Terp's Head Coach Search: Moving to Plan C, D, and So On

Arizona's Sean Miller, Maryland's number one target in its search for Gary William's replacement, has turned down the opportunity to be the head coach of the Terps. Initially it was being reported that Miller would be revealed as Maryland's new head coach on Monday. This rejection is a major blow to the search process as Maryland's athletic director, Kevin Anderson, had to move onto plan B: Butler's Brad Stevens.

Things went from bad to worse when Butler's coaching prodigy, Brad Stevens, also turned down Maryland to remain in Indiana. Now on to Plan C, D, and probably plan E. This is pathetic.

Not only are we having to settle for a lesser-known coach, everyone knows that we are getting turned down left and right. This makes our basketball program look like a joke.

Plan C is Notre Dame's Mike Brey. He's from Maryland and has found success at Notre Dame, but isn't a bomb hire that Stevens or Miller would have been. This is serious business, because if we don't get a respectable coach we risk losing some of the most talented recruits we've gotten to sign letters of intent in a while.

One has to wonder if Gary Williams was really planning to retire, or is it just a coincidence that we get a new athletic director and instantly the coaches of our revenue sports (that support the other 25 sports that don't bring in any money) are fired or retiring. What a coincidence that is. Only time will tell us if these changes are positive for the program.

Wonder what he is thinking right now...

If these coaching replacements are busts, Kevin Anderson will be affecting more than just football and basketball. He'll be affecting every sport. In the event our two big sports don't bring in as much money as in the past, that revenue lossed means we won't be able to fully support the 25 other sports. Let's keep our fingers crossed that that doesn't happen, even though I've already heard rumors on campus that some varsity sports will be cut next year.

Do I trust Kevin Anderson to make an exciting hire? No. See Randy Edsall. Do I trust Kevin Anderson to make a good hire? To be determined. I'm going to wait to see his new coaches in action over the next several seasons.

Gary Williams to Retire

Gary Williams has announced his retirement from coaching after 22 years as head coach of the University of Maryland's men's basketball team.

Terp's head basketball coach Gary William's signature fist pump

There will be a press conference tomorrow, May 6th, at 1 PM in the Comcast Center. 

More information can be found on the official press release on the University of Maryland's official webpage.

Pre-Maryland vs Duke

Inside the Comcast Center, home of the Terps

It's that time of year again when you start to see shirts with "Beat Duke"( or worse, "F*ck Duke)" being worn around campus. It's that time to spend 7+ hours being squished between two tall, drunk frat boys outside of the Comcast Center's student entrance.

The administration has taken a preventative approach to the game this year, sanctioning and supporting the "Beat Duke Week" initiative headed up by the Student Government Association (SGA) in an attempt to reduce rioting. You can see the site at BeatDukeWeek.com

Not only will there be a post-game bonfire, but 60 SGA members and about 40 regular students have been given tickets for special admission. They get in a special entrance at 5:00 and have had their seats reserved (plus they each get to save "one" seat for a friend with a regular ticket). These students and SGA members have pledge to not chant any profanities during the game and will therefore be strategically placed to sit near ESPN's microphones (aka strategically placed in the best seats in the house).

Duke is without Kyrie Irving, who they lost to a foot injury earlier this season. With Irving, the Blue Devils looked unstoppable; without him, this is a winnable game if three things happen:

1. Terps successfully defend the 3 point shot: The Blue Devils are traditionally a very efficient team from long range. They are very vulnerable when they are ineffecient from 3 point land as we saw when Duke went 1-13 from the arc in their loss against St. John's over the weekend. Maryland has had issues defending the 3 as we saw in their outing at Cameron Indoor, but if they can be successful at shutting Duke down or if Duke goes stone-cold from the 3 point arc, Maryland has a shot.

2. Duke has limited second-chance point opportunities: If Maryland forces Duke to take tough shots, the Terps have to rebound and convert Duke's misses to Maryland points. The Terps give away second chance points too often and have the losses to show for it.

3. Duke plays man-to-man defense: If Duke comes out playing the zone, I expect a long night for the Terps. It is no secret that Maryland struggles with their outside shooting and the zone forces them to take those long-range shots. The best example of this is the Virginia Tech game; the Hokies played a zone and, as a result, the Terps struggled offensively. Jordan Williams, the Terp's main offensive threat, all but disappeared from the game. If Duke plays man-to-man, Maryland will be able to run an offensive with which they are familiar and comfortable.

The game starts at 9pm and will be on ESPN.

Hokies Pummel Terps On Their Way To a 74-57 Win

Virginia Tech came out of the gate running, taking a 12-0 lead minutes into the first half and it was clear who had the momentum in this game. The Hokies played an effective 2-3 zone defense that shut the Terps down for the better part of the game with Jordan Williams, the Terps number one offensive threat, disappearing from the game for minutes on end. The Terps' shooting did not help their cause, either, as they 35.7% from the field and 30% from 3 point territory. Mix the disappearance of your star offensive player to your consistent lack of successful fundamentals and you have the illness that the Terps have been suffering from for the majority of this season.

The Hokies were extremely effective on their defensive end. Their 2-3 zone and quick transitions from offense to defense forced the Terps to play in the half court offense, which has been a major weakness of theirs.

Maryland got an offensive spark off the bench in Haukur Palsson, who caused some havoc for the VT defense with his energy off the ball. His movement on the court created passing lanes and opened up opportunities to get the ball inside to players like James Padgett and Jordan Williams. He may have been able to make a stronger contribution, but was limited to seven minutes on the court.

Defense is usually Maryland's strong point, but not in this game. Their defensive rotation was off, leaving a VT player open on multiple occasions. This Terps seemed to lack the mental sharpness they had against teams like Duke and Villanova, and it cost them big time.

If there is one element of the game that should be highlighted, it should be the difference in energy levels of these two teams. VT came out ready to play and the Terps did not and this is the results that Maryland is left with.