 2003
Record: 21-10, 11-5 ACC, NCAA Sweet Sixteen
2003 Round-Up:
2001 showed that Maryland basketball had arrived. 2002 proved that they were the best of the best. 2003 was just as important as either year, because
it showed that the program is here to stay. After
losing four starters from a national championship team, coach Gary Williams simply
reloaded and had a fine season. His formula
for success is derived from his ability to develop raw talent. While Maryland may not draw in the highest-rated
recruits year-in and year-out, Williams has shown the uncanny ability to spot potential
and bring it out after a couple of years of development.
So even though he lost Juan Dixon, Chris Wilcox, Byron Mouton and Lonny
Baxter, he had experienced reserves waiting in the wings. After three years of coming off
the bench, Drew Nicholas shone brightly as a starter.
The duo of Ryan Randle and Tahj Holden did a fine job of replacing
Maryland's frontcourt. Frosh Nik Caner-Medley
did a decent job of replacing Mouton. Of
course, the team's heart and soul was still around: point guard Steve Blake. One of the toughest players in the ACC and a true
leader & distributor, Blake stepped up his scoring as a senior.
Maryland played a very tough schedule and usually
lost only to superior opponents. Their
numbers across the board were outstanding, thanks to its experience and tremendous depth. The Terps led the ACC in FG%, assists, steals,
blocks, FG% defense, 3FG% defense and scoring margin, and were second in scoring, turnover
margin and scoring defense. What wound up
hurting the Terps in the end was a dropoff in talent in the post and average athleticism. Randle was a revelation after backing up Baxter as
a junior, dominating on the boards. But he
wasn't the scorer that Baxter was nor the athlete that was Chris Wilcox. Holden was versatile but could have helped out
more inside. More than anything, the Terps
missed the magic that Juan Dixon provided. In
the end, it was his absence that left Maryland a very good team instead of a national
title contender.
 After a few warm-up games, Maryland lost to
Indiana in Indianapolis. A last second
bucket by Steve Blake was waved off and the game went into overtime, where Maryland fell. Another loss, this time to Notre Dame, immediately
followed. In both games, shooting problems
doomed the Terps. Maryland bounced back with a win against George Washington, but had
their long non-conference home winning streak snapped by Florida. They could only manage 64 points as poor foul
shooting (4-11) and long-range shooting (4-14) let the Gators steal a win. The Terps went on cruise control for a while after
that, beating ACC foes Florida State and Georgia Tech along the way.
Then came a pair of crucial games. The first was a nine point road loss to an
excellent Wake Forest club, where the Terps were pounded on the boards. The second was a stirring home win over Duke, one
in which Maryland overcame a 6 point halftime deficit to win. That sparked a five game winning streak and a 6-1
ACC start. Entering February, the team
started to slump a bit. Maryland coughed up a
12 point lead at home against an erratic Virginia team and wound up losing. Then they went to play a young Georgia Tech squad
and gave up 90 points in a loss. Dropping out
of the top ten, Maryland barely scraped by Florida State on the road. That win fueled a
romp over league-leading Wake Forest, featuring four players in double figures.
The Terps were still in the hunt for first place,
but suffered a setback in a tight loss at Duke. After
a narrow road win against NC State, Maryland narrowly fell in overtime to Virginia,
getting swept by an inferior team. However,
Duke's loss at UNC meant that the Terps would get the #2 seed in the ACC tournament. Their first round opponent was UNC, a team that
Maryland had twice beaten with ease. But the
Terps were flat and overconfident and were beaten by the inspired Tar Heels. Another UNC team nearly pulled the same trick on
them in the NCAA tournament's first round, this time the team from Wilmington. Going ahead with five secnods remaining, UNC-W
only had to play good defense to pull the huge upset. Instead, Drew Nicholas hit an
amazing long range shot with .5 left to win the game.
It was one of the best NCAA games I've ever seen. Once again, Maryland underestimated an opponent
and it nearly cost them. They learned their
lesson, because the Terps went out and humbled their next opponent, the favored Xavier
Musketeers. The Terps overpowered Xavier on
the boards for the easy win. Maryland was
achingly close to the round of eight, but Blake's buzzer shot bounced off the rim as the
Terps lost to Michigan State. Still, it had
been a magnificent season for Maryland, proving that they could take on the nation's
elite. Their leadership wasn't quite as
razor-sharp as it had been under Dixon & Baxter and their attention seemed to wane
from time to time, but this team rallied from adversity again and again. The question is, can Gary keep it going?
Team MVP: Tie, Steve Blake & Drew Nicholas
Best Wins: Duke, Wake Forest, Xavier, NC State
(twice)
Worst Losses: Virginia (twice), North Carolina
2004 Scouting Report:
Who's Leaving: G Drew Nicholas (17.8 ppg, 3.8 rpg,
83 assists), G Steve Blake (11.6 ppg, 221 assists), C Ryan Randle (12.7 ppg, 7.2 rpg), F
Tahj Holden (8.7 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 59 blocks), G Calvin McCall (4.8 ppg, 3.4 rpg)
Who's Coming Back: G John Gilchrist (4.6 ppg, 2.1
rpg), G Chris McCray (3.1 ppg), G Andre Collins (2.2 ppg), F Nik Caner-Medley (5.9 ppg,
3.5 rpg), F Darien Henry (1.2 ppg), F Mike Grinnon (1.6 ppg), F Travis Garrison (4 ppg,
3.1 rpg), C Jamar Smith (5.9 ppg, 3.9 rpg)
Who's New: G DJ Strawberry (#93), G Mike Jones
(#17), F Ekene Ibekwe (#36), C Will Bowers (#116), C Hassan Fofana (#106)
Losing 55 ppg and 23 rpg along with a
tremendous amount of leadership and toughness is a tough obstacle to overcome.  On the other hand, Gary Williams knew it
was coming and could plan accordingly. Nicholas
was tremendous as a senior, shooting 41% from three.
Blake hit 42% of his threes and was 7th in the country in assists. He was also the lynchpin of the team's defense,
putting a tremendous amount of pressure on opposing guards with his strength, long arms,
and surprising lateral quickness. Randle shot an efficient 50% inside and was a reliable
target in every game. Holden was a bit more
erratic but he definitely had his moments, excelling as a shotblocker. McCall did well in his role as bench scorer; his
experience was another luxury for the Terps. He
came on so strong that he wound up earning 13 starts.
So where does Gary Williams go from here?
First order of business is elevating point guard
John Gilchrist to a starting role. Gilchrist
displayed slick dribbling, excellent body control, considerable upper-body strength and a
fearless attitude in limited minutes last year. He
hit 6 of his 11 threes, and will certainly get many more shots this year. Backing him up will be the dimunitive Andre
Collins, a 5-11 waterbug who will have a chance to get some significant minutes. Gilchrist will no doubt play 30-35 minutes a game,
but Collins should be able to spell him reasonably well.
At off guard, frosh All-America Mike Jones will
have an opportunity to start right away. A
rangy leaper who can hit the three, he will provide a very different look at off guard. Look for him to go hard to the hoop whenever
possible, play ferocious defense, and get a lot of shots.
If Jones doesn't work out right away, there are other options. Chris McCray, who hit 38% of this threes in 2003,
will certainly see some minutes and could be a starter.
He was limited by a lack of strength, but Maryland has an excellent weight
training program and he could be much-improved this year.
DJ Strawberry, a very strong-minded young man, might also see some time. I suspect he may spend the first year or two of
his career learning from the bench, though Maryland's depth is such that he may have to be
pressed into action. He's a classic
"scorer, not a shooter" who can finish and loves to play defense. Certainly, if he doesn't help this year, he will
be a factor down the line.
 Nik Caner-Medley is Maryland's top returning
scorer. He showed some grit fighting off
older players for the starting wing spot, though he did struggle at times. Still, he wound up shooting 37% from three and
played solid defense. He doesn't have real
star power, but he should be a productive, double-digit scorer for most of his career. McCray and Strawberry may be needed to help out at
wing, because veterans like Mike Grinnon and Darien Henry are unlikely to contribute much.
Maryland's biggest question marks are in the post. With ultra-quick players like Gilchrist, McCray
and Jones around, Williams has been talking about reinstating Maryland's run 'n trap
pressure defense from the mid-90's. If
Maryland's bigs don't pan out, he may be forced to do this, and I don't think the result
will be a good one for the Terps. While the
press can overwhelm bad teams and force them into errors, good teams can usually find a
way to overcome it, especially if their opponent uses it the entire game. Furthermore, when the pace of the game slows and
it becomes a halfcourt affair, pressing teams frequently don't seem to know what to do. This was true of Maryland up until the
Dixon/Baxter era. The Terps would squash
lesser opponents with their full court pressure, only to get pounded by big teams who
slowed down the pace or squads with excellent ballhandlers and passers, who could break
the press with ease. There's a strong chance that could happen with this team.
The returning posts are former JuCo Jamar Smith
and Travis Garrison. Smith had a good but not great year; he was expected by some to be a
regular starter. He will certainly be able to
get all the minutes he wants this year. Garrison
was a McDonald's All-America who proved to be a disappointment, especially in terms of
contributing in the post. Still, there is
tremendous potential here with his combination of size and quickness. If they improved during the summer, then
Maryland's offense will look a lot more balanced and their rebounding will remain strong.
The Terps have three frosh who will be looking for playing time: Ekene Ibekwe, Will Bowers
and Hassan Fofana. None are considered to be
finished products and all offer something different. Ibekwe is a skinny 210 pounds at 6-9,
but is very quick. He's actually a very tall
wing who is a great leaper and solid shooter. Bowers
is more of a traditional center at 6-11, 230. He
is extremely skilled and has solid fundamentals, but needs to get stronger. Fofana is a massive 290 pounds and will likely
have to shed a few in order to play. He is
incredibly strong and could have an impact in the mold of Obinna Ekezie and Lonny Baxter,
two unheralded big men whom Williams molded into excellent players. Right now, he's not ready to be a scorer, but he
can rebound and play physical defense. Traditionally,
big men at Maryland need at least one season of preparation before they're ready to play,
though some have needed more. At least one or possibly two of these players will be needed
to back up the starters. None of them are
finished products, but all bring something to the table and could see extended minutes in
certain situations. Fofana could be brought
in to guard big men who are dominating the Terps inside. Ibekwe could be very effective in
scoring against slow big men or small wings. Bowers
might be helpful in traditional half court sets.
The 2004 season will be a real test for the
Maryland program. With ACC competition
stronger than ever, the Terps will have to have a lot of things go right in order to
contend for a league title. Even though they
lost four starters from the 2002 team in 2003, the players coming back were a lot more
experienced and accomplished than the group returning this year. The 2004 squad is long on potential but short on
established results, which means that there will be little pressure on the Terps. Williams
historically has excelled in such situations, but there's no question that this year will
be much more of a struggle than the past few seasons.
Given the lack of a superstar, the uncertainty surrounding key positions and
depth and what the other ACC teams are bringing back, Maryland seems like a good bet for
fifth place. They could easily finish higher
if the Gilchrist/Jones backcourt turns out to be dynamite and they get a couple of
productive post players going (especially on the boards). In Maryland's best-case
scenario, they have a chance of winning the league. In
their worst-case scenario, they could finish as low as 6th. Keep on eye on rebounding and
turnover margins; these will be key figures in evaluating Maryland's season. If Gary can yield a lot some positive results
this year, then he will be set for some time because his team is so young. In recent times, he's shown that it's not wise to
bet against him.
Projected Starting Lineup: C Smith, F Garrison, F
Caner-Medley, G Jones, G Gilchrist
Strength of Schedule: .68
Marquee Matchups: Wisconsin, Gonzaga, @ Florida
Mid-Majors: None
Low-Majors: American, George Mason, Pepperdine,
George Washington/West Virginia*
Tune-Ups: Hofstra, UNC-Greensboro, Mount St.
Mary's, Md-Eastern Shore
* BB&T Classic
Comments: This is a solid but unspectacular set of
opponents. Wisconsin beat Maryland a couple
of years ago and will be a top 25 team this year, thanks to a trio of scorers averaging in
double figures and a top-notch recruiting class. Florida
returns prolific perimeter scorers in Anthony Roberson and Matt Walsh and will also be in
the top 25, while Gonzaga is no longer sneaking up on anyone. With big-time scorer Blake Stepp, powerful post
presences Cory Violette and Ronny Turiaf and a solid recruting class, the Zags will be a
huge challenge for anyone. This is the
impressive part of Maryland's schedule.
The less impressive part finds the Terps playing
Hofstra, UNC-G, UMES and Mount St Mary's, all very weak squads in terms of RPI. While Maryland does play four teams in the top
200, none of them are in the top 100. Still, American U has been a fixture atop the
Patriot League standings since they joined the league, and coach Jeff Jones knows Gary
Williams well since he coached against him at Virginia.
George Mason is a fine program that had a down year in 2003 but is predicted
by many to win the Colonial Athletic Association. Pepperdine
is a another solid team that had a down year in 2003, though they aren't expected to be
great this year. Lastly, either George
Washington or West Virginia would be a decent opponent to play in the DC area BB&T
Classic.
Overall, it's probably the right combination of
opponents for a young Maryland team that will need to develop its confidence early on. The low-major teams probably don't have enough
talent to really challenge the Terps but they will make them work, while the top 25 teams
will have legitimate chances to win. Going to
Florida will be a special challenge, since the Gators are so tough at home. Maryland has extra motivation for that game, since
Florida snapped their long non-conference winning streak at home.
Reported by Rob Clough, tmc@duke.edu
#6 - Florida
State
#7 - Virginia
#8 - Georgia Tech
#9 - Clemson
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