With no more Coleman and Toliver, is it Dee Liles' time to shine?
The 2009-10 Terrapins’ women’s basketball schedule was released Friday and it’s predictably conservative.
With all members of the 2006 National Championship now gone from College Park, it’s clear coach Brenda Frese wanted to ease her team into the ACC schedule. And “ease” into it they will.
Before they start their ACC campaign on Jan. 7 in Raleigh against N.C. State, the Terps will play away from Comcast Center just three times, and two of those games are within the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan area.
I can’t say I blame Frese. Take it from her perspective. She just lost two of the most dynamic players in program history. And not only were Marissa Coleman and Kristi Toliver two of the best, they were two of the most valuable.
Since the team’s loss at Virginia in January, the duo carried the Terps with such consistency and skill that it probably hurt Frese in the end.
If Toliver was off one night but Coleman was running hot, things would usually turn out okay in the end. If Toliver
Consistency will be the buzzword for Lynetta Kizer in 2009-10. Source: AP
was shooting well but Coleman wasn’t hitting, the same rule typically applied down the stretch. But when both were off in the Elite Eight against Louisville, trouble came quickly.
The Terps were buried early, and with their dependence on the two stars, had little fuel for a comeback.
This nonconference schedule will give Dee Liles, Lynetta Kizer, Anjale Barrett and Kim Rodgers a chance to further acclimate themselves, and two new assistant coaches an opportunity to get comfortable against relatively comfortable opponents.
On the other hand, how much good can come from beating up on Towson (Dec. 10) or American (Dec. 20), even if the games are on the road?
Not much. But it’s obvious Frese and Co. want to take things slow in the post Coleman/Langhorne/Toliver era.
Aaron Kraut is The Diamondback’s sports editor and was the 2008-09 women’s basketball beat writer. He can be reached at akraut@umdbk.com.