they played as well as you could play without actually winning the game. Dave Neal had a spectacular game on his senior night and for most of the game it looked like Maryland had the Demon Deacons’ number. But thanks to 18 offensive rebounds from Wake, it turned out to be another frustrating collapse by Gary Williams’ squad.

Fast forward to tonight’s ACC Tournament Quarterfinal game. Behind the leadership of Greivis Vasquez, Maryland out hustled Wake and came out on top 75-64. With the win, Maryland pretty much guaranteed themselves a spot in the NCAA Tournament

Here are some statistics that jump out at me immediately: Maryland from the field, 44%. Wake, 30%. Free Throws: Maryland shot 81% while Wake shot 71 %. And finally the most staggering of numbers: The Demon Deacons were 3-25 from beyond the arc. That’s 12%!! Maryland on the other hand shot a cool 38%.

So statistically speaking, Maryland won easily. And that is fine. But I was really impressed with the effort from the whole team. Mosely, Hayes, Neal, Milbourne. They all played smart basketball.

Next up for the Terps will be the winner of the Duke/Boston College game

Terps secure first round win over N.C. State

Mar. 12, 2009, 9:59 PM

All season the Maryland Terrapins have played their best basketball when their backs have been up against the wall. Tonight’s opening round game against N.C. State in the ACC Tournament was no different.

Eric Hayes led the Terps in scoring with a career high 21 points, thanks to his five 3-pointers. Greivis Vasquez played unselfish basketball, dishing out ten assists while scoring 17 points and only turning the ball over two times.

The Wolfpack got out to a nice lead early in the game, leading by 13 at one point in the first half. But Hayes was able to knock down three 3-pointers to cut into the lead. The two teams were tied at halftime.

In the 2nd half, there were numerous ties and lead changes. This back and forth battle continued until freshman Sean Mosely made a lay-up with 3:52 remaining to give the Terps a 63-62 lead. They never looked back. That basket was the beginning of an 11-0 Maryland run in which the Wolfpack were unable to score for over three minutes.

With the victory Maryland moves on the the ACC Quarterfinals where they will face the number two seeded Wake Forest Demon Deacons Friday evening. The game can be seen on RAYCOM Sports in ACC Markets and ESPN2 nationally.

Big Win for UMD

Mar. 1, 2009, 9:59 PM

Wow what a tremendous win for Gary Williams and the Maryland Terps. They really needed a victory tonight against N.C. State to keep their hopes of a NCAA Tournament bid alive, and they were able to get the win at RBC Center by a score of 71-60. Junior guard Greivis Vasquez led the Terps with 33 points, and scored 21 of them in the second half.

The win was only the second one to come on the road this year for Maryland. The other one came exactly three weeks ago when they were able to topple Georgia Tech in an ugly game in Atlanta.

At one point in the first half, it looked like all the Terps wanted to shoot were three-pointers. Which was fine because Vasquez, Dave Neal, and Eric Hayes were all making their shots.

Maryland trailed only once the entire game, that was after Wolfpack forward Tracy Smith was able to sink a fadeaway with 9:21 remaining in the 2nd half and draw a foul from Dino Gregory. Tracy hit his foul shot to make the score 49-47.

On Maryland’s very next possession, Cliff Tucker drained a three-pointer to steal the lead right back, making the score 50-49.

N.C. State was able to tie it up two more times in the second half before Maryland pulled away down the stretch with a pair of big shots beyond the arc from Vasquez and Neal.

Maryland has now won four of their past six, this is the perfect time for them to be hitting their stride.

–Up Next: Maryland has one day to prepare #13 Wake Forest. They host them this Tuesday night at Comcast Center. I don’t expect the Terps to win this one but marks my words, if they do, they will absolutely have a spot in this year’s NCAA Tournament

Week in Review: 2/23-2/26

Feb. 26, 2009, 10:33 PM

It’s time for another edition of the Week in Review.

~I have a few links regarding Wednesday night’s Duke-Maryland game. This first one is from Dan Steinberg’s blog on washingtonpost.com He goes into detail about how the Maryland students love to taunt Jon Scheyer and his facial expressions. There was even a Facebook group titled “Operation Scheyerface v2.0” to coordinate all of the fun. On the front page of the group, users can print out six different faces of Mr. Scheyer. They did that to the fullest extent the other night.

-In addition to the mass producing of Jon Scheyer’s face, some students got a hold of the phone numbers for the rooms that Duke players were in at the Greenbelt Marriott near College Park.

-And in case you missed it or just want to see it again, below is the clip of Dave Neal’s devastating screen on Nolan Smith.

-Tiger Woods made his return to golf after after a nine month absence on Wednesday, and there were two funny ads on the Golf Channel. There was a Nike one that I posted in my last entry. The other ad was from the PGA Tour, and you can watch it is below:

-Yesterday, Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com made note of a little war of words between ESPN’s Mel Kiper and Todd McShay. The two were discussing who will be drafted number one in this year’s NFL Draft during an episode of Sportscenter.

-The NBA is concerned about some of it’s teams not being able to handle the effects of the economy, and they are reportedly set to borrow $175 million.

-Earlier this week at the NFL Combine, the NFL Network’s Rich Eisen ran his annual 40 yard dash. I believe this is the third year in a row he has done this. Notice the red Under Armour kicks haha.

-And on Monday we learned that the Philadelphia Phillies’ bullpen will be the subject of a reality show on the new MLB network this season. The show, called “The Pen”, will make it’s debut on June 1.

2/17/09: Maryland-Clemson Halftime Update

Feb. 17, 2009, 8:35 PM

-Hello everyone. It is halftime of the Maryland-Clemson game right now, with the Tigers up 34-28 on the Terps. I have a few thoughts on what happened in the first half

-Clemson’s press looked very good, it was giving the Terps quite a bit of trouble. Even when they were able to advance the ball past half-court, Clemson was playing tough man to man defense. They were able to steal the ball with under 10 seconds to play in the first half and get an easy layup.

-Dave Neal is working his tail off and is doing a solid job against Trevor Booker. He leads Maryland with 7 points. It would be huge to have him keep this intensity up for the entire game.

-Landon Milbourne is great at finishing, so it is very frustrating to see him miss 15 footers over and over again, especially when the Terps have numbers.

-Terrance Oglesby killed Maryland last year with his sharp-shooting from beyond the arc. He has been held in check for the most part this evening, scoring only one 3-pointer. If he is not contained in the 2nd half it could mean a loss for Maryland.

Maryland-Duke, Where have you gone?

Jan 23, 2009, 4:59 PM

I was looking at the start time for tomorrow afternoon’s Maryland-Duke game and noticed that it was scheduled for a noon tipoff. It got me thinking about how this “rivalry” has really dropped off a bit in the last few years. I say rivalry in quotes due to the fact that Duke doesn’t really dislike Maryland the way they hate Carolina.

Anyways I can remember back in the early part of this decade when seemed as if every Terps-Blue Devils game had that “big game” feel and would be the ESPN Wednesday or Saturday night game of the week. The games are still intense, don’t get me wrong, but it just seems that the games in the past few years have failed to live up to the ones that took place in 2000, ’01, ’02, ’03 and the ’04 ACC Championship Game…all of which were classics.

One of the reasons the rivalry has dipped has to be the fact that Maryland hasn’t held their end of the bargain. Duke is always high in the rankings. Maryland however didn’t receive a single vote in the latest AP and Coaches Polls. The games have added importance and the stakes are higher when you had two top 20, or top 10 teams battling it out. It doesn’t seem as special anymore when Duke is the easy favorite.

That being said, if and when the Terps do pull off the upset against Duke, it will be a bit more satisfying. But personally as a fan of the team I’d rather have Maryland have a high ranking each year, lose to Duke, and go deep in the NCAA Tourny. Rather than be unranked, occasionally upset a Duke or Carolina, lose to teams like Ohio, American, and Morgan State…AT HOME, and not make the Tourny at all. That last part is what the past few seasons have felt like being a Maryland fan. They play up to the Duke’s of the world but can’t win a BB&T Classic in their own backyard.

So enough of that. Tomorrow at Cameron Indoor Stadium, number two ranked Duke will host Maryland on ESPN. It should be a competitive game and as you can tell by my rant, I would love for it to be a classic.