To put it bluntly, the Dave Trembley era of the Orioles should have never happened and needs to be buried as quickly as possible several miles beneath the Earth's crust where it can join our knowledge of MJ's Wizard excursion, Johnny U's time as a Charger, Joey, Sarah Jessica Parker's face (covered in more detail here by one brave soul willing to scour the internet for visual proof), Fat Orson Welles, Fat Marlon Brando, Fat Vince Vaughn (pre-emptive), and this Simpson's couch gag (that was a thing). While we're at it, let's throw in the Ray Miller, Mike Hargrove, Lee Mazzilli, Sam Perlozzo, and Juan Samuel (its probably unfair to include this, but it happened) timeshares as well. In fact, the O's haven't played baseball since 1997. It's the truth, look it up. That team you thought you were watching, just a whole bunch of hermits Peter Angelos found living in mountain caves somewhere along the Pakistani border (ladies and gentlemen...we got him). This was all just a terrible nightmare, within a nightmare, within a Field of Dreams where Leo incepted Angelos into owning the team and running it into the ground. But maybe, just maybe, we've made our way out of limbo and the top of mediocrity has stopped spinning (or not, we may never know) and we're on the path to happier times, even though Leo's kid's still look the same age (BBBBAAAAAHHHHH).
Since we haven't played baseball in the last thirteen years, I'm going to look at our options, position by position, moving towards next season. In doing so I'm going to try to be objective as possible, which is harder than it sounds. It's too easy to throw stock into the Buck O's and think that the team we saw the last two months is going to be the one we get for a whole season next year. While its true those games were a good indicator of our potential next season (we had a winning record in a span where we played 14 out of 18 series against teams that were .500 or better), the key word there should be potential. This is still a very young team who were poised to make a run at the 2003 Tigers before Uncle Buck took the reigns and had just about every person in the clubhouse playing for his job. That being said, its still hard not to be excited for the possibilities next year brings.
So, without further adieu, my triumphant return to writing. Let's breakdown the O's current roster and the things they should and shouldn't do during the hot stove league to improve the team for next year while sticking to the long term plan.
Catcher
Out of all the young players on the roster, Wieter's 2010 season had to have been the most disappointing. We all probably got carried away with this, this, and who could forgot this? But, honestly, at what point did anybody think we would get this? And it gets worse. If you prorate Craig Tatum's PA to Wieter's (126 to 502; basically multiply everything by four), Tatum actually would have scored more runs, hit for a higher BA and OBP, and was better on the bases. Jake Fox, if you prorate him x5 (105 to 502) would have hit 25 homers (vs. 11 for Wieters), scored more runs, still slug .065 points higher (.440 to .377), and been *better on the bases. In short, we could have replaced Wieters with the other two and gotten relatively the same offensive production. Underwhelming only goes so far to describe this.
*Side Note - Has there ever been a slower athlete, who wasn't fat, injured, or old, than Matt Wieters? Seriously, Wieters is so slow on the basepaths that he has the opposite effect of Superman in Superman: The Movie and actually slows down the earth's rotation so much that time goes faster, instead of backwards. I would almost prefer that he was fat, old, or injured just so I could use that as an excuse when he can't get from 1st to home on what would otherwise be a triple.
Still, even after a down year, there's no reason to jump off of the Wieters bandwagon. The kid's only had a year and a half of major league experience, and a grand total of three seasons in professional baseball. Let's not forget that this is the same player who put up Babe Ruthian numbers in the minor leagues, numbers that had him rated as the top prospect in all of major league baseball heading into last season. He is still an above average defensive catcher with an elite arm, something that still separates him from the from the other catchers on our roster. Perhaps it was too much of us to expect him to put everything together right away, a la Buster Posey and others. Some guys fly through the minors and struggle at the majors for a little while before the light switch flips on in their head. Major league pitching is just simply a different animal from the minors, especially in the AL East, and it may take some time to adjust.
The first step should be to spend the off-season shortening that ghastly long swing of his. It's fine when Ernie Els swings like that at a stationary object, not so much when its moving 87 mph and sliding two feet across the plate and towards the dirt. A more compact swing will keep his bat on a more level plane and prevent him from opening up so quickly, relying on the rotation of his upper body to provide power and bat speed. He needs to spread out his legs a little more on both sides of the plate, thereby allowing him to take a more athletic stance, to transfer his weight better, and to use his trunk to rotate his body instead of his chest and upper torso. This will help him stay on top of off-speed pitches and to drive more fastballs on a lower trajectory, instead of the lazy flies to the opposite field that so often come off his bat.
As far as back-ups go, we could do worse than Craig Tatum. There's no reason to look for another catcher unless they want to find a grizzled veteran that may be able to handle the young staff better should Wieters get hurt. That being said, Tatum appeared to handle the staff rather well, and it'd be damn near impossible to find a back-up who could better handle the bat. I grant you that Tatum's only hit that high once in his two years at the major league level, but there's no reason to go spend 1-2 million on someone else when we need help at so many other spots.
No matter what, I expect Wieters to be much improved under the tutelage of the new staff coming in to aid Uncle Buck. It probably won't be the Mauer (with power) numbers we all want, but a .280 BA and OPS of .800+ is a fairly tame expectation for next year. Either way, Wieters is pretty much assured of being the opening day starter next season.
Best Case Scenario: Wieters plays fully up to his potential and competes with Mauer for the starting spot in the All-Star lineup.
Worst Case Scenario: Wieters has a repeat of this year, leaving us all to question the hype
Expected Scenario: Wieters improves significantly from last year, starting the season inconsistent at the plate before steadying out and hitting .295 in the second half.
P.S. - There, I posted. Look forward to doing so again in two years time...but hopefully more like over the weekend.
Friday, November 12, 2010
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Black Greivis!
Pe'Shon Howard lived up to his appointed nickname by hitting the second game winner on the Terps' last possession in as many years at Comcast (see Tucker, Cliff vs GT). I'm not forgetting GV's epic shot over Scheyer-face, which was basically a game-winner, but it wasn't on the Terp's last possession...
The game was entirely too close for comfort, with the Terps trailing almost the entire game thanks to pre-season Southern Conference POY Andrew Goudeluck who dropped 27 on MD, seeming to hit almost everything he threw up there. It didn't help that the Terps missed 13 of 18 FT, but WACJFW added 26 and 15 boards (season averages: 21.5 ppg 15 rpg) and was the only offense the Terps seemed to have at times. It looked bleak for the good guys...
"But that was before Pe'Shon Howard struck." Very reminiscent of the title of this blog, no? Pandemonium in the stands! There may or may not have been some awkward jumping up and down while embracing between good friends and loyal Terp fans in Sec114 row 5... wait what? Hell yeah! GO TERPS!
Tape Delay Blog, Terps vs College of Charleston
I couldn't watch the game tonight on account of class. Or at least I couldn't have watched the first hour and twenty minutes of it, so I taped it. Dusted off the old VCR and then settled back to watch the game on a two hour tape delay. Due to the volume of late game text messages I received, I was sure that this was about to be a patented nonconference loss, by the home team in the ACC. Towards the end of the first half, I was sure that was the way it was going so I decided to blog about it as a source of humor and catharsis. What follows are the in-game neuroses of one man and one man only, though my dear readers will surely be able to empathize. So here we go, Bill Simmons style!
6:30 - Dino gets stuffed on a dunk attempt. Luckily Wooden Award Candidate Jordan Williams is there for the stick back. Thank God for him.
6:12 - Classic mid-major turd Goudelock hits another 3 - he has 10. Cougars by 8. There has to be a wing of the Naismith HOF for random mid-majors who pwn us. Remember Reggie Holmes?
6:00 - Another turnover on a pass to no one. Pretty sure that's a new wrinkle Gary installed into the flex this season.
5:12 - We have our first Gunnar Stahl sighting of the night!
4:59 - Jordan Williams with another slam. Early theme here is that Jordan Williams is the only good player on the floor for white.
3:57 - Bowie stripped on the fast break. I'm not sure he's cut out for this dribbling thing.
3:35 - A slam off the inbound pass for CofC coming out of the media timeout. That play is only a shade better than our inbound play, informally known as "hold the ball for four seconds then launch into the backcourt for a guard to run down".
3:18 - THE ICEMAN! Another great pass, this time to Bowie for a finish inside. This guy can play, even if it does look like he has church lig athleticism.
2:31 - Goudelock hits a DEEP three and now the Terps are down by nine. It's pretty clear that we're simply not winning this game. On the bright side, your announcers tonight are Rob Stone and Ja(y)son Williams. When you are down nine - at home - to a Southern conference team, even Jay Fucking Williams is a bright spot.
2:14 - OMG Jordan. Another slam. He used the pump fake to get his man off the ground and then sent it in WITH AUTHORITY. Our frontcourt is going to suck next season once he goes to the lig.
1:36 - Tucker throws up a Tinkerbell shot on the fastbreak. It never occurred to him that he has numbers so he might want to pass.
1:36 - Jordan misses a FT then...misses another. 0/4 from the line is marring a 12/7 game (already!) from him.
1:15 - Terps are now 0/5 from the line and down by 5. Rob Stone announces that, had we made our FTs, we would be winning. He must have graduated with one of those three year Sociology degrees from Duke like his color commentator.
0:27 - ESPNU is too bush league to even give me tenths of a second as the clock ticks down under a minute.
0:00 - HOLY SHIT Pe'SHON! He steals the ball on the press and wisely pulls it out. Then he lets the clock run all the way down, doesn't panic, and dishes to an open Weijs to hit the game tying shot as time expires. Over/under Black Greivis starts in New York?
19:22 - Jordan Williams with another basket on the inside. This could be like putting Babe Ruth on the '61 Mets.
19:02 - Jordan picks up a missed CofC FT. For those of you scoring at home, it took him less than 21 minutes to get to a double double (14/10 currently).
17:08 - Bowie from deep! Our first sighting of Anthony this season.
15:53 - Jordan Williams slam count is at 4, if my count is right.
14:55 - Current lineup is Mosley, Stoglin, Howard, Weijs, and Pallson. Very interesting look.
14:03 - A look which probably gives us little to no rebounding, by the way it seems.
13:24 - Terps now 1/9 from the line. This is most certainly what it feels like to descend into the ninth circle of hell.
12:33 - Jordan Fucking Williams with another putback on the break. I'm pretty sure that the Chronicles of Jordan Fucking Williams would be more badass than the Chronicles of Riddick. FAR more badass.
10:29 - Goudelock hits his 5th three. Cougars back up by three. If I don't make any posts for a couple minutes, I'm building a concourse level in my house.
10:15 - Mosley misses a FT before making the second. This...could be a problem going forward.
9:57 - Goudelock hits a shot. Book this one to the Cougars.
8:16 - Jordan hits a sick fallaway shot and then dives on the floor for a loose ball on the other end. SAT analogy time! Jordan : 2011 Terps :: Greivis : 2008 Terps
6:09 - Jordan got stuffed. It is now officially women's soccer season! NUMBER ONE SEED BABY! SUCK ON THAT HATERS! MARYLAND I'M ALL BEHIND YOU.
5:29 - Do I really want to go to New York to watch us play next week? It has to be a better idea to just eat the cost and stay at home. Or maybe go and just get some good pie. Or just wander into the Marcy Projects after we lose for the second night in a row and see what happens. We are now 3-14 from the line, btw.
4:57 - Four of sixteen. FOUR of fucking SIXTEEN.
3:37 - John Wall is averaging six turnovers a game. Suck it John Wall/Wizards fans.
1:53 - We're about to lose to the college of goddamn charleston.
1:27 - ONIONS from BG!! (aka Pe'shon in the corner)
16:9 - Terps down 1 with the ball in the frontcourt. Timeout. There is ABSOLUTELY NO SHOT that we hit a shot here and win the game. Less than zero chance. I have a better shot at growing a legit, Turd-caliber beard than seeing us hit a shot here. And yet I'm still being suckered into getting excited. This is battered wife syndrome.
And just like that...my tape CUTS OFF. Yes, I should have a DVR. But who fucking cares? Pe'shon is here to TAKE SOULS and save Gary from a verbal tongue-lashing on This Very Blog that would have made George Carlin blush. Thank God.
6:30 - Dino gets stuffed on a dunk attempt. Luckily Wooden Award Candidate Jordan Williams is there for the stick back. Thank God for him.
6:12 - Classic mid-major turd Goudelock hits another 3 - he has 10. Cougars by 8. There has to be a wing of the Naismith HOF for random mid-majors who pwn us. Remember Reggie Holmes?
6:00 - Another turnover on a pass to no one. Pretty sure that's a new wrinkle Gary installed into the flex this season.
5:12 - We have our first Gunnar Stahl sighting of the night!
4:59 - Jordan Williams with another slam. Early theme here is that Jordan Williams is the only good player on the floor for white.
3:57 - Bowie stripped on the fast break. I'm not sure he's cut out for this dribbling thing.
3:35 - A slam off the inbound pass for CofC coming out of the media timeout. That play is only a shade better than our inbound play, informally known as "hold the ball for four seconds then launch into the backcourt for a guard to run down".
3:18 - THE ICEMAN! Another great pass, this time to Bowie for a finish inside. This guy can play, even if it does look like he has church lig athleticism.
2:31 - Goudelock hits a DEEP three and now the Terps are down by nine. It's pretty clear that we're simply not winning this game. On the bright side, your announcers tonight are Rob Stone and Ja(y)son Williams. When you are down nine - at home - to a Southern conference team, even Jay Fucking Williams is a bright spot.
2:14 - OMG Jordan. Another slam. He used the pump fake to get his man off the ground and then sent it in WITH AUTHORITY. Our frontcourt is going to suck next season once he goes to the lig.
1:36 - Tucker throws up a Tinkerbell shot on the fastbreak. It never occurred to him that he has numbers so he might want to pass.
1:36 - Jordan misses a FT then...misses another. 0/4 from the line is marring a 12/7 game (already!) from him.
1:15 - Terps are now 0/5 from the line and down by 5. Rob Stone announces that, had we made our FTs, we would be winning. He must have graduated with one of those three year Sociology degrees from Duke like his color commentator.
0:27 - ESPNU is too bush league to even give me tenths of a second as the clock ticks down under a minute.
0:00 - HOLY SHIT Pe'SHON! He steals the ball on the press and wisely pulls it out. Then he lets the clock run all the way down, doesn't panic, and dishes to an open Weijs to hit the game tying shot as time expires. Over/under Black Greivis starts in New York?
19:22 - Jordan Williams with another basket on the inside. This could be like putting Babe Ruth on the '61 Mets.
19:02 - Jordan picks up a missed CofC FT. For those of you scoring at home, it took him less than 21 minutes to get to a double double (14/10 currently).
17:08 - Bowie from deep! Our first sighting of Anthony this season.
15:53 - Jordan Williams slam count is at 4, if my count is right.
14:55 - Current lineup is Mosley, Stoglin, Howard, Weijs, and Pallson. Very interesting look.
14:03 - A look which probably gives us little to no rebounding, by the way it seems.
13:24 - Terps now 1/9 from the line. This is most certainly what it feels like to descend into the ninth circle of hell.
12:33 - Jordan Fucking Williams with another putback on the break. I'm pretty sure that the Chronicles of Jordan Fucking Williams would be more badass than the Chronicles of Riddick. FAR more badass.
10:29 - Goudelock hits his 5th three. Cougars back up by three. If I don't make any posts for a couple minutes, I'm building a concourse level in my house.
10:15 - Mosley misses a FT before making the second. This...could be a problem going forward.
9:57 - Goudelock hits a shot. Book this one to the Cougars.
8:16 - Jordan hits a sick fallaway shot and then dives on the floor for a loose ball on the other end. SAT analogy time! Jordan : 2011 Terps :: Greivis : 2008 Terps
6:09 - Jordan got stuffed. It is now officially women's soccer season! NUMBER ONE SEED BABY! SUCK ON THAT HATERS! MARYLAND I'M ALL BEHIND YOU.
5:29 - Do I really want to go to New York to watch us play next week? It has to be a better idea to just eat the cost and stay at home. Or maybe go and just get some good pie. Or just wander into the Marcy Projects after we lose for the second night in a row and see what happens. We are now 3-14 from the line, btw.
4:57 - Four of sixteen. FOUR of fucking SIXTEEN.
3:37 - John Wall is averaging six turnovers a game. Suck it John Wall/Wizards fans.
1:53 - We're about to lose to the college of goddamn charleston.
1:27 - ONIONS from BG!! (aka Pe'shon in the corner)
16:9 - Terps down 1 with the ball in the frontcourt. Timeout. There is ABSOLUTELY NO SHOT that we hit a shot here and win the game. Less than zero chance. I have a better shot at growing a legit, Turd-caliber beard than seeing us hit a shot here. And yet I'm still being suckered into getting excited. This is battered wife syndrome.
And just like that...my tape CUTS OFF. Yes, I should have a DVR. But who fucking cares? Pe'shon is here to TAKE SOULS and save Gary from a verbal tongue-lashing on This Very Blog that would have made George Carlin blush. Thank God.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Terps beat old nemesis Cancer, 105-76
The Terps tipped off in the Coaches vs Cancer tournament tonight for the third time in its history, this time against Seattle. This was, I suppose, the first round of a four game tournament, but in reality the Terps are guaranteed to play in the semifinal round at Madison Square Garden (I'll be there!) next week regardless of what we did against Seattle or College of Charleston.
It wasn't pretty for much of the game, but the Terps won big. On the other hand, it was VERY pretty for large portions of the games. I think I called a 26 point win, so even though I'm irrationally pissed that we let slip away a 30 point win at the end, it was a better outcome than I had expected. So what about the good, bad and ugly of the game? Well here it is.
The Good:
Sean Mosley: I'm still baffled that people think that somehow this guy isn't going to rack up a lot of points for the team over the next two seasons. Just because he can do it all doesn't mean he forgot how to score. He's never going to be a guy who can aqua velva it from deep, but he's going to clean up on the midrange. And that pump fake and drive late in the game was a thing of beauty. If Bonecrusher wasn't such a great nickname we'd have to call him Old School.
Jordan Williams: Wooden Award Candidate. Jordan Fucking Williams. He had 17 and 15 tonight. From here on out, we don't count "double doubles" for Jordan, we count 15/15 WACJFW double doubles. He even made 5 of 6 FT (miniature sample size alert) and pretty much dominated without dominating. He also had a few thunderous slams. I remember someone complaining last season that he didn't do that enough (I'm rolling my eyes as I type that).
Cliff Tucker: Tucker, for the second game in a row, rather quietly had an outstanding game. He scored, he grabbed boards, and he kept some of the usual headscratchers to a minimum. Cliff will be better this year not only because he's a senior and a primary option, but because a wide open, fast paced game suits his games, and we should see plenty of those this season.
Terrell Stoglin: Put aside a couple of turnovers, and Stoglin had one of the best debuts of any Terp in recent memory. He finished with 15 and 5 and had a phenomenal behind the back pass on the break for a slam by Jordan. What was most noticeable about his game was his quickness and shake and bake with the ball. Literally the only player I can remember with that kind of quickness for the Terps is Steve Francis. I'm not making that comparison at all, just saying that's the dimension he brings to the team.
Pe'shon Howard: Just like Stoglin, he looked like he belonged. He had eight dimes on the night and more than one oustanding, no-look pass. He's built like a college senior already, and he has enough swag to do the #21 jersey justice. It's going to be really fun to watch him and Stoglin play together for four seasons.
Berend Weijs: The Flying Dutchman only got four minutes, but he made the most of them with three blocks and two dunks. He needs to gain about 20 pounds of muscle immediately, but I'm eager to see what he does this season. He's another player that will thrive for a running team as his role will be to block shots and finish on the break. And to his credit, despite lacking bulk, he doesn't seem reticent to mix it up at all.
The Good Enough:
Dino Gregory: Dino still looked spastic at times, and didn't set the world on fire. He made multiple entry passes to the third row. But it was a typical Dino game. He blocked some shots and hit three midrange jumpshots. He's in no way going to carry this team, but he should be more than serviceable in his role.
James Padgett: Padgett only got 11 minutes as the first big off the bench, and grabbed just one board. He did have 5 points though. He didn't set the world on fire, but I'm still pretty confident he's going to settle into a role where he can give us 5/5 on a regular basis off the bench.
Mychal Parker: I've made the comparison to Landon Milbourne before, at least insofar as how his freshman season will go, and I stand by that. Parker does not look very comfortable yet, but as the huge dunk can attest, he has ridiculous athleticism (which is quickly becoming a theme for us). There were no real negatives from his relatively brief appearance, but the depth in the backcourt means he's really going to step up if he is to play a meaningful role for the Terps this season.
Haukur Palsson: I have nothing to say about him other than I heard Gary call him "Haukur Pillson" in the pregame. In other words, he and Terrell Stoggins are going to be a great tandem once Gary figures out who they are.
The Bad:
Ashton Pankey: Didn't do anything wrong, but it's not good when you're getting three minutes in a 30 point win. Who knows what his career will bring, but having watched a scrimmage, an exhibition, and now a real game, it's pretty clear that barring some deep foul trouble, he just isn't an option this season for whatever reasons.
Adrian Bowie: On one level, it's tough to say that a guy who scored 9 points in 12 minutes was abysmal, but Bowie was. On a night when the team had an abysmal 29 turnovers, Bowie was responsible for 7 of them. He found himself on the bench at around the first TV timeout and pretty much stayed there all night. I don't think any Maryland fan was more positive than "wait and see" as far as Bowie running the point goes, but it's a pretty inauspicious start to the Bowie era - an era which won't last too long if Bowie continues to be as thoroughly outplayed as he was tonight.
The refs fucking sucked tonight, largely in the Terps favor. Too many handchecks and small stuff was called, going both ways, but especially on Seattle.
The other bad point aside from the TWENTY NINE TURNOVERS was a 2-8 night from three. It's no secret that this team won't be relying no the three, both because of style and skill, but in games against teams who don't allow so many fast break opportunities, that will hurt the team. Oh, but guess what, we've got Nick Faust pretty much solves that problem, so if Gary can just land one fucking big man he's going to get his fourth final four next season. PLEASE GET A BIG MAN FOR YOUR OWN GOOD.
We're one real game and one fake game in and its pretty clear that this team is going to be able to put up a lot of points, putting up 105+ in back to back games. Next up is the College of Charleston, a team coached by Bobby Cremins, formerly of Georgia Tech. They beat North Carolina last season, and also beat the Terps in the tournament back the late 90s as a 12 seed. I have successfully blocked out all memories of that debacle though. Now to work on last year...
Oh, and also, the announcers tonight were fucking atrocious. Michael Reghi, I have not missed you. Not one bit. Stop calling it the "one and bonus" you jerkoff. And Ronnie Thompson, fuck you, call some Georgetown games and stop telling me that Jordan dropped 20 pounds. I GET IT. Can't you go back to coaching and give me back Chick Hernandez?
It wasn't pretty for much of the game, but the Terps won big. On the other hand, it was VERY pretty for large portions of the games. I think I called a 26 point win, so even though I'm irrationally pissed that we let slip away a 30 point win at the end, it was a better outcome than I had expected. So what about the good, bad and ugly of the game? Well here it is.
The Good:
Sean Mosley: I'm still baffled that people think that somehow this guy isn't going to rack up a lot of points for the team over the next two seasons. Just because he can do it all doesn't mean he forgot how to score. He's never going to be a guy who can aqua velva it from deep, but he's going to clean up on the midrange. And that pump fake and drive late in the game was a thing of beauty. If Bonecrusher wasn't such a great nickname we'd have to call him Old School.
Jordan Williams: Wooden Award Candidate. Jordan Fucking Williams. He had 17 and 15 tonight. From here on out, we don't count "double doubles" for Jordan, we count 15/15 WACJFW double doubles. He even made 5 of 6 FT (miniature sample size alert) and pretty much dominated without dominating. He also had a few thunderous slams. I remember someone complaining last season that he didn't do that enough (I'm rolling my eyes as I type that).
Cliff Tucker: Tucker, for the second game in a row, rather quietly had an outstanding game. He scored, he grabbed boards, and he kept some of the usual headscratchers to a minimum. Cliff will be better this year not only because he's a senior and a primary option, but because a wide open, fast paced game suits his games, and we should see plenty of those this season.
Terrell Stoglin: Put aside a couple of turnovers, and Stoglin had one of the best debuts of any Terp in recent memory. He finished with 15 and 5 and had a phenomenal behind the back pass on the break for a slam by Jordan. What was most noticeable about his game was his quickness and shake and bake with the ball. Literally the only player I can remember with that kind of quickness for the Terps is Steve Francis. I'm not making that comparison at all, just saying that's the dimension he brings to the team.
Pe'shon Howard: Just like Stoglin, he looked like he belonged. He had eight dimes on the night and more than one oustanding, no-look pass. He's built like a college senior already, and he has enough swag to do the #21 jersey justice. It's going to be really fun to watch him and Stoglin play together for four seasons.
Berend Weijs: The Flying Dutchman only got four minutes, but he made the most of them with three blocks and two dunks. He needs to gain about 20 pounds of muscle immediately, but I'm eager to see what he does this season. He's another player that will thrive for a running team as his role will be to block shots and finish on the break. And to his credit, despite lacking bulk, he doesn't seem reticent to mix it up at all.
The Good Enough:
Dino Gregory: Dino still looked spastic at times, and didn't set the world on fire. He made multiple entry passes to the third row. But it was a typical Dino game. He blocked some shots and hit three midrange jumpshots. He's in no way going to carry this team, but he should be more than serviceable in his role.
James Padgett: Padgett only got 11 minutes as the first big off the bench, and grabbed just one board. He did have 5 points though. He didn't set the world on fire, but I'm still pretty confident he's going to settle into a role where he can give us 5/5 on a regular basis off the bench.
Mychal Parker: I've made the comparison to Landon Milbourne before, at least insofar as how his freshman season will go, and I stand by that. Parker does not look very comfortable yet, but as the huge dunk can attest, he has ridiculous athleticism (which is quickly becoming a theme for us). There were no real negatives from his relatively brief appearance, but the depth in the backcourt means he's really going to step up if he is to play a meaningful role for the Terps this season.
Haukur Palsson: I have nothing to say about him other than I heard Gary call him "Haukur Pillson" in the pregame. In other words, he and Terrell Stoggins are going to be a great tandem once Gary figures out who they are.
The Bad:
Ashton Pankey: Didn't do anything wrong, but it's not good when you're getting three minutes in a 30 point win. Who knows what his career will bring, but having watched a scrimmage, an exhibition, and now a real game, it's pretty clear that barring some deep foul trouble, he just isn't an option this season for whatever reasons.
Adrian Bowie: On one level, it's tough to say that a guy who scored 9 points in 12 minutes was abysmal, but Bowie was. On a night when the team had an abysmal 29 turnovers, Bowie was responsible for 7 of them. He found himself on the bench at around the first TV timeout and pretty much stayed there all night. I don't think any Maryland fan was more positive than "wait and see" as far as Bowie running the point goes, but it's a pretty inauspicious start to the Bowie era - an era which won't last too long if Bowie continues to be as thoroughly outplayed as he was tonight.
The refs fucking sucked tonight, largely in the Terps favor. Too many handchecks and small stuff was called, going both ways, but especially on Seattle.
The other bad point aside from the TWENTY NINE TURNOVERS was a 2-8 night from three. It's no secret that this team won't be relying no the three, both because of style and skill, but in games against teams who don't allow so many fast break opportunities, that will hurt the team. Oh, but guess what, we've got Nick Faust pretty much solves that problem, so if Gary can just land one fucking big man he's going to get his fourth final four next season. PLEASE GET A BIG MAN FOR YOUR OWN GOOD.
We're one real game and one fake game in and its pretty clear that this team is going to be able to put up a lot of points, putting up 105+ in back to back games. Next up is the College of Charleston, a team coached by Bobby Cremins, formerly of Georgia Tech. They beat North Carolina last season, and also beat the Terps in the tournament back the late 90s as a 12 seed. I have successfully blocked out all memories of that debacle though. Now to work on last year...
Oh, and also, the announcers tonight were fucking atrocious. Michael Reghi, I have not missed you. Not one bit. Stop calling it the "one and bonus" you jerkoff. And Ronnie Thompson, fuck you, call some Georgetown games and stop telling me that Jordan dropped 20 pounds. I GET IT. Can't you go back to coaching and give me back Chick Hernandez?
Monday, November 1, 2010
Fun and/or Gun
A week or so ago, I read an article about the coming Terps season which talked about how the Terps were going to run more this year. Without the three high scorers from last year, it was going to be a new look roster so the team was going to have a new look stylistically to take advantage of the current team's strengths.
When I read all this, I was a little skeptical, first because the Terps were already a team that likes to push the tempo. Always have been under Gary. That's simply the way his teams play. But more than that, it just seemed like one of those articles which gets written addressing a weakness where the coach spins it into a positive. Just like the past few years with a lack of post depth and often talent, we had heard about seeing a four guard, Villanova-esque offense, something that never really came to fruition, at least not as more than a look for a play or two every few games.
But after watching the Terps' destruction of Florida Southern (and, of course, all the standard disclaimers about it being just one game, and an exhibition against a DII team at that, apply in this case), it seems like there might really be something to this fastbreak style we're looking to implement.
How up and down did the Terps play? The 87 possessions were far more than the Terps had even in their fastest game (80 was tops in that ugly 62-53 loss at Clemson) and in fact it was their most since a 103-91 loss at Virginia way back in January 2007. The Terps were able to get out on the break by forcing turnovers against the opposing guards, something they won't be able to do as readily against quality opponents. Still, the team only forced 23 turnovers, which is not an extraordinarily high number. The fast pace was at least as much the result of quick shots out of the half court offense, something the team will have to rely without a reliable point guard game, at least for now.
Anyway, based on the scrimmage and exhibition, I'd rate the six newcomers thusly:
1. Gunnar Stahl - He's shown really good passing instincts as well as the ability to hit the three. I'm not sure where he fits exactly, but he should play.
2. Terrell Stoglin - Really should probably be #1, but the 1/5 A/TO ratio from Monday hurts him. Granted most were late in the game when the team was up 50, but still. Stoglin has shown he can hit a three and has some quicks, so he's going to be a player unlike any we've had recently.
3. Flying Dutchman - Not a bad debut at all. I've been pretty confident that he can be the fourth big man, and so far, I see nothing to change my mind. He's really active and long, and doesn't seem entirely lost with the ball in his hands.
4. Black Greivis - Maybe my expectations were too high (see: his nickname). He played well on Monday, but struggled a lot in the scrimmage. I've been pretty surprised that when he and Stoglin are both in the game, it's Stoglin running the point. Interesting.
5. Get Money - Sick athleticism, a couple good dunks, and a really unselfish pass to Mosley on the break the other night to sacrifice two points for himself. But he really doesn't seem to be in the flow of the offense yet and looks to struggle for minutes.
6. Brooklyn Area Sleeper - He actually looked pretty decent and active on Monday, especially for a guy who missed last year and was also in his first collegiate game. That being said, he's played the least minutes of anyone on the team, and doesn't look like he's going to crack the rotation this season.
When I read all this, I was a little skeptical, first because the Terps were already a team that likes to push the tempo. Always have been under Gary. That's simply the way his teams play. But more than that, it just seemed like one of those articles which gets written addressing a weakness where the coach spins it into a positive. Just like the past few years with a lack of post depth and often talent, we had heard about seeing a four guard, Villanova-esque offense, something that never really came to fruition, at least not as more than a look for a play or two every few games.
But after watching the Terps' destruction of Florida Southern (and, of course, all the standard disclaimers about it being just one game, and an exhibition against a DII team at that, apply in this case), it seems like there might really be something to this fastbreak style we're looking to implement.
How up and down did the Terps play? The 87 possessions were far more than the Terps had even in their fastest game (80 was tops in that ugly 62-53 loss at Clemson) and in fact it was their most since a 103-91 loss at Virginia way back in January 2007. The Terps were able to get out on the break by forcing turnovers against the opposing guards, something they won't be able to do as readily against quality opponents. Still, the team only forced 23 turnovers, which is not an extraordinarily high number. The fast pace was at least as much the result of quick shots out of the half court offense, something the team will have to rely without a reliable point guard game, at least for now.
Anyway, based on the scrimmage and exhibition, I'd rate the six newcomers thusly:
1. Gunnar Stahl - He's shown really good passing instincts as well as the ability to hit the three. I'm not sure where he fits exactly, but he should play.
2. Terrell Stoglin - Really should probably be #1, but the 1/5 A/TO ratio from Monday hurts him. Granted most were late in the game when the team was up 50, but still. Stoglin has shown he can hit a three and has some quicks, so he's going to be a player unlike any we've had recently.
3. Flying Dutchman - Not a bad debut at all. I've been pretty confident that he can be the fourth big man, and so far, I see nothing to change my mind. He's really active and long, and doesn't seem entirely lost with the ball in his hands.
4. Black Greivis - Maybe my expectations were too high (see: his nickname). He played well on Monday, but struggled a lot in the scrimmage. I've been pretty surprised that when he and Stoglin are both in the game, it's Stoglin running the point. Interesting.
5. Get Money - Sick athleticism, a couple good dunks, and a really unselfish pass to Mosley on the break the other night to sacrifice two points for himself. But he really doesn't seem to be in the flow of the offense yet and looks to struggle for minutes.
6. Brooklyn Area Sleeper - He actually looked pretty decent and active on Monday, especially for a guy who missed last year and was also in his first collegiate game. That being said, he's played the least minutes of anyone on the team, and doesn't look like he's going to crack the rotation this season.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
TERPS!
So now it comes down to the Terps. After a whale of a season last year that included winning the ACC regular season and seeing Greivis win the ACC Player of the Year thanks to a late season surge. Jordan Williams became dominant, Eric Hayes finished out his career as a long distance assassin, and Sean Mosley continued to establish himself as a team leader.
But this season is different. Gone are Vasquez and Hayes, as well as Landon Milbourne. The team will now belong to Mosley and Williams which is at least a little odd considering that the other three starting spots will all likely be filled (at least at first) by seniors with prior starting experience in Dino Gregory, Adrian Bowie, and Cliff Tucker. While their performance and leadership will be crucial to the season's outcome, it seems clear that if the Terps are to make any noise whatsoever in the ACC, it will likely be because Williams and Mosley play at an all-conference level. But without further adieu, a preview!
STARTING FIVE:
PG - Adrian Bowie (aka Big Sexy, Anthony Bowie): Bowie is not the prototypical point guard by any stretch, so although I've been a big fan of his since his arrival in College Park, I'll be more than a little bit hesitant to have him running the show. He's a solid ballhandler and penetrator, as well as a great finisher around the basket, but he hasn't shown nearly the court awareness necessary to run the show the way a Vasquez or Hayes did. His three point shot has been wildly inconsistent - sometimes Bowie hits a bunch in a row while other times he seemingly launches for games at a time without having a prayer of hitting one. With the team's top shooters moving on, it would be nice for him to be at least a bit more consistent in that area.
SG - Sean Mosley (aka Sugar Sean, Bonecrusher): Mosley was perhaps the team's most touted signing since at least the now-infamous Mike Jones recruiting class, and represented a landmark recruiting win for a team that has had so little success in recruiting Baltimore stars since the end of the Bob Wade era. Mosley is making good on all the potential that folks saw in him during his time at Saint Frances Academy and has shown himself to be a prototypical "Gary Williams player". Best described as "heady", at least in basketball cliches, Mosley was one of the most efficient shooters from the field in the country while doing all the dirty work on defense and the glass. Despite being the second leading scorer in Maryland HS history, he still needs to show that he can be a go-to scorer, but there's no doubt that his contributions in every area of the game will make him one of the top dozen or so players in the conference this season.
SF - Cliff Tucker (): Tucker has had an odd career, ranging from hero (game winning three against GT) to Carolina killer to Gary's doghouse. Tucker mixes equal measures of frustrating WTF moments with moments of sick athleticism and tantalizing skill. There is no doubt that he's capable of scoring in bunches, but can he do it consistently (there's that word again)? He'll also have to put forth maximum effort on defense to avoid finding himself with reduced minutes again. To his credit, strength coach Paul Ricci singled him out as being perhaps THE hardest worker on the team in the offseason. And if you've seen the way the Terps are looking swole, that's a pretty good compliment. Tucker is the X-Factor this season.
PF - Dino Gregory: Dino is an outstanding defender, good at both position defense and shot-blocking. He can hit a mid-range jumper and became a lights out FT shooter last season. On the other hand, he averaged about 4 and 3 in 20 minutes a game last season, so his production left quite a bit to be desired. The team has had trouble rebounding for years, and even with Jordan Williams dominating the glass, the Gregory/Milbourne combo at the 4 was not strong in that area at all. Dino is a pretty huge guy physically now, even if he doesn't have a height adavantage over many of his competitors. He's going to have to do better on the boards this year for the team to reach its potential. If he could average 6 or 7 boards while continuing to be very good defensively, he's going to be a valuable piece even with a lack of scoring.
C - Jordan Williams (JWOWW, Wooden Award Candidate Jordan Williams): When did you know? Was it when he had 19 and 12 against a top 5 Villanova team in December? Was it when he came close to 20/20 against Houston in the NCAA Tournament? Was it when he and Greivis were the only players to show up in a crucial come-from-behind win at North Carolina State? Whenever it was, we were all witnesses to the birth of the animal that is Jordan Fucking Williams. He's already the best inside player the team has had since Lonny Baxter, and for most folks, not at least matching Baxter's career will be a disappointment. He's already a Wooden Award candidate, and for most people, not making an All-America team as an upperclassmen will be a bit of a disappointment. Pretty heady stuff for a guy who was not a consensus top 100 player coming out of high school. Bottom line - We all know Jordan is a motherfucking monster, now let's have some fun and see how high the ceiling is for him.
BENCH:
G - Pe'shon Howard (Black Greivis): Pe'shon took Greivis' number. Some people (Bob) may see that as something that shouldn't have happened, but Howard has swag. He showed it off in the first scrimmage at Maryland Madness, and I'm confident we'll see more of that. He's also completely cut for a freshman and has big-game experience from play against and with so many stars at Oak Hill Academy so I have a lot of confidence that he's going to contribute right from the jump. (As a side note, it's interesting how so many of our PGs played big-time hoops before coming to MD - Duane Simpkins went to Dematha, Pe'shon and Blake went to Oak Hill, Greivis played for Montrose, and Terrell Stokes played for Simon Gratz, a nationall ranked Philly team that also featured Rasheed Wallace around the same time. Only John Gilchrist broke the mold, really.)
F- James Padgett (Inspector Padgett) - Apparently the reason that Padgett's minutes were so infrequent during the latter part of last season was not because Gary didn't trust him, but rather because he had some stomach ailment which was apparently never mentioned last season so far as I can recall. This year Padgett will play, and almost certainly will play 20+ minutes. He showed a lot of positives last year - post moves and rebounding especially - so it's not a stretch to see him becoming a very valuable bench contributor, if not more. Who knows how good he can be, but with a frontcourt that is thin on depth and experience after Jordan and Dino, Padgett is going to play a crucial role this season.
G - Terrell Stoglin: So in my mind, not only have I made Pe'shon the heir apparent to Greivis, but Stoglin is the new Hayes. He committed first before being passed on the depth chart (my assumption) before getting here. He's supposed to be a better shooter and has more of a rep of a scorer. He's also probably though of more as a combo guard, which does kind of reverse the roles in that Hayes was the pure PG coming while Greivis was the man of many positions (and to some extent that held true even through their four years). My gut says that Stoglin will find himself riding the bench behind all of the guards on the team, but all he has to do to play big minutes is to beat out Howard for the starting PG spot. If he is the better shooter, that could help him see minutes as the team will be weak in that area.
G/F - Mike Parker (Get Money): Is that nickname gonna stick? Who knows, but I do know that he is the Terps most highly touted recruit, and really, after losing Terrence Ross, he's the only touted recruit remaining from another once-promising class that ended up pretty weak on paper. Parker is a really long athlete, and for whatever reason, since I'm pre-assigning career paths to incoming players, I have him marked down as the next Laron Profit. If he can score a few points, he'll be a valuable addition to the rotation.
F - Berend Weijs (Flying Dutchman) - More comparisons - Boom. Ok, that may be heresy, but hear me out. Both were lightly regarded JuCo prospects and...uh, I've seen Boom and Weijs post on each others' facebooks. So there's that. Weijs averaged over four blocks per game so I'm expecting him to come in as the second big off the bench and just fly around, block shots, and do some dirty work. He's gained 15 pounds since coming to campus, but he's still only at 205 so he needs to get taller. But if he can off the bench and just block shots and play some D, that works. It's not like our most recent successful teams have gotten much production out of their fourth big man (WillBo, anyone?)
F - Haukur Pallson (Hawk, Gunnar Stahl): This seemed like an odd signing at the time. The Terps picked up Pallson late in the recruiting year even though they were well stocked in the backcourt. On the surface, Hawk doesn't seem like a world beater, putting up moderate numbers for a loaded high school team. Still, it would seem that if Gary offered him, he saw something in his play. Not that Gary hasn't been wrong in recent years with recruiting. I don't expect much from the Hawk this season, let's just say that.
F - Ashton Pankey: It's never good when a big man injures their foot before even coming to college. There was talk of a redshirt, but that doesn't seem to be a concern at this point as Pankey is healthy enough to play already. Still, I'd be moderately surprised if he sees significant minutes once we get to conference play.
But this season is different. Gone are Vasquez and Hayes, as well as Landon Milbourne. The team will now belong to Mosley and Williams which is at least a little odd considering that the other three starting spots will all likely be filled (at least at first) by seniors with prior starting experience in Dino Gregory, Adrian Bowie, and Cliff Tucker. While their performance and leadership will be crucial to the season's outcome, it seems clear that if the Terps are to make any noise whatsoever in the ACC, it will likely be because Williams and Mosley play at an all-conference level. But without further adieu, a preview!
STARTING FIVE:
PG - Adrian Bowie (aka Big Sexy, Anthony Bowie): Bowie is not the prototypical point guard by any stretch, so although I've been a big fan of his since his arrival in College Park, I'll be more than a little bit hesitant to have him running the show. He's a solid ballhandler and penetrator, as well as a great finisher around the basket, but he hasn't shown nearly the court awareness necessary to run the show the way a Vasquez or Hayes did. His three point shot has been wildly inconsistent - sometimes Bowie hits a bunch in a row while other times he seemingly launches for games at a time without having a prayer of hitting one. With the team's top shooters moving on, it would be nice for him to be at least a bit more consistent in that area.
SG - Sean Mosley (aka Sugar Sean, Bonecrusher): Mosley was perhaps the team's most touted signing since at least the now-infamous Mike Jones recruiting class, and represented a landmark recruiting win for a team that has had so little success in recruiting Baltimore stars since the end of the Bob Wade era. Mosley is making good on all the potential that folks saw in him during his time at Saint Frances Academy and has shown himself to be a prototypical "Gary Williams player". Best described as "heady", at least in basketball cliches, Mosley was one of the most efficient shooters from the field in the country while doing all the dirty work on defense and the glass. Despite being the second leading scorer in Maryland HS history, he still needs to show that he can be a go-to scorer, but there's no doubt that his contributions in every area of the game will make him one of the top dozen or so players in the conference this season.
SF - Cliff Tucker (): Tucker has had an odd career, ranging from hero (game winning three against GT) to Carolina killer to Gary's doghouse. Tucker mixes equal measures of frustrating WTF moments with moments of sick athleticism and tantalizing skill. There is no doubt that he's capable of scoring in bunches, but can he do it consistently (there's that word again)? He'll also have to put forth maximum effort on defense to avoid finding himself with reduced minutes again. To his credit, strength coach Paul Ricci singled him out as being perhaps THE hardest worker on the team in the offseason. And if you've seen the way the Terps are looking swole, that's a pretty good compliment. Tucker is the X-Factor this season.
PF - Dino Gregory: Dino is an outstanding defender, good at both position defense and shot-blocking. He can hit a mid-range jumper and became a lights out FT shooter last season. On the other hand, he averaged about 4 and 3 in 20 minutes a game last season, so his production left quite a bit to be desired. The team has had trouble rebounding for years, and even with Jordan Williams dominating the glass, the Gregory/Milbourne combo at the 4 was not strong in that area at all. Dino is a pretty huge guy physically now, even if he doesn't have a height adavantage over many of his competitors. He's going to have to do better on the boards this year for the team to reach its potential. If he could average 6 or 7 boards while continuing to be very good defensively, he's going to be a valuable piece even with a lack of scoring.
C - Jordan Williams (JWOWW, Wooden Award Candidate Jordan Williams): When did you know? Was it when he had 19 and 12 against a top 5 Villanova team in December? Was it when he came close to 20/20 against Houston in the NCAA Tournament? Was it when he and Greivis were the only players to show up in a crucial come-from-behind win at North Carolina State? Whenever it was, we were all witnesses to the birth of the animal that is Jordan Fucking Williams. He's already the best inside player the team has had since Lonny Baxter, and for most folks, not at least matching Baxter's career will be a disappointment. He's already a Wooden Award candidate, and for most people, not making an All-America team as an upperclassmen will be a bit of a disappointment. Pretty heady stuff for a guy who was not a consensus top 100 player coming out of high school. Bottom line - We all know Jordan is a motherfucking monster, now let's have some fun and see how high the ceiling is for him.
BENCH:
G - Pe'shon Howard (Black Greivis): Pe'shon took Greivis' number. Some people (Bob) may see that as something that shouldn't have happened, but Howard has swag. He showed it off in the first scrimmage at Maryland Madness, and I'm confident we'll see more of that. He's also completely cut for a freshman and has big-game experience from play against and with so many stars at Oak Hill Academy so I have a lot of confidence that he's going to contribute right from the jump. (As a side note, it's interesting how so many of our PGs played big-time hoops before coming to MD - Duane Simpkins went to Dematha, Pe'shon and Blake went to Oak Hill, Greivis played for Montrose, and Terrell Stokes played for Simon Gratz, a nationall ranked Philly team that also featured Rasheed Wallace around the same time. Only John Gilchrist broke the mold, really.)
F- James Padgett (Inspector Padgett) - Apparently the reason that Padgett's minutes were so infrequent during the latter part of last season was not because Gary didn't trust him, but rather because he had some stomach ailment which was apparently never mentioned last season so far as I can recall. This year Padgett will play, and almost certainly will play 20+ minutes. He showed a lot of positives last year - post moves and rebounding especially - so it's not a stretch to see him becoming a very valuable bench contributor, if not more. Who knows how good he can be, but with a frontcourt that is thin on depth and experience after Jordan and Dino, Padgett is going to play a crucial role this season.
G - Terrell Stoglin: So in my mind, not only have I made Pe'shon the heir apparent to Greivis, but Stoglin is the new Hayes. He committed first before being passed on the depth chart (my assumption) before getting here. He's supposed to be a better shooter and has more of a rep of a scorer. He's also probably though of more as a combo guard, which does kind of reverse the roles in that Hayes was the pure PG coming while Greivis was the man of many positions (and to some extent that held true even through their four years). My gut says that Stoglin will find himself riding the bench behind all of the guards on the team, but all he has to do to play big minutes is to beat out Howard for the starting PG spot. If he is the better shooter, that could help him see minutes as the team will be weak in that area.
G/F - Mike Parker (Get Money): Is that nickname gonna stick? Who knows, but I do know that he is the Terps most highly touted recruit, and really, after losing Terrence Ross, he's the only touted recruit remaining from another once-promising class that ended up pretty weak on paper. Parker is a really long athlete, and for whatever reason, since I'm pre-assigning career paths to incoming players, I have him marked down as the next Laron Profit. If he can score a few points, he'll be a valuable addition to the rotation.
F - Berend Weijs (Flying Dutchman) - More comparisons - Boom. Ok, that may be heresy, but hear me out. Both were lightly regarded JuCo prospects and...uh, I've seen Boom and Weijs post on each others' facebooks. So there's that. Weijs averaged over four blocks per game so I'm expecting him to come in as the second big off the bench and just fly around, block shots, and do some dirty work. He's gained 15 pounds since coming to campus, but he's still only at 205 so he needs to get taller. But if he can off the bench and just block shots and play some D, that works. It's not like our most recent successful teams have gotten much production out of their fourth big man (WillBo, anyone?)
F - Haukur Pallson (Hawk, Gunnar Stahl): This seemed like an odd signing at the time. The Terps picked up Pallson late in the recruiting year even though they were well stocked in the backcourt. On the surface, Hawk doesn't seem like a world beater, putting up moderate numbers for a loaded high school team. Still, it would seem that if Gary offered him, he saw something in his play. Not that Gary hasn't been wrong in recent years with recruiting. I don't expect much from the Hawk this season, let's just say that.
F - Ashton Pankey: It's never good when a big man injures their foot before even coming to college. There was talk of a redshirt, but that doesn't seem to be a concern at this point as Pankey is healthy enough to play already. Still, I'd be moderately surprised if he sees significant minutes once we get to conference play.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
ACC PREVIEW PART THE SECOND
6. YOUR MARYLAND TERRAPINS! - See separate blog post.
5. Clemson Tigers - You know things are bleak for the long-term outlook of your basketball program when you lose your head coach to Depaul, but that's what happened to Clemson this spring. Oliver Purnell brought them back to respectability, and now the Tigers have to hope they aren't as hopeless as they were for...well, most of their history aside from when Purnell and Rick Barnes coached them. The Tigers also loss the often dominating Trevor Booker from their lineup, so there are some on-court losses too. On the other hand the Tigers return most of their other contributors. Demontez Stitt and Andre Young is a good pair of quick guards, and Jerai Grant and Trevor's brother Devin will be a good combo. If former top recruit Milton Jennings improves on a very mediocre freshman year, this team could do a lot better than I'm predicting them. Clemson has just one new recruit coming in, a lightly regard spring signee, so it looks like the team will have to make do with last year's lineup sans Trevor Booker and David Potter.
4. Florida State Seminoles - I have to admit, I'm pretty impressed with what Leonard Hamilton has done recently with this program. Plus he reminds me a lot of Bunny Colvin. I'm not sure if i thought that up or if Andrew mentioned it previously, but we'll share credit since we pretty much share a brain anyway. The 'Noles lost Solomon "Fawaz" Alabi as well as another big man in Ryan Reid, who inexplicably got drafted after putting up 7/4 as a senior. I mean, he was a nice little ballplayer in college, but come on. I just really have no particularly strong feelings about any of these guys. They're just kind of there. Maybe Chris Singleton will be really good. I honestly have no clue.
3. Virginia Tech Hokies - Now we start getting to the teams I loathe. There's not really a more loathesome trio than Dorenzo Hudson, Malcolm Delaney and Jeff Allen. I mean between the three players, if you combined their IQ, they MIGHT crack triple digits. But I can't promise. The greatest trick the devil ever played was convincing noobish sportswriters that Delaney is a star rather than a turd. The Hokies got real bad news in the offseason when JT Thompson went down for the season with a knee. Tech had already had injuries thin their frontline previously. Transfer Allan Chaney has a heart condition that will likely preclude him from playing, and sophomore Cadarian Raines got Jerome Burney'd. It seems like a few times in recent years VT has had three or four players good enough for them to compete for the ACC title, but not enough depth to be more than a bubble team. That could be the case once again, at least unless Raines comes back strong, or Victor Davila continues improving enough to be a solid frontcourt contributor. Virginia Tech could finish a spot higher, but I have to think that it's actually more likely they drop a few spots down to their usual bubble spot.
2. North Carolina Tar Heels - Is this a tribute to North Carolina or a testament to my stupidity or the weakness of the ACC? It could be any of the three. UNC went 6-10 in the league last year, got dealt several really embarassing losses, and barely made the NIT. Then this offseason they lost their three leading scorers in Deon Thompson (graduated), Ed Davis (drafted), and Will Graves (kicked off the team). They also saw the departure of the David and Travis Wear to transfer. The Heels will really only go eight deep, but it could be an elite eight. The keys are the newcomers. Harrison Barnes was the nation's top recruit (and picked UNC over Duke) while Kendall Marshall will have to play big minutes at the point given how weak Larry Drew II's play was last season. The other player to watch is John Henson who got hyped as the next Kevin Durant/freak of nature but who played, for the most part, just like a freshman especially in the beginning and latter part of the season. If those three meet the lofty expectations folks have for them UNC could go right back to being elite. Those seem like big ifs, but for a program like North Carolina and a coach like Roy Williams, it's best to assume that a bad season is just a blip on the radar and that the good times will just keep rolling.
1. Duke Blue Devils - Could it be anyone else? Duke loses quite a bit in almost-but-not-quite ACC Player of the Year Jon Scheyerface as well as the suddenly surgent Brian Zoubek. But they also have a sick recruiting class coming in, led by point guard Kyrie Irving who everyone is slobbering over and who Dickie V will call a diaper dandy at least 234907 times in his orgasmic, dook slobbering tone. Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith will both be all-ACC, and one of the two is likely to win POY unless Virginia Tech wins enough games for Malcolm Delaney to win it. The Plumlees will be counted on to hold down the inside, and Seth Curry transfers in from Liberty to possibly be the latest Curry to take the basketball world by storm. But all bias aside, this is the team to beat in not only the ACC, but the country as well, particularly now that Purdue's Robbie Hummell tore his ACL again. And don't think for a minute that I won't root for Coach K over Michigan State. I'll fucking do it.
5. Clemson Tigers - You know things are bleak for the long-term outlook of your basketball program when you lose your head coach to Depaul, but that's what happened to Clemson this spring. Oliver Purnell brought them back to respectability, and now the Tigers have to hope they aren't as hopeless as they were for...well, most of their history aside from when Purnell and Rick Barnes coached them. The Tigers also loss the often dominating Trevor Booker from their lineup, so there are some on-court losses too. On the other hand the Tigers return most of their other contributors. Demontez Stitt and Andre Young is a good pair of quick guards, and Jerai Grant and Trevor's brother Devin will be a good combo. If former top recruit Milton Jennings improves on a very mediocre freshman year, this team could do a lot better than I'm predicting them. Clemson has just one new recruit coming in, a lightly regard spring signee, so it looks like the team will have to make do with last year's lineup sans Trevor Booker and David Potter.
4. Florida State Seminoles - I have to admit, I'm pretty impressed with what Leonard Hamilton has done recently with this program. Plus he reminds me a lot of Bunny Colvin. I'm not sure if i thought that up or if Andrew mentioned it previously, but we'll share credit since we pretty much share a brain anyway. The 'Noles lost Solomon "Fawaz" Alabi as well as another big man in Ryan Reid, who inexplicably got drafted after putting up 7/4 as a senior. I mean, he was a nice little ballplayer in college, but come on. I just really have no particularly strong feelings about any of these guys. They're just kind of there. Maybe Chris Singleton will be really good. I honestly have no clue.
3. Virginia Tech Hokies - Now we start getting to the teams I loathe. There's not really a more loathesome trio than Dorenzo Hudson, Malcolm Delaney and Jeff Allen. I mean between the three players, if you combined their IQ, they MIGHT crack triple digits. But I can't promise. The greatest trick the devil ever played was convincing noobish sportswriters that Delaney is a star rather than a turd. The Hokies got real bad news in the offseason when JT Thompson went down for the season with a knee. Tech had already had injuries thin their frontline previously. Transfer Allan Chaney has a heart condition that will likely preclude him from playing, and sophomore Cadarian Raines got Jerome Burney'd. It seems like a few times in recent years VT has had three or four players good enough for them to compete for the ACC title, but not enough depth to be more than a bubble team. That could be the case once again, at least unless Raines comes back strong, or Victor Davila continues improving enough to be a solid frontcourt contributor. Virginia Tech could finish a spot higher, but I have to think that it's actually more likely they drop a few spots down to their usual bubble spot.
2. North Carolina Tar Heels - Is this a tribute to North Carolina or a testament to my stupidity or the weakness of the ACC? It could be any of the three. UNC went 6-10 in the league last year, got dealt several really embarassing losses, and barely made the NIT. Then this offseason they lost their three leading scorers in Deon Thompson (graduated), Ed Davis (drafted), and Will Graves (kicked off the team). They also saw the departure of the David and Travis Wear to transfer. The Heels will really only go eight deep, but it could be an elite eight. The keys are the newcomers. Harrison Barnes was the nation's top recruit (and picked UNC over Duke) while Kendall Marshall will have to play big minutes at the point given how weak Larry Drew II's play was last season. The other player to watch is John Henson who got hyped as the next Kevin Durant/freak of nature but who played, for the most part, just like a freshman especially in the beginning and latter part of the season. If those three meet the lofty expectations folks have for them UNC could go right back to being elite. Those seem like big ifs, but for a program like North Carolina and a coach like Roy Williams, it's best to assume that a bad season is just a blip on the radar and that the good times will just keep rolling.
1. Duke Blue Devils - Could it be anyone else? Duke loses quite a bit in almost-but-not-quite ACC Player of the Year Jon Scheyerface as well as the suddenly surgent Brian Zoubek. But they also have a sick recruiting class coming in, led by point guard Kyrie Irving who everyone is slobbering over and who Dickie V will call a diaper dandy at least 234907 times in his orgasmic, dook slobbering tone. Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith will both be all-ACC, and one of the two is likely to win POY unless Virginia Tech wins enough games for Malcolm Delaney to win it. The Plumlees will be counted on to hold down the inside, and Seth Curry transfers in from Liberty to possibly be the latest Curry to take the basketball world by storm. But all bias aside, this is the team to beat in not only the ACC, but the country as well, particularly now that Purdue's Robbie Hummell tore his ACL again. And don't think for a minute that I won't root for Coach K over Michigan State. I'll fucking do it.
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