Mens Maryland Terrapin basketball – what happened? I do not recall a Maryland basketball team EVER getting worse……….. as the year progressed. Teams were either just “challenged” from the get go or there was developement of the players and the team. Not this year. They got worse……….. without losing a major player due to injury or suspension. Maybe the early season high expectations contributed to the disappointment. What it was, was painful. Another year of simply turning the games off, because it was not helping my blood pressure. Plus there were better things to do, like sleep.

Four (4) months ago, I had these boys in the Sweet 16. And unless they win the ACC Tourney, they are (NIT) bound, Not In Tournament. They are just not performing at a level, that they are paid to play at. Paid? I’ll leave that alone for later. Sunday versus UVA, they were up by 17 points – twice – and still lost. The Terps have lost five (5) staright games to UVA, our supposed “rival”. Nice rivalry.The Terps collapse at the end of the game and OT was a fitting microcosm of the year – turnovers, sloppy play and a bad attitude. Can the Terps head to the Big Ten now? I hear the Fightin’ Illini need a rivalry.

To many wanna be stars and not enough “team”. Lenny is gone. Is he talent ready? Heck no. Is he money ready? Heck yeah. There goes the Terps chances next year. P’shon Howard – goodbye, just leave, evidently you hung around Stoglin to much and caught some of his attitude. Benefit of the doubt P’shon – your leg is not fully healed? Maybe, but I’m not buying it – you gave up on your team and your coach. Dez Wells – might as well try and go with Lenny. Next year is going to be tough – only the strong will survive. Terps will not be an ACC favorite during their last year in the ATLANTIC Coast Conference.

The team never found a grove for more than one game. The coach never found team chemistry. Hey Turgeon, all that talent, six (6) months plus and you still can’t hook-up 5 boys out of 9, to play well together? For most of the year – Lenny and Dez Wells started, Layman and Faust seemed to be his next two probables. It didn’t really matter who started. What mattered was, finding out who came to play that game? Turgeon rarely found it. Kentucky, Va Tech (first game) and of course Duke (minus that Kelley guy). Come on Turgeon, are you a recruiter or a coach?

I don’t even think he knew halfway in. Yeah, Turge, you left the Terp fan base scratching our heads also. At times, it appeared Turge was “Dazed and Confused” – (Led Zep). Maybe he should have consulted with the “Turgeonites”? Besides the 3 games mentioned above – the Turgeonites were part of the few positives from this year. Positives – Seth Allen, Shaq Cleare, Charles Mitchell and Faust on occasion. Really though, they never got any better than when they first stepped on the court. Rough year, again, to follow. What the heck was with the turnovers? I’ve watched high school games with better ball control. To many wanna be’s, not enough team.

No point gaurd, no center (when Lenny leaves), no “go to” guy, no calls from the ACC refs – Maryland basketball next year in the ACC – is gonna be tough. But hey, you know what? Who cares? They beat Duke! GO TERPS!

Side note – I believe I just heard the Ravens made another “bonehead player loss - after winning Super Bowl - move”, by trading their best “go to” receiver, to next years Super Bowl winner, the San Fransisco 49ers. The year following their first Super Bowl win - they let the QB, leader of the offense go, (Trent Dilfer). Now they let one of the most talented wide receivers in the game and another team leader go, (Anquan Boldin). Both main cogs in the wheel that got them to the Promised Land. Ravens – I’m done with you. Let’s Go O’s!

D.I.Y.

Fedman

There may be something cooking down at College Park and the pot is labeled Mens Maryland Basketball. Strap yourself in Terp fans, I think we are on the brink of a two year ride. It appears mens basketball is back at a high level in Terpland. Mark Turgeon has gathered quite a fistful of talent down there.  His biggest challenge is going to be finding team chemistry. Predicament being, he may actually have two-fistfuls of talent.

Only four players left from Gary Williams recruitment crew – Padgett, Howard, Faust, Len. Add Turgeon recruits  Mitchell, Allen, Layman, Cleare and addition of Dez Wells………..you have the recipe for a pretty good ball team. They are young. The only two legit upperclassmen “starters” are James Padgett (Sr.) and Pe’Shon Howard (Jr.). Tough to pick a starting five ………..and that’s a good thing. The addition of this Dez Wells cat was a surprise to me. Caught me off ex- Xavier “guard”. I wasn’t up on the potential of his acquisition. SO, last week when I heard of “The Decision” to let Wells play without sitting out a year and he was “available” for the Kentucky game – my first thought I cannot print, my second thought was - WOW, Terps have a shot.

Alex Len (Lenny), has turned into a beast. He has bulked up, appears he has strengthened and found his hands, his shot is smooth and he looks hungry……..watch out Mason Plumlee. Faust has followed suit. Johnny Holiday reported Faust was shooting 500 jumpers a day in the off season……..watch out ACC. Padgett brings intensity and experience. Pe’Shon looks like he may have to be the Mr. Reliable/settle things down guy. That’s if and when the Wells/Faust run and gun goes rampant. This Jake Layman young lad appears to be a shooter and Seth Allen can fly. Then there’s the addition of the two trees down low - ”Baby Shaq”  Cleare and this Charles “Barkley mold” Mitchell cat. Turgeon has 8 potential starters. It looks promising.

Did you see the Kentucky game? Ugly first half, except for Lenny. Lenny had an All-American performance, sophmore debut that night. The team almost came back. Encouraging second half – haven’t seen ball like that at Maryland in quite some time. Game tested comparison – Duke beat Kentucky last night, fairly handily – BOOOOOOO! Did you see the Morehead State game? Another rough start, then talent prevailed. Turgeon was trying to find that groove. It seemed as if every whistle there were at least two new guys coming in. Sometimes he was making 4-player substitutions. It is probably going to be that way up until January. Tough job – weeding out the talent that runs well together. Gee, nice problem to have, huh?

Terps who trotted – Terrell Who? That be – Stoglin. Smooth scorer, kept Terps alive at times last year……..not a fan of Mark Turgeons……see ya Terrell……..suspended or not. I believe his attempt at turning pro fell short. He may be headed to Europe. Ashton Pankey – I think he headed back up New York way, Manhattan College? Mychal Parker – could not find info. Turgeon is settling in. He has gathered and is molding some of these “blue chippers” to send out a message of a new force in the ACC. 

I think this is “Only the Beginning” – Chicago. They are young. They are talented. As Turgeon said, “We are going to win some games.” When a coach says that – he doesn’t mean the low end of “some”, as in ten wins. The Coach is talking - we have a good chance to be a force. It is far to early to speculate, but let’s have fun and call it now…….Top 3 of ACC and onto the Sweet 16 this season. Final Four in 2013-14. They need a “go to” guy. They need the freshman beef (Mitchell and Cleare) to step up. They can’t lose Lenny. The pot is a brewin’ in Terpland and the recipe looks good.

GO TERPS!

D.I.Y.

Fedman