Very good game. Here's what I got from it:
- Braxton Dupree did not play one second. I was not upset. See below.
- Dino Gregory is very, very good, at least compared to the other options. Very athletic, very active. Definitely played well enough to earn a starting spot.
- Jerome Burney is not a great player, but he's better than Braxton Dupree. Similar to a larger Gregory, but not as polished yet. Can get out on the break, run with the team. I can see a Gregory/Burney frontcourt.
- I've given Dave Neal a lot of crap (well, not to his face), but man, he made some plays today. He might be the team's best 3-point shooter. He's definitely a senior leader, and gives everything he has every single day. He should stay a starter until this changes.
- Adrian Bowie deserves to continue starting. He was extremely active, and was able to grab a few rebounds. He's a great spark of energy, and can even run the point to give Vaz or Hayes a break.
- Despite a complete lack of big men, Maryland definitely outrebounded Michigan, and with a relatively large margin, even after the poor first half. What does this show? That rebounding really is a team effort. It's more about boxing out and effort than anything else.
- Don't forget Vasquez. Great, great game (well, second half) as usual. He continues to carry the team.
- This team will win a lot of games if they play every game with emotion. That's the big thing - the difference between the second half and the first half was the emotion and energy the team played with.
- The team accomplished another big goal by getting another good out-of-conference win. Michigan beat UCLA, remember, and likely be an NCAA tournament team. This win will look good come tournament time.
- Do not get carried away. The team will not play this good every game. The real challenge will be staying motivated enough to beat George Washington. Don't be surprised if it's a very close game - until the team proves otherwise, I can't believe they'll play at this level consistently.