The Terps released their basketball schedule for next season. It includes 15 non conference games and the usual 16 ACC games for a total of 31, just like last season.
The nonconference schedule isn't very good. The marquee games will be two games in the semifinals and finals/consolation of the College Basketball Experience tournament in Kansas City. The possible opponents for those two games are Missouri, UCLA, and Michigan State. After that the only major conference opponent will be Illinois. The Terps face them at the Comcast Center in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge in a rematch from last year's challenge. The BB&T classic matchup is against Virginia Commonwealth. VCU was good last year, beating Duke in the NCAA Tournament, but they lost two of their top three players off of last year's team.
I'm not all that worried about the lack of marquee opponents, though I'd like to see the Terps involved in at least maruqee home and home series each year. No, the bigger problem is that the schedule could be really bottom heavy. Games against Savvanah State (RPI #289), Morgan State (#303), Delaware (#306), and North Florida (#333) could signifcantly drag down the team's RPI and SOS numbers which wouldn't bode well when tournament time rolls around.
The team has a good chance to run through the nonconference schedule with only one loss. Even in a down year for the ACC, 22-9 (8-8) heading into the conference tournament would be hard to snub. Hopefully the scheduling won't hurt the team. I expect them to win 9 or 10 conference games, in which case they'll lock up a bid barring a complete collapse in the nonconference.
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Monday, August 20, 2007
No Quarterback
With less than two weeks to go until the Terps kickoff against Villanova in the 2007 season opener, there is still no starting Quarterback. RS JR Jordan Steffy is still number one on the depth chart, followed by RS SO Josh Portis and RS SO Chris Turner, though possibly not in that order. Coach Friedgen has pushed back an announcement a few times already, though we might know the starter by the end of the week.
Who knows why Fridge hasn't made an annoucement yet. Is Portis (or Turner) pushing Steffy? Does Fridge want to give Portis more of a shot before going with Steffy? If the decision is still in doubt, I'd like to see the top two split time in the first two games. What's the use of playing teams like Villanova and Florida International if not to evaluate your personell? Well, there is the automatic win as an incentive, but still. Give both QBs a chance to show what they can do in a game situation rather than practices or scrimmages.
Both Portis and Steffy have some limited collegiate experience. Steffy played in a few games back in 2004 as a true freshman. He also played a couple of series against William & Mary last season, failing to impress anyone. Portis got limited time as a true freshman for Florida in 2005, mostly carrying the ball but also throwing a few passes. Of course neither has much meaningful experience or any type of a performance record to judge from.
The old adage is that if you think you have two quarterbacks, you really have none. But like most sports adages, it's simplistic crap. Hopefully in this case it's a matter of having two guys good enough to start.
Who knows why Fridge hasn't made an annoucement yet. Is Portis (or Turner) pushing Steffy? Does Fridge want to give Portis more of a shot before going with Steffy? If the decision is still in doubt, I'd like to see the top two split time in the first two games. What's the use of playing teams like Villanova and Florida International if not to evaluate your personell? Well, there is the automatic win as an incentive, but still. Give both QBs a chance to show what they can do in a game situation rather than practices or scrimmages.
Both Portis and Steffy have some limited collegiate experience. Steffy played in a few games back in 2004 as a true freshman. He also played a couple of series against William & Mary last season, failing to impress anyone. Portis got limited time as a true freshman for Florida in 2005, mostly carrying the ball but also throwing a few passes. Of course neither has much meaningful experience or any type of a performance record to judge from.
The old adage is that if you think you have two quarterbacks, you really have none. But like most sports adages, it's simplistic crap. Hopefully in this case it's a matter of having two guys good enough to start.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Sean Mosley is a Terp
Anyone who follows Baltimore High School hoops knows who Sean Mosley is. He's been a big time player since the minute he stepped onto the court for Saint Frances Academy as a freshman, making the Baltimore Sun's All-Metro team all three years so far in his high school career.
Mosley has been highly sought after for several years now. At various points it looked like Mosley might end up playing for either Georgetown or Syracuse, but in the end the Terps snagged Mosley as he announced his intentions to play for the Terps at a press conference yesterday picking the Terps over Cuse, Florida State, Virginia Tech, and Clemson among others.
Mosley is considered by most recruiting services to be a top 50 player, and anytime the Terps can grab a player of that quality from their own backyard it's a big deal. Mosley is the third player in the last two recruiting classes from Baltimore, joining fellow Baltimore Catholic League stars Braxton Dupree and Dino Gregory from the class of 2007. It's also the first player the Terps have nabbed from Baltimore powerhouse AAU program Team Melo, home of '07 players Donte Green and Malcolm Delaney as well as 2009 recruit Naji Hibbert.
Mosley is a shooting guard with a broad range of skills and a toughness that will play well under Maryland Head Coach Gary Williams. Mosley could have an instant impact, even in a backcourt which will already have four or five established players by the time he arrives on campus. For more about Mosley, read Matt Bracken's excellent report on the press conference in his excellent recruiting blog on the Baltimore Sun's website.
For the Terps this may or may not be the end of the 2008 recruiting class. They still have one scholarship left to give and may focus on another post player, presumably Quintrell Thomas of NJ or Ralph Sampson of GA. The Terps might also elect to save that scholarship for 2009 class that features many highly ranked prospects listing the Terps among their favorites.
Mosley has been highly sought after for several years now. At various points it looked like Mosley might end up playing for either Georgetown or Syracuse, but in the end the Terps snagged Mosley as he announced his intentions to play for the Terps at a press conference yesterday picking the Terps over Cuse, Florida State, Virginia Tech, and Clemson among others.
Mosley is considered by most recruiting services to be a top 50 player, and anytime the Terps can grab a player of that quality from their own backyard it's a big deal. Mosley is the third player in the last two recruiting classes from Baltimore, joining fellow Baltimore Catholic League stars Braxton Dupree and Dino Gregory from the class of 2007. It's also the first player the Terps have nabbed from Baltimore powerhouse AAU program Team Melo, home of '07 players Donte Green and Malcolm Delaney as well as 2009 recruit Naji Hibbert.
Mosley is a shooting guard with a broad range of skills and a toughness that will play well under Maryland Head Coach Gary Williams. Mosley could have an instant impact, even in a backcourt which will already have four or five established players by the time he arrives on campus. For more about Mosley, read Matt Bracken's excellent report on the press conference in his excellent recruiting blog on the Baltimore Sun's website.
For the Terps this may or may not be the end of the 2008 recruiting class. They still have one scholarship left to give and may focus on another post player, presumably Quintrell Thomas of NJ or Ralph Sampson of GA. The Terps might also elect to save that scholarship for 2009 class that features many highly ranked prospects listing the Terps among their favorites.
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Hoops scores big commit
About four months after finishing up the 2007 recruiting class, Gary Williams and staff finally scored their first commitment for the 2008 recruiting cycle. But even if the Terps got on the board later than others, it was well worth the wait as the commit was PF/C Terrence Jennings of Mount Zion Academy in North Carolina, rated as the #15 prospect in the country in the Class of '08.
While Jennings would be a great fit for any team in the country, he'll thrive with the Terps. He excels at running the floor - something that is obviously always a part of the Terps gameplan under Gary Williams - while also dunking, rebounding, and block shots. Jennings is a high-quality athlete, but in contrast to other athletic big men, he should be refined enough to help in all facets of the game - offense, defense and rebounding. That's not to say he's a finished product, but he could step right in as a complement to C Braxton Dupree in Maryland's 08-09 frontcourt.
The team will have as many as two more scholarships to give for this year's class. The focus now will likely turn to getting a Shooting Guard, perhaps Sean Mosley of Baltimore or Chris Turner.
Football Terps start the year
The football team opened camp yesterday, less than four weeks before the first kickoff of the year against Villanova. I'll be looking at the season in a bit more depth in the coming weeks as we count down to the first game of the year.
While Jennings would be a great fit for any team in the country, he'll thrive with the Terps. He excels at running the floor - something that is obviously always a part of the Terps gameplan under Gary Williams - while also dunking, rebounding, and block shots. Jennings is a high-quality athlete, but in contrast to other athletic big men, he should be refined enough to help in all facets of the game - offense, defense and rebounding. That's not to say he's a finished product, but he could step right in as a complement to C Braxton Dupree in Maryland's 08-09 frontcourt.
The team will have as many as two more scholarships to give for this year's class. The focus now will likely turn to getting a Shooting Guard, perhaps Sean Mosley of Baltimore or Chris Turner.
Football Terps start the year
The football team opened camp yesterday, less than four weeks before the first kickoff of the year against Villanova. I'll be looking at the season in a bit more depth in the coming weeks as we count down to the first game of the year.
Friday, July 27, 2007
Football News
It was a big week for the football team as Coach Friedgen and staff as the Terps picked up their 8th, 9th, and 10th verbal commitments for the Class of '08. First, on Thursday, WR Kerry Boykins chose the Terps over ACC rivals Virginia and North Carolina. Rivals.com rate Boykins quite highly, tabbing him not only as a four-star prospect, but also as the #22 WR in the country and the #5 prospect in the state of Virginia.
Later that night OL RJ Dill officially chose the Terps over Connecticut. Rivals rated the three-star prospect as the #61 OT in college and the #28 in Pennsylvania. And finally, another three star player joined the Terps today. Gary Douglas, the #21 player in North Carolina as well as the #50 RB in the country joined the Terps as their first running back commitment in the class of '08.
The Terps '08 recruiting class is still very much a work in progress, but with about half the class filled, it looks very promising. The coaching staff has already locked up 3 four-star players plus two more three-star prospects. After getting their first six recruits from Maryland or DC, the staff has collected the following four prospect from other states along the East Coast. With many promising prospects still looking at the Terps the best might be yet to come.
................
The ACC had their media day for football this week. The preseason rankings and all-ACC teams were released. Maryland was picked to finish 5th in the ACC Atlantic, ahead of only North Carolina State. The Terps' two representatives on the all-conference teams are Darius Heyward-Bey and Andrew Crummey.
While it would have been nice to see the team ranked a bit higher, it's understandable that with so many questions the media isn't looking too favorably on the Terps just yet. In reality, Maryland could finish fifth. But the Atlantic should be wide open, and any of the top five teams could finish in any order without qualifying as too much of a surprise. As the time draws nearer I'll like a little more in depth at the conference and where Maryland fits into the picture. Camp opens on August 6th.
Later that night OL RJ Dill officially chose the Terps over Connecticut. Rivals rated the three-star prospect as the #61 OT in college and the #28 in Pennsylvania. And finally, another three star player joined the Terps today. Gary Douglas, the #21 player in North Carolina as well as the #50 RB in the country joined the Terps as their first running back commitment in the class of '08.
The Terps '08 recruiting class is still very much a work in progress, but with about half the class filled, it looks very promising. The coaching staff has already locked up 3 four-star players plus two more three-star prospects. After getting their first six recruits from Maryland or DC, the staff has collected the following four prospect from other states along the East Coast. With many promising prospects still looking at the Terps the best might be yet to come.
................
The ACC had their media day for football this week. The preseason rankings and all-ACC teams were released. Maryland was picked to finish 5th in the ACC Atlantic, ahead of only North Carolina State. The Terps' two representatives on the all-conference teams are Darius Heyward-Bey and Andrew Crummey.
While it would have been nice to see the team ranked a bit higher, it's understandable that with so many questions the media isn't looking too favorably on the Terps just yet. In reality, Maryland could finish fifth. But the Atlantic should be wide open, and any of the top five teams could finish in any order without qualifying as too much of a surprise. As the time draws nearer I'll like a little more in depth at the conference and where Maryland fits into the picture. Camp opens on August 6th.
Friday, July 13, 2007
Gaither to the Ravens
Former Terps OT Jared Gaither was selected in the NFL supplemental draft this week by the Baltimore Ravens with a fifth round selection. It's sad to see a guy who was projected by some to be an eventual first round pick taken in the Supplemental Draft, but after all of the turmoil it's good to see Gaither is going to get his shot in the NFL. And as a Ravens fan, it sure is nice to see another great move by the Front Office. Newsome and Co. get a possible first round talent in exchange for a second day draft pick. Not a bad transaction!
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
2008/2009 Basketball Recruiting
2008
C:
Terrence Jennings (Mount Zion Prep/Play Hard Play Smart) : COMMITTED TO MARYLAND
Ralph Sampson III (Northview/Georgia Stars): California, Georgia Tech, Minnesota, UNLV
Maurice Sutton (Largo/Maryland Spurs): Kentucky, Miami, Clemson, Marquette, Tulane, Duquense
Frank Ben-Eze (Bishop O'Connell/DC Blue Devils): Marquette, Georgia Tech, Clemson, Harvard, Colorado, Pittsburgh, Virginia, West Virginia, Virginia Tech, Notre Dame
Mike Davis (TC Williams/Team STAT): committed to Illinois
Henry Sims (Mount Saint Joseph/Baltimore Stars) : committed to Georgetown (OFFER)
PF:
Quintrell Thomas (Saint Patrick's): Maryland, Marquette, Rutgers, Miami, Seton Hall, Pittsburgh, Houston, Virginia Commonwealth (OFFER)
Steve Tchiengang (Monteverde Academy): Baylor, Notre Dame, Vanderbilt, Oklahoma, Kansas State, Boston College, Texas A&M (OFFER)
Teeng Akol (Our Savior New American/NY Elite): Pittsburgh, Saint John's, Depaul, Kentucky
Laron Dendy (Hope Christian Academy/Team Georgia Elite):
Rodrigo Peggau (Calverton School/Triple Threat): --
Roscoe Davis (Wise/DC Assault): --
Chris Braswell (Dematha Catholic/Triple Threat): committed to Georgetown (OFFER)
SF:
Ray Willis (Westlake/Georgia Stars):
Renaldo Woolridge (Harvard-Westlake HS): Pepperdine, Arizona State
Kris Joseph (Archbishop Carroll): committed to Syracuse
SG:
Sean Mosley (Saint Frances Academy/Team Melo): COMMITTED TO MARYLAND
Willie Warren (North Crowley/Team Texas): Texas, Kansas, Maryland, Baylor, Oklahoma State, Arkansas, UCLA, Indiana, Kentucky (OFFER)
Chris Turner (Winchendon School/D-One Sports): Maryland, Xavier, Florida State, George Mason
Jason Clark (Bishop O'Connell ): committed to Georgetown (OFFER)
Ashton Gibbs (Seton Hall Prep): committed to Pittsburgh
Brian Walsh (Moon/Pittsburgh Storm) : committed to Xavier (OFFER)
PG:
Terrell Holloway (Hempstead HS):
Andre Young: Clemson, Wichita State, Butler, College of Charleston
Darius Gabriel (Notre Dame Prep/Long Island Lightning):
Andre Cornelius (Victory Christian Center HS): George Mason, East Carolina, Charlotte, Tennessee, South Carolina, Mississippi State
Verdell Jones (Central/Fort Sooy No Limit): Depaul, Southern Illinois, Xavier
Miguel Paul (Saint Benedict Prep): committed to Missouri
2009
C:
Greg Echenique (Saint Benedict Prep/NY-NJ MetroHawks)
Andrew Fitzgerald (Towson Catholic/Team Melo): Maryland, George Mason (OFFER)
PF:
Isaiah Armwood (Montrose Christian/Baltimore Stars): Villanova, Maryland
Donte Taylor (National Christian/DC Assault):
Wally Judge (Bladensburg HS/DC Assault): Georgetown, Ohio State, Virginia, Akron, Maryland (OFFER)
Karron Johnson (Mount Zion Academy/Richmond Squires)
Deshawn Painter (Booker T Washington/Boo Williams): Florida, Louisville, Virginia, Oklahoma, Virginia Tech, Ohio State
Daniel Orton (Bishop McGuiness/Athlete's First): Florida, Ohio State, Maryland, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Baylor, Texas, Texas A&M, Kansas (OFFER)
SF:
Terrell Vinson (Montrose Christian/Baltimore Stars): Maryland (OFFER)
Tristan Spurlock (Montrose Christian):
Brian Oliver (William Penn/Playaz): Pittsburgh, Rutgers, West Virginia
Isaiah Philmore (John Carroll/Delaware Sharpshooters): Miami, Delaware
SG:
Kenny Boynton (Blanche Ely/Team Breakdown): Louisville, Duke, Florida, Miami, Florida State, Ohio State, Villanova
Naji Hibbert (Dematha/Team Melo): Maryland, Clemson, Miami, Marist (OFFER)
Maurice Creek (Oxon Hill HS/Triple Threat): Maryland, Marquette (OFFER)
Dominic Cheek (Saint Anthony/Playaz):
Akeem Richmond (Southern Lee HS): --
Leshon Edwards (Towson Catholic/Team Melo): --
PG:
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C:
Terrence Jennings (Mount Zion Prep/Play Hard Play Smart) : COMMITTED TO MARYLAND
Ralph Sampson III (Northview/Georgia Stars): California, Georgia Tech, Minnesota, UNLV
Maurice Sutton (Largo/Maryland Spurs): Kentucky, Miami, Clemson, Marquette, Tulane, Duquense
Frank Ben-Eze (Bishop O'Connell/DC Blue Devils): Marquette, Georgia Tech, Clemson, Harvard, Colorado, Pittsburgh, Virginia, West Virginia, Virginia Tech, Notre Dame
Mike Davis (TC Williams/Team STAT): committed to Illinois
Henry Sims (Mount Saint Joseph/Baltimore Stars) : committed to Georgetown (OFFER)
PF:
Quintrell Thomas (Saint Patrick's): Maryland, Marquette, Rutgers, Miami, Seton Hall, Pittsburgh, Houston, Virginia Commonwealth (OFFER)
Steve Tchiengang (Monteverde Academy): Baylor, Notre Dame, Vanderbilt, Oklahoma, Kansas State, Boston College, Texas A&M (OFFER)
Teeng Akol (Our Savior New American/NY Elite): Pittsburgh, Saint John's, Depaul, Kentucky
Laron Dendy (Hope Christian Academy/Team Georgia Elite):
Rodrigo Peggau (Calverton School/Triple Threat): --
Roscoe Davis (Wise/DC Assault): --
Chris Braswell (Dematha Catholic/Triple Threat): committed to Georgetown (OFFER)
SF:
Ray Willis (Westlake/Georgia Stars):
Renaldo Woolridge (Harvard-Westlake HS): Pepperdine, Arizona State
Kris Joseph (Archbishop Carroll): committed to Syracuse
SG:
Sean Mosley (Saint Frances Academy/Team Melo): COMMITTED TO MARYLAND
Willie Warren (North Crowley/Team Texas): Texas, Kansas, Maryland, Baylor, Oklahoma State, Arkansas, UCLA, Indiana, Kentucky (OFFER)
Chris Turner (Winchendon School/D-One Sports): Maryland, Xavier, Florida State, George Mason
Jason Clark (Bishop O'Connell ): committed to Georgetown (OFFER)
Ashton Gibbs (Seton Hall Prep): committed to Pittsburgh
Brian Walsh (Moon/Pittsburgh Storm) : committed to Xavier (OFFER)
PG:
Terrell Holloway (Hempstead HS):
Andre Young: Clemson, Wichita State, Butler, College of Charleston
Darius Gabriel (Notre Dame Prep/Long Island Lightning):
Andre Cornelius (Victory Christian Center HS): George Mason, East Carolina, Charlotte, Tennessee, South Carolina, Mississippi State
Verdell Jones (Central/Fort Sooy No Limit): Depaul, Southern Illinois, Xavier
Miguel Paul (Saint Benedict Prep): committed to Missouri
2009
C:
Greg Echenique (Saint Benedict Prep/NY-NJ MetroHawks)
Andrew Fitzgerald (Towson Catholic/Team Melo): Maryland, George Mason (OFFER)
PF:
Isaiah Armwood (Montrose Christian/Baltimore Stars): Villanova, Maryland
Donte Taylor (National Christian/DC Assault):
Wally Judge (Bladensburg HS/DC Assault): Georgetown, Ohio State, Virginia, Akron, Maryland (OFFER)
Karron Johnson (Mount Zion Academy/Richmond Squires)
Deshawn Painter (Booker T Washington/Boo Williams): Florida, Louisville, Virginia, Oklahoma, Virginia Tech, Ohio State
Daniel Orton (Bishop McGuiness/Athlete's First): Florida, Ohio State, Maryland, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Baylor, Texas, Texas A&M, Kansas (OFFER)
SF:
Terrell Vinson (Montrose Christian/Baltimore Stars): Maryland (OFFER)
Tristan Spurlock (Montrose Christian):
Brian Oliver (William Penn/Playaz): Pittsburgh, Rutgers, West Virginia
Isaiah Philmore (John Carroll/Delaware Sharpshooters): Miami, Delaware
SG:
Kenny Boynton (Blanche Ely/Team Breakdown): Louisville, Duke, Florida, Miami, Florida State, Ohio State, Villanova
Naji Hibbert (Dematha/Team Melo): Maryland, Clemson, Miami, Marist (OFFER)
Maurice Creek (Oxon Hill HS/Triple Threat): Maryland, Marquette (OFFER)
Dominic Cheek (Saint Anthony/Playaz):
Akeem Richmond (Southern Lee HS): --
Leshon Edwards (Towson Catholic/Team Melo): --
PG:
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