TALLAHASSEE, Fla.- Terrapin coach Gary Williams said Solomon Alabi is the type of player he wants to see five years from now. The 7-foot-1 sophomore has all the potential in the world and could take his game to the next level next year as an NBA lottery pick.
But for tonight, all that matters is what has changed in just more than three weeks since the last time these two teams got together.
On that Saturday in College Park, Alabi picked up a pair of quick fouls and was a non-factor for most of the first half. He rebounded to finish with 17 points and nine rebounds in 25 minutes, but his team still fell 77-68.
If he plays more like he did in the first half, the Terps have a shot to escape the Donald L. Tucker Center with a needed road win. If he has his way inside like he did in the second half of the first meeting, the Terps are in for a long night.
The other thing the Terps had going for them last time was the team’s three seniors, Landon Milbourne, Greivis Vasquez and Eric Hayes, really put the team on their backs by combining for 52 points. Coming off a game in which all three struggled, how well they bounce back will probably play a big factor, too.
Most of the pregame conversation among the writers has related to if we will be able to get home before the snow hits College Park. But there’s apparently a game to play first.
Florida State students that file in are getting their free t-shirts for this “white-out” game. They hope the Seminoles can continue a four-game winning streak at the building with the multi-colored seats.
Not much news to report about 34 minutes until the scheduled 9 p.m. tip. You can catch the game on Raycom in the College Park area and continue to check back here and at www.diamondbackonline.com for more as the night progresses.
Eric Detweiler is The Diamondback’s Terrapin Men’s Basketball Team beat writer. He can be reached at edetweilerdbk@gmail.com. You can follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/edetweiler.