Really, it's difficult to complain too much. Gonzaga just ended up being too much for the team after the Michigan State game. The team had given too much mentally, emotionally, and physically in that game, and they just couldn't hold on. Gonzaga outplayed Maryland in this game, and if wasn't for a bad stretch at the end of the first half, the game could've been very different. Here's my thoughts from it:
- Sean Mosely very well may start against Georgetown. He played very well on the defensive end and hustled - it was the second game he impressed me in. I can see him taking over for Cliff Tucker who had his second "meh" game - not bad, but just not noticable. Gary seemed to really like Mosely, considering how much he played.
- Same for Adrian Bowie. Another solid game - he can penetrate very well, and is a great defender. I hate to beat up on Cliff, but he just doesn't stand out in any aspect of the game. He's a good player, but he hasn't made a play recently that makes you remember that.
- For as much as Greivis Vasquez does that annoys the hell out of me, he can play. He's going to carry the team this year, and I'll try to remember that the next time he makes a bad turnover. He has his share of bad plays, but there are very few players in the country I'd take ahead of him.
- Boy, does Maryland need to find a #2 scorer. Sometimes I think it could be Eric Hayes, but he just doesn't fully fit the bill. Adrian Bowie's game isn't well-rounded enough. Landon Milbourne isn't polished enough. I have a feeling that it could be Jin-Soo Kim or Sean Mosely eventually, but it's just too early for that. Until the Terps can find a #2 to Greivis, the team will have trouble playing against the Gonzagas of the world.
- I don't like Dave Neal. Anyone who's ever watched a Maryland basketball game with me knows that fact all too well. But let me tell you something - he's a player. He hustles, he tries, he leads, he gives everything he has - it's not that much, but I don't care - and that's all you can ask. Many props to Neal; it seems like he's the second best player on the team now.
- Color me confused on Braxton Dupree. It seems he always is able to make one play that makes Gary go, "Eh...maybe I'll keep starting him. He showed a nice flash there." He's not starting caliber - I'd take Gregory, Burney, or even Neal over him. He's short, not quick enough to make up for the height advantage, unathletic, and seems to have hands of stone. I want to like him, because he seems like he could be a real player, and he seems to work hard. But when he doesn't jump for a rebound, misses an easy layup, drops a beautiful pass from Greivis, that sensation of hope just disappears. I just can't see him starting against Georgetown - I think Greg Monroe would eat him for lunch.
Okay, Georgetown. Get ready. It's on. Bring it.