Revisiting Lance and Gary's Decision to move on...

by jaypee on Feb 8, 2010 11:35 AM EST Comment 22 comments

I thought it might be an appropriate time on the heels of the UNC dismantling to consider what might have been. I'll start by saying that I love this team from top to bottom. They are a classic Gary team: Steady senior guards who can score and find their teammates both in the halfcourt or on the break. HARD working forwards who have offensive game but grind out the dirty work and a big fella who I like more with each passing game. They seem to get better as a team with each game (with the exception of the game at Clemson...)

The results--SO FAR--have been reflective of the good chemistry and balance on the team. They are reflected not only in the our ACC standings, but I had no idea that we were leading in so many offensive and defensive categories in the ACC until I saw some of the pre-game yesterday.

Let us consider what might have been if Born Ready came here. You can't assume he would not have left some of his prima donna attitude that was so obvious and distasteful during the recruiting period back in NYC--give the kid the benefit of the doubt. However, you have to think he would have robbed some valuable minutes from Mosley and Milborne and possibly even Williams. What does the One and Done getting those minutes do to the overall chemistry of the team if not the development of players who are the future of the program in the upcoming years?

So far Lance is Averaging 11.9 PPG, 5.2 RPG, .3 BPG and 1 SPG for a Bearcats team that has talent but is under .500 in the Big East. Compare that with Jordan Williams' 8.4 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 1.1 BPG and .8 SPG for the Terps (#2 in the ACC). I would argue that Williams' defensive stats more than make up for the 3.5 PPG difference between these guys. The best thing: we get to watch Williams continue his development for the next 2-3 years at which point I have little doubt he will be the most dominant big man in the ACC. (his catches in traffic remind me of LB...hands like glue w/ a soft touch)

So what are your thoughts? Would MD be better w/ Lance, worse, or the same? I have to think we would be worse at this point.

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Good points

As much as I wanted Born Ready to be a Terp at the time, looking at the team chemistry now I don’t see how he would fit in. Would he start? I doubt it, maybe over Mosley, but definitely not over Milbourne.

Maryland Golf | Virginia Golf

by neilsav on Feb 8, 2010 12:12 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

We'd be worse.

End of story.

by kckb8 on Feb 8, 2010 12:22 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Hard to know...totally hypothetical

I’m also not so sure Lance is a 1 and done talent…he may be a 2nd round pick at this point….

by tiimbitz4786 on Feb 8, 2010 12:23 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Out of Context

Gary’s decision to move on was highly centered around the fact that Vasquez withdrew from the NBA draft. LS was never an either/or with JWill and you can’t compare stats at different positions to make the pick. I’m glad things worked out the way they did.

by moewiththegimpyleg on Feb 8, 2010 12:34 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

That's a misconception, actually

The Lance decision was made three weeks before Greivis announced his choice according to the original Sun article, and GW said that GV didn’t have his decision made that early.

That said, you’re right that it had nothing to do with JWill.

by Ben Broman on Feb 8, 2010 1:26 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

My note re: JWill was just to compare freshmen

Of course they are different positions, had no recruiting impact on each other or anything. HOWEVER, if you compare the production of a relatively unheralded Freshman, Williams, to that of the Circus that was Born Ready, it reminds us not to get too hung up on the big tickets.

Used JWill stats as another Freshman inserted into the starting lineup to compare to Lance at Cincy.

by jaypee on Feb 8, 2010 3:23 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Pros and cons to it

The biggest positive he would bring would be bench scoring, IMO. Regardless of whether he started or not (I don’t think he would) he would’ve provided major bench scoring either by moving Mosley to the bench or coming off it himself. Bowie and Tucker are so hot and cold off the bench, and that can limit the offense.

He’d also provide someone else that can create his own points if Vasquez isn’t. Covering both would be difficult. He’d provide a very significant boost in terms of overall talent and athleticism.

At the same time, he very well might’ve taken ~3-4 minutes away from JWill a game. It doesn’t seem like much, but that’s about 100 mins of development over the course of a season. It wouldn’t cripple him, but it would have an impact of some kind.

The big question mark and ultimate decider on whether or not it was the right choice is his attitude and the impact on chemistry. We have no idea what would’ve happened had he ended up here. If he worked within the offense and didn’t cause the chemistry to die, Maryland would probably be a better team. If he didn’t, they’d be much worse. Tough to call.

by Ben Broman on Feb 8, 2010 1:33 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

lance really isnt playing like a one and done at cincy. His game is too rough around the edges to go to the pros right now. But he would have bought into gary’s system and we would be better with him. He is pretty much more talented than anyone else on our team besides Grievis….

by MurlandTerps on Feb 8, 2010 2:08 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Hard to say...

A couple things here. It is hard to argue that any team would be worse with the addition of a great player. The bearcats haven’t had any team chemistry problems beside the fact that they aren’t a great team. Also, JWill was going to be here regardless of LS. I think the team would be better because it turns out he probably won’t be a one and done and he has a ton of talent, plus chemistry comes easy to a team that is winning and gary has never really had a team chemistry problem (Gilchrist being the only case, plus he got a good year out of him anyway). With all that being said it is hard to argue that he wouldn’t make next years team better. Think of the lineup… at 1 – Stogs & Howard 2/3 Mosely & Tucker & Parker & Stephenson(also at 4) and big man rotation Gregory, JWIll, Padge………….not to mention CJ Leslie :) That would be a nasty team.

by Jeffro78 on Feb 8, 2010 3:18 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I agree with Murland and Jeffro.

I just think it’s pathetic that the only 5 star we came very close to signing also happens to be the one with the most drama surrounding him. I doubt a serious debate would exist if other one and dones had come that close instead of LS (the Durant Beasley Wall Favors X Henry Carmelo Anthony etc etc.) This breed of players almost always contribute to an NCAA run and make their teams much better than they otherwise would be. We just happened to be involved with LS since no other 5 stars are ever seriously interested.

LS actually hasn’t seemed as immature or full of baggage as people speculated he would be. Our post has developed now (and we have Dino), their post was already established. We would beat them this time.

by ihaterudygay on Feb 8, 2010 3:36 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

r u serious ?

U would rather have “born raw – still raw” than Mt. Williams? I would take anyone in the starting 5 over Stephenson.

by Gabes on Feb 8, 2010 4:00 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

CJ Leslie

On a side note, does anyone have any new or inside information on what is going on with CJ Leslie? Is Maryland moving up his list over Florida? Would Ross or another bigtime unsigned recruit signing with Kentucky move them down his list?

by amoskowi on Feb 8, 2010 4:05 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Yeah, i wonder...

Cuz when I look at C.J.‘s list, I immediately cross of Fla. Int’l, Oregon, and NC State. That leaves UMD, Kentucky, Florida, and Ga. Tech.

And if Terrence Jones goes to Kentucky or too many big names fill that up, I like our chances with C.J. I think that’s why he’s keeping us on our list, but not talking about us. We are a good fallback from Kentucky (from his perspective)…

by kckb8 on Feb 8, 2010 4:34 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Check the other fanpost on Leslie

Rankin just predicted him to Maryland. I’ll believe it when I see it, honestly.

by Ben Broman on Feb 8, 2010 4:56 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Also

If the dream of Leslie does die, where does Maryland go? Seems like we’re waiting for him and a bunch have names and supposed scholarship offers have been going around, so who is Gary realistically looking at for a 2nd option on the last scholarship?

by amoskowi on Feb 8, 2010 6:27 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

McKnight or Reddic

Other than that, it’ll probably be a local reach or a JUCO.

by Ben Broman on Feb 8, 2010 7:11 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

It’s not Mt. Williams versus LS though. It never was. LS was for an open scholarship.

by ihaterudygay on Feb 8, 2010 5:06 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I think jaypee was giving a point of reference

He wasn’t saying “Which would you rather have?”, but instead showing that, for all the LS hype, Mt. Will ended up just as good, so its no guarantee BR would’ve been the game-changer we expected.

by Ben Broman on Feb 8, 2010 7:10 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

exactly...

I just didn’t articulate it very well as I was typing the post between meetings…tough to keep the chain of thought…

Thanks Ben

by jaypee on Feb 9, 2010 10:27 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Any time

Glad to help. :)

by Ben Broman on Feb 9, 2010 11:02 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Watching Lance all season...

I live in Cincy and a fan of both UC and Maryland and having watched both teams LS gets a bad wrap for his performance this year. He is stuck on a team with no leadership and a inexperienced head Coach. Gary and Vasquez would have been able to demand respect and put LS in his place. The upside LS would have brought is offensive rebounding, active hands, and great vision that would help create which is he greatest asset. LS loves to pass the ball but if you don’t finish for him he takes the “I have to do it myself” attitude. If he stays interested and not frustrated, he has a passion and tenacity that is rare. He would have benefitted playing in a more established offense that has shooters surrounding him.

by dmiles4406 on Feb 10, 2010 1:52 AM EST reply actions 0 recs