Pigtown1

 The blog seems pretty quite so I thought I'd post this link about the Stephenson recruiting situation. 

http://www.zagsblog.com/2009/04/20/

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If Xavier Henry goes to Kansas, I think we have an excellent shot, especially since Padgett has already committed to play for the Terps.

The question I have is, if Stephenson does not come to Maryland, does Terrell Vinson?

Also, if anyone is on facebook, I invite you to join the Maryland recruiting groups there.  There's one for football and one for basketball.

Yes, Belmont almost pulled it off. That would have been epic. I'm back to the Terps logo now.

I'll just stay here while I watch my Terps get smoked by Syracuse. I might of forgiven them if they had got to 20 wins, that was my goal for this year.

P.S. did you change your avatar to a Belmont one because they are playing Duke?

Summary:

There were up's and downs this season. It began with three games that should have been easy wins. Although they went down in the W column the games against Hampton and Northeastern were frightingly close and were a tell tale sign that trouble was ahead. Next came the CBE Classic where the Terps poor ball handling and inconsistant shooting resulted in lopsided losses to UCLA and Missouri. The Terps rebounded against Lehigh and beat a respectable Illinois team befor the wheels came off. The next five games included damaging losses to VCU, BC in the first ACC game, Ohio and American. The lone win in that stretch was against  Morgan State. Maryland was now sitting at 6-6 and the season looked bleak. The young terps than ran off 4wins against inferior competition to improve their mark to 10-6 before entering the heart of the ACC season. A heartbreaking loss to VA tech put the Terps at 0-2 in the ACC. It was a game that could have shattered their confidence and sent them sinking into the abyss. The next game against Wake featured the emergence of Bambale Osby and Greivis Vasquez as the Terps moved out of the ACC Cellar. The win was followed by an improbable victory over the #1 ranked UNC Tarheels on the road. This moved the Terps to 2-2 in the ACC and the confidence was beginning to build. Next was Duke at home and Maryland jumped out to a sizable early lead before crumpling down the stretch, despite career highs from Gist and Osby, and dropping the game to the Blue Devils. Bouncing back again, Maryland ran off four straight ACC victories versus UVA, Ga Tech, BC and NC State to take over 3rd place in the ACC with a 6-3 record. The run ended at Duke where the terps faded, once again, and came up short in a game they needed to win to keep pace in the ACC. With a NCAA bid on the line Maryland traveled to Florida State where they took care of business with a ten point victory. Mental lapses and scoring droughts contributed to another crushing loss to Va Tech which was followed with a road loss to a much improved Miami squad. At 7-6 in the ACC the Terps got a much needed win Vs. Wake Forrest to improve to 8-6 and keep their fading NCAA hopes alive. What followed was the most disapointing game I have witnessed in the hisory of Maryland basketball. In a battle for the third spot in the ACC Maryland dominated early taking a 20 point lead into the final ten minutes against Clemson before a complete meltdown. The Terps eventually gave away the game on a three pointer by Oglesby with two seconds on the clock. This game is the beginning of the end for Maryland's 2008 season as they never recovered. They lost the final regular season game to UVA in a must win situation and bowed out to BC in the opening round of the ACC Tourney. So here we are. A record of 18-14 and another trip to the NIT. To add insult to injury they are a 5 seed in the NIT and have to travel for the first round game. This isn't where I, as a Maryland fan, expect the team to be when the Terps open the season with midnight madness. Nor is it acceptable. Some things need to change around College Park. There is no reason for this program to be a NIT team in three of four years. Although tested, my loyalty is still strong. I will live and die with the Terps. Right now I just feel like I am on life support. 2008/2009 is a new season with renewed hope. All I ask for is improvement. Play hard, dont quit. Recruit the best players and coach like there is no tomorrow. Go terps!

The season ends the same way it began. A disaster.

The Horrors continue.  Miami, Duke, Va Tech, Clemson and now UVA. This team just couldn't step up when it needed to. The season was a waste as far as expectations. On the bright side, the young guys got more PT late in the year and there were some bright spots. I didn't expect this team to be all that good. It's a transition year and the back court looks stocked for the next 2 or 3 seasons. The challenge is going to be in the front court. Who is going to step up and be the go to guy inside. Burney looks to be the guy but he's still raw. There isn't any incoming freshman to fill the role. I have high hopes for next year. Maybe Vazquez can learn to play under control, not turn the ball over so much, and the Terps can make a serious run at it next year. This season sucked and we always expect an NCAA bid. Let's just put this season behind and hope it gets better.

The Va Tech game got away. That was winnable and there is no excuse for blowing a 16 point lead at home. That loss has to be the only one down the stretch. They need to beat Miami, Clemson and Wake to stay in the top 4 in the ACC. Dropping any further could spell NIT.

The Duke loss hurt but the remaining games are all winable. This season is starting to mirror last year when the Terps got hot late in the year and moved from a bubble team all the way up to a 4 seed. Gary needs to put this loss behind them and keep the team focused. We need to win the games we are supposed to win and move up the the bracket. One more thing: Keep Dave Neal on the bench. That kid is the worst player to ever put on a Maryland uniform. He makes me sick every time he touches the ball.

I am now a believer. The Terps are on a roll and the young kids keep getting better. The future is bright for maryland.

They looked great in the first half vs. Duke and played well vs. Virginia. I think that team has the potential to beat anyone. They are getting better and will be a top 20 team in the years to come.