Catching Up With Greivis Vasquez - Terrapins Insider
I already linked to this with the fanpost below, but that was only a small portion of a rather large interview. It's worth the read.
Gary Williams Reacts Greivis's Predictions
Remember when Greivis told Fox that the Terps were "going to win the ACC regular-season title and the league tournament"? Well, Gary never heard that until Dan Steinberg asked him about it yesterday. His reaction? Surprisingly positive.
"I like that," Williams said. "So what that he said it? if you don't believe you can do that, you'll never do it. In other words, when we got to the Final Four in 2001, we had most of those guys back, and so we believed we could win the national championship the following year. And we had credibility to that, we did. But we weren't the only team, I'm sure, that felt that way, or were good enough to win the national championship."
Terp target James Johnson impresses at LBJSA
James Johnson, a PF from San Diego, was Reggie Rankin's suprise player from day three of the LeBron James Skills Academy. Johnson wasn't included on the 2010 breakdown of prospects because he's a relatively new addition to the board and exactly how far the Terps are with him is unknown, but he has been on campus. Good to hear he's impressing.
Johnson played extremely well Tuesday. He is fundamentally sound, he faces off the lane and has the ability to consistently hit 15-foot jumpers. He also can knock down the open 3, if given time and space. Johnson is a matchup problem for less mobile post players because he can pull them away from the basket. He has good, not great, athleticism, and welcomes contact. Johnson runs the floor well, and plays with urgency. He has great length, which, along with his effort, helps him rebound consistently. He can start the fast break with a strong defensive rebound, and can come up with a timely tip-in on the offensive boards. He plays with his hands up on the defensive end, and works to hold his position. He must add strength to be more effective in the low post, but this young forward is aggressive and draws your attention the entire time his is on the floor.
King City Classic Notes - Gbinije, Cooney
I guess I just have to ask why a guy from Virginia is playing for the Michigan State team and why a guy from Delaware is playing for the Oklahoma team. Confusing to say the least. Regardless, NBE Basketball Report has some notes on 2011 Terp targets Michael Gbinije and Trevor Cooney.
Michael Gbinije (6-6, 194 lb) and JL Rose displayed almost the same style of game. Both dropping their midrange jumpers, usually from the corner, and both playing hardnosed, aggressive defense and keeping both of the guys they were on in front of them.
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Big East Comparison: Wesley Matthews (Marquette)
Interest: UNC, Pittsburgh, Georgetown, Texas, UVA, Virginia Tech, Maryland and Florida
Strong Point: Showed off a nice, consistent 12-15 foot jumper whether contested or open
Area of Improvement: Needed to get back on defense quicker; better awareness
Trevor Cooney (6-4, 185 lb) struggled a good bit today, missing most of the three-point opportunities he had. After a while, his frustration was noticed, as he started to take more and more contested long range shots. He did make some solid decisions in his passing game, with a few sharp behind-the-back looks, and some quick thinking, including a play where he picked up a loose ball and knocked down the contested fadeaway midrange jumper....
D-1 Comparison: Scoop Jardine (Syracuse)
Interest: Boston U, Delaware, Syracuse, Villanova, Ohio State, Rutgers, Texas and Maryland
Strong Point: Showed some great awareness; great court vision
Area of Improvement: Needs to keep head in the game. Better shooter then displayed in first game.
King City Classic Notes - Anderson, Harris, Jones
More notes from NBE Basketball Report from the KCC, this time on Justin Anderson, Tobias Harris, and Terrence Jones.
Justin Anderson showed some very nice ball-handling and passing skills. One, in particular, when Justin had a fantastic with a behind the back pass to Carlton Brundage who finished with the and-1 reverse layup off the baseline. He is a finesse player with great charisma on the floor....
Big East Comparison: Dar Tucker (DePaul)
Interest: Texas, North Carolina, Duke Maryland, Villanova, Georgetown, Louisville
Strong Point: Is very versatile and can stroke it from any spot on floor
Area of Improvement: Needs to get quicker on the defensive end; stronger first step
Tobias Harris (6-8, 210 lbs) is a guy that almost always can be depended on for a great show. His big moment came in the second half when a huge and-1 jam had Georgetown head coach John Thompson III and Ben Howland, among others, nodding their heads in approval. Harris’ hustle was the most important part of his game today. He missed a few shots, but was almost always on his own offensive rebound and finishing. He made some great drives to the lane and fantastic post up moves as well.
Terrence Jones (6-8, 219 lbs) may be one of the more athletic kids here. He showed off his vertical, getting extremely high on two offensive putback dunks early on, and blocking several shots on the other end. Very nice athleticism and quickness from Jones.
Ad nauseum report: Nike confiscates LeBron tapes
Not really at all related to Maryland athletics, but every other blog has reported on it, so I will too, damn it.
The 5 Programs that are the Easiest to Dislike
Good CFB read from the Big Lead on the 5 love to hate programs in the NCAA - unsurprisingly, our ACC foes F$U and Miami are listed at 2 and 5, respectively. Honestly, I've never really hated Miami as much as everyone else. I do dislike them, but they get too much credit for being hateable, if that makes sense.