It doesn’t feel right walking to my car in khaki shorts and boat shoes to go cover a basketball event, but amazingly enough, the “winter” sports season is set to begin soon. Here are some of the highlights from the men’s basketball team’s media day held this afternoon.
-Coach Gary Williams announced that lone senior Dave Neal and juniors Landon Milbourne and Greivis Vasquez will be the team’s tri-captains this upcoming season.
Milbourne put in countless hours working on his game during the offseason and really seems poised for a nice year. As the media ushered into Comcast Center for interviews (and a requisite free lunch) Milbourne was alone on the court shooting and working on some footwork from the post.
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-Williams also mentioned during his press conference that there will be some different lineups than we’re used to seeing from a typical Terps team. He said he isn’t against playing four guards at a time, and referenced Memphis and Villanova’s success in doing just that.
“You have to look at your talent and see how to get your best players on the court at those times,” Williams said.
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-Before Williams’ press conference, media relations’ Doug Dull noted that the Terps will have a new reality show set to begin on November 21st,at 7 p.m. on Comcast Sports Net, immediately before the team’s game against Vermont. (You tell me why they would air it at that time, when 20,000 potential viewers are headed to basketball game without access to a television.)
The show will follow the team around practice from now until then. My guess is something similar to the football team’s Terrapins Rising. Regardless, this reality show will be nowhere near as entertaining as the incredible, unmatched outlandishness of MTV’s current Real World, Road Rules Challenge: The Island. But then again, how could anything? Maybe Gary Williams will go on a T.J. Lavin inspired diatribe about never quitting. As viewers, we can only hope.
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-In person, the new Under Armour uniforms look real sharp. By the shoulder area, the jerseys have a subtle, but attractive terrapin shell pattern. This now makes three different designs in as many years. I have a feeling these will stick around for a while. And yes, I actually used the word “attractive” in a blog about basketball.
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-All the players are Raven’ about the team’s new strength coach, Paul Ricci, who used to work for the NFL’s Baltimore Ravens. (Sorry, the pun shop wasn’t open after 5. I had to settle for that horrendous Raven one.) Not only has Braxton Dupree lost 20 pounds while putting on muscle, but many of the other players mentioned improved conditioning which will benefit them on the court.
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- Freshman Sean Mosley is opening some eyes during informal scrimmages. Williams even went so far as to say that he has a chance to start this season. The coach compared his personality to that of Juan Dixon and Greivis Vasquez. If his production is anything similar to either, the Terps can’t complain.
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-Speaking of Vasquez, the junior guard went home to Venezuela last week to be with his ailing father. Greivis said that his dad is now alright, but the incident put a big scare into him. Best wishes to Mr. Vasquez and the entire family.
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-This year, the NCAA moved the three-point line back a foot for men’s basketball, but kept it at the same distance for the women. So now, the Comcast Center floor has two lines–a red one indicating a women’s three, and a white one for the men. Adrian Bowie said that the pair of lines can be confusing to a shooter trying to look down and set his feet.
Bowie wasn’t much of a gunner last year, opting to slash to the basket instead of shooting from the outside, but he and his teammates have noticed a huge improvement in his range.
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-Tomorrow is Maryland Madness, if you haven’t already seen the staunch advertising put on by the athletics department. And what everyone wants to know about Madness is, of course, the type of dance to which the Terps will be coming out. The team was typically tight-lipped on the subject, but I did manage to get Jerome Burney to give us a little bit of a hint.
“You’re gonna see an old school dance and a few solo dances.”
Old school, huh? My prediction: It’s Tricky by Run DMC. As for the solos, I have a hunch that Dave Neal is going to put on a spectacle. And with those pounds that he shed, Braxton Dupree is primed for a big performance on the dance floor.
We’ll have more tomorrow during Dancing with the Terps– umm, I mean, Maryland Madness.
See you there at 7.
mseligdbk@gmail.com
