Monday, April 13, 2009

A Look Back and a Look Ahead

Before I begin the evaluation, just a few quick points.
1. Marissa will be wearing #4 next year for the Mystics.
2. KT is looking for a new number to wear for the Sky.


The 2008-09 season is hard to sum up with one word. In a sense, we all expected a little bit of a down year as we lost four seniors, each of which had prominent roles on the team and were being replaced by players that hadn't played college ball. Our fears were shown in the opening game with a loss to TCU on the road. Then we won seven straight before Pittsburgh crushed us, but that could be attributed to the wacky road trip that I believe had us busing from Purdue to Pittsburgh or something along those lines. Then there was the Marah drama and an up and down start to the ACC season, loss to Duke, beat UNC, lose to UVA, beat FSU.

That FSU win was the turning point in the season. KT misses that shot and the Terps are 4-3 in the ACC and look like they are going to struggle the rest of the way as all 3 ACC losses would have been on the road. The Shot II though propelled the team the rest of the way as the Terps would win 14 straight including the ACC Regular Season and Tournament Championship. And with that there was talk that Maryland had a shot to knock off UConn.

Then the NCAA Tournament started and things didn't look as promising. The Dartmouth game, while not a struggle, took a lot more effort than I would I have liked. Ditto for Utah. Than there was the Vandy game where Marissa took over the last few minutes and the Dores had no answer. Right there was where I knew beating UConn was going to be tough. We needed a monster game to beat a team with no size. Finally, there was the Louisville game, which to be honest, scared me more than playing UConn. Walz knew the players and the players knew Walz. The stories even said that Walz still talked to some of the players from time to time. In the end, it was too emotional of a game and the 1-2 punch of KT and MC wasn't there. And with that the season was over and another Final Four was missed.

So what went wrong?
1. In all five losses here are the combined point totals for Marissa and Kristi.
TCU - 26 (KT - 11, MC - 15)
PITT - 20 (KT - 12, MC - 8)
DUKE - 26 (KT - 12, MC - 14)
UVA - 36 (KT - 17, MC - 19)
LOU - 32 (KT - 14, MC - 18)

Aside from the UVA game, where we played no defense in the second half, you can see we struggled when the Big Two didn't score. We never had a consistent third scorer and as a result if teams could hold the two in check they had a chance to win. Note that our 14-game win streak came when Marissa said enough was enough and tried to will the team to victory.
2. Adjustments Never happened. Brenda relied on MC and KT to do their things and outscore the opponent and rarely were adjustments made. Note that Sylvia Hatchell has attempted to do the same thing for years and it hasn't worked. If KT was struggling, a play was called to let KT get a good look at a 3. We rarely pounded it inside to get some points (something that happened in 2008 as well) and were strictly a three-point shooting team.
The Louisville game was a great example. The Cards decided the only way to win was to slow the tempo resulting in the clock being drained to 20-25 seconds each possession. It wasn't until 7 minutes left and down by 15 that we decided to try and pick up the pace. At that point it was too late. Did the coaching staff think that with a 15 point lead, Walz was going to play fast? Why weren't we hounding Byrd and forcing her to give up the ball? When Byrd was backing down KT, why wasn't someone sliding over to steal the ball? Why did we settle for jumpers instead of attacking the paint repeatedly? Louisville is a foul prone team yet we let them get their way defensively.
Also, we had this uncanny ability to let the other coach dictate the play. You want to go small? Sure, we will go small. I never understood why one team would play basically 4 guards and we would have to go 4 guards (if Marissa counts as a guard). Liles may be a forward by position but she's not big and slow, she has the ability to contain guards.
3. Kids were never developed throughout the year.
Kizer is 6'4 and shoots lay ups as if she's 5'4. She tried to finesse almost all her shots instead of using the glass. How many times did Lang not use the glass in 4 years?

Strickland's one job was to run to the corner of the floor and wait to shoot a 3. She rarely attacked the rim and if she did, she missed it. If she missed a 3, we were down to 4 on offense (3 if Kizer missed her first few shoots).
It took Kim Rodgers nearly 20+ games to finally show what she can do. Why did it take so long? Were we afraid Marah would leave?

Mingo sat on the bench for two years and now is leaving. She was a McDonalds and WBCA AA and yet wasn't good enough to see time over a lady that was a dancer 18 months ago? Either she was overhyped or no one took the time to work with her. Also, the fact that last year during blow outs she couldn't get playing time was awful. What were Lang, Harp, and Jade gaining by being in a 20-point game with 5 minutes to go?

KT's game regressed in the last two years. She was getting better at being a PG but as the hype got bigger and bigger she went back to being more of a scorer. Her decision making at times this year was suspect.

4. Motivation.
Watching the Championship game from 2006 last week, I would see Brenda get in player's faces. This year it was claps and smiles. KT and Marissa said they were both motivated by themselves to make the Final Four. What happened to tough love?

5. Defense
The one topic that every fan knew about the last four years, but wouldn't talk about. We don't play any D. I understand because of lack of depth we can't press all the time, but why can't we play defense? How often would we be beaten off the dribble? Why did we go under screens instead of over them? Why did our post players never try to block shots and would instead stand there with their hands straight up? Why did we give players 3 feet of shooting space? Our best defense was our rebounding and intimidation. We hoped that the other team would be scared to play us and jack up shots quick and miss so we could get the rebound and start the break. We would show flashes of it when we needed it, but never for longer than a half. our scoring defense of 67.8 was the highest in the Frese era.

In reality, the last four years ended with disappointment. After a National Title in 2006, all fans thought we would win another in the next three years. We were all defending Brenda against people calling her a one-year wonder. Three years later and we twice fell short in the Elite 8, both times because we didn't play defense and were outcoached. With three 2000 point scorers on the roster and probably 4 of the best players to play for Maryland we underachieved. If you think otherwise, your glasses are redder than mine.

And now we head into 2009-10 with a ton of questionmarks and concerns.
1. As of today, the roster is down to 7 active players:
Jackie Nared - project but needs to be kept happy because of sister
Yemi Oyefuwa - project but needed for depth in the paint
Anjale Barrett - starting PG but slow afoot and hampered by injuries
Kim Rodgers - starting SG but hampered by injuries and possibly lack of confidence.
Lynetta Kizer - starting C who needs to be more aggressive on both ends of the floor
Dee Liles - starting F. Athletic player who needs to harness that energy and become a go to scorer.
Lori Bjork - starting G. I am assuming this because to give a fifth year player a scholarship you better hope she starts or does a great job bridging the gap. great outside shooter.

Mingo is gone and Strickland left today. that's two AAs
2. We bring in 3 recruits.
Dara Taylor - McD's AA. Reading this evaluation, she sounds like KT. At the McD's game, it sounded like her defense really stood out as her offensive game was non-existent. May push for a spot right away. Matt Bracken let's you meet Dara Taylor
Tianna Hawkins - 6'3 post player, ranked the #28 center in the country. reports say she has a nice shot, but I am not impressed with what other schools looked at her.
Essence Townsend - 6'6 post player. sounds like another project but if she can develop an offensive game she will be good.

3. Recruiting. 4 years after a national title and we are missing out on top-notch kid after top-notch kid. I don't expect to get everyone of them, but Taylor is our highest rated kid but 2010 sounds promising with the kid from PA, Alyssa Thomas.

4. Kids Leaving the program. With the departure of Mingo and Strickland, which someone brought up the releases were written two different ways, and the possibly of possibly Kizer or someone else I think I count close to 10 leaving during Brenda's time:
Vanessa Ruffin
Alli Spence - personal issues with team.
Chrissy Fisher - more playing time
Kalika France - injuries/personal issues
Kat Lyons - personal issues
Christie Marrone - injuries
Sa'de Wiley-Gatewood - personal issues
Marah Strickland - no idea, but possibly personal issues
Drey Mingo - more playing time.
That's not good for the program nor for recruiting as other coaches will use that against us. Now the argument will be that only Marah was a huge loss because the others weren't playing that big of a role. It's still 9 maybe 10 kids.

5. Will this summer be spent working on defense?

6. What is the status of EDD or Elena Delle Donne? Yes, she has quit volleyball at Delaware and begun to work out with her high school basketball team, but is she a player we want? She's already shown she's a headcase and what's going to happen when the pressure of a game gets to her.

7. The Walz/Frese dynamic. I have no idea if they don't talk, I remember an article last year that hinted that they weren't best of friends. Also, for Walz to make that comment at the end of the game shows there has to be some bad blood.

8. Is it time for some coaching changes? Coach Park was supposed to be almost on par with Coach Walz as he was a rising star in the coaching world. Yet last year he seemed more focused on crushing teams, because he could and this year the defense has suffered and the offense revolved around KT. Any article about KT, mentioned Daron, but I don't recall many about Marissa and Daron. Coach Floyd is the recruiter, heck she couldn't even go to the regular season-finale because she was recruiting. I have also heard that Coach Park would rather watch game film than watch high school kids.

9. Is Walz going to take our kids? Mingo and Marah won't go to the ACC because there's a two-year rule. And I am not sure about Walz as Brenda has to approve the schools they can go to. She could easily block them. Walz did recruit them so it wouldn't be a shock.

10. Ed in Tampa and Andrea. Gail wasn't getting support from Duke and Texas threw money at her. That's why she left.

11. Under the Shell, I have no idea what happened to the first three seasons of the show and why they were removed.

12. How much longer will Brenda stay? Negative Press is growing, kids are leaving and recruits are going elsewhere. Slowly the shine is fading from her star. Will Brenda look to rebuild another program, possibly in Southern California this year or will she wait until 2010 to see how recruiting plays out?

Final Thoughts: I see 2009-2010 as a struggle year for the Terps especially if Kizer leaves. Liles and Kizer are like peas in a pod and who knows what affect it will have on her. Plus we would have 3 post players with very little polish around the rim. On the perimeter we have three slow guards and a speedy one in Taylor. Taylor is also 5'5 so she will need even more space to get her shot off. If we do focus on defense, it's going to be hard to ingrain in kids who never had to worry about it to suddenly start playing it. Also, will we make adjustments during the game? From my POV, we were outcoached in every round but the first and made it to the Elite 8 on talent. I see us making the tournament, but getting to the Sweet 16 will be an accomplishment.

Agree/Disagree let me know.

25 comments:

Anonymous said...

Joey, thanks for the great summary. I can't imagine how long it took to write that and respond thoughtfully to the various posts/questions.

I frankly think Park's time is UP. Last year, there really was no reason we shouldn't have gotten to the Final Four (I can think of some this season) and he's proven that he's not that good enough at strategy to justify his dislike of recruiting (see Gary Williams as the opposite).

I don't see Brenda leaving THIS year, but I'm very concerned about the repeated departures and the impact that has on recruiting. At some point, one has to wonder why we've lost nearly a player a year under Frese - do we know how this # stacks up compared to other elite programs?

The fact that we don't seem to play defense can't help with recruiting because, under Park, our offense sometimes seems a little star-heavy (so recruits may be scared of what will happen if they're not a star). I'm willing to be patient for another year to see how things develop...maybe they'll improve.

As for EDD, I think she'd fit in great with Brenda given Brenda's generally encouraging personality...I do think, however, that MD should steer clear of headcases (see Marah Strickland) in the future. I think if EDD decided to come to MD, she'd fit in well and probably enjoy it (but, I'm biased as I'm a MD alum).

As far as Kizer, I am really hoping she doesn't leave...we REALLY need her and frankly, I think that if she goes, we're really going to struggle. On the other hand, I'm excited to see Barrett & Rodgers and think they both seem like good players and nice young ladies. I think Rodgers is an upgrade from Strickland on every level and Barrett is actually a better ball-handler than KT.

As for the defense: completely agree on going UNDER screens. NO, NO, NO. Every fan knows that's a recipe for a three...how do you think Louisville beat us - not with McCoughtry, but with Becky Burke who daggered us 3x that game. I have to admit that I'm interested to see if the defense improves now that KT is gone - as much as I love her, she was a horrendous defender - I can't count the # of times she'd be in the paint as "help" defense and the ball would end up kicked out to someone wide open on the perimeter. Oy. Perhaps it sounds counterintuitive to say that things might improve defensively with KT gone, but I thought that Barrett & Rodgers have both shown themselves (already) to be better and more committed perimeter defenders. We'll see, I guess.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the nice summary.

As much as I love this team, it is such a disappointment for the last 2 years. With the talent we have, we should at least go to FF a couple of more times.

KT is great but I think Marisa is the one who really carries this team. We go as far as she can take us.

I totally agree with you about Coach should get into the faces of the players at times. Looking the 2006 game, where were the excitement and hungry at our final game?

I like to support Coach B. But with so many talents we have (on the last year's roster, we have 4 top 10 WNBA drafs), we were much underachieved in the last 3 years.

Hopefully we are not following the direction of the Men's BB team after Championship year.

Andrea said...

I actually found this site by mistake before the ACC Tournament and I've been coming here ever since. You run a great site, Joey.

4. Kizer's possible departure is a real head scratcher for me. I have no clue why she might leave, but I guess we'll find out why if she does go. I find it odd that so many players have left since Coach Frese was there. I haven't been following the team that long, but that's still a lot of players. It's only a matter of time before more ppl start asking questions (if they already haven't)

5. I think it will really depend on who's still there next year

6. Say no to EDD if she did look at Maryland. Like you said, she's a head case so I definitely wouldn't touch her.

7. Even though Walz comments were spot on, it still seemed to be a shot at Frese. I really don't think they like each other but being on the outside looking in, you can never really tell.

9. Mingo's from Georgia so I think that's where she may end up. No clue where Marah may go. I think it would be interesting if Marah tried to go to Walz and Branda blocked it.

10. Thought so

11. I'd love to see the 2005-2006 season of UTS

12. I really don't know. Even though I've heard ppl say repeatedly that this was her best year coaching at Maryland (which I disagree with), this season will be a true test regardless of who's on the roster. Even if no one had left or will leave (other than KT/MC) I would predict that this season wouldn't be much of a success anyway at least not compared to recent years. How will Brenda fare with no pieces of that Nat'l Champ. season around? Ppl will be watching to see what happens now. I don't know how much longer Coach Park will be around, but I wouldn't be broken up to see him go. Another thing is the defense. Unlike the '08tourney when Stanford hit everything even when the shots were contested, the Terps really showed against Vandy and L'Ville that defense was an afterthought. I really don't think the program will go anywhere unless that mindset is re-shaped (at least) or changed completely.

Anonymous said...

Allow me to ramble a little bit for time sakes. I will respond more in detail soon. I agree and disagree with some of your comments.
Overall, given that we lost 4 seniors, I think the team played well. It could have been a lot worse! So, I am thankful that we went as far as we did. Of course, I wanted to win everything but it is water over a bridge now.
2. Adjustments Never happened - AGREE
3. Kids were never developed throughout the year. – AGREE with limitations because we really do not know the complete story.
4. Motivation. TOTALLY DISAGREE. I do not think that yelling and screaming at kids is a motivating tool. Certainly, it should not be considered tough love. Example, it is like a man slapping around a woman and after he beats her up he says, “so sorry – I really do love you”. Look, these are kids, still impressionable. They should have the opportunity to enjoy their college years. They get enough pressure from their parents, who are re-living their youthful goals through their children.
5. Defense – AGREE.
And now we head into 2009-10 with a ton of question marks and concerns. I did not see Jackie’s name on the rooster.
Mingo is gone and Strickland left today. that's two AAs. It is their choice to transfer. In all honesty – it might take a while for Brenda and her staff to rebuild the team. I am certain they want to join a team where there is a greater opportunity to win a championship. There is nothing wrong with their decision. Does it reflect badly on Brenda? I don’t think so.

7. The Walz/Frese dynamic. Who cares and so what! There is always sowing and reaping process. A secure manager should expect their subordinates to succeed.
8. Is it time for some coaching changes? This is a no brainer. I hope Brenda stays for as long as she wants. She is an excellent coach, leader, and motivator.


9. Is Walz going to take our kids? I would say to the young ladies that the grass is not always greener. Just ask my ex!


12. How much longer will Brenda stay? Nobody knows. She is adorable so I hope she stays for long time.

Anonymous said...

I would like to comment on what the previous comment said about "yelling and screaming at kids'.

yes, they are still kids. I think that's probably one of the reason why College coach needs to get into the player's face at times.

Everyone will notice how Coach B got into the faces of KT and MC. And I remembered Coach B said she was just telling them she believed that they could do better.

It is still a college sport, even if it is women's basketball. It is just part of the the way how the players can learn and grow from a great coach.

Anonymous said...

I read somewhere that kizer felt that she was blamed for the Louisville loss. I still don't think that that seems to be a full reason for leaving but then again Marah Strickland doesn't really seem to have a reason.

Ed in Tampa said...

Great blog.
Team really needed 3rd scorer. I thought we found it in Kizer. She scored 22
against GT. I dont understand why we didnt dump the ball more inside to her.
Louisville was classic game of no adjustments. Coleman is getting double teamed, call timeout, run offence plays taking advantage of open player when Coleman double teamed. why wasn't this done, because Brenda depended too much on Coleman throughout the season.
I only believe in getting in a players face if they make lazy plays or not trying hard on defence.
I agree, where is the defence? very disapointing aspect of Md Womens basketball.
Wow, only 7 active. I still think 3rd place ACC. I think Liles and Kizer can dominate inside and thats a great building block in basketball. The question is the guards.
How does MD rank with other top womens programs in players leaving? Maybe this is common. I dont know. Women can be fickle.
Brenda Freese, bottom line is she won Nat Champ, deserves to be Coach as long as she wants at MD. I feel the same about Gary Williams.
I've been a Marland fan a long time. I go back to the Lefty days. Alot of whats said about Brenda, they used to say about Lefty, Great recruiter, cant coach. I liked Lefty and thought he was a great Coach. Like Brenda, He came and built a program. MD Mens basketball was a joke before Lefty. When Brenda came, no one went to MD Womens B Ball games, now they pack them in, thats impressive. Hey, I follow the team. I even get razzed by friends here in FL for folowing a womens basketball team.

Here are the Headlines I want to see next season. MD dominates paint as Freshman guard sensation runs team.
Keeping my fingers crossed.
Peace
Ed in Tampa

Anonymous said...

Ed, as a fellow alum, let me be the first to say, I completely agree - I love the loyalty of the MD alumni - yet another reason the University of MD is great!

Anonymous said...

Ed,

Loved your comments - so on point. Just in case you did not know, allow some light: fickle means:

Characterized by erratic changeableness or instability, especially with regard to affections or attachments; capricious.

[Middle English fikel, from Old English ficol, deceitful.]

Yep, women can be all of these and still do great things. Don't ya think?

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the blog...I disagree a bit on the recruiting point. First, we have 2 Players of their respective states coming in (Hawkins & Taylor) & from what I've heard, Hawkins (& her little sister) is an absolute PLAYER.

On the other hand, I've been disappointed that we didn't get some of the more recent top 10 players - that overlooks the fact that Kizer was #5 out of high school. I think it's a stretch that we've wiffed on all of the top players....maybe it'd help if you'd name names. Do you mean EDD? Well we all know that her parents wanted UCon (for reasons that elude me since UCon isn't that great of a school - it's about 40 places lower than MD on any reputable list). TRP? The oft-injured and apparently chemistry-disruptive TRP? No, thanks.

All that said, Maryland has been in the final list for a number of high profile recruits (including the above, Skylar Diggins, Kelsey Bone (who suddenly switched her final list - weird), Destiny Williams (and BAD things being said about her chemistry-related problems), etc. I think we're in strong position for Lauren Mincy (& I hope we get her) and quite a few other elite players.

To me, recruiting isn't the issue - it is 100% defense and the nasty "kill your opponent" attitude that UCon and other programs have. Could be that's just not how our coach wants things and you know, as long as we keep winning, I'll take it. I'm pretty sure I have some RED-tinted glasses, but my loyalty is to the institution BEFORE any coach so I have to say that I am overall very happy with Frese...she relit the fire, won a Natty, has been to 3 Elite 8s in 4 years, won an ACC Championship (tourney & reg), and has us consistently in the running for very elite players. I guess looking at her broader record makes it hard for me to understand why she's getting so much flak.

Anonymous said...

Joey, I appreciate all your thoughts, but I think you are using some specious facts and inconsistencies to make your points.

For example, you complain that it took too long for Kim Rodgers to show what she can do this season, yet later you acknowledge, looking at NEXT year, that she has injury problems. You can't have it both ways. And you count Christie Marrone as a player who "left" under Coach B, when Chistie never left at all and you in fact correctly list her as injured.

And Alli Spence? Didn't she start her career at Old Dominion and leave THERE because of injuries? Kat Lyons -- parents who thought she should start over KT, and who now has left Marist and recently SUED that school? The story is awful and I feel sorry for Kat, but I think some of the departures you are listing are wrong and/or cannot be blamed on the coaching staff here. Doesn't mean it makes the Md program look good, but I think you've gone a little overboard on the list.

Am I disappointed that we didn't get to the Final Four this year? Of course. But I think that one NC and two additional Elite Eights in a 4-year stretch is quite an accomplishment for any team.

Anonymous said...

Hi To All,

Hi, I am a huge MD women’s basketball fan living in San Diego, CA. I think that I am the only one out here

Personally, I think that Brenda is doing a great job. She took a team that was at the bottom of women’s basketball and brought them back to the top. She has been able to have 9 of the top 10 crowds in ACC history. She has been able to bring in some of the top recruits in the country to MD. She has been able to consistently challenge for a No. 1 seed the past few seasons. She has also brought us our only women’s National Championships.

Marah Strickland and Drey Mingo:
Many top programs go through this once in a while. I am not sure about the statistics but it happens. Look at Rutgers. This past season they brought in 5 McDonalds All Americans. Two of them have already transferred (Jasmine Dixon and Brooklyn Pope) and it is rumored that others may follow.

I remember reading that Pat Summit has recruited 153 players during her 35 year career and out of the 153, 23 transferred out of her program and 6 simply quit the team.

Again, I am not sure how that stacks up against other top women’s programs. It is easy to criticize a transfer without having the inside scope as to what really may have caused a player to leave. It could be a coach sticking to their guns on team policies or players not able to fit into the team environment.

In Drey’s case it’s probably evident that she wanted more playing time. In the case of Marah who knows. The bottom line is they both have left for their own reasons and its now the coaches job to bring in top players who want to be at MD to replace them.

PAST SEASON:
First, I do agree that going forward Maryland needs to focus on defense. They simply let teams just stay in the game with their lack of attention on that side of the floor.

Second, I agree that players need to be allowed to develop. In addition to that if a player is not doing what she needs to on the court I think it is totally okay to get in her face and let her know that.

Third, I think that MD needs to not get caught up in having a one or two player system. I remember a while ago when Gail Gestenkors (I think that’s how you spell it), while coaching Duke, made a statement that she would never rely on one player ever again (she was referring to Alana Beard).

I think this past season was good on many levels but I think it also ended up being about two players. The beauty of the 2006 National Championship team was the balance they had. That ideal got lost somewhere in the middle of this past season. I think it was right around the Florida State win.

FUTURE:
I think MD will struggle a bit next year but should make it the NCAA. How far they make it will be interesting. They do have some good recruits coming in next year (Dara Taylor, Hawkins, and Townsend) and already have two good commits (Alyssa Thomas and Natasha Cloud) for the following year. I know they are in good standing with a couple of other top recruits. I think the focus this summer needs to be defense, defense and more defense. In addition it needs to be hammered in these incoming player’s heads that no matter what the score a game is not over until the final buzzer sounds. That means you play hard for the entire 40 minutes even if you are up by 30 points.

I am looking forward to what the 2009/2010 Terps have to offer! GO TERPS!!!!!!

Joe

Anonymous said...

Regardless of what happened last season, we have two talented young women playing professionally. It is their dream come true. I believe that Brenda and her team will prepare a few more ladies for this same path. In the end - it is all about the players and their future goals.

Anonymous said...

I can't imagine that negative posts like this, from someone who claims to be a fan, would help recruiting. I'm just sayin'

xwomynjoc said...

I'll tell you what, if some of you had sat through any game from the 92-92 season til Coach B's 2nd yearhere, you would maybe get why many of us (Speaking for myself mostly ) really like where this program is and have hopes that it will continue to prosper. There have been issues, but 10 years in the dumps is nothing compared to what we have now.

xwomynjoc said...

I meant the 92-93 season It was the last good one.

Anonymous said...

Always important to remember where you come from & for that reason, I'm 100% behind Coach Frese...to me, she gets awhile to reload. I wouldn't be surprised if we're back in the Final 4 next year, provided we keep 'Netta. I just feel like, as long as Coach B is around, we're going to be competitive and I'm happy about that!

Anonymous said...

For what it's worth, I can't see how you can count: the 3 Weller-era players, Christy Marrone (who graduated & was way TOO slow and out of shape to expect to play), or even really Sade Wiley Gatewood who basically played almost all of her eligibility save a few games. But even if you count Sade, that really makes only 6 players in about 8 years....these days, that's par for the course. Let's calm ourselves and stop flaming out.

Anonymous said...

I am behind the Freese and Lady Terps all the way. GO TERPS!!!!

Anonymous said...

It is my understanding that we all support Brenda and her entire staff. Nevertheless, it is always good to provide construtive comments. This blog is an excellent vehicle to do just that.

Many thanks to Joey for creating this blog for fans to voice their opinions.

I stand by Brenda 100%. I believe she and her staff will create a winning team next season.

Years ago, I recall how the press & fans pumped up Joe Gibbs when he was winning and pummeled him when he was losing.

Brenda, you have my support through thick and thin. You bring honor to women sports.

Anonymous said...

I believe a person has the right to transfer if they deceide to do so, these ladies go in with their eys wide open, did it ever occur to anyone that maybe honor means something to some people.Drey Mingo has honor and was very loyal to UM she spent the better part of her freshman year watching girls do what they could do, just for the record each one had something they could contribute, and they were allowed to do just that. I watched her sit on the MD bench, cheer, and support all the players that walked past her to play. She came back a second year for pretty much more of the same. To pontificate about what went on and what did not go on is a complete waste of ones time.One would think if a player was not good enough you would think the decent thing to do would be to let that player know and that player could move on. The word selfish is not a word that should be used when speaking about Strickland or Mingo To say Mingo did not contribute, did anyone consider the fact that maybe she was not allowed to. I thought she should have left last year, I believe coaches have a certain amount of responsibilty to players these are young ladies that are still finding their way. The negative press is awfull.College sports is a business. Marah Strickland, head case? based on what,? garbage being said, everybody knows everthing and at the same time we know nothing. People say some really rotten things about others.And to ask about departures as far as the departures go can they all be screwed up!. I don't think so I think if a non player and a player deceide to leave then maybe there is something eles going on. The truth will always prevail.The players that have moved on to the next level compared to Dukes ( Alana Beard and Curry )are not doing much since they have gone pro the duke playes went in right away and made a difference. My point is when the powers that be are in your corner the results should be different, what happens to these kids when thay are not. When a coach is placed in the position that they are in it is a huge responsiblity which gives them a certain amount or power,along with the power, much is expected. Sometimes while we are looking up we forget about the road we traveled to get to the top. Now lets see if one can keep that status. Were the program goes will be based on whats at the top. Reep what you sow, so shall you reep

RS said...

So good to read comments about Maryland womens basketball. I was a womens basketball coach in Minnesota when Brenda brought the gopher program to new heights.
I was hoping KT would have an outstanding game against Louisville but it didn't happen so we are on to next season.
I know a lot of people have a lot of ideas about how to best run a basketball program - recruiting, defense, etc. and that makes basketball so interesting. I have a lot of confidence in Brenda and she knows very well the limitations of her players. You recruit a player and hope that she will reach her potential and you do what you can to help her do it - there are so many variables - One of the most difficult meetings coaches have with players is to have the one on one meeting at end of the season and tell them where they stand in the program - You must be honest with each player for the best interests of all involved.
Today's college game is very competitive and the sport is growing rapidly. Recruits are going all over the nation as we can see by this recruiting year. I was watching Tennessee this year and Pat has a real struggle going on in her program.
I am hoping Dara will handle the ball with control and reveal excellent leadership. Essence could be a dominant force in the paint with her shot blocking skills. We have a good group of outside shooters so we could have a well balanced club going into conference play - could be like last year where we finished the last half of the year as one of the best basketball programs.
I am so impressed with the attendance a Comcast - People love Maryland basketball.
Looking forward to another fine season. In our Great Spirit - RS

Anonymous said...

do not sleep on the barrett and rodgers kids. heard they have been working really hard and have lost alot of weight... stay tuned to next year terp fans

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