Maryland Terrapins 2010 NCAA Mens Basketball Preview

By Joel Welser

<?xml:namespace prefix = st1 />Maryland Terrapins

Atlantic Coast Conference

2009-10: 24-9, 13-3

2009-10 postseason: NCAA

Coach: Gary Williams (428-233 at Maryland, 649-366 overall)

It seems like Maryland has been carried by Greivis Vasquez and Eric Hayes for quite some time. Now that dynamic backcourt duo is gone and Coach Gary Williams will have to find a couple new playmakers in the backcourt and shift the focus of the team to the more experienced frontcourt. Yet, even without the top three scorers returning, the Terrapins boast a talented roster and enough depth to get back to the NCAA Tournament.

Key Losses: G Eric Hayes, G Greivis Vasquez, F Landon Milbourne

Key Newcomers:

Much of the depth on this team will have to come from the newcomers. Junior college transfer Berend Weijs may not be the most talked about newcomer in the ACC, but Coach Williams has found some diamonds in the rough in the junior college ranks before and Weijs, who is certainly a project, could turn into a solid contributor. Ashton Pankey will add more depth to the frontcourt and can at least grab some boards. Mychal Parker and Haukur Palsson are a couple talented small forwards who will need to provide some depth on the wing and Parker could even sneak into a starting role sooner or later. Pe’Shon Howard and Terrell Stoglin are the point guards of the future and Stoglin could be forced into action sooner rather than later.

Backcourt:

This is Adrian Bowie’s team now, but his lack of experience running the show is where Stoglin could step in. Bowie is certainly capable of running the point, but he needs to turn into a floor leader after averaging just 15.7 minutes per game last year. After playing behind Vasquez and Hayes for so long, transitioning into that role will be harder than it sounds. Sean Mosley will be helpful to Bowie as he tries to emerge as the point guard. Mosley is not a great shooter, but he is a superb all-around player who averaged 10.1 points, 2.6 assists and 5.1 rebounds during his sophomore campaign. He will likely turn into the Terp’s go-to-scorer and could be in for a huge year if he can take over a chunk of the scoring left behind by Vasquez, Hayes and Landon Milbourne.

Frontcourt:

Jordan Williams quickly turned into a force under the basket. As a freshman he averaged 9.6 points, 8.6 rebounds and 1.0 blocks. With the offense relying more heavily on the frontcourt, Williams will be in for a huge sophomore campaign. It is not too much to ask for Williams to average a double-double and continue to improve on his already solid defense. Williams is up for the task. Dino Gregory missed the first eight games of his junior campaign, but eventually turned into a solid rebounder and defender. With Gregory and Williams in the paint, Maryland will be a much bigger team and much better on the glass. Add 6-8, 225 pound sophomore James Padgett to the mix and the Terps have two proven big men and a youngster with a ton of potential.

Who to Watch:

Cliff Tucker has been a mere roleplayer for most of his collegiate career, but there are quite a few roles he can fill for this years Maryland squad. His ability to hit the outside shot could fill a huge void left behind by Vasquez and Hayes. Tucker can be more than a shooter though and he will be asked to do more scoring. Even his 6-6 size will be beneficial on the wing if Tucker does spend less time on the perimeter and more time attacking the basket.

Final Projection:

Maryland may seem like a team moving in the wrong direction due to the departure of their top three scorers and that may be partially true since this team will not likely tie Duke for the ACC title this time around, but this is a good team that should be right in the mix for an NCAA Tournament berth. If Bowie can handle running the show, or if Stoglin is up for the job, the Terps will be looking for more than simply an NCAA appearance.

Projected Post-season Tournament: NCAA

Projected Starting Five:

Adrian Bowie, Senior, Guard, 4.8 ppg

Sean Mosley, Junior, Guard, 10.1 ppg

Cliff Tucker, Senior, Guard, 5.7 ppg

Dino Gregory, Senior, Forward, 4.2 ppg

Jordan Williams, Sophomore, Forward, 9.6 ppg