My Terps in Miami tonight

13-10 on the season in Terp games

I'm not going to spend a bunch of time talking about the FSU game.  The Terps are young and prone to entire games or halfs like that.  Terps played great in the first half and should have been up by close to 20 at the half.  They played as bad as I have seen in 10 years in the second half and couldn't do anything right.  It happens.  Sorry to anyone who tailed what was a very big play for me.  I really do think I had it capped right but sometimes the totally unforeseen happens.  Terps will learn from it which doesn't help those of us who lost money but thats betting.  I stand by my analysis of what should have happened in that game 8 out of 10 times. 

 

Write up on the Miami game coming up in a minute.

Maryland has not played anybody and Miami has just reeled of 2 impressive wins on the road.  Maybe i am a little pissed because Maryland cost me against FLST but i bought into their record without looking at the caliber of their competiotion.  I believe Miami is to big for Maryland to matchup inside and the crowd will be crazy and if Maryland falls behind early this game could get ugly. 

Terps travel to Miami tonight at 8:00 on the U.  Terps are 6 point underdogs and the total is 130.

The Canes have gotten off to a good start this season, save the loss against Florida Gulf Coast (WTF?).  They are missing Reggie Johnson but seem to be making up for his missed production quite well.  They aren't deep as they only go about 6-7 players deep typically and a couple of their players are top 5 in the AVV in minutes played per game.  This is important against a team like Maryland becuase the Terps are deep and will have a good shot at wearing the Canes down some.  This is top level college basketball so these are elite athlets in the best shape but they do get tired like anyone does so somethign to watch.

A couple of keys to this game to watch:

1)  How do the Terps bounce back form a collapse against an FSU team that knocked them around and for which they had no answer when the Big East style play started?  Because the the Terps are young, there really is no player yet that has emerged as a true get in your face leader.  One of the issues with playing so many guys and having such a variety of lineup combinations is that guys ar ein and out alot so who might be the leader if anyone played 30+ minutes every game is hard to see right now.

2)  Terps are going to go with a bigger starting line-up tonight as Turge is starting Shaq Cleare next to Len.  The intent here is clearly to give the harolded freshman a chance to get off to a good start and to send the message to the Canes that we are committed to the inside game and you are going to have to stop it all night.  Len will play the 4.......a 7'1 power forward...lol.  Miami is not huge inside without Johnson though they hold their own.  I'd look for Mitchell to come in behind Shaq as he is playing better off the bench right now anyway and is a better rebounder so we don't miss a beat there.  Then, Layman will play some at the 3 and 4 as he is a much bigger match-up problem since he is a very good outside shooter and can help to stretch the floor some to free up more room inside for Len.

3)  How does Len bounce back?  Len is a lottery pick form everything I hear.  I'm not so sure right now but I'm not an NBA scout so I'll leave that to the experts.  My issue with him is that he shows flashes of complete dominancne and then he has spurts where it's as if he's a 7'1 ghost.  I mean the guy ought to grab almost every rebound and I understand he gets double and triple teamed but damn man, get f ucking nasty some times!  I am optimistic that he will play more minutes than the 20 or so he has been needed in most games so far and that he goes for something like 16 and 13.

4)  Does Turge start to settle into a more defined line-up or do we continue to have 8-10 guys all playing 14-22 minutes?  I love the depth but that being said, we literally have 423 line-up combinations and I think getting into a rythmn is tough at times.  Most coaches would trade with that luxury in a heartbeat but I'd like to see us get settled a little more.

5)  Finally and really most improtantly, our point guard play.....or lack thereof.  We turned the ball over at terrible times against FSU.  We are easily the better team but when you have 18 turnovers, 10 in the first ten minutes of the game when you could out them away, it kills you.  Pe'Shon has got to settle the F uck down and run the offense.  Allen is a f'ing stud but he too plays out of control.  IF either can get the offense running just a LITTLE consistently, we are top 3 in the ACC.  If however we have 18 turnovers a game going forward, we will struggle to be 11-7.  I would not be surprised at all to see Faust at the 1 some time soon.  He did it last year and though that's not his natural position, these are desparate times as we look for a ball handler.

Terps have had a tough time in Miami for some reason.  The crowd typically averages 23 people so it isn't a real tough environment but it is the raod in ACC play and the Canes have some players.  I'm looking for Turge to have the boys aggressive from the beginning and I think  I wouldn;t have wanted to be at practice late this past week as I think Turge could go Gary on you any minute.  This is a pivotal game for the Terps as the next week or so is very tough so stealing one here would be huge.  I don't think the Canes are 6 points better than Maryland.  In fact, I think Maryland is the better team with them missing Johnson.  Both teams play great D so 6 points is a good number to catch.  I think this boils down to the rebounding margin the Terps are likely to have and then turnovers.  If the Terps can avoid a big number there, they win SU.  If they can't, this one floats aorund the 6 number in the end.  I think ball protection will be at a premium, I think the Terps pund it inside to len early and often and I think the Terps cover and possibly get the SU win.

Terps +6 (double play)

Terps ML (half unit)

All due respect man but speaking of doing your homework first, please check this one.  It is very hard for 2,600 people to get too "rowdy." 

If you've folowed me on Terp games long enough (5 years or so), I DO NOT play them blindly.  In fact,l some of our biggest wins have been playing agianst them.  I feel confident in this year's team thus the plays on them so far.  I think their SoS non conference has them being disrespected some but I aslo believe it has little to do with what is a talanted team with depth and a good coach.

Yes you are right they won't draw 12871 people like Maryland did against FLST in their last home game but they will probably have around 5000 people similar to when they played MCST 3 games ago at home where they had 5971 people in attendence.  I like the fact that you follow Maryland games and i respect you're write ups but you're record of 13-10 isn't exactly burning it up on a team that you follow.  With all due respect i will be on the other side of this play

LOL......13-10........look at the full body of work over five years.  Or don't, mox nix to me. 

 

There were 14,157 in attendance at the FSU game by the way.

Only 14,000 there for the FSU game? What has become of MD basketball? I remember when I had season tickets between 2004-6, you would have to contribute $3K a year to get tickets (along with paying for the tickets). Can't believe a school with this large of an alumni base can't sell out games and get behind a coach who is committed to returning the program to an elite level.

Agreed Terps win

Shaq was having back spasms in practice yesterday I just read so I'd assume Mitchell or Layman will get the start in his place.  I read that they expect Shaq to play though.

lmao terps I still remember your BS team who got raped at home by FSU

Thanks for the solid contribution.  Now go get in the car so your mother can take you to church.  Classic.

Yes 14,157 fans i looked up the home game before that and i am not looking to piss you off i am just saying i like Miami in this one.  Hopefully all you're research in the last 5 years pays off for you and you make some money because in the end thats all we are trying to do is beat the book

agree Clark 

Would not be surprised at all to see the Canes come out flat tonite....they have used up all their frequent flyer points with the incredible amount of travelling they've done from early Dec....agree Terps make retribution for that home collapse vs Seminoles

Starting to rethink this game may be im letting the fact that i took a bad beat when i was on Maryland against FLST sway my thinking.  I haven't pulled the trigger yet and i may just lay off this game, plus there have been alot of good insight in this thread that backs Maryland chances of couveing or maybe winning outright.

Hey ACC.....what's the real reason maryland is leaving the ACC? I am still scratching my head over this one   They are a staple in  the conference and will be missed,especially in hoops.

Money. Money. Money. They fit in well academically with the Big 10 schools as well.

Money.  The Athletic Department was going to be $18million in the hole by 2017 based on current defecit and the pace at whic it is losing money.  The payout in the B1G is the best in college sports, the landscape is looking like four major conferences and the Terps jumped while they still could.  DC/Baltimore tv market too attarctive for the B1G to pass on.

Terps Athletic Department is a mess as I personally think Kevin Anderson leaves alot to be desired.  Couple that with our having one team in a revenue sport (basketball) that is even half competitive, a disaster of a football program (not going to get better any time soon) and all of our real success stories athletically being in second tier sports (mens soccer, lacrosse, womens field hickey, womens b-ball, etc) and you have a recipe for disaster.

 

Had to do it....though I will MISS the ACC terribly myself.

ACC

Plus as RCB said, there is evidently a bunch of grant and other money to be had as a part of the B1G academic and research circle. 

I'd assume the ACC will let us wank for closer to $32-32MM based on things I've read and their inability to truly prove Maryland's departure really cost them $52MM.  If resolved quickly out of court, I'd think MD plays i the B1G starting this fall.....but it would have to happen soon.  The collapse of the Big East helps make this happen sooner rather than later as well.

B1G is fronting the exit fee so no skin off the Terps nose anyway.  Even paying back whatever fee, the Terps are financially way better off the day they move.  Money talks I guess.