ok..NC time

I have a hard time posting anything because I'm so pissed about the Miami game. Two things are possible: either it took the wind out of our sails or it was a confidence-gaining "moral" victory to come back like that. Who really knows at this point. My ACC w/l predictions are on the mark so far but my original call of an upset of NC here...hmmm now I don't know if I believe any more. One thing is that NC is "due" for a loss and/or letdown. We're having issues with other teams' bigs.

I'm in a different camp on the Miami game.  I had no expectations for the W, because they have fallen apart in the 2nd half of every road game this year....so I came away from the game feeling differently than everyone that's posted about the way the game ended.

I understand the points that Miami was undermanned and how Miami played down the strecth, but I saw the game as a positive.

Offensively they were less choppy than ever before..particulalry on the road.  Len was assertive, and productive, on both ends of the floor.  After starting 10 of 17 at the FT line, they hit their FT's during crunch time at the end of reg and OT. They were without their coach, and managed to push the game into OT...with an assistant coach.

Look...these guys are average at best, and it's easy to get sucked into possibilitites based on the way they have played at times, but they're very undermanned at every position except for Stoglin.

My outlook is to enjoy the upside that they have demonstrated this year...a level of play that I had no expectations of when the season began.

As for the NC game, I have the same outlook as the Duke game. They will play one of their best games of the year, but will run out of gas by the 7 minute mark of the 2nd half. This is their upside...time to accept that Coach T is coaching for next year imo.

Go Terps

Offensively they were less choppy than ever before..particulalry on the road.  Len was assertive, and productive, on both ends of the floor.  After starting 10 of 17 at the FT line, they hit their FT's during crunch time at the end of reg and OT.

Agreed, Mouly; encouraging to see Stoglin enjoy a perfect night from the line for a change.  Another positive to take away was the play of Faust, who looked really aggressive on the offensive end.  I think it's finally sunk in that until his outside shot improves, he's better off taking it to the rim...certainly, he possesses the athletic ability to do so.  He looked alot more engaged and confident out there last night on both ends.

You're definitely in the minority with regard to the taste left in your mouth after that one.  I would have preferred that Miami just maintain the double-digit lead in regulation than to have our boys fight all the way back just to lose to an undermanned Canes team in double OT.  Progress continues to be made, but every once in a while you'd like to see them close the deal and steal one they shouldn't.  Your outlook is a healthy one and shared by most on these boards, I think; I'm still holding out hope for an NIT invitation but we've got a really tough stretch coming up before BC comes to town.

Carolina game feels like the time for a letdown/step back as the Terps regulars are probably gassed after last night's marathon.  Heels in a blowout.


LET'S GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, MARYLAND!!

For your consideration (since some of us were just discussing the merits of calling/not calling timeouts on another thread recently):

Watching the 2nd half of the Duke/Va Tech game tonight and the Devils are up by 21 with about 7-8 minutes left in the game.  The Hokies go on a 6-0 run over the next minute and a half or so, the crowd starts to get fired up, and Coach K immediately calls a timeout even though his team is still up 15 with roughly 6 minutes left in the game.  Result: the run stops, the two teams EXCHANGE baskets for the remainder of the game more or less, and Puke ends up winning by 15. 

I hope Turgeon was watching the game at that precise moment.  Simple, but effective.  I rest my case.


LET'S GOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, MARYLAND!!

BMouly, I think I saw the game about the way you did.
Funny I think we all have two sets of expectations, Pregame and During the Game.
Pregame I had a hope of three maybe four more wins with one being a split with Miami.  The home game a more likey win than the away game.  Now it has to be the home game .
During the game I was sure up and down.
Done with them at the end of the half.  I am with you Terpoboy on that couple minutes where they went to the locker room early.  Then again with the charge, the technical and Coach tossing.  I told myself I woudl watch just a little more.  I liked what I saw after that although Mac I understand the point about a loss by 20 and not by a few.  It was right there for the taking.
Skins you may be right about the Miami game as a point where they don't recover.  The order of the next four games are not in their favor.  I "hope" it goes the other way though.
Hope to play well against North Carolina.  I was looking for an away split with Clemson and Georgia Tech but I think the team will need the win against Clemson to stay positive because then its at Duke.  That could and will probably be three more losses before BC at home.  On paper  that is the only sure win which is a scarry thing.  I hate sure things.

Well we're all just waiting for game time. I guess we've all speculated ourselves into oblivion lol..

The FSU vs UVA game was well-played today and a good watch.  Both of those teams are legitimate tourney teams with a chance to do some damage, IMO; particularly, if Sene gets back from injury for the Cavs.  Lots of clutch shooting from both teams at the end of that one.

No one has answered me yet, so I'm going to ask it one more time: how the hell did the Terps beat Notre Dame earlier this year?!?  The Irish just stuck it to another Top 20 team and now stand at 7-3 in the Big East.  We must have lulled them to sleep/boredom in order to win that one.

Expectations REALLY low for today's game.  UNC's presence on the boards will be the difference.  Heels big.


LET'S GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, MARYLAND!!

 

Please NO 10-0 RUN by NC to end the half!! Please no! We're doing great...Turg call a TO to prevent this!

oh Geezez...hold on to the half!

Where the h*&&& are you guys...at the game??

Man, how I love being wrong.  No matter the outcome, couldn't be prouder of the effort these kids put forth in the first half, especially coming off of that marathon loss the other night.  I like the Weijs/Len combination today...very effective thus far.  Faust is really starting to show some basketball IQ and focus.  I hope PeShon is paying close attention to Marshall today; very few PGs out there who can dish the way he can (8 assists already).  Zeller is a beast!

Amazed the Terps have such fresh legs today; I love their scrappiness, seemingly coming up with every loose ball for a change.  Great energy & atmosphere in Comcast; hopefully, the Terps can ride the crowd's enthusiasm to a major upset.  Also hope the refs don't giftwrap this one for the Tar Heels...some questionable calls already.


LET'S GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, MARYLAND!!!     40 MINUTES!!!

A loss here Mac I'm gonna be more pissed than the miami game. NC is definetly off...game is ripe for the taking. Up by 9 yes! NC WILL go on a run..inevitable no? When it happens please Turg call a damn timeout!!

Len block but he got away with a foul there lol. Great!

Here come the NC run..........wait for it.......

Alex Len playing a good game.  Oops he just goaltended.  2 point game. Fouls are really mounting up for MD here.  Love the effort this game.

NC up by 5...call a TO!
 

Foul trouble and fatigue have added up. Running out of steam...

After a long absence.......GOTERPS1 is FINALLY back! I know you guys were eagerly awaiting my return.  :)

Anwyays, tough loss to UNC today, but I certainly think there are reasons to be optimistic. Just flat out ran out of steam down the stretch. Here are a few of my takes.

1. Alex Len can play very well against other bigs who are long and skinny like he is. He will really struggle against bigger and stronger players like the Plumlees.

2. Nick Faust is not good, yet.

3. Need to make much better decisions in transition.

4. I'm hoping to make it to NYC in NIT.


GO TERPS! 

Well, I was wrong about the blowout but I was dead on re: how the Tar Heels would win this.  Ultimately, UNC just had too much premier talent and size; Barnes & Zeller play at a level that not too many other college players can approach and there are few true PGs out there better than Marshall.  Henson falls firmly in the "bush league punk" category after that last second dunk and stare.  

Lots of positives to take away from this one...AGAIN...but as Turgeon said postgame: "...we're not looking for moral victories."  Nice to hear from you again, GOTERPS, and you're absolutely right about this team needing to make better decisions.  As talented as he is, Stoglin is one of the worst offenders with his never-ending barrage of forced shots.  Holliday, the Wizard, and Knoche were all over him during the radio broadcast for his ill-advised shots down the stretch.  Sooner or later he has to realize that if the D is converging on him, there's a man open somewhere to dish to.

Once again, the officiating was horrible and an intrusion on the flow of the game.  Seems like there's absolutely no homecourt advantage for the Terps where calls are concerned.  I guess that will only come when they start putting some Ws together.  The tough stretch continues with two road games this week.  Sigh.


LET'S GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, MARYLAND!!  

And for the last time this season...GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, GIANTS!!!

Same old same old. When Stoglin and the terps figure out that they have to play the last 7 minutes doing the same things as the first 33, then they have a chance, until then they will lose at the end. At the end of the game once Stoglin got it in his hands everyone knew he ws not giving it up, and just pressured him into a bad shot. This could have been that signature win. How would they be looking if they finish against Miami and today? You could cross every goal off your list, and start planning on at least an nit bid at least.

This was another game where the terps playd smart fast ball and got some top players on the other team into fould trouble, and the terps hit their FT, only to simply hand it away at the end. Even Len had a aurprisingly good game and still it wasnt enough. I did chat with some sane UNC fans, if you can elieve it and they all said they thought MD would be nca bound as early as next year with these young players growing and the new class coming in. They were impressed by some foust moves though so they may not have known much about basketball, because he is a train wreck.

All around good effort, but as Turgeon said they have plenty of moral victories this year. They have played well enough to not be lughed at or push overs, but not well enough to win or for anyne having any expectations of them winning this year. They still need to win on the road and beat a team that they are supposed to lose to in order do everything Turgeon set out to do this year. They had a chance to do both this week. Not quite there yet.