COLLEGE PARK, MD.-Red and black clothed fans all buzzing, anticipation in the air, and familiar faces of the past all awaiting the same thing means that Terrapin nation is ready. “Ready for what?” you may wonder. Ready for their beloved basketball team to answer the questions that were raised last season, and consequently, the expectations for this season.

 

Many of the people that were on hand to witness the Terps’ “Midnight Madness” to open the season were pleasantly surprised by all the team had accomplished last season, but that was last season. This season, “Midnight Madness” was all about-what’s next? Last season even with injuries and an overmatched frontline the Terrapin’s were able to finish tied for seventh in arguably the best conference in the nation and ended the season on an exit from the NCAA Tournament in the second round. Now, with key additions in the post, injured players with a clean bill of health, and a returning bon-a-fide college star, Terrapin nation believes they have something epic to look forward to. And Head Coach Gary Williams does not mind that at all, he says he is asked all the time, “‘do high expectations worry you?’”-His response-“We want high expectations.”

The Terrapin men’s basketball team in no way believes that this season will be a cake-walk simply because they have seven returning senior and junior players or because they feel that they have shored up their frontcourt with the additions of larger big men.

“If you look at the ACC this year, you see a lot of good teams that are right at the same level. You don't see a whole lot of difference,” said Coach Williams. “Last year at this time I think most people would have said North Carolina is better than everybody else. This year I think there are more teams at a certain level. Right now, you look at 16 games on our schedule in January and February and there's no lock. There's no game where we say that we've got that game won, that team's no good, we can beat them. Last year, Georgia Tech finished last; they're being picked in the Top-25 in the country this year. I think that's pretty typical of our league. That's what you face every year, that's the great thing about ACC basketball. I think our league, top to bottom, I don't think any conference in the country can do better than what we can do top to bottom.”

Probably the biggest sigh of relief for Terrapins fans was when they heard the news that senior guard Greivis Vasquez was returning for his final year of eligibility. With their best player and emotional leader in place, many of the players had an aura of confidence about the prospect of success for the team. “It was tough,” said Vasquez. “I was really close, but I based my decision on what type of character I want to build (for) myself. My plan on coming back and getting better one more year will help me to be the type of NBA player I want to be. First, I have to take care of what I need right now, which is to take care of getting my degree (in American Studies) and taking the team to the Tournament.”

Freshman Forwards James Padgett and Jordan Williams are being counted on to be “big” contributors this season. They are expected to provide a post presence for the Terrapins this season especially since the services of forward Dave Neal will be elsewhere (he has transferred to Trinity College in Ireland).  The Terrapins, however, believe that Padgett and Jordan, while lacking the experience that Neal brought to the team, may be upgrades in the lineup because they are more naturally inclined to play the power forward and center positions.

“Having Dave was kind of like a savior to us,” said junior guard Cliff Tucker. “He did a lot of things that nobody really thought that he could do. I think Jordan and James could step up like traditional post players and I think that would help us out a lot. If they can play well for us, it will help us out a lot.” Tucker went on to explain, “I think Jordan and James can move around pretty well. I don't know if they can shoot the ball as good as Dave, but I think they can move around pretty well and maybe do some of the same things Dave did for us last year. I think we are a better team.”

The Maryland men’s basketball team has a different demeanor to it than that of last year’s team. Last year many were reluctantly waiting for a season of mediocre to poor play, and even questioning Coach Williams’ ability to lead the Terrapins back to a top contender in the ACC. The skeptics, however, amounted to nothing but fuel as the Terps were able to roll past the less-than-encouraging banter. Sophomore guard Sean Mosley, and former Baltimore Player of the Year believes that the doubters, “Helped us a little bit because it made us come out hungry every game. Even in practice we competed together to make each other better. So when we step on the court as a team it's kind of hard to stop us. So having people against us definitely helped us out a lot last year.”

This season is a totally different when it comes to expectations. Many are predicting that the Terrapins will be a force this upcoming season. There are a lot of people who place them among the top of the ACC and others who even place them among the top programs in the nation. But even though the chatter is in stark contrast of what it was a season ago, the Terrapins seem to be using it the same way they did last year, as motivation. They know that nothing is won on media day, or during “Midnight Madness”, but that they must do the work and claim their place among the elite.

“(We) want to win,” said junior guard Adrian Bowie. “Want to beat Duke. Want to beat Carolina. They're still the top teams in the ACC so if we want to be the top team we've got to beat the top team.”

All of the Terrapins’ supporters realize that the team must put in the work in order to accomplish their goals, but it is simply reassuring if nothing else that they know that everyone from the seniors to the freshmen on the team realize it too.

“I'm excited”, said freshman forward Jordan Williams. “Saturday makes it official, but (Friday at “Midnight Madness”) you get the crowd here and everyone's excited for the season to start. We've all been working hard in the off-season, and now it's time for crunch time and for us to show everybody that we're a team to be reckoned with this year.”

During Terps’ “Midnight Madness”, women’s Head Coach Brenda Frese addressed the crowd and informed them that her women’s team have been undefeated at home for the past two seasons and that beginning with their first game (November 4th) their mantra “We must protect this house” will be taken seriously throughout the season.

Not to be outdone, and showing Terrapin nation yet again what a true competitor he is, Coach Williams stepped onto the home court via a “Jerry Springer-esque” entrance which spurred on the crowd to chant “Gary, Gary”. Coach Williams then waited for the chaos from his emergence to quell and then declared to the home crowd, “We want to win every game we play here, if we can do that it puts us where we want to be at the end of the year…I guarantee you, no team in the nation will work harder than the University of Maryland men’s basketball team.”

And as far as his teams dealing with the expectations, Coach Williams expressed, “I'm really proud of what we've done here, the last 21 years. We're going to continue to strive for excellence. I'm really looking with my coaches and our staff, making sure that this team maxes out, gets the most they can out of whatever ability we have, that's my job and that's the challenge.”