Players to watch in tonight's game

Under an hour to go until game time let's look at some key players for each team...

Maryland

1. Jordan Williams - I wrote before the NC State game that every game seems as if that is the toughest game for Jordan Williams. Each opponent offers a unique test that Williams must pass. Florida State offered his tallest opponent in Alabi; with NC State he faced his most skilled opponent with Tracy Smith. Now William's must face his strongest (and probably best) foe yet. Despite the team's struggles Trevor Booker has been tearing it up recently and will probably be first-team All-ACC. Booker only had 11 points last year against the Terps, but he destroyed them with 14 rebounds. Williams won't handle Booker by himself, but if the youngster can continue to prove himself against the ACC's best, the Terps will have a great chance to pull out a road win.

2. Eric Hayes - While Greivis Vasquez earned the reputation of the more turnover prone point guard of the the two seniors, Hayes has struggled against high pressure defense throughout his career. In four career meetings, Hayes has averaged 2.75 turnovers per game against Clemson and their full-court press. Hayes has been incredibly reliable with the ball recently (5 TOs in las 7 games), and will need to stay that way even against the press. Also Hayes' shooting has quietly gone cold recently. He is shooting 46% from three point land on the season, but only 33% in the last four games.

3. Adrian (Anthony) Bowie - You can pretty much plug either Bowie or Tucker in this section before every game, and the reason is obvious: the Terps are 11-1 when at least one of the two goes for 7 points of more (surprisingly there are only two games where both scored 7+). The team needs scoring from at least one guard off the bench. Today Bowie gets the nod for two reasons. The first reason is that he is coming off of a 9 point game against Miami. He could have had even more if he didn't go 0-3 from the line. While the Terps usually just need one guard off the bench to provide scoring, it would be simplest if one guy just became consistent, right now that might be Bowie. Also Andre Young will play a lot of minutes for Clemson (see below), Bowie is the best match-up the Terps have for the 5'9 sophomore.

Clemson

1. Andre Young - Demontez Stitt is "very doubtful" for today's game. Stitt has been hampered by a sprained ankle since the NC State game missed the BC game entirely. The Tigers are 0-3 in that stretch and one big reason is Young's inability to adequately fill in for Stitt. In the losses Young averaged only 7.3 ppg (below his season average) despite seeing an increase in minutes. Young has 6 assists and 6 turnovers in the last three games. Whether Stitt is limited playing or doesn't play at all, the Tigers need Young to step up his game.

2. Trevor Booker - Another Tiger that has some health concerns, Booker is recovering from the flu. He's been very good during the three game losing streak (20 ppg, 7.7 rpg), and he'll need to continue that production despite his illness. While Jordan Williams has played well and the Terps kept big men Tracy Smith and Solomon Alabi in check, the Terps' weakness is still inside. Booker has to continue his great play for the Tigers to win.

3. Noel Johnson - Which Noel Johnson will come to play today against the Terps? The one who scored 9 points (on 4-6 shooting), had 4 rebounds and 5 assists in only 25 minutes against BC? Or the one who more turnovers than points, rebonds and assists combined against Duke (2 to 1) the game before? You might expect some inconsistency from a freshman, but with Stitt hurting, Trevor Booker fighting illness and Devin Booker playing with a broken nose, Clemson needs this talented rookie to find a high level of consistency and fast.

Other things to watch:

1. Will the Terps double team Booker? That has certainly been their strategy against strong big men so far this season. With the Tigers shooting under 34% from 3-point land as a team this season and just 25% the last three games, the Terps shouldn't be afraid of the long-ball and they will almost certainly double down on Booker.

2. Greivis Vasquez can move past Steve Sheppard and into Maryland's top 30 all time with 4 rebounds today. 2 steals also moves Vasquez into the top 10 in that category for Maryland.

Because of bad weather, there will be no WMUC Sports broadcast, so feel free to enjoy the game on TV.

- Shane

Notes and Links

Apologize for the blog being a little quiet the last few days, things have been a bit hectic with the start of second semester classes.

Hope you enjoyed last night's broadcast (which you can listen to here), or if you watched on ESPNU, you enjoyed the side line reporting of WMUC's own Norman Carter.

Here's some reaction/post-game stories from around the web:

Patrick Steven's as always provides the game's plus/minus

Washington Post Recap

Baltimore Sun Reap and analysis

Testudo Times appreciates the full team effort.

Ben Gibson at Bleacher Report wonders if the Terp's spot in 1st means they are the best team in the ACC.

Here's a blurb from SLAM online prior to the Miami game. Why post something that's older than a game? Because it's from former WMUC Sports director, Joey Whelan.

· Maryland’s 24-point thumping of North Carolina State announces the Terps as a possible threat for the ACC crown. Consider that the Terps have blown out their last two conference foes (the other being Boston College), beat a good Florida State team and was one or two plays away from being 4-0, losing in overtime to Wake Forest. The road ahead is far from easy, with games at Clemson, FSU, and Virginia Tech, to go along with hosting UNC and Georgia Tech. That doesn’t even include two games each against Duke and surprising Virginia. In two weeks time Maryland could be all but an afterthought in the conference depending on how they respond, but the pieces are there. Greivis Vasquez is playing well and teams with Eric Hayes to form one of the most battle tested backcourts in the conference. Landon Milbourne is a solid second scoring option having a career year and sophomore Sean Mosely has stepped up. They key may be freshman big man Jordan Williams who gives the team a frontcourt player who can bang with the other bigs of the ACC, something the team sorely lacked last season.

Also if you'd like to relive these last couple blow outs you can listen to the broadcasts:

NC State

Miami

Today in MD BBall history

January 27th has not been kind to the Terps over the years. The Terps are just 2-5 on this date over the last 20 years.

1990 - NC State - L 81-61 (A)

Going into the game the Terps were actually 3-2 in the ACC going into the game. However this loss started a five game ACC losing streak. Jesse Martin led the team in scoring with 14 points.

1999 - Florida State - W 107-87 (H)

The lone January 27th win for the Terps was a big one. A blowout win where they scored over 100 for the 4th time all season and for the first time against a big conference opponent. Obinna Ekezie led the way with 22 points. Steve Francis pitched in another 21 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals.

2000 - North Carolina - L 75-63 (A)

The Terps had a 7 point halftime lead, but ultimately Brendan Haywood and the Tar Heels were too much for the Terps. Haywood was supremely efficient shooting 7/9 from the field and 10/11 from the line to score 24 points. Juan Dixon led the team with 22 points, but was only 8/20 from the field.

2001 - Duke - L 98-96 (H)

Just read the game recap (link above) if you don't know what happened.

2005 - Duke - W 75-66 (A)

Four years later the Terps were able to get a little revenge against the Blue Devils this time in Durham. Nik-Caner Medley exploded for 25 points on 8/13 shooting. He also had had 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 4 steals. Ekene Ibekwe pitched in 15 off the bench.

2008 - Duke - L 93-84 (H)

The Terps came into the game riding high, winning six of its last seven games including a road win over #1 UNC. This was my first Maryland-Duke home game and it started out so well. The Terps were up by 9 going into the half. James Gist already had 14 points, and fan favorite was one rebound shy of a double double with 12 points and 9 rebounds at the break. Duke completely dominated the second half out scoring the Terps by 18. The second half outburst was led by DeMarcus Nelson who poured in 19 points in the second half. The loss sent the Terps into a tailspin as they finished the regular season on a 2-6 run.

2009 - Boston College - L 76-67 (H)

Yet another January 27th loss where the Terps were up going into half time. This time they were up 11 on the Eagles thanks to great defense on BC's top two scorers - Tyrese Rice and Rakim Sanders (7 combined points in the half). The Terps couldn't keep that duo locked down in the second half though as the pair combined for 19 points in the second half. This loss started a lot of the controversy that surrounded Coach Gary Williams in the middle of ACC play.

- Shane

MD-NC State Postgame Video

Here's a little video of Vasquez, Tucker, and Williams after their 88-64 win over the NC State Wolfpack:

-Tyler Radecki

What to watch/isten for in today's game

We're 2 hours from tip-off so here are some things to look out for in tonight's game.

Maryland Players to Watch
1. Sean Mosley - Mosley was one of the Terps best (if not the best) offensive option early in the season. However, When the calendar turned to 2010 he started to struggle a little bit in single 8 points or less in the teams first four games this month. The last one of those games was the team's big win over BC. Mosley actually played well in that game, scoring 6 of the team's first 8 points however foul trouble limited his playing time. Against Longwood Mosley busted out with 21 points in 20 minutes. Tonight we'll see if he can put together a full strong performance against an ACC opponent.

2. Jordan Williams - It seems like every game presents a new tough challenge for Williams. This time the question is how will he deal with the array of post moves that Tracy Smith will throw at him. Williams has answered all the questions so far this season and is coming off his second career double double, I expect a good performance from the freshman tonight.

3. Adrian Bowie - If you haven't checked it out, read Steve Yanda's piece about Bowie and Tucker in today's Washington Post. The two bench players have been real up and down this season. Tonight they'll need Bowie to not only continue his offensive production (10.7 ppg the last 3 games), but play good defensive against small, quick guards like Javier Gonzalez.

NC State Players to Watch
1. Javier Gonzalez - Gonzalez struggled against the Terps last year (5 points, 2 assists in the ACCT). However, the junior has really stepped up his game this year raising his scoring from 6.6 ppg to 10.2 ppg and his assists from 3.3 apg to 4.7 apg. He had a huge game in their win over Duke shooting 5-6 from beyond the arc and getting 8 assists.

2. Scott Wood - Despite its hot shooting in the Duke game, NC State is not a great 3-point shooting team. Wood however, is a sniper. The freshman is shooting 50% from deep in ACC play. The Terps have struggled to defend the three at times this year so he will be one to watch out for.

3. Farnold Degand - The senior didn't play in the team's first six games due to a coach's decision, then came off the bench in the next 10 games. He has started the last three games though and has scored 11 points or more in all three games. He's a quick guard who can get into the lane so the Terps' big men need to be ready to help out.

Other notes:
- This is Gary Williams' 1000th game coaching.
- Yesterday in his press conference Williams' did not seem too impressed with the Wolfpacks' shooting, don't be surprised if Maryland drops into the 3-2 zone they've utilized recently.
- Eric Hayes can move past John Gilchrist and Brad Davis tonight with 10 or more points.

Of course you can listen to the game tonight by going to WMUCSports.com and clicking on the Listen Live link under the logos.

- Shane

Gameday Links

Here are some links to get you ready for today's game:

Game Previews - MD
Turtle Sports Report
Shell Games
Turtle Soup
Baltimore Sun.... Part 2
Annapolis Capital
Testudo Times.... Part 2

Game Previews - NC State
Pack Pride
State Fan Nation

Stories
Washington Post piece about Cliff Tucker and Adrian Bowie coming off the bench.
Lefty Driesell, still keeps tabs on his former school. Baltimore Sun
InsideMDSports.com says Dino is finally getting into a rhythm, as he spoke to the media for the first time since coming back.

Today in Maryland MBB history

The Terps will be adding one more to this list tonight at 6 p.m. (Of course you can listen live on WMUCSports.com) But for now these are the games that have been played on January 23rd. Only 4 games with a record of 3-1.

1990 - South Florida - W 84-66 (H)
A convincing out of conference win for the Terps. Every player on the roster got into the game. But it was Jerrod Mustaf and Tony Massenberg that led the way with 23 and 19 points respectively.

1993 - NC State - W 70-65 (A)
One of two January 23rd match-ups against the Wolfpack (before today), and this one is a good omen for the Terps. They cruised to a victory thanks to monster performances by Kevin McLinton (27 points) and Evers Burns (20 points, 10 rebounds).

2002 - Wake Forest W 85-63 (A)
An easy win during the Terps championship season. Five players reached double figures in points (including Tahj Holden and Drew Nicholas off the bench). The legendary backcourt of Blake and Dixon combined for 38 points (19 each) to lead the team.

2005 - NC State L 85-69 (H)
And here's the bad sign for today's game. Julius Hodge and the Wolfpack destroyed the Terps five years ago today. The Terps shot only 40% from the floor in the loss.

Today in Maryland MBB history - 1/22

Once again we have a 6-game day in history. Terps are stellar 5-1 (4-1 ACC) on 1/22 over the last 20 years.

1991 - Boston U. - W 85-59 (H)
Another late January non-ACC game, this was not the only one during this season though. The Terps also played UMBC, South Florida, and American after ACC play began. This win was tied for their largest margin of victory during the '90-'91 season. Matt Roe led the way for the Terps with a stellar line of - 19 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals.

1992 - Wake Forest - L 86-76 (H)
Terps fell short despite 39 points from Walt Williams during his great scoring run that season.

1994 - NC State - W 102-70 (H)
16 years and 1 day before the Terps play the Wolfpack in 2010, they demolished NC State. Five players scored in double figures in the blowout. Joe Smith led the way with eye popping 24 points, 13 rebounds, 5 steals and 4 blocks.

1995 - NC State - W 84-67 (A)
Different year, but same date and same story ... another blowout of NC State. Once again Joe Smith led the way, this time with 26 points, 9 rebounds, 4 blocks and 2 steals. The Terps were able to win going away despite shooting 3/12 from beyond the arc.

2000 - Clemson - W 74-62 (H)
The Terps downed the struggling Tigers with a blanaced scoring effort. Juan Dixon led the team with 18 points, but he was one of five players that scored in double figures. Tahj Holden had a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds.

2003 - UNC - W 81-66 (A)
Another big January 22nd win for the Terps. The backcourt of Steve Blake and Drew Nicholas led the Terps with 17 and 20 points respectively. Ryan Randle had a double double with 16points and 10 rebounds.



That's it for January 22nd.

Coming tomorrow:
- Today in Terps history
- NC State Preview
- NC State Previews from around the web
- NC State Broadcast

The Almost Terps

In this spot every week we'll update you on some guys that were recruited by the Terps and were oh so close to playing in College Park.

We'll start with the guys who were closest to coming:

Gus Gilchrist - USF - On Team Dec. '07-April '07 - Gilchrist of course actually was on the team practicing with them for a half year, after decommitting/"transferring" from VT. He then transferred to South Florida where he could play right away and have his personal trainer hired.

This Season: 18.8 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 1.4 bpg - those numbers are very impressive... but they come in only 8 games. He has not played since December 8th due to an injured ankle. He had 18 and 8 against UVA.


Bobby Maze - Tennessee - Committed in Dec. '07 - Maze was supposed to transfer from Hutchinson CC in the fall of '08 to back up Hayes and Vasquez. He decommitted following Maryland's recruitment of Tyree Evans at the same spot and infamously bad had some choice words about the Terps in this youtube freestyle.

This Season: 8.8 ppg, 3.4 apg, 3.5 a/to - Maze averages over 24 minutes per game for the number 8 team in the country. He had 16 points, 8 assists and 7 rebounds in the Vols' big upset over #1 Kansas. That performance propelled him to being the SEC player of the week that week.


Tyree Evans - Kent State - Committed May '08 - The troubled shooting guard committed to Maryland amid a ton of controversy about his off court issues. Eventually the controversy proved to be too much and he decided it was best for him to go elsewhere.

This Season - 11.8 ppg, .342 3P% - Evans had the reputation as a sharp shooter and a guy who could fill it up. It seems like this might not have been that big of a loss after all.

Terrence Jennings - Louisville - Committed August '07 - Jennings was a top 20 player in his class and had Maryland salivating at the possibilities with him in the frontcourt. However, he decommitted just a month later following questions about his ability to qualify.

This Season - 5.3 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 1.2 bpg - Jennings hasn't dominated as many thought he would. In fact his minutes are quickly dwindling - 5.3 mpg the last 3 games. However, he is still just a sophomore and could still become the player many thought he would.


Next week we'll look at some guys that are freshmen this season including: Lance Stephenson, DeShawn Painter, Arsalan Kazemi and others.

If you have any players you want to hear about let us know in the comments section.

- Shane

Today in Maryland MBB history

In this section we will take a look at who Maryland played on this date in years past. The history portion of the title will actually be just recent history. The look back will go back to the 89-90 season, the start of the Gary Williams Era (also known as the start of terrapinstats.com game logs).

Without further ado, January 21st in Maryland basketball history...

A popular day for games over the last 20 years. The Terps have played 6 times over the last 20 years. They are 4-2 in those 6 games, 3-2 in the ACC. Let's take a closer look at each game...

1997 - Penn - W 103-73 (Baltimore Arena)

Here's the one non-ACC game played on this date. Similar to Tuesday's game against Longwood, this was a non-conference game that came when the Terps would otherwise have a week off in ACC play. Current assistant coach Keith Booth led the way with 26 points and 12 rebounds. Rodney Elliot poured in 22 off the bench in the rout.

1998 - Georgia Tech - W 70-67 (A)

Much closer than the previous year. This one was a nail-biter that required three clutch free throws from Sarunas Jasikevicius. Jasikevicius sank three free throws with only 1.3 seconds left after being fouled by Matt Harpring. This one was a balanced scoring effort with five players scoring in double figures and no one scoring more than 16 points (Rodney Elliot).

2001 - NC State - W 75-61 (A)

Juan Dixon came into the game carrying a steak of 11 straight games with 19+ points. In this game the banged-up Dixon scored just 2 in 11 minutes. However, Terrence Morris and Lonny Baxter more than picked up the slack scoring 20 and 18 points respectively.

2004 - Duke - L 68-60 (H)

The first January 21st loss of the Gary Williams Era can be attributed to one of College Park's most hated players... J.J. Redick. Redick led the #1 Blue Devils with 26 points including 5/6 shooting from beyond the arc. His hot shooting was enough to overcome the fact that only one team reached double digits in points. The Terps were led in scoring by Nik Caner-Medley with 21 points.

2006 - Virginia Tech - W 81-72 (H)

For the second year in a row Nik Caner-Medley poured in over 20 points on January 21st. This time it was actually 23 points, and it was in a Terps' win. Maryland actually trailed 38-37 at the half before going on a 10-3 run early in the second half. The victory was Gary Williams' 347th, one short of what was then Lefty Driesell's record.

2007 - Viriginia Tech - L 67-64 (A)

Another 1/21 match-up against the Hokies, and the Terps once again found themselves down one point at halftime. However, this game ended in heartbreak for the Terps as they lost in overtime. Maryland was down by 8 points with under 7 minutes to play in regulation, before coming back to tie the game with under 2 minutes remaining. D.J. Strawberry, who made free throws to tie the game, led the Terps with 16 points.

That's today in history.

- Shane

Better Late Than Never

As we strive to advance the coverage of Maryland sports that you will receive from WMUC Sports, we have added blogs for each sport over the last year and a half. During this period some blogs (like the women's basketball blog) have been very active. So far this blog has been the opposite of active... non-existent. However, with ACC season and spring semester starting now seems like appropriate time to bring this blog to life.

What you can expect from this blog:
- Links to listen to broadcasts - both live and full re-broadcasts of games.
- Highlights from WMUC men's basketball broadcasts
- Audio stories and quotes from the news crew
- Daily links to stories about Maryland basketball
- Today in Maryland basketball history
- Weekly check-ups on current recruits (Mon.) and former recruits that got away (Thurs.)
- Weekly links for the teams around the ACC (Fri.)
- And of course lots of analysis from all your favorite WMUC broadcasters

Hope you enjoy the blog... even if it is only half the season.

- Shane